Summer NAMM '99 in Review: New Guitar Amps

By Brett Ratner
ratocaster@harmony-central.com

August 3, 1999

My first day of the National Association of Music Merchandisers Summer trade show in Nashville was for looking around to get a general feeling for new stuff that's out there.

One didn't have to look far! As consumers of guitars and guitar-related equipment, you'll have a lot to look forward to in the next couple months. I'll be covering some of the highlights in a series of articles, focusing first here on some cool amps not yet represented in Harmony Central's Summer NAMM coverage.

Cruise Audio Systems has developed a new amp with a long wish-list of features. Cruise's flagship model (well, only model for now), is the MQ4 Multi-Quartet. Available in head or combo format, the amp features four independent channels; "Clean Blues," "Blues Vintage," "Classic Hi Gain" and "Ultra Gain."

The MQ4 Head and combo

While there are other 4-channel amps out there, the Cruise is unique in that each channel is on an interchangeable preamp "card." If you didn't need the Ultra Gain channel, but could use an extra clean, you could swap a new card in. The company will also send you a new faceplate reflecting the change. The company can also take custom orders on a new amp with whatever desired preamp configuration you want.

"So if you're a metal player, and you won't use the blues channel, you can just ask us to put an extra Ultra Gain channel in there," Cruise amp product manager David Flosdorf said. "We'll just say yeah, man, you got it."

Other features include the ability to blend any or all of the channels and even mix the individual volume levels. In a practical application, you could give your dirty sound more attack by dialing in some clean, or give your blues more sustain by adding a hint of high gain.

If you play an acoustic on stage, or use a Parker Fly (with a stereo output for the magnetic and piezo pickups), you can plug the piezo into it's own dedicated input. This automatically reserves the clean channel for the acoustic sound. Using a stereo cord with a Parker is cool because you can toggle between electric and acoustic sounds simply using the switch on the guitar.

The MQ4 Head

NAMM rules regarding volume prevented me from really testing the Multi-Quartet. Even the most expensive amps sound thin and buzzy at bedroom level. Regardless, I don't anticipate digging the Ultra Gain since I'm not a fan of than sound anyway. I did manage to squeeze out enough volume to find the clean sounded nice and shimmery with the piezo pickup. The Classic High Gain was warm and well-suited for chord work. An "accidental" nudge of the volume control by Flosdorf revealed the Blues Vintage to be where the Cruise really shines. Even with a humbucker-equipped Parker Fly, this channel absolutely nailed the Stevie Ray thing. Back off the volume control just the tiniest bit, you get beautifully-spanky clean.

If I could afford the $2495 suggested retail for this thing, I think I'd order mine with four blues channels (just kidding, I'd get two and keep the clean and vintage high gain).

Check out the MQ4 Press Release or visit www.cruiseaudio.com to learn more.