First introduced in 1984, Dean Markley brings back the CD60 and CD30 tube amps into their production line.
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Said to be sought after for their high headroom clean channel and warm lead channel, these limited production run amps will now be a mainstay of Dean Markley’s product offering.
First introduced three decades ago, there aren’t too many of these amps out in the wild because they were only produced in limited quantities. This time, the company is going to keep producing these amps, challenging the more expensive boutique style combo amps that are in the market today.
Although relatively unknown, the official press release named some big name guitarists that used the CD60, including Eric Clapton, Andy Summers and Alex Lifeson, and they say there are many more.
Both amps feature the same tube configuration, having 3 x 12AX7 preamp tubes and 2 x 6L6GC power amp tubes. Dean Markley describes the tube circuitry as “combining old school tube amp soul with modern gain control.” The main difference between the two amps is their RMS ratings, 30 watts for the CD30 and 60 watts for the CD60. Aside from having more headroom, the CD60 also feature a preamp out and power amp in.
The amp comes with two inputs, normal and -6dB to accommodate both traditional and modern electric guitars. It has the typical two channel configuration of clean and drive. Basic tone shaping is provided by the 3-band EQ, Drive, Gain and Volume controls, while the drive channel features a voicing switch that adds more low-end. Expanding the amp’s sonic flexibility are two switches that affect both channels – bright and mid boost.
Both the CD30 and CD60 tube amps come in 1×12 combo format, with a Celestion Custom Designed Rocket 50 12″ speaker. Other features include Reverb, Effects Loop, 4/8 ohm speaker outs and each amp comes with a footswitch.
The MSRP for the CD60 is $1,198, while the CD30 is priced at $998. Head over to Dean Markley for more information.
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