In this weekly article series for what will become my first ever all-tube amplifier head, some amplifiers are easier to research than others. Some however, like today’s Bully XX by Revolution Amplification are damn near impossible to find information on. Having said that, this amplifier appeals to me. It’s priced right, it’s a good wattage for a first amplifier head and the model I’ve selected is ultra high gain with a touch of darkness.
I like it already.
Revolution Amplification makes three different 20 watt amplifier heads. The Bully XX, the Rival XX and the Fenix XX (XX being Roman numerals for those unaware). The Rival XX produces vintage classic rock tones while the Fenix XX produces a modern style overdrive/distortion tone. I love my metal, so I’ve decided the Bully XX is the most suitable model for me. Plus I’ve always wanted a Bull Terrier. So the name appeals to me. I have no reason to believe one thing has anything to do with the other by the way.
You can hear some of the tones the Bully XX is capable of on the official product website. I have to say, the metal tones sound incredibly brutal. They are also incredibly tight and articulated. It’s deep, but it’s not muddy. I’d be very happy if my metal tones sounded like this with nothing but an amplifier head (no pedals). Also, the clean is pretty damn impressive! So, what’s in this bad boy?
- 20 watts
- 2 x 5881 power tubes
- 6 x 12AX7 preamp tubes
- 2 foot switchable channels
- Volume, Bass and Treble controls for the Clean channel
- Gain, Master, Slop, Bass, Midrange and Treble controls for the Overdriven channel
- Foot switchable tube driven effects loop (true bypass)
- 4, 8 and 16 ohm speaker outputs
Eight tubes. That’s impressive. It probably explains why the sound clips sound so brutal yet clear. As I’ve mentioned, I love my metal, but clarity is another thing I like. Nobody wants their guitar playing to all sound the same no matter the notes your playing.
I’ve discovered that video footage of the Bully XX is somewhat harder to find. I have found this footage from NAMM 2014 (Winter I assume). The video that I’ve decided to end this article with though is this faulty-sound production by The Tone King. Why? Because this is the video that explains the history of Revolution Amplification. This is the new amplifier company for Tony Krank. You may have heard of Krank Amplifiers before. Dimebag Darrell sure had heard of them.
Disclaimer: I’ve not played through this head. I have not experienced the sound or tone of this head other than through video. That doesn’t matter. It looks awesome, it’s obviously played by winners and I want one.