REVV G20 HEAD

first play
REVV G20 HEAD
18
GUITARIST SEPTEMBER 2020
There’s a hefty chrome carry handle that
can be folded down as needed. The front
of the G20’s cover is dominated by a large
‘Revv’ logo that lights up when the amp is
switched on and changes colour depending
on which channel is selected.
Inside the chassis, the G20’s electronics
are densely packed on several high-quality
PCBs. The main board includes sockets
for a pair of 12AX7 preamp valves and two
6V6 output valves, as well as supporting
daughter boards for the Two Notes module
and MIDI switching, with three more
for the front and rear panel components.
Wiring is minimal and neatly routed; most
circuit board connections via plug-in Molex
pin connectors.
The G20’s onboard controls are fairly
straightforward but merit a swift scan
through the manual before plugging in and
letting rip. Conventional knobs for gain,
volume, bass, mid and treble are joined
by a six-way rotary switch that accesses a
choice of pre-loaded Two Notes cabinet
emulations. A push-button switch between
the mid and bass knobs activates a tone
mode called Wide, with another switch
between the bass and master volume
controls operating a built-in attenuator that
drops the G20’s output from 20 watts down
to around four watts.
There are more push-button switches
for changing channels, operating the G20’s
three-way Aggression mode and saving
patch settings. A fourth switch called
Pre/Post switches the G20’s Direct and
headphones outputs before or after its 6V6
valve power stage, allowing use of the Two
Notes virtual power amp feature instead,
with a choice of virtual power stages
including 6L6s, EL84s and EL34s. There’s
a headphone jack on the front panel with its
own level control and a clip LED.
The rear panel’s offerings includes MIDI
in, with a four-pin DIN socket that’s used
to power the illuminated logo in some of
Revv’s own speaker cabinets. There’s a
USB socket for hooking up the G20 to the
Two Notes Torpedo Remote app, while
direct-to-desk connection is handled by a
balanced XLR jack with a ground lift.
Other features include a buffered series
effects loop and a single speaker jack, with
impedance and defeat switches. A pair
of test points lets you check the output
valve bias current, and the adjuster is
The Aggression
control means the
G20 has more than
enough tonal range
to cope with any gig
1
1. The embedded
Two Notes Torpedo
module is hooked up to
a balanced XLR output
with ground lift. The
USB is for connecting
the G20 to the Torpedo
Remote software app,
which lets you load, save
and assign patches
The Revv G20’s controls are
easy to navigate, although
a quick read of the manual
will help understand how its
functions hang together
VIDEO DEMO http://bit.ly/guitaristextra
GIT463.rev_revv.indd 18 04/08/2020 11:11