Description
With its single-ended 6V6 output stage, unusual preamp circuitry, and oval 6” x 9” speaker, the Supro S6616 of the late ’50s and early ’60s—manufactured by Valco in Chicago— might seem an unlikely candidate for “classic amp” status. Yet more of the stuff of legend, Jimmy Page has admitted to using a Supro amp to record most of the first two Led Zeppelin albums. The only problem is, he never copped to which Supro model he used. Talk about a real communication breakdown! Wind it up, and the S6616 offers juicy, brown overdrive that can sound like a raging stack when mixed with the track, yet with a character all its own. Reined in to clean volumes, it is beautifully spanky and crisp. And at all levels the 6” x 9” speaker yields nodes and peaks that contribute to an unusual and distinctive sonic voice that has come to be known as the Supro sound.
