Description
With its hot “microphone” input and a well-worn 12” field-coil speaker, this little 1939-’42 combo has become a favorite of blues guitarists and studio players alike. This was the Gibson® company’s first amp designed for the electric guitar – previous models were designed for Hawaiian lap steels, an extremely popular instrument during this era. Nothing else quite nails the round, warm, woody tone and easy breakup of its octal preamp stage and dual-6L6 output stage. The EH-185 makes a surprisingly versatile voice for sculpting anything from vintage jazz tones to raw rock’n’roll when cranked up, and sits beautifully in a full-band mix, both live and in the studio. Seminal jazzer Charlie Christian is believed to have moved up to an EH-185 combo before his death, about the same time that he stepped up from his original Gibson ES-150 guitar to an ES-250. In a more modern setting, it has shared the stage with Queen Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme.
