PAUL REED SMITH
ARCHON
TWENTYFIVE
REVIEW BY PHILLIP DODGE
STREET PRICE $1299
If you don’t think of amps when you
capable of switching to run at half
of heavy duty PC boards. The pots
hear the name PRS, that’s OK. While
power. The Archon amps are modern
are all high-quality Alpha pots and
the company is celebrating its 30th
high gain amps, but they aren’t strictly
the tubes are mounted directly to the
anniversary this year, it has spent
for the high gain or metal crowd. I’m
chassis. In other words, it’s built like
the majority of those years focused
typically a player of low- to mid-gain,
a (a beautiful) tank. The amp weighs
squarely on making some of the best
single-channel, non-master volume
in at a relatively svelte 34 pounds and
guitars money can buy. However,
amps, but I found plenty to love in
measures roughly 22” x 11” x 18”. It
when renowned amp designer Doug
the Archon.
fits nicely in the trunk or the passenger
Sewell joined the PRS team a few
Let’s first talk about specs: The Archon
years ago, that all changed. Doug has
Twenty-Five features six 12AX7 tubes
a reputation for building outstanding
in the preamp section, a duo of 5881
amps and with him on board, PRS
tubes in the power section, and a solid
began making amps that are equal to
state rectifier. It puts out 25 watts
its guitars.
in full-power mode and 13 watts in
I recently had the chance to spend a
half-power mode. All of this power
few weeks with one of their newest
is funneled into a Celestion G12-75T.
offerings: The Archon Twenty-Five.
Upon opening the Archon, the build
The Archon line is comprised of a 100-
quality and attention to detail is
watt head, 50-watt head, 50 W 1X12
impressive. The amp is hand-wired and
and 25 W 1X12 with each configuration
the parts are laid out neatly on a series
40
GEAR REVIEW
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Paul Reed Smith Archon Twenty-Five
seat and is easy to carry in one hand.
The Archon offers individual Volume,
Treble, Middle, Bass, Master Volume,
and Bright switches for both the
Clean and Lead channels and global
Presence and Depth controls. The
Clean channel is rich a dimensional and
stays clean to almost full volume. The
Lead channel starts out in hot-rodded
Marshall territory and quickly works
its way up into modern high gain
tones. As long as you keep the Lead