June Birthdays 
I recently purchased the Gomez G Reverb-Amp. This is a 12 Watt amp modeled after the classic Fender Princeton Reverb. The Gverb has the beautiful tone of the Princeton, but has been enhanced with a 15 speaker, superior reverb, and thicker tremolo. The Gverb is an all hand wired, all tube amp, built with high quality components. Although a lower wattage classification, this is a loud amp. It is also easy to transport, weighing only 36 pounds.
Compared to other boutique amps of similar excellent quality, the Gverb is quite reasonably priced. Some people will always be attracted to the vintage Fender amps and are not averse to the process or costs of restoration. More power to them. However, there is a market for people seeking the quality of the vintage amps, but built brand new today. The Gverb is built the way that Fender used to build its amps.
The Gverb has a surprisingly high amount of variation in the tones that is can produce. Below are several different settings and my attempt at describing the characteristics that are produced. There is no substitute for hearing this amp, but words will have to suffice for this review. The guitars employed were a MB '51 Nocaster and a MB '60 Stratocaster.
Guitar Volume: 1/2
Amp Volume: 10
Treble: 7
Bass: 10
Reverb: 5
Speed: 1
Intensity: 1
These are the Jim Campilongo Princeton settings. Quite clear tone, with singing highs and very articulated lows. Chords have excellent string separation, as you hear all of the notes that comprise the chord. No muddiness at all. With the guitar backed off, this is a surprisingly clean and powerful tone.
Guitar Volume: Full
Amp Volume: 7
Treble: 7
Bass: 5
Reverb: 1
Speed: 1
Intensity: 1
This is overdriven, but with no fuzziness at all. Most surf folks probably wouldn't have a no-reverb setting, but this sounded quite nice. A lot of power, but under control. Bar chords sounded great. Non-bar chords had plenty of carry and excellent articulation. There was enough sustain to be able to play lead even without the 'verb.
Guitar Volume: 3/4
Amp Volume: 5
Treble: 7
Bass: 5
Reverb: 7
Speed: 2
Intensity: 2
This is a nice setting for lead without a tank. The on-board reverb is wonderful, the best of any boutique or reissue that I have heard. You can immediately tell that the knowledge that Dario has from making standalone reverb units has found its way into his built-in amp reverb. An interesting attribute is that when you palm mute, the sounds come back at you straight from the center of the speaker and are exceptionally clear.
Guitar Volume: 3/4
Amp Volume: 6
Treble: 8
Bass: 5
Reverb: 5
Speed: 3
Intensity: 3
This is an intense searing tone. The chords just ring on and the bass notes have a little nastiness to them. The tremolo gives it a swampy aspect, with a nice slow oscillation. This tremolo is very precise and provides a much broader spectrum than your typical Fender amp. Once you try this trem, you won't go back to playing without it.
Guitar Volume: Full
Amp Volume: 6
Treble: 8
Bass: 4
Reverb: 10
Speed: 2
Intensity: 2
OK, reverb on full. Can you say cavern? It's not quite the drip sound of Dario's external reverb unit on maximum, but it is the next best thing. This reverb setting is all-encompassing, like you are at the bottom of a well. This was a good setting for fast double picking. This is more a lead setting than for bar chord rhythm, but the non-bar chords had excellent note separation.
Guitar Volume: 1/2
Amp Volume: 10
Treble: 5
Bass: 10
Reverb: 7
Speed: 2
Intensity: 2
This is my favorite setting. Pretty tones, plenty of sustain, and nice reverb. The chords are clear, articulated, and full of presence. There is a lot of power in reserve at the guitar volume knob. This is a beautiful, clean tone that packs a lot of punch.
That's just a small sample of the tones that the amp can produce. The broad range of the reverb and tremolo certainly contribute to the variability of the tonal options.
If you have an interest in the Gverb, you may have to hurry. My understanding is that Dario is allocating his time and attention heavily to the Surfer amp, along with production for the El Sonido amp and the G-Spring reverb unit. There are no production runs scheduled for the Gverb. So what's out there is probably it. There are a couple of Gverbs at Buffalo Brothers and one at Rockit Music. Gomez Amplification may have some additional units in its own inventory. Dario is a solid guy, is a pleasure to work with, and you just can't ask for any better service. My bottom line is that the Gverb is a great amp and I'm really glad to own one.
Paul
—Paul
