Thermion and TN412 - Ibanez

soundchecktesting 1...2...3... cheap thrills nuts&bolts playing the market the buzz bin alive&gigging tech education new eq audiofileTESTING 1…2…3…8THEWEAPON OFMASS DISTORTIONIbanez TN120 Thermion guitar ampand TN412 4x12 speaker cabinetGEAR IN REVIEWKA-CHING!By Chris GillIbanez offers a full selectionof guitars, basses, acoustics andeven pedals, but one essentialitem long missing from their lineupwas a full-powered, pro-quality tubeamp. The company imported Laneyamps (Tony Iommi’s weapon ofchoice) into the U.S. for a while andbuilds a variety of solid-state amps,including the Tone Blaster Series and LIST PRICES: TN120 head,highly regarded Troubadour acoustic $1,466.65; TN412 cabinet, $1,066.65MANUFACTURER: Ibanez, ibanez.comguitar amps. Still, the head honchosat Ibanez have long known that afire-breathing, metal-melting tube amp bearing the Ibanez name wasexactly what the company needed to boost its reputation over the top.With the introduction of the TN120 Thermion amp, Ibanez’s missionis finally accomplished. The unusual name means “electrically chargedparticle,” although Ibanez curiously describes the Thermion as “weapons-gradeamplification.” Playing through the Thermion could certainlybe considered an act of aggression, so don’t be surprised if jealous guitaristsdeclare you a threat when you add a TN120 to your arsenal.ConstructionWith its perforated black-aluminum grille, illuminated logo, heavydutymetal toggle switches and black-nickel-plated input plate, theThermion head not only looks like a high-end boutique amp but it’s builtlike one, too. Top-quality components, including sealed potentiometers,ceramic tube sockets and heavy-duty transformers, are featuredthroughout the TN120’s construction. The TN412 4x12 speaker cabinetfeatures a genuine cane grille, metal carrying handles and 5/8-inchbirch plywood construction.Ibanez obviously built the Thermion with gigging musicians in mind.The head has three handles, so you can either heft this 50-pound beastyourself or share the load with another person. The cabinet’s carryinghandles are positioned in the center, so the weight is evenly distributed158 guitar wor ldSoundchecksNEW.indd 1586/5/06 6:44:52 PM

when it’s lifted, and its oversized casters makeit easy to roll over any surface, includingunpaved parking lots (for those gigs at theAmerican Legion). Even the cabinet’s angledcorners and head coasters are constructedfrom metal to survive years of constant abuse.FeaturesFour matched Ruby Tubes 6L6GC outputtubes provide 120 watts of power, and five12AX7A tubes drive the preamp section. Ibanezmaintains that the Thermion’s design is 100 percentall-tube, with no solid-state devices in theentire signal path, even the effect loop. If you prefera tighter, chunkier sound, you can easily swap6550 tubes for the 6L6s thanks to a convenientswitch and external bias adjustment interfacethat lets you set proper bias without removing theamp from its chassis.POWER TRIP:The Thermion’shigh-efficiencytoroidal coretransformerTwo channels—VintageandHot—provide the usual selection ofindependent volume, gain, bass, mid, treble andpresence controls. More unusual features are theVintage channel’s bright switch, which featuresnormal, bright and brighter settings, and the Hotchannel’s damping switch, which lets you selectbetween classic tube warmth or a more moderntight distortion with extremely fast attack.Channels can be switched with the includedheavy-duty footswitch (which also controls thedamping function and effect loop) or manuallyvia a toggle switch conveniently located on thefront panel—very helpful should you ever misplacethe footswitch.The effect loop includes a blend/series switchso you can select a 50/50 mix of dry and effectedsignals or 100 percent wet. It also has a 0dB/-20dB switch for matching levels with stomp boxesor rack processors. Should you desire even moredistortion, the effect loop can be used as an additionalgain stage on both channels.The Thermion’s front panel sports a singleinput jack with a high/low-impedance switchreplacing the usualhigh- and low-inputjacks. In addition to thelogo, the entire controlsurface is illuminatedby the golden glow ofLEDs, allowing youto make adjustmentseven after an uncooperativesoundman haskilled the stage lights.SoundThe main problemwith many high-gainamp heads is thatthey generally onlyexcel at high-gaintones. While the Thermion’s Hot channelblasts extreme distortion tones that can competewith some of the most popular amps onthe market, its Vintage channel lives up to itsname by delivering surprisingly smooth cleanand raunchy overdrive sounds.Dialing in sounds is easy. If you want classiccrunch, crank the Vintage channel’s mastercontrol all the way up and slowly boostthe gain. If you want tight, heavily saturatedgrind, turn up the Hot channel’s gain andset the dampening switch to “in.” The twochannels are completely independent, soyou don’t have to worry about settings onone channel affecting the other.The Thermion’s low end is exceptionallytight and focused—perfect for modern metaltones. Thanks to the Vintage channel’sthree-position bright switch, it can alsogenerate more treble than the average head.The “brightest” setting is not for the weakof heart and can be very piercing at highvolumes. I don’t recommend it unless youwant to make a hollowbody stuffed with wetrags and strung with 30-year-old flatwoundssound like a Tele.The Bottom LineIbanez took their damn sweet timeadding a tube amp to their line, but theThermion is well worth the wait. Its highgaintones compare favorably with expensiveboutique amps like Diezel and Bogner,yet it sells for a mere fraction of the priceand is built to last. Ibanez’s “weapons-gradeamplification” description is apt: this ampabsolutely kills the competition! ■PRO: Outstanding tones, easy operation,solid construction, affordableCON: “Brightest” setting can be shrillguitar wor ld 159SoundchecksNEW.indd 1596/5/06 6:45:03 PM