Summer NAMM 2018: Supro's Black Magick Reverb amp casts dark spell

SUMMER NAMM 2018: Supro's original Black Magick, which debuted in 2016, is a recreation of the amplifier Jimmy Page used in the early days of Led Zeppelin. 

Page owned and used a range of Valco-made Supro amps in the 60s, but the modified 1959 1690T Coronado that he loaned to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland is the likeliest candidate for the combo he used on the first Led Zeppelin album, and beyond.

Now, Supro has unveiled an upgraded version at Summer NAMM 2018. Adding artist-requested features, and developed in collaboration with Lenny Kravitz, the iconic US brand's latest offering aims to capture the mid-range grind and signature sound of the original model, while adding all-tube reverb, 2-band EQ and a master volume knob.

The Reverb, like its predecessor, runs two independent preamp channels that can be linked together using the 1&2 input jacks and additional gain has been added to both preamp channels, while the dual-gang, single-knob tone control from the non-reverb model has been reconfigured with separate treble and bass knobs. The 6-spring reverb pan is driven by both channels and then summed with the dry signal just prior to hitting the master volume control.

Crucially, an updated, tube-based LFO circuit provides bias-modulated output tube tremolo with double the speed range of the original Black Magick. Meanwhile, the output stage of the Black Magick Reverb is based on the same Class-A power amp as the original, utilizing a matched pair of 6973 tubes and a custom-made Supro output transformer with 16-ohm, 8-ohm and 4-ohm output options. 

The Black Magick Reverb is available as an all-tube head or in a 1x12 combo format, with the new combo packing the same, custom-designed 12" BD12 speaker found in the original. 

Key features:
• All-tube Supro circuit
• Wattage: 25 Watts Class A
• Channels: 2 channels with parallel link and shared 2-band EQ
• Tremolo: Output-tube bias-modulated tremolo, footswitchable
• Reverb: 6-spring all-tube reverb
• Preamp Tubes: 4x 12AX7, 1x 12AT7
• Power Tubes: 2x 6973
• Speaker: 1 x 12″ Supro BD12
• Cabinet Dimensions: 20 1/2” x 18 3/4” x 8 3/4” - 52 x 47.6 x 22.2 cm
• Weight: 39.5 lbs / 18 kg
• Tolex: Black Rhino Hide
• Assembled in New York, USA

The Black Magick Reverb head is priced at $1,299, while the combo version comes in at $1,499. Both are already shipping worldwide.