Benicia, California-based ZT Amplifiers has launched its new Custom Shop line of guitar amps, built in-house with American parts by owner and Chief Engineer Austin Gibbons and his team. The Custom Shop takes the company’s mission of making compact, lightweight, powerful amps to the next level of performance and design.
Two 1×12”, 220-watt combo models are the first to hit the market. Each offers exemplary power and tonal possibilities in cabinets barely bigger than the speakers they house, finished in a road-worthy paint.
The Lee Ranaldo Club is ZT’s first artist model. Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth fame) is a long-time ZT user and collaborated closely with the company’s designers to create an amp with his ideal look and sound. As visually striking as it is tonally, each Lee Ranaldo Club is signed by the man himself.
The Jazz Club model was developed with input from several prominent jazz guitarists. Offering beautiful clean tones at very high volume and extended low frequencies, it is ideally suited for archtop jazz guitars, but versatile enough for any musical style.
Both models are available now.
Lee Ranaldo Club: $1,499 (street)
Jazz Club: $1,299 (street)