Compact, low-wattage tube amplifiers reimagine vintage tone for the modern player
The new Falcon models pay homage to Gibson and its legendary past as one of the very first manufacturers of electric guitar amplification but offer the versatility needed for today's stages, home studios, and beyond.
The compact Falcon 5, Falcon 20, and Dual Falcon 20 combos harken back to the Gibson amplifiers from the late 1950s and early 1960s that inspired them, but beneath their vintage-style Cream Bronco vinyl and Oxblood grille cloths are all-new circuits developed by Randall Smith and the MESA/Boogie® Design Team.
The Gibson Falcon
Dimensionality and motion for a wide range of musical styles
Greater spread and projection, along with enhanced bass response and increased headroom
Small but raucous, with touch-sensitive, harmonically rich tube tones
Gibson was at the cutting edge of the new electrified Hawaiian guitar movement of the 1930s, and the EH-150 arrived as a companion to the E-150 lap steel in 1935. Seen here in a brochure from 1936, the tweed-covered cabinet - described as “aeroplane cloth” - set the standard for electric guitar amplifier design and is still imitated today.
The Gibson Stereo Sound brochure from 1959 featured new amplifier designs promising “true sound dispersal” and "guitar sound at its fullest and finest" via the handsome GA-83S and GA-88S combos. In order to take advantage of these new sonic possibilities, guitars like the Super 400-CES, L4-CES, and ES-355 were offered with stereo wiring via special order for a $25 upcharge.
Gibson was one of the first brands to incorporate spring reverb into its amplifier designs. In 1961, models such as the GA-19RVT Falcon and the GA-79RV promised players “concert hall richness and depth anywhere,” hailing Gibson Reverberation as “an exciting new Gibson sound for the 60s.” Other reverb-equipped Gibson amps from 1961 included the Invader and the Vanguard.
In addition to reverb, the 1961 Gibson GA-19RVT Falcon amplifier featured an onboard tube tremolo effect and delivered 14 watts from a pair of 6V6 output tubes. The instructional manual cautioned the new owner to “treat it with the same care and respect given a TV set.” There were also guidelines on how to hook this “reverberation amplifier” up to another “regular amplifier” for a stereo effect.
