GEAR SPOTLIGHT
SEYMOUR
DUNCAN
POWERSTAGE 170
REVIEW BY JAMIE WOLFERT
STREET PRICE $399.00
I am delighted to announce
that solid-state is officially
cool again. You see,
modern class-D solid-state
technologies have created a
revolution in the amplification
world, one that is presently
poised to take over the
pedalboards of guitar players
everywhere. This technology
has made it possible to
design and manufacture ultra-
powerful, ultra-portable solid-
state instrument amplifiers
that are so compact as to
be only slightly larger than
the average stompbox
enclosure. For those among
us who have ever dreamed
of fitting their entire rig on
a small pedalboard, I am
here to say that the dream is
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GEAR SPOTLIGHT //
officially real. As evidence of
this phenomenon, I provide
the new Seymour Duncan
PowerStage 170.
The Powerstage 170 is a
sleek, no-nonsense 170-watt
solid-state power amp that
measures just a hair over five
inches square, is a little over
two-and-a-half inches tall, and
weighs about two pounds.
It has a single quarter-inch
mono instrument input, and
a single quarter-inch cabinet
output rated at between
four and eight ohms. Atop
its handsome brushed silver
enclosure is a three-band
equalizer and a single large
master volume knob. On the
rear of the unit is a small,
silent fan to keep it humming
Seymour Duncan Powerstage 170
along at a safe operating
temperature, as well as a
removable three-prong power
cord and a power switch. The
Powerstage 170 is handsome
to behold, simple to operate,
and gives the impression of
extreme ruggedness.
Many modern solid-state
amps make ideal platforms
for players that get their
sound primarily from pedals,
modelers, or outboard
preamps, and clearly this
is what Seymour Duncan
intended for the Powerstage
line. I have been happily using
a different manufacturer’s
compact power amp in
exactly this way for a few
years now, so I was eager
to plug in the Powerstage