ZT LUNCHBOX
Moving on in power, price, and
versatility, we come to the Lunchbox
by ZT. Sizewise, the Lunchbox isn’t
much bigger than the Pignose; it’s
maybe an inch or so bigger in each
direction. But, it weighs more than
twice as much and packs 200 watts
of class AB power. All of this power
runs through a specially designed 6.5inch speaker and makes for a tiny amp
(it’s called the Lunchbox because it’s
essentially the size of that aluminum
Transformers lunch box we all had back
in elementary school). The Lunchbox is
seriously loud enough to keep up with
a restrained drummer for coffee housetype gigs.
The Lunchbox offers controls for
Volume, Tone, Gain, and Ambience.
Those first three are self-explanatory.
The Ambience control is a fine-tuned
EQ that re-voices the amp to transition
between the sounds of open-back
56
TONE TALK //
and closed-back cabs. I was amazed
at how well the Lunchbox worked
with my pedalboard and by just how
BIG it sounded. Placing it on a wood
floor, the ZT Lunchbox has stronger
lows than my ’65 Vibro Champ but not
quite as thick and full as my Princeton
Reverb. The Lunchbox can cut through
with a band, but the directionality of
the 6.5 inch speaker has its limitations.
Fitted with a mic and run through the
PA, it’s a beast!
PRO USE: The list of pros using the
Lunchbox is large and varied. A few
examples include Nels Cline and Jeff
Tweedy of Wilco, Will Sergeant of Echo
& the Bunnymen, and John Oates of
Hall & Oates.
BONUS: It looks super cool, sounds
great, and packs a ridiculous amount
of power into a tiny footprint (at a very
friendly price).
Little Giants: Four Tiny Towers of Tone