Gibson’s Pint-sized Skylark, Re-imagined with a 10-inch Speaker
Heavily inspired by Gibson’s 8-inch Skylark combo amps of the late-1950s/early-1960s, the 7-watt Gibson Falcon 5 tube combo amplifier takes flight with a wholly re-imagined design and robust 10-inch speaker upgrade. Like its higher-powered Falcon 20 sibling, the Falcon 5 gracefully skates between vintage and modern with a little help from Randall Smith and the brilliant engineers at Mesa/Boogie’s Design Team, who proudly hand-wire every model in sunny Petaluma, California. This petite powerhouse of an amplifier sports a spartan setup of a single channel and bare-bones Volume/Treble control section, mirroring the original Skylark with a Class A single-ended design and cathode-biased power section. Plus, the Falcon 5’s 2-position power-scaling and enhanced tone-shaping controls prove this bird has more than a few modernized tricks under its wings! While not strictly vintage-accurate, the Falcon 5’s splashy tube-powered spring adds an entirely new dimension of tone to this pint-sized combo. All wrapped up in a glorious period-inspired cab, the Gibson Falcon 5 amplifier nails one of the most challenging feats in the 6-string realm — improving upon a time-honored classic while perfectly preserving the magic of the original.
Related Videos: Falcon 5 7-watt 1 x 10-inch Tube Combo Amplifier
New feathers for an old Falcon
Envisaged by legendary amplifier guru Randall Smith and the Mesa/Boogie design team, Gibson’s new flock of Falcons take a few choice detours under the hood to better meet the needs of modern guitarists. Vintage amp-obsessed guitarists have nothing to fear — this Falcon’s Class A single-ended design, cathode-biased operation, and dead-simple single-channel signal path all fall well within the confines of Gibson’s historic amplifier designs. However, instead of the original Skylark’s compact 8-inch speaker, this forward-thinking Falcon comes equipped with a fuller and richer-sounding 10-inch Jensen Blackbird Alnico speaker. The result? A more tonally versatile design than Gibson’s original Skylark amplifiers that captures the midrange-rich magic of the original with enhanced bass and superior projection.
Lush Tube-driven reverb
Another famous amplifier manufacturer may get all the glory when it comes to the splashy legacy of spring reverb. However, Sweetwater will let you in on a little-known fact: Gibson’s original Falcon combo was one of the first amplifiers to brandish built-in reverb years before the competition in 1961. And although the Falcon 5 is largely inspired by the reverb-less Skylark amplifier rather than the Falcon GA-19RVT, one strum through this amp’s cavernous spring reverb section will instantly quell the fears of even the most militant vintage adherents!
2-position power-scaling section
Much more than a strict reissue, the Gibson Falcon 5 boasts a superb set of modern upgrades that bolster its utility without betraying its old-school spirit. Chief among them is an all-new power-scaling section with two positions: Full (7 watts) and Low (3 watt). This Falcon’s Class A power section and sole 6V6 power tube dishes out a surprisingly robust roar before encountering saturation, making the 3-watt Low setting a must-have for guitarists seeking sweet-sounding preamp grit and growling power amp overdrive at non-ear-shattering volumes.
Gibson Falcon 5 7-watt 1 x 10-inch Tube Combo Amplifier Features:
- A vintage-meets-modern homage to Gibson’s venerable Skylark amplifiers of the late-1950s and early-1960s
- Designed by Randall Smith and the Mesa/Boogie design team to modernize the Skylark series while preserving the tone and spirit of the original
- No-nonsense Class A single-ended, single-channel design, punching out 7 watts through a top-quality 10-inch Jensen Blackbird Alnico speaker
- 6V6 power tubes and a trio of 12AX7 preamp tubes dish out everything from harmonic-rich cleans to searing tube-style saturation
- Lush tube-driven spring reverb imparts a touch of space and size to your sound
- 2 different power-scaling options to accommodate any playing situation: Full power (7 watts) and Low power (3 watts)
- Straightforward control section consists of a Volume, Tone, and Reverb control
- Handsome old-school aesthetics that replicate the timeless style of Gibson’s late-1950s/early-1960s amplifier models
- Proudly built and handwired in Petaluma, Calif.
