PRS Sonzera 20 20-watt 1 x 12-inch Combo Amplifier

Name: PRS Sonzera 20 20-watt 1 x 12-inch Combo Amplifier
Brand: PRS
Rating: 4.5 (11 reviews)

20W, 2-channel, 1 x 12" Tube Guitar Combo Amp with Celestion Speaker, FX Loop, and Reverb

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Item ID: Sonzera20C

PRS Sonzera 20 20-watt 1 x 12-inch Combo Amplifier

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PRS Sonzera 20 20-watt 1 x 12-inch Combo Amplifier

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The Return of the PRS Sonzera

Boasting aesthetic improvements, cutting-edge circuit mods, and bolstered durability, the PRS Sonzera 20 is back and ready to rock with two channels of versatile, ear-grabbing tones. Bell-like chime? It's there. Thick crunch. No problem. Heavy saturation? You got it. Sculpt each channel with independent tone controls. A global Presence knob dials in the perfect level of intensity. Inject your lead tone with a distinctive high-end snap via the Bright switch. A lush reverb adds dimension to your playing, or you can use your own effects with the built-in effects loop. In short, the PRS Sonzera 20 is a rock-solid gig- and studio-worthy guitar amplifier.

Dial in your sound with flexible tone-shaping control

You've got a lot of playing to do before you've heard all the Sonzera 20 has to offer. Two footswitchable channels supply everything from clean tones to aggressive high-gain sounds. The Clean channel's 3-dimensional sound evokes vintage American amplifiers; the Gain channel yields everything from boosted cleans to saturated distortion. Shape your tone to perfection with independent tone controls for each channel; add a high-end snap to your lead tones with the Bright switch. Need to up the intensity? Use the amplifier's global Presence control. If you've got a tone in your head, then you can create it with the Sonzera 20.

Professional features and high-class tone

The PRS Sonzera 20 can be easily integrated into any guitar rig. You've got 4-, 8-, and 16-ohm speaker outputs, so you can connect an extension speaker cabinet to push more air. And, the built-in effects loop integrates your time-based effects without impacting your tone.

A sweet-sounding, footswitchable reverb

The Sonzera 20 is outfitted with a rich-sounding reverb. At Sweetwater, we love how it enhances notes without clouding them and how it's footswitchable for convenient real-time control.

PRS Sonzera 20 Features:

Upgraded with aesthetic improvements, cutting-edge circuit mods, and bolstered durability
2 footswitchable channels achieve a stunning array of tones
Clean channel's 3-dimensional tones evoke vintage American amplifiers
Gain channel yields everything from boosted cleans to saturated distortion
Sculpt each channel with independent tone controls
Dial in the perfect level of intensity with the global Presence knob
Bright switch adds a high-end snap to your lead tones
Great-sounding 12-in. Celestion V-Type speaker
4-/8-/16-ohm speaker outputs for connecting an extension cabinet
Built-in FX loop integrates your time-based FX without impacting your tone
Rich-sounding footswitchable reverb

Resources

Guitar Amp Buying Guide

PRS Sonzera 20 1x12-inch 20-watt Tube Combo Amp Demo

Jan 10, 2023

PRS Sonzera Amplifier Demo

Feb 17, 2017

PRS Sonzera Amplifier Series at Winter NAMM 2017

Jan 19, 2017

NAMM News: PRS Unveils Sonzera Guitar Amplifiers

Jan 16, 2017

Warranty Info

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Tech Specs

Type: Tube
Number of Channels: 2
Output Power: 20W
Speaker Size: 1 x 12" Celestion V-Type 70W
Preamp Tubes: 4 x ECC83S
Power Tubes: 2 x 5881
Reverb: Yes
EQ: 3-band EQ
Inputs: 1 x 1/4"
Outputs: 2 x 1/4" (8 ohms), 2 x 1/4" (4 ohms), 1 x 1/4" (16 ohms)
Effects Loop: Yes
Footswitch I/O: 1 x 1/4" (channel, reverb)
Footswitch Included: Yes, 2-button footswitch
Bias Type: Adjustable Fixed
Construction Material: Poplar Plywood with Black Tolex
Power Source: Standard IEC AC cable
Height: 18"
Width: 21.5"
Depth: 10"
Weight: 49 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number: 108452::ST--:

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Reviews

4.3

Customer Photos & Videos

Preface: I've owned this amp a little over a week now (out of the honeymoon phase) and am writing this review of sound mind..... Maybe.

Ok, on to the review. I've been in the market for a low wattage combo amp for a bit now and these were my requirements:

Control panel on the front for easy adjustments.

Preferably had an effects loop.

Well built and relatively on the lighter side (50lbs or less).

After reviewing numerous other brands, I came across the PRS Sonzera 20 and it certainly checked all of the boxes for me, however, there were so many mixed reviews from the older one, I was a bit weary. Regardless of these reviews however I was interested in this amp and wanted to check it out for myself.

Pros:

Beautiful clean channel that handles pedals very well.

Well balanced EQ with plenty of tonal options on both channels.

It has an effects loop! -Sorry Fender

An amp switch is included! -Why aren't other brands doing this?

Sweet and simple design.

Cons:

I recently received my 20 watt Sonzera tube amp and can honestly say this goes way beyond my expectations. My sales rep. Troy Baldwin was, as usual, exactly right about the type of sound I was looking for. The clean is perfect and the overdrive will chase you off the stage. This was ordered with a PRS MCcarty SC and makes a perfect couple.Thanks Troy, your awesome to deal with and give great advice.

Long time marshall,fender, and even blackstar user here...I gig a lot and have for 30+ years. Bought this amp as a demo from sweetwater and have used this amp for the last few months live (usually at 3/4 up on volume!) and i absolutely love it...my take is this: it has a great clean channel and a great useable drive channel that with the gain up around 50%-60% isnt too noisy and hissy. Also unlike the other 20watt tube amp I own, I feel the sonzera gets a great tone without the fizzyness and the gain is also very responsive to how hard I hit the strings. I dont know if its the 5881 tubes (vs the el84 in my other 20w amp) but its the first time with only 20 watts that I feel good about the low end clarity at volume with a loud drummer. Basically in a nutshell it has great tone, great usable and not overbearing gain and also great headroom for only 20 watts... so much so that for all the gigs Ive played in last few months I don't feel i missed out by not bringing my 40w or 60 watt options. In fact i may even enjoy it more cause I keep the power tubes cookin' and the notes that converge to natural sustain and feedback and tube goodness are glorious sounding and inspiring to me... two thumbs up from me!

As always, very very appreciative of the customer service, specifically from my rep Ian Lemberg. I think I got very lucky with having such exceptional service and quick responses from Ian.

As for this amp, it's been nothing but amazing! I've barely touched any of my overdrive/gain pedals since getting this amp because the tones on the gain channel is perfect for my liking. I was a bit skeptical getting this amp because I wanted something lower wattage for my bedroom, but this thing sounds great overdriven at low volumes. Crank this amp up to higher volumes and I'm sure this will be more than enough for small venues/gigs. I'm really really satisfied with my purchase, and highly recommmend this to anyone else looking.

Love this amp... I was looking for a small tube amp that would sound nice at bedroom volume but could also get a bit louder if needed, and there are a lot of options. I almost went with a Princeton but I chose this one because it has the effects loop. The amp takes effects extremely well. I run several drive pedals into the front and then all my other pedals go through the loop and it works super well. This amp performs on par with the Princeton amps I tried out but it has two channels and the loop. Very pleased with this purchase.

You don't even have to play guitar to know that PRS instruments are in a league of their own. With their exquisitely figured tops and premium appointments, each PRS is a playable work of art. But it goes way deeper than the surface. Every time Paul visits Sweetwater, we get a deeper look at his amazing instruments. We've even hosted several PRS Custom Shop events, complete with Paul's personal Wood Library! Whether they're his most affordable SE electric guitars, top-quality acoustics, or amps, it's always amazing to see what PRS comes up with. What's more, we keep a ton of PRS guitars in our amazing Guitar Showroom, so the staff at Sweetwater can get hands on with all of their latest models. We'd love to tell you all about them.

See also: Combo Amps, PRS, PRS Guitar Combo Amps