PRS Guitars has officially launched the MT 100, the new 100-watt signature tube amp head for Alter Bridge shredder-in-chief Mark Tremonti.
The three-channel monster adds to Tremonti’s PRS signature range, joining his 15-watt MT 15 amp head, and his single-cut signature guitar, which is offered as part of the PRS Core range and more-affordable Cor-Tek-manufactured SE series.
From the outside, we get the impression that this guitar amp, which is tasked with forming the cornerstone of his sound, onstage and in the studio, was the largest undertaking. Just where do you start with amp design from the ground up?
Well, like any self-respecting player operating in the metal guitar space, Tremonti had gain on his mind, and it was the Lead channel that started the whole project off – “It is huge, chunky, and aggressive without getting harsh,” he says.
Then it was crucial that the Overdrive and Clean channels had the character to complement it, with Tremonti admitting to getting “obsessed” over the Overdrive channel’s voicing, and how it would sit between high-headroom cleans and high-gain.
“A lot of high-gain amps focus on the gain and the rest is an afterthought,” he says. “In my opinion, the MT 100 – like the MT 15 – has the best sounding clean tones in the high-gain amp world. The Overdrive channel is a very special addition to this amp. We obsessed over this channel, using one of my favorite personal amps for the voicing.
“We wanted the gain structure to fit between the Lead and Clean channels and for it to have a sweet midrange response all its own. I can’t wait for people to experience this amp.”
Those lucky enough to play through the MT 100 will not want for features. As PRS’s amp designer Doug Sewell notes, this might be designed for Tremonti’s every need but it’s got a lot more going on, and he promises the layout is “highly user-friendly”.
The three channels can be selected from the front control panel or by footswitch. Each channel has its own independent set of controls, comprising Presence, Master, Bass, Middle, Treble, and Gain, for the Overdrive and Lead, with the Clean channel equipped with a Volume dial rather than Gain. A LED illuminates to let you know which one is active.
All three channels use the same 12AX7s in the preamp section, and there are eight in total. A quartet of 6L6s can be found in the power amp. This thing will get loud. Indeed, it comes with a warning to keep the master volumes down when you switch it on.
We live in the golden age of the pedalboard so of course we have a tube-driven series effects loop. You’ll find the footswitch input around the back of the amp, along with 16-ohm and eight-ohm speaker outputs.
The MT 100 is available now, priced $1,849. UK price TBC. See PRS Guitars for more details.
