Gear

Rig A - Full Vintage / Modern Rig

Mezzabarba Sintesi 20 • G12H‑75 Creamback • Boutique Modern‑Vintage Voice

My main rig is built around a customised Mezzabarba Sintesi 20 1×12 combo, loaded with a G12H‑75 Creamback for maximum low‑end authority and punch. It’s customised with a gain boost, FX loop, bright switch, and a depth mod — and the result is nothing short of absurd.

The Sintesi 20 sits in a rare tonal space: vintage‑voiced at its core, but with a refined modern edge, delivering a base tone that lives right at the edge of breakup. It feels like the perfect fusion of boutique high‑gain clarity and old‑school authenticity.

It’s also one of the most expressive, dynamic, and revealing amps I’ve ever played. This is the kind of amp that rewards good technique and exposes lazy playing — in the best possible way. It pushes you to play better, dig deeper, and interact with the instrument.

Mezzabarba may be known for their world‑class high‑gain monsters, but their lineup genuinely covers the entire tonal spectrum: jazz, blues, classic rock, hard rock, and full‑tilt metal. The Sintesi 20 is one of their more classic‑leaning designs, yet it still hits with surprising authority.

Despite being rated at just 20 watts, it punches far above its weight, easily handling any gig while remaining portable and practical. Every Mezzabarba amp is 100% hand‑wired in Italy, built with the kind of craftsmanship and attention to detail that’s becoming increasingly rare.

I couldn’t be prouder to have the Sintesi 20 as my main rig — it represents everything I value in an amplifier: tone, dynamics, feel, and uncompromising build quality.

Pedalboard

Front of Amp

  • Boss BP-1W Preamp Booster (always on)

  • Dunlop Cry Baby Mini 535Q Auto Return Wah Pedal

  • Electro Harmonix Nano POG

  • Dunlop DVP4 Volume X Mini

  • Peterson Strobo Vue (via Volume Pedal Aux Out)

  • Xotic EP Booster (for Lead Boost)

FX Loop

  • TC Electronic X1 Multi FX Pedal

  • Boss DM-2W - Boss Wazacraft Analog Delay

Rig B - Minimal Vintage Rig

Magnatone Baby M80 • 10" ET‑10 • Pure Vintage Expression

My Magnatone BabyM80 10" combo is nothing short of a revelation. For me, it’s the perfect grab‑and‑go amplifier — compact, beautifully built, and capable of tones that are genuinely jaw‑dropping. Despite its size, it’s easily loud enough for local gigs, and the combination of headroom, projection, and 3D depth is simply staggering.

What makes the M80 Baby so special is its simplicity and honesty. It gives me exactly the features I need:

  • Two selectable gain stages for everything from sparkling cleans to roaring, woody thump

  • A transparent FX loop

  • A straightforward EQ section that lets the amp’s natural voice shine

Like my Mezzabarba, this amp doesn’t need pedals. Its touch sensitivity, dynamics, and immediacy give you a direct connection to the instrument — completely unfiltered. It responds to your hands, not your gear.

For local gigs, the entire rig is beautifully minimal: Magnatone Baby‍ ‍M80 + Boss RE‑2 (running on a 9V battery) in the loop. That’s it. No board, no fuss, no complexity — just pure, expressive tone.

This setup has become my go‑to for vintage‑voiced guitars and any situation where I want maximum feel, maximum dynamics, and the most musical version of “plug in and play.”

Pedalboard

Front of Amp (sometimes)

  • Nobels ODR-1 Mini 2 Transparent Overdrive

FX Loop (sometimes)

  • Boss RE-2 - Space Echo