AFTER DELIVERING SEVERAL classic amplifiers in the 1940s, ’50s and early ’60s Gibson struggled for a consistent foothold in the market. The company’s purchase of Mesa/Boogie three years ago seemed a sure way to bring about the return of G-brand amps. After all, Randall Smith and his team boast some 50 years of experience manufacturing high-end tube amps. The acclaimed lords of California high-gain amplification were clearly primed to help rejuvenate a Gibson lineup if called upon to do so, and now they have, with two new combos that honor the past while reconsidering the blueprints for the needs of today’s players.
The debutantes in the revived American made Gibson range include the Falcon 20 1x12 combo and Falcon 5 1x10 combo. In broad terms, these amps — the Falcon 20 in particular — pay homage to a short-lived version
