Hayden Speakeasy Head, as with every Hayden guitar amplifier, puts tone first. Hayden Speakeasy Head delivers an exquisite 50-Watt valve guitar amplifier that offers a degree of versatility that equips it well for the modern stage or studio.
Speakeasy Head comes configured in the classic British style - two channels with two separate signal paths ahead of a shared tone shaping stage providing control over presence, bass, middle and treble. Channel 1 features a valve driven spring reverb and a gain range that moves seamlessly from clean into a light crunch. Considerably more gain is available from channel 2 which ranges from medium crunch to full overdrive, stopping short of full saturation.
Footswitching between the channels also switches between two master volume controls, allowing guitarists to balance the volume levels of clean and overdriven sounds. Footswitch control is also provided for the reverb and an external effects loop which is bypassed entirely when switched out for maximum signal integrity.
Speakeasy's output stage combines over-specified, custom wound transformers with pairs of both EL34 and 6L6 valves. A switch on the front panel is used to select the EL34's for the warm, fat, crunchy sounds typical of British valve amps, or the 6L6s for a more transatlantic tone, while a second switch can be used to select all four valves simultaneously.
Like other Hayden amps, the Speakeasy provides guitarists with the facility to pre-filter the input stage to match the guitar. Vintage single-coils can be 'beefed up' or over-aggressive humbuckers tamed as necessary. On stage or in the studio, Hayden Speakeasy rewards the experienced guitarist by responding readily to every subtle nuance of the performance.