According to Will at Tone Amps, this amp is the first commercially produced amp that Tone Amps has made and I actually bought the last of several prototypes. Apparently a lot of design work was put into this amp to create a very versatile unique overdriven sound like no other (with the exception of digital processing amps) that I have played.
I'm not much into digital processing which is what sparked my interest in this all tube amp.
I wanted an amp that I could play cranked without blowing out my eardrums and the EF-6G fits the bill perfectly. Be warned that this amp has practically zero headroom. It was designed to create overdrive no matter what level (of the 12 level settings) you set it at.
Sound Quality:
The sound quality is great with no noise or hum. The tone, volume and overdrive controls are a bit interactive but, still, the amp sounds great.
If I was more into recording, it would be perfect since it is absolutely quiet (no hum) and (depending on the settings) it can be set to sound like a backline of fully cranked Marshalls at very tolerable levels of volume. I enjoy just playing my guitars and the vast variety of sounds this amp can create is stunning. I'll be using this amp when I gig but, I'll definately have to mic it.
I like playing Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Robin Trower, Soundgarden, etc - that kind of stuff and I can definately get those sounds with this amp.
Reliability/Durability:
I'll rate this a 10 simply because the amp is built very solid. I haven't owned it long enough to really test its reliability, but the amp comes with a limited lifetime warranty (with the exception of the tubes - which is 90 days.) The warranty covers all parts and labor. That was really important to me because I've spent tons of money having amps repaired in the past. With the limited lifetime warranty all I ever have to worry about is replacing the tubes.
Plus the fact that the output section doesn't need to have the bias adjusted (I forget the term) and the tubes don't have to match perfectly will make it a snap for me to replace the tubes.
Ease of Use:
The amp has a volume and tone control along with a 12 position overdrive selector switch that actually works. The change in overdrive from, say, 6 to 7 is barely detectable without changing the volume and tone controls but when you switch from, for example, 3 to 7, there is a huge difference. I really like this feature because it allows me to dial in the exactly the amount of overdrive I want.
Overall Rating:
Overall, I am very happy with my purchase. For the first time I can really get the sounds I like that I've only heard on recording, but could never seem to be able to duplicate.
