Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170: The ultimate pedal-format guitar amp?
New guitar power amp in a pedal
The new Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 is essentially a full guitar power amplifier condensed into a pedal. Designed to sit on your pedalboard and complement either your preamp or modelling hardware, will this make lugging large amps around a thing of the past?
Power Amp
The Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 is essentially a 170W solid state Class-D power amp rated between 4-16ohms, in a very compact format. The intention here is evidently to stay as ‘clean’ as possible so that it can amplify your setup either from a modelling pedal board like a Line 6 Helix or, for instance, a valve preamp pedal.
The minimal onboard controls consist of a simple three-band EQ and a volume knob. To be fair, the EQ is only really used to keep things clean, so it doesn’t have a ‘voice’ of its own. Don’t expect any power amp distortion or much character at all from this unit, as that is not what it is about.
Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 power amp pedal rear · Source: Seymour Duncan
Modelling
Companies like Electro Harmonix and Tech 21 have been making stuff like this for years, so this isn’t a game changer. I do like the size and format, though. This is a viable addition to a growing market, especially with all the new modelling hardware that is becoming more and more popular with gigging musicians these days.
If you pair one of these with, say, a Line 6 Helix, you are ready to go. All you need is a guitar cab to play through, and plenty of live venues provide those.
RRP GBP 445
Seymour Duncan PowerStage 170 product page
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