Tone King Amps Imperial MK II 1×12 combo
Hand-wired! 20 watts!
Tube Guitar Amplifier!
Boutique Tone and Quality!
Built-in Iron Man II Attenuator!
For over 20 years the Tone King Imperial has been a favorite choice for guitarists seeking authentic vintage tone. Utilizing all-tube circuitry, traditional spring reverb, and a specially voiced, highly resonant cabinet, the 20 watt Imperial is an all tube guitar amplifier that captures the true experience of playing a great vintage amp – both in terms of tone and feel. The newest incarnation Imperial MK II has been re-engineered to capture the best authentic vintage tone while offering a number of useful new features. The Imperial was already a fantastic amplifier! What we have now is truly a world class rendering of the iconic Tone King amp.
The Imperial MK II from Tone King Amps is hand-wired using optimal component placement and wire routing. It even has a built-in AC line filter to eliminate interference from computers and electronic devices. This new wiring scheme adds a whole new level of depth and dimension to Tone King’s authentic vintage tone recipe, and an incredibly responsive feel. The Imperial was very “alive” sounding before, now it’s practically a living, breathing creature!
The Tone King Imperial Mk II is hand-wired for great tone!
- Thick, beefy tone with character, focus and lively dynamics
- Silky smooth high frequency response
- More “chime” and less “glassiness”
- Chunkier mids with more harmonic complexity
- Plenty of presence and “air” without sounding overly “bright”.
- Low noise floor
Lush Spring Reverb and Bias Modulation Tremolo
The Imperial Mk II includes a built in 2-spring, tube-driven reverb circuit. Reverb is applied to both the Rhythm and Lead channels. In order to compensate for the higher gain of the Lead channel, the reverb drive is reduced slightly on the Lead channel. This reduction helps to match the reverb level when switching between preamp channels, when the Lead channel is being driven hard and the Rhythm channel is set for a clean tone. The Reverb level is controlled by the front panel Reverb control, which adjusts the amount of the reverb signal which is mixed into the signal path.
The tremolo used on the Imperial MK II is the same as in the previous 20th Anniversary version. This is a modified form of the old-fashioned “bias modulation” tremolo circuit which provides a nicely rounded effect and virtually eliminates the classic “thumping” and other undesirable sonic effects common to many vintage trem equipped amps. The “Depth” control varies the intensity of the modulation while the “Rate” knob controls the speed. It is foot switchable. If the footswitch is not being used then the tremolo circuit is active all the time, so you must turn the “Depth” knob all the way down if you do not wish to use tremolo.
Built-in Ironman II Compensated Power Attenuator
Another handy feature of the Tone King Imperial Mk II 1×12 combo is the all new, Ironman II power attenuator built right in! The Ironman II Attenuator is very transparent and preserves the natural tone and feel of the amp- All the way down to true bedroom volume. It now includes a Bypass Switch– which helps match the volume level of clean and overdriven channels. When this feature is enabled, the attenuator is automatically bypassed (turned off) when the rhythm channel is selected. The HF Compensation Switch is also new – This switch modifies the operation of the attenuator’s compensation circuitry, custom tailoring the compression, presence, and brightness to your listening environment. The Iron Man Attenuator II also has a tuned reactive load. The volume level compensation circuitry of the Iron Man II will progressively modify the EQ curve and compression at lower attenuation settings so the sound you hear at low volume levels is just as fat and present as it is at high volume. Damping Factor Compensation circuitry allows the speaker to act more naturally at low power. This prevents the speaker from feeling “stiff” at low volume – it really feels like you are playing a cranked amp, even at bedroom volume.
Features of the Imperial Mk II 1×12 combo from Tone King Amps
- 20 Watts
- Hand wired circuit
- 2x 6V6 Power Tubes, Cathode Biased
- 1x 5AR4 Rectifier Tube
- 4x 12AX7 Preamp Tubes
- 1x 12AT7 Preamp Tube
- Two Channels – Foot Switchable
- Volume, Treble, Bass Controls – Rhythm Channel
- Volume, Tone, Mid-Bite Controls – Lead Channel
- Tube Driven Spring Reverb – Foot Switchable
- Tube Driven Tremolo
- 1x 12” Eminence ‘Tone King 33’ Ceramic Speaker
- Built in Ironman II Attenuator
Weight and Dimensions of the 20 watt Tone King Imperial MK II
- Weight 36 lbs.
- Width 22.5”
- Height 19.25”
- Depth 10.5”