Hail To The King

With a design that looks back to the 50s and some futureproof internal additions, Supro’s latest has some surprises under the hood and a rather attractive price

- Nick Guppy

One of the world’s oldest and most revered amplification brands, Supro, has been enjoying a long overdue renaissance in the capable hands of New York-based Absara Audio, headed up by Pigtronix effects and all-round tone guru David Koltai. It’s been a long and winding road for the brand, which can trace its origin back to the mid 1920s and the beginning of the Chicago blues scene, with which it’s been linked ever since. Supro disappeared in the 1970s, but not before Jimmy Page used the earthy, organic tones of a Model 24 to cut some early Led Zeppelin tracks. After a long layoff, it’s been satisfying to see Absara successfully bring the brand back to life with a carefully blended mixture of old and new features, sometimes in the same product. A prime example of the modern Supro approach is this new Blues King 12 combo.

The very portable 1x12 combo uses a lightweight poplar cabinet that, in shape, is based on the 50s Valco/Supro Comet with a distinctive chopped loudspeaker porthole and white string accents running around the amp either side of the control panel. Poplar plywood (sometimes called furniture plywood) is a ‘secret sauce’ for top boutique builders. Weighing about a third less than birch plywood, it’s highly resonant and significantly improves portability without affecting cabinet strength.