The PRS Archon 50 Head
Greek for “ruler” or “lord,” the newly updated PRS Archon 50 is a commanding 50-watt, two-channel all-tube amplifier. Designed to be a massive tonal anchor, it offers the uncompromising versatility needed to jump effortlessly between sparkling, transparent cleans and aggressive, high-gain rock rhythms. Whether it is being used for intricate studio tracking or cutting through a heavy live band mix, the Archon delivers exceptional note articulation.
The Power Section At its core, the new Archon 50 is powered by two JJ 6CA7 power tubes. Sitting right in the sweet spot between EL34s and 6L6s, the 6CA7s provide a beautifully balanced, three-dimensional tone. They deliver the warm, punchy midrange of a British amp with the tight, massive low-end of an American high-gain head. Preamp duties are handled by six 12AX7/ECC83S tubes, ensuring rich, lush harmonics across the board.
Dual Channels for Maximum Versatility
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The Clean Channel: Known for its immense headroom, the Archon’s clean channel is exceptionally warm and transparent. It refuses to break up prematurely, making it an elite, pristine pedal platform. It is perfect for layering intricate modulation, heavy delays, and boutique dirt pedals without losing fundamental clarity.
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The Lead Channel: Designed with five gain stages before the master volume, the overdrive channel is thick and lush. Even under heavy saturation, the Archon maintains incredible note separation—meaning complex chord voicings will not turn into a muddy wash of frequencies.
Intuitive Tone Shaping The front panel utilizes a straightforward approach for intuitive dialing.
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Independent Controls: Each channel features its own Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, and Master Volume controls.
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Bright Switches: Both channels include a dedicated Bright switch, acting as a top-end boost that adds presence to the highs without crossing into piercing territory.
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Global Presence & Depth: Located in the power amp section, these global controls modify the amp's feedback network. Pushing the Presence brings the upper-mids forward for a wilder, more aggressive cut, while the Depth control adds a resonant, thumping sub-frequency to the low-end.
Pro-Level Features For routing flexibility, the Archon 50 includes a highly transparent, series tube-driven effects loop, ensuring that time-based effects and rack gear retain complete signal integrity. The back panel also features five parallel extension speaker jacks with switchable 4, 8, and 16-ohm impedance, allowing it to pair easily with almost any cabinet configuration.
Technical Specifications
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Wattage: 50 Watts
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Power Tubes: 2x JJ 6CA7
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Preamp Tubes: 6x JJ ECC83S / 12AX7
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Channels: 2 (Lead & Clean)
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Effects Loop: Series, Tube-Driven
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Ohm Switching: (2) 4 ohm parallel, (2) 8 ohm parallel, (1) 16 ohm
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Weight: 32.4 lbs (14.7 kg)