It was early 2020 when my intent to work more in my new home studio became a necessity. A couple of years later, I agreed to track some emerging artists with their guitar amps. I quickly learned that a garbage amp with nice electronics feeding it is still a garbage amp and that the benefits of managing artist expectations cannot be overstated. I tried borrowed amps and DI-into-amp plug-ins, but none of those results inspired me. I continued searching for a better way to track electric guitar for my clients, and I knew that I would suffer until I found it.
Then, in October 2025, a new product got my attention. I read that Milkman Sound founder Tim Marcus had launched a version of his pedalboard-based guitar amp, The Amp 100, in collaboration with Benson Amps' founder Chris Benson. The curiously named result is Benson The Amp. I reached out to Tim for info, and he shared the full story with me, highlighting the Benson influence on the project and contributions from Keeley Electronics founder Robert Keeley.
With the exception of its nickel hammertone finish and some labeling, Benson The Amp is physically identical to The Amp 100. The most significant distinctions between Benson The Amp and other models in the series are under the hood. The Amp 100 is often described as having a clean and scooped, Fender Twin-like sound with a similar EQ profile. In contrast, Benson The Amp features the same harmonically rich preamp and passive (low- and high-shelf) EQ circuit as in the Chimera and Monarch guitar amps from Benson Amps. While The Amp 100 integrates an op-amp between the triodes of its 12AX7 preamp tube, Benson The Amp employs an op-amp (for Boost) in front of its 12AX7 preamp tube. The original (100 watt Class D) power amp stage and switched-mode (universal) power supply remain.
Back on top, the preamp side of Benson The Amp is outfitted with two rows of three knobs. Volume is tube gain, and Bass and Treble provide obvious EQ control. Reverb is the wet/dry blend of a DSP spring reverb emulation customized by Robert Keeley; it may be turned on and off via the Reverb footswitch. Room varies the wet/dry blend of early reflections that emulate an amp in an acoustic space. Boost varies the op-amp gain (up to +24 dB) to drive the preamp tube into more intense textures of overdrive; it may be turned on and off via the Boost footswitch. The Output knob controls the signal level sent to connected speaker cabs and headphones.
The back panel of Benson The Amp offers a 1/4-inch instrument input, AC power input, power switch, and an assortment of audio outputs. The (buffered) unbalanced 1/4-inch Pedal Out may be used to drive pedals into another guitar amp. The (line level) Balanced Out XLR may be used for direct recording or feeding a FOH console at a venue. The adjacent Sim Off switch may be engaged to impart Chris Benson’s analog speaker cab emulation. The Speakon connector Speaker Out is the power amp stage of Benson The Amp. A 1/4-inch headphone output is conveniently located on the front edge of the enclosure.
Benson The Amp was certainly optimized for electric guitar, but rules and tools are made to be tested. I knew before I began that a 100 watt amp could push a wall of sound out of stacked guitar cabs, but that the same amp might be underpowered for a single-speaker bass cab. The reason why bass amps tend to offer 10 to 20 times the wattage of a typical guitar amp is because higher current is needed to effectively reproduce bass frequencies. Indeed, Benson The Amp ran out of steam when serving bass guitar to a compact bass cab, but its noise floor and string separation were impressive. I might get away with mic'ing that setup in some sessions. When DI'ing the Balanced Out, bass guitar sounded open and articulate with modest gain and was incredibly inspiring when pushed just past the edge of breakup.
Tracking electric guitar with Benson The Amp, I quickly dialed in a sweet vintage rock tone with moderate gain and a touch of Room effect. With lighter gain, the Benson preamp flavor was still evident, but it sounded more three-dimensional than the clean channel of any Orange or Marshall guitar amp I can recall. Benson The Amp also runs much quieter. I am not used to one-knob effects, but the Reverb and Room algorithms blend in nicely since they run on a parallel signal path. In a similar tracking scenario with another guitarist, dialing in Benson The Amp for pop rock took no time at all. I also added a few pedals to the input and appreciated having real tube mojo at the end of the chain. I found Cab mode to be a subtle but nice option. In most cases, I enhanced it with a bit of Room effect to maximize the sense of hearing a mic'd cab.
Benson The Amp can also add character to synth modules, function as a tool for discreet practicing with headphones, or control backline volume and tone from a pedalboard on stage. But I think its capabilities and compact size should be especially attractive to non-guitarist recordists. With Benson The Amp in service, there is no need to dread mic'ing the next mystery guitar amp or manufacturing a convincing amp tone from plug-ins on a DI'd guitar. Save space, time, and computer CPU power with Benson The Amp.