Drawing inspiration from its classic Skylark amplifiers of the 1950s and ’60s, Gibson is revisiting those beloved tones with the Falcon 5. Designed by Randall Smith and his Mesa/Boogie team (which became part of Gibson in 2021), the Falcon 5 pays homage to vintage tube amp tones while bringing modern features and craftsmanship.

The Falcon 5 has a timeless look, with cream tolex and an oxblood grille. Polished-steel accents on the handle and control panel add modern flair, while smooth, round vintage-style knobs complete the retro package. Running on just one 6V6 power tube, the single-channel amp has a Class A power section with output selectable between three and seven watts. With high/low inputs and controls for just Volume, Tone, Reverb, dialing-in a usable sound is easy and intuitive. Modern touches include an all-tube analog reverb and a Monitor out.

With a Les Paul and Telecaster going to Input 1 and the Volume and Tone knobs at noon, retro edge-of-breakup tones blared from the 10″ Jensen Blackbird 40 Alnico speaker. Add a touch of reverb and the tone becomes unmistakable, straight from the sock hop and jukebox era of rock and roll. Let the Chuck Berry licks begin! With Volume below noon, tone cleans up but stays bright and snappy. Volume past noon delivers gritty power-tube breakup. Input 2 yields a smoother, warmer, lower-gain tone that stays cleaner. For a brighter, percussive attack, twist the Tone knob past noon.

At seven watts, the Falcon delivers a surprising volume, but thanks to the useful Low/Full power switch, it can be turned up to unleash power-amp overdrive at bedroom-friendly volumes.

The Falcon 5 is about pure, unadulterated tone. Its blend of vintage character and modern features make it a strong contender in the low-watt arena

This article originally appeared in VG’s April 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.