In
1973 a company co-founded by
Chicago guitarist
Terry Kath came out with a tiny little guitar
amplifier so small and light that the
strap buttons that came on each one weren't for show, you really could sling it over your shoulder and play. They immodestly named their creation the
Legendary Pignose even though no one had ever seen one before. But 100,000 amps later, it would be fair to say that a marketing joke has become reality; the Pignose may not be 'legendary' but it has earned a real place in rock
history.
The 'legendary' pignose is the 7-100. Powered by six AA batteries, and far smaller than a shoebox, you could take it anywhere. Most guitars weighed more than this amp. But the best part was that it combined portability with a rather cool fuzz tone that screamed out of a tiny 5" speaker. The combination of tiny size and cool tone made it a favorite practice amp, Pignoses became popular with studio musicians who have never loved lugging heavy gear around.. The 'output' jack made it a formidable preamp for driving larger amps. Pignose also got a number of major players to endorse their little gem, most notably Frank Zappa.
The manufacturer, Pignose-Gorilla, claims the amp will clean up, but really it won't. But you can get a decent 'grit' sound out of it, making it a good amp for harmonica players on the go. But anything can send it into the Marshall zone. Pignose also claims their baby will produce 5 watts, a number most people would dispute. But no one will dispute its cool.
Felttips tells me the reason they called it Pignose is the round speaker grill made it resemble the real thing. I'm told they look good with porkpie hats too!.