Supro has a long history rooted in Chicago, where the brand’s amplifiers were manufactured from 1935 to 1968 under the Valco umbrella. Their raw, touch-sensitive sound became part of the early electric blues and rock ‘n’ roll vocabulary, eventually influencing generations of guitarists. Jimmy Page famously used a vintage Supro combo while recording Led Zeppelin’s debut album, demonstrating how a relatively small amplifier can deliver a huge, distinctive studio sound.
The modern Blues King 12 carries some of that vintage-inspired philosophy into a compact 15-watt, all-tube 1×12 combo. It has a rich, midrange-focused character, a responsive feel, and a natural transition from warm cleans to gritty, harmonically rich overdrive as you push the gain. The onboard boost and drive functions extend its range from edge-of-breakup tones to more saturated, aggressive sounds, while the dark analog spring reverb adds depth and ambience.
My Supro Blues King 12 uses its original tube and speaker configuration: a 12AX7/ECC83 preamp tube and a 6L6 power tube, driving Supro’s custom 12-inch BK12 speaker.
The 12AX7 is responsible for amplifying the signal in the preamp stage, while the 6L6 delivers the power-stage response that contributes to the amp’s dynamic feel and natural breakup.
The custom BK12 speaker is designed specifically for this amplifier, with a balanced, full-bodied tonal character inspired by the field-coil speakers used in early guitar amps. It plays an important role in the overall sound, contributing to the amp’s distinctive voice and making it an interesting source for close-miking and multi-microphone recording.
I think this combination makes the Blues King 12 particularly well suited to bedroom studios. You get the character and dynamic response of a tube amp in a relatively compact format, without needing a large amplifier setup to record expressive guitar tones. Its versatility also makes it an interesting source for NAM captures, as different microphones can emphasize its midrange, brightness, and low-end response in very different ways.
That’s what makes this amp worth capturing for me: its combination of vintage-inspired character, natural breakup, and recording-friendly versatility.
4 MICS:
Audio-Technica AT2020 - Open, balanced midrange
The AT2020 provides a relatively open, balanced perspective on the amp, with a clear midrange that serves as one of the foundations of the overall tone. Its condenser design captures a different kind of detail and presence compared to the dynamic microphones, helping the guitar retain clarity without relying entirely on E906 and SM57.
Sennheiser E906 - Focused, punchy midrange
The E906 contributes another layer of midrange, but with a different tonal coloration from the AT2020. Its focused, direct sound helps define the body and character of the guitar, giving me another way to shape the core tone simply by adjusting the balance between the two microphones.
Shure SM57 - Upper mids, presence, and attack
The SM57 brings the upper-midrange presence, bite, and brightness that help a guitar cut through a mix. In this setup, it adds definition to the pick attack and brings out the more aggressive edge of the amp. Blending it in lets me introduce more brightness and articulation without having to reach for an EQ.
Oktava MK-219 - Low end, weight, and body
Positioned behind the amplifier, the MK-219 captures a different side of the cabinet’s sound. In this position, it contributes substantial low-frequency energy and body, adding weight to the overall tone. It provides a useful counterbalance to the more midrange- and presence-focused microphones, helping create a fuller sound when blended in.
Together, these four perspectives give me a much larger tonal palette than any single microphone could provide. And that’s ultimately what I wanted to preserve with these NAM captures: not just the sound of a Supro Blues King 12, but the way I actually like to record and mix guitar amps.
I decided to make some of these captures [Gain, Treble, Middle, Bass at 12, Gain Off, Boost On] available FOR FREE here. However, if you would like to support my work, I’d be very grateful if you considered supporting me on Patreon, where I’ve set the price all of these 46 captures at $15 (In the paid version all Gain and Boost [On/Off] modes are available, including the option to enable/disable everything). By doing this, you accelerate the appearance of new publications and things from my gear collection in digital format.
I hope it will be useful for your own guitar recordings, mixing, reamping, or simply experimenting with the sound of the Supro Blues King 12 without searching for on Reverb/Ebay and buying one. Enjoy!
