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Post by johnreardon on Mar 11, 2022 9:04:01 GMT
Getting my amp head ready in the anticipation I play some gigs in the next few months with a band I played with in the late 60s
Last time I used it was a gig in February 2020, so it needed a blast.
As you can see, the amp was made by Boost Amplification, which is run by a friend. This is the first amp he sold, so no serial number & the aesthetics on the back are still 'prototype' look and feel.
Since the last outing, it’s had a switch installed that drops the power from 36w to 18w just in case I ‘need’ to play quieter 😉
I stuck the 8 and 16 labels near the speaking outputs, so I could see them without wearing specs. I use 16 ohm speakers, so use the 8 ohm output when I use two cabinets.
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Post by Die Bullen on Mar 11, 2022 12:47:54 GMT
Looks like a great amp- you are lucky to have friends who can make you boutique amps!
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Post by infant on Mar 11, 2022 15:11:22 GMT
That’s a nice looking amp. Does it use EL34 tubes….kinda Marshall sounding?
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 11, 2022 16:27:46 GMT
That’s a nice looking amp. Does it use EL34 tubes….kinda Marshall sounding? It has 4 EL84 valves. It’s not really a Marshall sounding amp, just looks a bit like one. It’s got its own sound, perhaps closer to my Orange Dual Terror. I’ve owned Marshall & Blackstar & this is different, at least for me. I’m not that technical on amps, but my mate has what he calls a boost stage in his amps. He has been developing amps for years, having worked in the TV repair business. He’s quite protective of amps and doesn't like too many pics of the interior.
He's very neat though. This was the initial prototype.
Another prototype
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Post by infant on Mar 11, 2022 17:16:24 GMT
Didn’t Vox use EL84 valves in their old amps?
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 11, 2022 18:22:22 GMT
Didn’t Vox use EL84 valves in their old amps? I think so Rob |
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Post by infant on Mar 12, 2022 0:28:50 GMT
I have to say that that is the neatest looking chassis I’ve ever seen. My Deluxe Reverb is an absolute rats nest if you look inside.
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Post by Die Bullen on Mar 12, 2022 1:40:08 GMT
Very neat work- he obviously takes great pride in his work
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 12, 2022 8:58:29 GMT
I have to say that that is the neatest looking chassis I’ve ever seen. My Deluxe Reverb is an absolute rats nest if you look inside. That's a turret board in the prototype where he can move things easily for me to test the sound out. Once we're happy with the sound, he makes the connections permanent.
The finished amps are still very neat though |
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 12, 2022 9:02:49 GMT
Very neat work- he obviously takes great pride in his work He does. Even wears a white coat in his workshop
Has all his parts neatly file away in boxes. I thought I was a bit OCD, but he's over the top 
A combo prototype I take out to gigs or jams
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Post by markr on Mar 12, 2022 13:56:39 GMT
He has a labeler and knows how to use it!
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Post by zontar on Mar 12, 2022 23:03:13 GMT
Always ool to see something other than black tolex on an amp
(Most of mine are black--well, even the one without tolex is black -Orange Micro Dark)
But yeah --nothing against black tolex, but cool to see other colours & stuff.
Have fun with the preparations & the gigging & all that in between stuff.
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 13, 2022 10:49:33 GMT
Always ool to see something other than black tolex on an amp (Most of mine are black--well, even the one without tolex is black -Orange Micro Dark) But yeah --nothing against black tolex, but cool to see other colours & stuff. Have fun with the preparations & the gigging & all that in between stuff. He does have black options, but I convinced him to go for a different colour, at least for the prototypes. When we take the white one to a jam, everyone wants to know what it is. When we take the black one, people usually say, I like your Marshall |
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Post by Sgt Rock on Mar 13, 2022 12:07:02 GMT
Didn’t Vox use EL84 valves in their old amps? I think so Rob yes, they did. my Gibson GA-15RVT from 1966 is a copy of a Vox amp and it has 2 EL84 tubes. |
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Post by Die Bullen on Mar 13, 2022 13:23:14 GMT
Always ool to see something other than black tolex on an amp (Most of mine are black--well, even the one without tolex is black -Orange Micro Dark) But yeah --nothing against black tolex, but cool to see other colours & stuff. Have fun with the preparations & the gigging & all that in between stuff. I like a little splash of color too. When they made my Dr. Z I wanted it in the seafoam green to make it stand out a bit |
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Post by infant on Mar 13, 2022 15:31:39 GMT
Fender put out a 60th anniversary “Woody” amp that matches my Thinline FSR colour wise. I’d love to get one of these to pair up with my guitar.   |
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 13, 2022 18:29:54 GMT
Fender put out a 60th anniversary “Woody” amp that matches my Thinline FSR colour wise. I’d love to get one of these to pair up with my guitar. <button disabled="" class="c-attachment-insert--linked o-btn--sm">Attachment Deleted</button> <button disabled="" class="c-attachment-insert--linked o-btn--sm">Attachment Deleted</button> Never seen one, but remember seeing it in a guitar mag |
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Post by highdeaf on Mar 16, 2022 14:40:23 GMT
Getting my amp head ready in the anticipation I play some gigs in the next few months with a band I played with in the late 60s
Last time I used it was a gig in February 2020, so it needed a blast.
As you can see, the amp was made by Boost Amplification, which is run by a friend. This is the first amp he sold, so no serial number & the aesthetics on the back are still 'prototype' look and feel.
Since the last outing, it’s had a switch installed that drops the power from 36w to 18w just in case I ‘need’ to play quieter 😉
I stuck the 8 and 16 labels near the speaking outputs, so I could see them without wearing specs. I use 16 ohm speakers, so use the 8 ohm output when I use two cabinets.
Very cool amp. I like custom builds like that. I live quite close to Simon Jarrett (Kingsley Amps). I thought about getting him to build me something unique, back when our dollar was at par (he prices his stuff in $US) and before he became TGP famous and his waiting list stretched out to years.
One question though:
- did you say it had six EL-84's? Because I only count 4 power tube sockets in the pic, and 6 tubes would produce close to 50 watts compared to the 36 watts you mentioned. The power ranges you mention are common with EL-84 amps, by switching from 4 power tubes to 2 (a la Matchless HC30 and similar amps). That's what my Mesa LoneStar Special does, ranging from 30 watts to 15 watts (4 EL84 power tubes to 2) and also has a single power tube setting of 5 watts.
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 16, 2022 15:08:49 GMT
Getting my amp head ready in the anticipation I play some gigs in the next few months with a band I played with in the late 60s
Last time I used it was a gig in February 2020, so it needed a blast.
As you can see, the amp was made by Boost Amplification, which is run by a friend. This is the first amp he sold, so no serial number & the aesthetics on the back are still 'prototype' look and feel.
Since the last outing, it’s had a switch installed that drops the power from 36w to 18w just in case I ‘need’ to play quieter 😉
I stuck the 8 and 16 labels near the speaking outputs, so I could see them without wearing specs. I use 16 ohm speakers, so use the 8 ohm output when I use two cabinets.
Very cool amp. I like custom builds like that. I live quite close to Simon Jarrett (Kingsley Amps). I thought about getting him to build me something unique, back when our dollar was at par (he prices his stuff in $US) and before he became TGP famous and his waiting list stretched out to years.
One question though:
- did you say it had six EL-84's? Because I only count 4 power tube sockets in the pic, and 6 tubes would produce close to 50 watts compared to the 36 watts you mentioned. The power ranges you mention are common with EL-84 amps, by switching from 4 power tubes to 2 (a la Matchless HC30 and similar amps). That's what my Mesa LoneStar Special does, ranging from 30 watts to 15 watts (4 EL84 power tubes to 2) and also has a single power tube setting of 5 watts.
The pic showing the chassis innards is not actually my amp. That was his first prototype, however you’re probably right. I was round his workshop the day before I posted this & he was working on an amp that had 6 valves & he mentioned it was approx 45 watts. Seeing him on Monday, so will confirm how many in mine |
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Post by zontar on Mar 18, 2022 2:40:46 GMT
Always ool to see something other than black tolex on an amp (Most of mine are black--well, even the one without tolex is black -Orange Micro Dark) But yeah --nothing against black tolex, but cool to see other colours & stuff. Have fun with the preparations & the gigging & all that in between stuff. I like a little splash of color too. When they made my Dr. Z I wanted it in the seafoam green to make it stand out a bit Someone who sometimes pops in here has (or had) an amp covered in somewhat fuzzy pink |
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Post by johnreardon on Mar 18, 2022 9:38:35 GMT
Getting my amp head ready in the anticipation I play some gigs in the next few months with a band I played with in the late 60s
Last time I used it was a gig in February 2020, so it needed a blast.
As you can see, the amp was made by Boost Amplification, which is run by a friend. This is the first amp he sold, so no serial number & the aesthetics on the back are still 'prototype' look and feel.
Since the last outing, it’s had a switch installed that drops the power from 36w to 18w just in case I ‘need’ to play quieter 😉
I stuck the 8 and 16 labels near the speaking outputs, so I could see them without wearing specs. I use 16 ohm speakers, so use the 8 ohm output when I use two cabinets.
Very cool amp. I like custom builds like that. I live quite close to Simon Jarrett (Kingsley Amps). I thought about getting him to build me something unique, back when our dollar was at par (he prices his stuff in $US) and before he became TGP famous and his waiting list stretched out to years.
One question though:
- did you say it had six EL-84's? Because I only count 4 power tube sockets in the pic, and 6 tubes would produce close to 50 watts compared to the 36 watts you mentioned. The power ranges you mention are common with EL-84 amps, by switching from 4 power tubes to 2 (a la Matchless HC30 and similar amps). That's what my Mesa LoneStar Special does, ranging from 30 watts to 15 watts (4 EL84 power tubes to 2) and also has a single power tube setting of 5 watts.
I bumped into my mate. He said the amp has four EL84 power valves and one 6n1p-ev driver valve, all running fixed bias. The pre-amp valve is a ECC83S. So definitely not 6
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Post by highdeaf on Mar 22, 2022 14:13:41 GMT
Very cool amp. I like custom builds like that. I live quite close to Simon Jarrett (Kingsley Amps). I thought about getting him to build me something unique, back when our dollar was at par (he prices his stuff in $US) and before he became TGP famous and his waiting list stretched out to years.
One question though:
- did you say it had six EL-84's? Because I only count 4 power tube sockets in the pic, and 6 tubes would produce close to 50 watts compared to the 36 watts you mentioned. The power ranges you mention are common with EL-84 amps, by switching from 4 power tubes to 2 (a la Matchless HC30 and similar amps). That's what my Mesa LoneStar Special does, ranging from 30 watts to 15 watts (4 EL84 power tubes to 2) and also has a single power tube setting of 5 watts.
I bumped into my mate. He said the amp has four EL84 power valves and one 6n1p-ev driver valve, all running fixed bias. The pre-amp valve is a ECC83S. So definitely not 6
I love '4 X EL84' amps. Vox AC30. Matchless xC30. Mesa LSS.
I would take that power compliment over any multiple 'big bottle' power section in a heartbeat. Especially if the power is easily scalable, a la the Matchless and Mesa - and apparently your new build as well. Loud enough to be heard on a live stage but not so loud as to allow the power section to operate into power tube compression and distortion (that's where the good stuff is, IMO).
Good luck with your new build.
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