What Is unique is how little it took for Boutique to become something that is mainstream. The '90s was the birth of " Boutique " when brands such as Matchless, Trainwreck, , Dumble, and eventually even Madamp and a few others were making amps and selling them at semi-standard prices out of their back door. I would say since the early 2000s, MANY companies have been trying to cash in on that market. What is sad is that it only took about 20 years to make the word " boutique " to become a worthless description of an amp made by conglomerated, distributed, and or costs-sensitive sellers. Now even the original Boutique brands are subject to the mainstream, consumerist, expendable ways. Matchless is a shell of what it used to be. Most of what they release now is PCB-based. Fuchs, Two Rock, Morgan, and many other expensive " boutique " monikered companies are all PCB-based now! The fever was so huge that brands such as Supro, Magnatone, and even Harmony were resurrected in order to cash in on the boutique craze. All are PCB amplifiers and bear very little from their past. Even Bad-Cat a Matchless sister company if you will, has gone to mostly PCB construction.
PCB in and of itself is not bad, and in some ways can be superior to turret, eyelet, and PTP constructions, but it is not even close to as robust, and time standing as the other methods. The biggest pitfall of PCB construction is that the core of its use is to reduce costs and labor. So any amp that has PCB construction is going to be cheaper to make, which to me lessens its value. Not only because of the construction method, but because of its projected life span. All amps will eventually require some amount of maintenance and work done to them, and PCB has proven without doubt to be problematic when even modest amounts of work are done on them.
And probably the least thought about issue with PCB amps is the solder used to make them... Since most amps made with PCB are done overseas and or done in factories, they MUST use a particular type of solder that is lead-free. Lead-free solder has shown to be problematic and is prone to cracking and oxidizing in ways which for an amplifier that moves and vibrates a lot, can be an issue. If you buy any amp made in a factory or under CE, and ROHS rules, it will have lead-free solder in it. It's not if it will become an issue, it is when it WILL become an issue for you.
I'm not saying buy only true boutique amps made by people who have weird, quirky mindsets, I'm only saying that when you buy a product, be sure that the price you pay is worth the use that product can ensure you. Obviously spending $4,000 on a new Soldano made with substandard modern production methods, is probably not as wise of a decision as spending $3000 on a Soldano amp made 10 years ago. Spending $4,000 on a brand spanking new Two Rock may be better spent on a Komet amp made by real people and not a machine. Of course, it is your money, so I have no say in that regard, but if you spend $300 on an amp made in a factory en-mass, you are also buying the problems that come with such build qualities. It isn't that they sound bad, they do sound great, but how long will it last?
..
