just ordered a custom hand built amp

[Chickenwings]

its based loosely on a jtm45/bassman but it has a few tweaks.
One input instead of 4, but they are jumpered internally so you can blend both channels.
He voices the bright channel a little higher than on a bassman so there is a bit more contrast between the two channels.
Then thru the tonestack and out via a post phase inverter master volume to a pair of el34s running at about 45 (i think) watts. It can run a pair of kt66's ike the original bluesbreaker amps for closer to 35 watts.
ss rectification for punch.
the internal construction is an unbelievable piece of artistry.
here is another of his amps (a very similar one)

and this is what the head cab will look like

it will have a matching open backed 2x12 cabinet with a pair of texas heats.
i spent last friday afternoon trying out a bunch of different amps made by this guy and thru various speaker combinations and was blown away by the touch sensitivity and richness of the sound. With this amp, i can reduce my already small pedalboard (1 pedal) down to zero and still get all the sounds i want in a live setting. Happy days!
...now comes the hard part....waiting for him to finish building the cabs!

 

[zzmoore]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Wow...this guy did a real nice job...nice utilitarian layout...with ample "elbow room" for Repair/Maintenance.
I have always liked the compromise of.....Tag Board/Point To Point construction.
There is only about 3 Feet of wire in the entire amp .....but that is just Amp Geek stuff.
All that matters is how it sounds and holds up to gigging.
I am sure you will have no problems.
That is a handsome Blue Cab...and I always dig the Silver, Face Plate/Chassis over Gold.

So who is this guy.?
That is not just some... one-off, prototype. This builder has the layout down real well...he has done this before.
Very Nice Indeed

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

yeh this guy builds a lot of amps even tho his website is kinda tiny!
http://www.valvetone.com.au/
here is a list of various builds and the construction process. He tends to only make one or two of each type of amp unless its a real popular one:
http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion/index.php/topic,34887.0.html

this link shows the build process of what i think might be the same as the amp i ordered (Darryl calls it a felix)
http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion/index.php/topic,32065.0.html

I ordered this amp from Eric from Eric's guitars an PA's in petersham ( i believe the model name for this one is called an EB guv'nor when eric sells it) who is a really nice guy and is quite happy for me to spend the best part of a day cranking pretty much all of the amps in his shop through multiple speaker cabinets. Darryl from Valvetone builds the amps, and Eric builds the cabs. All of the amps are unique but the various ones derive from singnature tone characteristics of amps like voxes, fenders, marshalls and stuff.
http://www.erics.com.au/cabs.a5w
Ive bought a bunch of stuff like speakers and PA equipment from him. He also built a 1x12 combo for my friends trusty vintage fender princeton which is now sounding better than ever. Aussie/Sydney bros take note...hes a cool guy and prices are extremely fair.

zzmore: im with you on the amp geek front. Its part of the reason i liked this amp.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Uh sweet stuff...have fun.

 

[Animal]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

I've got one of Darryl's 2-watt creations, an Impact Mk II. He's making some of the best value hand-wired amps on the planet. We're truly blessed to have him working closely with the Aussie guitar community. He's the Santa Claus of amplification.

In the future I hope to own a Little Jim Mk III (30-watt plexi inspired amp).

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

nice one...pics mebbe?


and santa claus ...yeah...it would be kind of a slap in the face to him not to buy one of his amps! they are all pretty amazing.

 

[Animal]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Okies, here are some older pics, though currently I have it sitting on an Ampeg GVT112-E cab loaded with a pre-rola G12M greenback. The Valvetone Impact is normally sold in the shops 'naked' without a headshell so I got a custom one made by Hame Speakers Cabinets in Wagga Wagga to match my Hame 2x12.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

the inside (and outside) of that amp is ridiculous. Nice score!

 

[Animal]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Lots of talented builders in oz. No doubt that Darryl has poured his wizardry into your custom order and if it's anything like the Little Jim Mk III that I saw demoed at a local guitar amp expo then it will sound absolutely huge! Much more powerful than one might expect out of a middle watt amp.

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

They're obviously built to a price-point (low), but fer gawd's sake get him to use the HQ jack sockets from Jaycar, those plastic-collared ones always end up being trouble (fast threads, they get loose and often break at the collar when tightened).

I'm not sure why people insist on using those Phillips mustard caps (seen in the 2-watter), because they sound fluffy and wooly. Whenever i see old ones i take them out and throw them away. But i guess people think they sound good.

As for the construction, it's simply the way amps were built in the 1960s and early '70s before primitive circuit boards appeared. Look inside any old Moody or Goldentone to see what i mean, or look up the old ETI ('Electronics Today International' electronics magazine from those days) home-brew amp projects.

Sorry to sound a little negative, but it's only in the interest of balance. No doubt these amps sound just fine due to simplicity and traditional construction. Kudos to the guy for making amps at an affordable price-point (I very much doubt that his profit margin is very big).

 

[jon the art guy]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Okies, here are some older pics, though currently I have it sitting on an Ampeg GVT112-E cab loaded with a pre-rola G12M greenback. The Valvetone Impact is normally sold in the shops 'naked' without a headshell so I got a custom one made by Hame Speakers Cabinets in Wagga Wagga to match my Hame 2x12.

Omg dat layout. Pornographic.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

if it's anything like the Little Jim Mk III that I saw demoed at a local guitar amp expo then it will sound absolutely huge! Much more powerful than one might expect out of a middle watt amp.

Looking at his build blog he mentions that you could look at the amp somewhat as a "big jim". I believe tho that the jim series of amps are based on a JMP/plexi front end whereas this one is based on a JTM/bassman.

As for the construction, it's simply the way amps were built in the 1960s and early '70s before primitive circuit boards appeared. Look inside any old Moody or Goldentone to see what i mean, or look up the old ETI ('Electronics Today International' electronics magazine from those days) home-brew amp projects.

Sorry to sound a little negative, but it's only in the interest of balance. No doubt these amps sound just fine due to simplicity and traditional construction. Kudos to the guy for making amps at an affordable price-point (I very much doubt that his profit margin is very big).

moodys and goldentones sound great!
I like the fact that they are built the same way as the old days. Its cool and its organic. Its also a large part of what attracted me to trying them out.
I did wonder why he chose plastic jacks for the speaker outs tho...
The builder is a retired tech and he builds them for his own creative process. That's why they are build like this, and are not your regular recreations of existing designs. He's not really after dollars from what i can tell.
Above all tho....they sound wicked

dont worry...the beautifully rebuilt twin is not going anywhere. Im getting this new amp so i don't need to use a pedal for dirt at gigs. Its also going to be a much easier carry.

 

[d1dsj]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Very cool, looking forward to seeing and hearing???? The said beast.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

im not going to make any sound clips because my hard drive is full, but im planning on going in to the studio pretty shortly so you'll hear the results of that.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

Looks great. My favorite 'clean amps' are similar to what your setup will be (Pro Reverb and Matchless Chieftain), since the Chieftain is like a Bassman w/EL-34's. It's interesting to hear the difference in tone, even though both can be considered benchmark clean tones.

What is the little pot circuit he's decided to keep a secret via the smiley face sticker?

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

thats the master volume.

 

[zzmoore]

Re: just ordered a custom hand built amp

yeh this guy builds a lot of amps even tho his website is kinda tiny!
http://www.valvetone.com.au/
here is a list of various builds and the construction process. He tends to only make one or two of each type of amp unless its a real popular

Geez...no wonder.....OK.
This guy has built A LOT of amps...he has it all down pretty well.
I dig his tranny sets.
I typically buy from Edcor, Mag Comp, and Heyboer.....I wish they used solder lug termination, rather than hard wire.
Anyway.......thanks for posting the gut shots.