So Boutique level/style amps…talk to me.

[GuitarsBuicks]

So, I am thinking about getting a one-stop shop boutique level amp, in that it’s not one of the main-line fender amps, or anything like that. So not one of the reissue ‘65-68 style blackface amps, and not one of the Blackstar, Vox, or something like those readily available from the average big-box stores.

Basically I’m looking at something along the lines of a Dr.Z (considering the DB4 or the EMS), 3rd Power (Kitchen Sink), Matchless, Two-Rock (super reverb), Victory, ToneKing, or something else. I have considered Divided by 13, but I’m not really into the Marshall Plexi tones. I’m also not completely opposed to one of the more common brands like Orange or Vox. I would also consider the Orange Rockerverb, some of the Magnavox amps (preferably one of the 212s or 210 combos.), the reissue Marshall Bluesbreaker, and other one of the hand wired AC30 remakes. I am personally partial to combo-amps incase that wasn’t evident.

I like a relatively clean as in typical fender blackface clean (usually set between 3 and 6.5 depending on the venue volume wise.), but I don’t mind some natural tube dirt although it needs to clean up quickly and easily. I currently have a Hot Rod Deville 212 with a bad reverb tank, an SRRI, and a Crate Vintage 30. I also have a Peavey Heritage VTX that can do a pretty convincing imitation of an AC30 top boost, Fender twin reverb, and a Marshall something, as well as doing its own thing. But at 120-ish watts it’s too much for most venues. My main travel amps are the Crate and the SRRI. Both run relatively clean with a pedal board and a Telecaster. Thoughts?

 

[uriah1]

Tone King - all-tube amplifiers and attenuators built in the USA - Tone King

Tone You Can Feel. Classic amplifier sounds at any volume. For over 30 years designer and master builder Mark Bartel has focused on perfect vintage tone.

www.toneking.com

And another.

https://redplateamps.com/

 

[Wooly Fox]

I have a Dr Z and a 633 Engineering tube amp. The 633 Engineering was bespoke, has DI out, 120V-230V transformer, 7W to 45W variable headroom control etc.
It wasn't cheap but not much more than my Dr Z EMS.

 

[trandy9850]

Have you considered Mesa Boogie?

Some of their newer models have a great Fender-like clean channel and a very versatile drive channel.

 

[Muckman]

+1 for Dr Z. I have therapy that I love!

Also, maybe a Budda? The Budda SuperDrive 18 (the loudest 18 watts you’ve ever heard) combo will have a very chimey vox style rythym channel and one of the best Marshall style lead channel tones you will find. I use the rythym channel with all manner of dirt/fuzz pedals and it sounds stellar. I’ve had the MKI hand wired SDs and the PCB based MkIIs - after Peavey bought Budda, they are insdistinguishabke tonewise.

I’ve had my SD30 for almost twenty years, not a single issue with it. But, it will go through power tubes quick - part of why it sounds so huge.

 

[TheCheapGuitarist]

Have you considered Mesa Boogie?

Some of their newer models have a great Fender-like clean channel and a very versatile drive channel.

Many consider them the first "boutique" amp builder, and I'd have to agree. I had two of them in the early 90's, one was the little 1X12 Studio 22 combo, which sounded incredible clean and with overdrive. It was a Fender-ish overdrive with more UMMMPH!!!, and the 5-band graphic EQ that shaped the sound pretty much however I wanted it. The EQ was footswitchable - for rhythm, I had it set to a slight "smile" curve. For solos, I stomped on the switch to bypass the EQ which ran it flat, resulting in a relative mid-boost.

 

[GotA24Fretter]

As a tech I can say that Dr Z leaves a lot to be desired for what you pay. Same with Vintage Sound and Headstrong. I'm skeptical of the others given what I've seen.

In terms of build quality and pristine cleans with the option for drive I'd advise something like the Glaswerks Zingaro, Fuchs ODS, RedPlate amps, or the Dirty Wonderland by Amplified Nation. Great build quality, Fender/Dumble appointments, and fits the boutique bill.

 

[KC]

I've had a Bad Cat Black Cat 30 for like 20 years now, same amp more or less as the big Matchless in a 1x12 combo. It's been faultlessly reliable and has sounded great every time I turn it on. Very few controls but easy to get a good sound. It's a bear to move around though -- weights like it's bolted to the floor -- and it's more amp than I need most of the time. Lately it's a bad cat cub 15 for me, in a head with a separate cab with a single bad cat speaker. Great sound, plenty of amp for the 95% of gigs & practices, and easier to carry than the big boy. The company has upended their product line in recent years, though and I don't know anything about their current amps. I wouldn't worry about a secondhand hardwired amp, though, they're built like tanks. Matchless is also worth a look, they have a trio of 15-watters that look pretty amazing.

 

[Vibroluxer]

As a tech I can say that Dr Z leaves a lot to be desired for what you pay. Same with Vintage Sound and Headstrong. I'm skeptical of the others given what I've seen.

In terms of build quality and pristine cleans with the option for drive I'd advise something like the Glaswerks Zingaro, Fuchs ODS, RedPlate amps, or the Dirty Wonderland by Amplified Nation. Great build quality, Fender/Dumble appointments, and fits the boutique bill.

I'm curious on your take on Lil Dawg amps.

 

[GotA24Fretter]

I'm curious on your take on Lil Dawg amps.

I've never worked on one. I'd have to take a look.

 

[schmee]

Dr Z is hard to beat for some sounds. I'm not convinced a "boutique" amp is any better than 'normal' amps though if they are both hand wired. The sound is the sound. You want reliability and good quality components though. Z uses big sturdy transformers etc. That's a plus. I had 3 Z amps and not a loser in any of them.

My Matchless was nicely built but not a sound I liked. Kind of a one trick pony. Incidentally, I heard a few Matchless used by big players on stage at the Crossroads Fest for 3 days. Never heard a great tone from them. There must be some people getting good sound from them or they wouldn't be talked about .. at least they were a decade or two ago.

 

[GuitarsBuicks]

As a tech I can say that Dr Z leaves a lot to be desired for what you pay. Same with Vintage Sound and Headstrong. I'm skeptical of the others given what I've seen.

In terms of build quality and pristine cleans with the option for drive I'd advise something like the Glaswerks Zingaro, Fuchs ODS, RedPlate amps, or the Dirty Wonderland by Amplified Nation. Great build quality, Fender/Dumble appointments, and fits the boutique bill.

Now I’m curious, what is it about the Dr.Z that you don’t like? People that have them usually rave about them. But I’m not set on anything yet. I just know that some time in the relatively near future I’d like something better than the ones I have. Not necessarily the Peavey, because I love that amp. But the Hot Rod, and the SRRI are able to be replaced. (In the case of the Hot Rod readily.) So I’d like to replace them with something that is arguably an upgrade, rather than a side-grade. I have often thought about the Two-Rock but then I learned about the 3rd Power Kitchen Sink which arguably had more versatility built in, although it’s literally double the price.

 

[Wayne Alexander]

You're going to have to decide what type of voice you want the amp to have in the clean regions - amps that will have the characteristics of blackface Fender clean are going to be different from those that have Vox-influenced voices (like most Matchless and Bad Cat amps) or Hiwatt voices, or Marshall voices (Freedman, Metro, etc). You also need to decide whether you want the amp to give you your semidirty and dirty tones itself, and what character you want them to have. If you're getting all your dirt from pedals and want a clean platform to do that, that's a whole different scenario from looking for an amp that gives you your semidirty and dirty tones itself.

For me the purpose of an amp is to give me the cleanish, semidirty and dirty tones I want based on my string attack and the volume control on the guitar. I like amps that are Vox-influenced, so my favorite boutique amps for that are Matchless and Bad Cat. I personally don't like the Blackface Fender amps much, at least in comparison to others.

But that doesn't mean that the amps I like are what you'd like.

 

[telekaster1999]

I've had my Vintage Sound Amp going on 15 years and still love it.

 

[GotA24Fretter]

Now I’m curious, what is it about the Dr.Z that you don’t like? People that have them usually rave about them. But I’m not set on anything yet. I just know that some time in the relatively near future I’d like something better than the ones I have. Not necessarily the Peavey, because I love that amp. But the Hot Rod, and the SRRI are able to be replaced. (In the case of the Hot Rod readily.) So I’d like to replace them with something that is arguably an upgrade, rather than a side-grade. I have often thought about the Two-Rock but then I learned about the 3rd Power Kitchen Sink which arguably had more versatility built in, although it’s literally double the price.

Dr Z is a landmine for a tech. People that have them really love them and don't want to hear anything bad about them. Here's a quick list from memory:

- Hot swapping rectifier with standby
- Switched neutral on AC (safety issue)
- Excessively hot bias on cathode biased EL84 models (direct copy of vintage AC30 values)
- Use of less reliable can capacitors when more reliable alternatives would fit in the chassis easily
- Aversion to master volume controls on amps where it would really add versatility
- Designs are rather derivative in topology (Fender front end with AC30 back end= Maz, Plexi front end with AC30 back end = Rx, almost 1:1 AC4 copy = Stangray)
- Choke placement in combination with aluminum chassis can lead to noise at the input.
- Use of metric bushing and zinc threaded pots on standard sized through holes (can't tighten hardware without risking damage)
- Lack of lock washers anywhere on panel hardware.
- Tedious wiring with solid core wire
- Use of linear pots where audio pots are traditionally used

I'm sure there's more. I don't hate these amps or the company. I just think players deserve better for the price and reputation.

 

[Unionjack515]

A few thoughts and recommendations. I own a fairly wide swath of Tone King amps and while I wouldn’t ever part with any of them, I’ve never been particularly keen on their lead channel. I’ve heard this from other users too. However, Mark Bartel’s current company, Bartel Amplifiers, are useful across the spectrum—Vox-ish, Marshall-ish, Fender Tweed-ish, Blackface-ish. The cleans are as good or better than a Tone King Imperial, and the overdriven sounds are so much better. So that’s recommendation number one. Second, I own a Two Rock Bloomfield Drive in 40/20W spec (switchable power). I’d argue that it gives plenty of clean headroom for most. The overdrive sounds (via gain staging on a single channel rather than “channel switching”) are to die for. If you need more clean headroom, perhaps try a different model of theirs—Traditional Clean, for example. But it just depends on where you want the overdrive. Milkman Creamer could be another option for you—a low-ish power compact package that makes all the right sounds (great clean…decent headroom but not outstanding, and nice creamy overdrive…way better than the Tone King lead channel) and looks great. Lastly, Victoria Amps are great vintage Fender replicas. I’d probably argue that they’re “not as sexy” as the Bartel or Two Rock, but they do a job (Fender) and they do it well—and way more reliable than an old Fender amp. I have a Chicagolux model (basically a Harvard with both reverb and trem) and it’s a standard-bearer for how easily I can get a good useable tone from that kind of amp. The Two Rock has a gazillion switches with a somewhat steep learning curve, but after you “get” it, it totally pays off…whereas the Victoria is as straight-ahead as it gets.

Anyway, good luck!!

 

[VintageSG]

https://www.matamp.co.uk/product-category/handmade-boutique-amplifiers

Built to exceptionally high standards. The quality and quantity of sound they create needs to be experienced.

https://www.laney.co.uk/amps/guitar/lionheart

The 5 Watt combo belies its 5 Watts. It's a single-ended amp that punches way above its weight.
The 20 Watt combo uses 4xEL84 in a parallel, single-ended configuration. If you enjoy single-ended amps, this will tickle you. Using four valves in the output is probably what creates the lush sound. You'll wish for synaesthesia. They used to produce a 50 Watt head that had five EL34 in parallel. It may have been five 6L6, but who cares! Fifty Watts single ended

https://www.cornellamps.com/

Worth a look.

 

[GuitarsBuicks]

A few thoughts and recommendations. I own a fairly wide swath of Tone King amps and while I wouldn’t ever part with any of them, I’ve never been particularly keen on their lead channel. I’ve heard this from other users too. However, Mark Bartel’s current company, Bartel Amplifiers, are useful across the spectrum—Vox-ish, Marshall-ish, Fender Tweed-ish, Blackface-ish. The cleans are as good or better than a Tone King Imperial, and the overdriven sounds are so much better. So that’s recommendation number one. Second, I own a Two Rock Bloomfield Drive in 40/20W spec (switchable power). I’d argue that it gives plenty of clean headroom for most. The overdrive sounds (via gain staging on a single channel rather than “channel switching”) are to die for. If you need more clean headroom, perhaps try a different model of theirs—Traditional Clean, for example. But it just depends on where you want the overdrive. Milkman Creamer could be another option for you—a low-ish power compact package that makes all the right sounds (great clean…decent headroom but not outstanding, and nice creamy overdrive…way better than the Tone King lead channel) and looks great. Lastly, Victoria Amps are great vintage Fender replicas. I’d probably argue that they’re “not as sexy” as the Bartel or Two Rock, but they do a job (Fender) and they do it well—and way more reliable than an old Fender amp. I have a Chicagolux model (basically a Harvard with both reverb and trem) and it’s a standard-bearer for how easily I can get a good useable tone from that kind of amp. The Two Rock has a gazillion switches with a somewhat steep learning curve, but after you “get” it, it totally pays off…whereas the Victoria is as straight-ahead as it gets.

Anyway, good luck!!

In answer to some of the questions, I like to go between pedal drives and real amp drive when possible. Especially with the Crate and the Peavey. On the other hand the SRRI doesn’t really give that option at any volume as far as tube drive goes. Ideally my perfect amp would give me something Blackface-ish Fender-y with the ability to go into Ac30ish territory. Ideally, with onboard tube/spring Reverb and no greater than 45-50 tube watts. Now, I do run my pedalboard into my Crate with a bluesbreaker style drive as well, especially in small rooms. Of course the Crate is also the loudest 30-watts I have ever heard, and I’ll put it against the two Trainwrecks I have played any day of the week. On the other hand the Crate does a pretty good blackface-ish clean imitation even though it has the EL34s(could be 84s, but I’m pretty sure it’s 34s.) in the power section. It works out nicely with the switchable tube overdrive for anything really rocking’ and the bluesbreaker for lesser overdriven needs. It also has a boost built into the drive section of the amp that takes it from southern rock to even louder and more driven. Again, ideally any amp I get would do something similar with the same relative easy, while still being portable like the combo is, although not opposed to a head&cab though either. Just thinking right now. It will probably be some time next year when I finally manage to get the money around.

 

[Neptical]

Mesa Boogie Mark VII.

About as versatile as you can get, and still boutique IMHO.
One of those are definitely on my radar. Love my Mark IIIs that I've had for years now.

 

[Mr Ridesglide]

I've had a Bad Cat Black Cat Reverb for about 20 years as well. First year after Mark Sampson left Matchless. Most of the caps in the amp say Matchless.. Unreal amp. LOUD