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Everybody's into the small amps these days. Me too! And, you know how there's a bout a hundred Champ clones on the market? Not to mention that's the first kit amp everybody builds. And you know how they're supposed to sound great 'cuz you can crank 'em up? And they're so simple and pure with the one preamp tube and one volume knob? And they kinda sound like... well, something unpleasant. Because one tube is not enough to drive the amp as hard as we'd actually like to hear it. I wanted to fix that. I wanted a small amp that really was a small version of the bigger amps I'm used to playing. So I gave my amp two 12AX7 preamp tubes, 4 gain stages! And I gave it a real set of controls. Gain, bass, mid, treblle, and volume. I also gave it an extra beefy power supply from Hammond, so I could use any 8-pin power tube I want. 6V6, 6L6, EL34, whatever! I also gave it an extra beefy output tranny from Allen Amps rated for 11 watts. Much bigger than a stock Champ-tyle tranny for a much bigger sound. I named these amps after a small muscle car engine. The shortBLOCK! |
On the backside there's a IEC AC plug for any standard computer-type power cord. A fuse holder (1 amp fuse.) Power switch. And speaker output jacks for 8 and 4 ohms (with 6L6s or EL34s) or 16 and 8 ohms (with 6V6s.) The shortBLOCK can drive any speaker cabinet easily, even 4x12"s. As mentioned, the single power tube is cathode biased and can be changed for any other 8-pin power tube with no adjustment needed. The preamp tubes can also be changed easily. The amp is setup for a lot of gain with 12AX7 tubes. Try a 12AY7 or a 12AT7 in either position for a cleaner, less gainy tone. |
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Of course the inside is a work of art. A handmade custom turret board mounts the usual assortment of premium parts. Mallory caps, Dale plate resistors, film bypass caps, Teflon-covered 22ga solid wire. Even DC-biased filaments for low noise. In other words, all the same care and quality you expect from my big amps. |
This little beastie was built for the '09 Dallas Guitar Show. The 2nd of two I built around that time. This one got the polished chassis, the 2-tone tolex cabinet and the oak front panel. Sweet! Since this one's been hangin' around my shop for a while I've been messing with the preamp a bit. This one's a bit "thicker" sounding with a really smooth high end. I've used it at a couple small bar gigs and it will fill a room and keep up with a drummer. With my ported 1x12" cabinet it's got that big amp sound and low-end punch. I've been running it with a Valve Arts EL34 power tube and I'm diggin' that. It also likes 6L6/5881s and 6V6s. |
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Update!
Price: $700.00 |
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contact: acepeppercustoms
AT gmail DOT com - ph: 512.557.4480 |
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