Mountainview Publishing, LLC

INSIDE the
True guitar chronicles…

How Thomas V. Jones

followed his dream and
became the craftsman we
know today as
TV Jones
The Player’s Guide to Ultimate Tone
$15.00 US, June 2014/Vol.15 NO.8 Report TM

5
TV Jones
20th Anniversary
Fated
Limited Edition
humbucker
Who knows why we do what we do… We mean you, us, and everyone else in the world. From birth
6
to death and the journey between the two, how can we explain the paths we take in life? One man
Another affordable
becomes a criminal, another man a judge… Mothers send their precious children into the world
keeper…
The Epiphone 335 with love, hope and dreams of happiness, yet no philosopher, priest, or fortune teller can predict
Pro the course their lives may take. Are we brought into the world as unformed clay or creatures
with coil taps of destiny? How does life work? If the creation of life is a miracle, and it surely is, how can we
understand and comprehend the miracle of the lives we live? Well, backtracking seems to work if
7 you are inclined to discard the concept of fate. Fate is the more convenient and mythical explana-
‘60s Surprise tion, but fate begs the question of who or what determines fate for each of us. Is our fate written
1964 in the stars, numerology, or designed by a celestial multi-tasker perhaps, and a busy one at that.
Gibson GA-19RVT Backtracking seems to make more sense. Here’s how it works…
Falcon

9
Chuck Dean’s
new Retro King ‘Master
50…
kinda like a JCM800
but better…

11
Mitch Colby’s new
Park amps…

13
An overview of the
original Park amps
&
the new
Park Top Mount 45
Limited Edition
We can all point to a mere handful of events that have dramatically affected and determined the
15 course of our lives. Using a personal example, if the husband of my mother’s sister hadn’t been
Not your
stationed in Indianapolis, my mother wouldn’t have moved there, the place where I spent the first
average clone…
21 years of life. If not for a road trip through Atlanta in 1974, Atlanta wouldn’t have become my
The RecPro Audio
5E3 Deluxe preferred destination to escape sleepy Naptown. As a struggling musician in 1984, if I hadn’t an-
swered an ad for employment with an Atlanta publishing company, I would never have met my wife
18 at a publishing conference in Washington D.C., and had I not worked for a publishing company,
Dunlop it is highly likely that I would not be writing the words you are reading now. So there you go…
Eric Johnson A military posting, a road trip and a single help wanted ad set in motion a series of events that
Signature Fuzz Face shaped a life. Yeah, but you could have done something different… Yeah, but I didn’t.
www.tonequest.com
 cover story

Thomas V. Jones got a hold of the Beatles White Album and it taken apart in no time. My dad
changed his life. Whatever he may have been thinking about found out, and asked what I
at the time suddenly took a backseat to what he heard on the was doing and after explaining
Beatles record, and like a great cosmic trip wire, his course what I was after, he suggested
in life was not only changed, but consumed by the sound, look some other cool ideas (now
and feel of the electric guitar. This was deeper than a mere luv that I think about it, I will have
fest with a pop band. In time he acquired enough knowledge to ask him to explain one of his
and skill to be hired at a guitar repair shop in Southern Cali- ideas in more detail). It was so
fornia where the guitar guy for a big time rock & roll guitar exciting to learn how simply
player took the big time rock & roll guitar player’s guitars the electric guitar worked. I
to be fixed, and they just happened to be Gretsch guitars gave up on wiring the guitar
equipped with Filter’tron and Dearmond pickups. As Thomas in stereo, put it back together,
V. Jones became intimately acquainted with these pickups, an and from then on played as
Dan Erlewine
invitation was issued for pickup winders to build their best ef- much as I had time for. While
fort at reproducing a Gretsch Filter’tron for the very same big in high school, I bought my first serious guitar – a used
time rock & roll guitar player’s signature guitar. The pickup 1973 Strat. I became very interested in modifying (thanks to
Thomas V. Jones wound was selected as the best, and at that Edward Van Halen) and repairing my guitars, so I eventu-
moment in time, TV Jones was born. His personal story is a ally purchased Dan Erlewine’s repair videos through Stewart
study in how we humans can become so inspired by music that MacDonald. If I may, I’d like to send a heartfelt “thank you”
we find a way to make it our life’s work. The guitar business to Dan Erlewine and Stew-Mac. I was completely hooked! I
is rich with such stories, and whether you are a believer in performed fret jobs, replaced pickups, did custom paint jobs,
fate or the rewards mined from raw determination, innovators and even started to build my first guitar, and ironically, never
like TV Jones offer real world glimpses into the wonder of finished it. I should have started with a simple design, but for
the human spirit that can inspire us all. You surely know the some reason I had to make a double neck guitar/mandolin and
name, and now it’s time you met the man. It is our pleasure to painted it in a checkerboard pattern...
introduce you to TV Jones. Enjoy…
After that, I decided to learn and
TQR: Tom, can you describe how you first became polish my craft as a luthier, so in
interested in guitars, pickups and pickup winding? the early 1990s I applied at The
How did your initial interest evolve and result in World Of Strings in Long Beach,
the eventual creation of the TV Jones company we California. WOS was a violin/guitar
know today? shop that lasted over 50 years. I was
instructed there by owner Jon Peter-
Early on, I son, a violin maker and upright bass
became seri- specialist, and worked with my great
ously inter- friend Saul Koll (of Koll Guitars).
ested in the Other luthiers to come out of WOS
guitar while are Jim Foote (South Bay Music
first guitar
listening to Works), Chris Hill (CB Hill Guitars),
The Beatles Chris Flemming (Fender Custom Shop), Glenn Mers (Glenn
White Mers Custom Guitars), and many more. After almost three
Album. I was years at WOS I was forced to tend to my growing business at
convinced I home in Whittier, California.
had to learn
how to play the electric guitar. Actually, It was either the bass, TV Jones Guitars was started in November of 1993. I repaired
or the guitar – it didn’t matter, as long as it had strings and it and built guitars for the next 8 years in Whittier. I special-
had to be plugged it into an amp. At 14, I talked my mom into ized in building six and seven string jazz guitars, for which I
taking me to the local pawn shop to buy my first guitar. It was decided to compliment each of those custom instruments with
a lower-end solid body electric with a sunburst finish. My dad, their own custom pickup. Each pickup was built and wound
who has an amazing musical ear, showed me a few riffs on to bring out the best in each individual guitar. Many of my
the low E string, and that was it – I was hooked. Being a huge guitars at this time were similar in design, but being that they
Chuck Berry fan, I moved up to a green Aria Diamond hollow were made with organic materials, they all had a life of their
body. My goal was to try and wire it into a stereo guitar, like own. During this period I learned a lot about guitar pickups. I
Chuck Berry’s Gibson ES-355 and I got right to it. I had it experimented for hours, took notes, had pickups and materials
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 cover story

analyzed, and used my ears, parts (pole screws,

touch, and intuition for my magnets...) were used
creations. In the summer because Gretsch had
of 1998, Brian Setzer was to get guitars out the
interested in a new reis- door any way they
sue Filter’tron pickup for could just to meet
his new Gretsch Hotrod demand. Later in the
guitar. A few famous pickup 1990s, I worked on
makers got in the mix, and Brian’s 1956 Silver
later I found out that Brian Jet (used on his Dirty
Powertron
chose my pickup in a blind Boogie CD). This is a
test. That October I received special guitar, so what better guitar to analyze? I must say that I
a phone call from Fred have been very fortunate to have had these and other incred-
Gretsch and the rest is history! ible guitars at my work bench. After analyzing and producing
a ‘59 Filter’tron and a ‘56 DeArmond, I made bridge versions
TQR: You have long been recognized as the ultimate of these pickups (vintage pickups didn’t originally come in
alternative for classic Filter’Tron and DeArmond neck and bridge positions – just one pickup for both positions).
tones in a wide variety of flavors… Describe the I then came up with our TV Classic Plus, Power’tron and
amount of R&D that was required for you to ulti- Magna’tron. – I thought thinner magnet wire would thicken up
mately create the entire line of TV Jones pickups. the stock Filter’tron a bit, and came out with the TV Clas-
Did you find that vintage sets of Filter’Trons, for sic Plus bridge pickup. Then I designed the Power’tron with
example, varied in terms of their power, brightness taller bobbins, so
and overall character? Did you follow those varia- I could wind as
tions as a guide in designing the Magna’tron,Classic much magnet wire
Plus and Super’Tron pickups, or were these more on the bobbin as a
the product of your own imagination? Gibson humbucker.
A few months after
I was lucky to know Rich that, Billy Gibbons
Modica (Brian Setzer’s gave me a call and
guitar tech). I met him we produced the
while working at the Power’tron Plus
World Of Strings, and (slightly more
he brought in Brian’s wire and a slightly
guitars for various work. thicker tone) with his input. Billy has a really knowledgeable
He also brought in Lee mind and passion for tone. The Magna’tron was thought of
Rocker’s upright basses while I was rewinding a Fender pickup for a client. I wanted to
for Jon Peterson to work create something with less inductance via the use of cylinder
on. Rich supplied me with a perfect 1959 PAT. APPLIED FOR magnets, rather than a bar magnet and 12 pole screws (less
Filetr’tron. I was able to have the screws, magnet, back plate inductance equals less power but with more clarity).
and pickup cover analyzed at a local metallurgical testing
laboratory, and best of all, I played, and worked on most of The Super’tron came about with the help of Paul Yandell.
Brian’s “cream of the crop” 1959 Gretsch 6120s. I remember (Paul played beside Chet Atkins from 1975 to the late 1990s
plugging into his rig at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles for and is widely known as Chet’s “right hand man” and one of
a sound check at stage volume, playing Zeppelin’s Immigrant his closest friends). Paul asked me to produce a Super’tron
Song! The drum tech sat in on drums. The tone was over the with solid steel blades, like the one used by Chet around 1960
top. I could really feel the response of the pickups – the guitar in his famous 1959
growled!! I found the late ‘50s Filter’trons to be the most 6122. Coincidentally,
consistent, as far as build quality and tone. the Filter’tron’s inven-
tor Ray Butts built the
I have played vintage Gretsch guitars from the early to mid- first Super’trons with
1960s and learned how different Gretsch pickups sounded dur- solid steel blades. Solid
ing that period of time. Following the Beatles’ first performance steel blades produce a warm, smooth tone. The later mid ‘60s
on the Ed Sullivan Show, Gretsch guitar production was heavy. Super’trons had laminated blades, and laminated blades help
During that time period, a wide variety of alternate pickup produce more natural treble. I eventually designed a bridge
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 guitars

Super’tron with slightly more power, and solid steel blades USA. To ensure this
with a 12” radius. Most of my recent efforts since then have high-level of consisten-
been used to develop various mounting options, so our pick- cy and to maintain our
ups can fit into most guitars. There are many more to come...! high standards, we have
hundreds of thousands
TQR: To what extent has artist feedback played a role in of screws made at a
the development of your pickups over the years? time, because finding
the proper alloy proper-
There are so many great players we have heard from over the ties isn’t always easy
years – we get feedback all the time. I am constantly tinker- (not just the stock alloys, but the correct alloy properties).
ing, listening and studying. I love it when someone takes the We are using all-American made parts, and it’s frankly more
time to send us a clip with expensive, but much closer to the original parts used 50-60
one of our pickups in their years ago. I am also fortunate to have acquired thousands of
instrument – many times vintage pickup parts from the family of Ray Butts (inventor
“non traditional.” That’s and original patent holder for
when you see someone the Gretsch Filter’tron pickup).
making it their own, which I will do something special with
is really what it’s all about, these parts in the future, and will
right? As far as something include Ray’s family. The parts
formal, we just released our include pickup covers, bobbins,
first-ever signature pickup magnets, pole screws, back
– the TV Jones Brian Setzer Signature Pickup. It has Brian’s plates, slugs, and magnet wire.
name on it and it has been extremely well received. We’ve been in the process of
making sure all are analyzed and
TQR: This is an arcane subject, but what are your documented, and we will put
thoughts on the extent to which the materials used aside some unused parts to be
to make pickups in the ‘50s and ‘60s such as wire, stored for future generations.
wire coatings, magnets and steel are different from
those available today? How have these differences TQR: You now offer a P90, and last year you developed a
affected your design and production processes when Limited Edition 20th Anniversary humbucker. Can
chasing ‘classic’ tones of the past? In other words, you describe how you developed the humbucker
is it a challenge milking ‘vintage’ tone from pick- in terms of the tone you were seeking for the neck
ups made with modern materials? and bridge, and how you got there in regard to con-
struction and materials?
Materials are a huge
factor when building I have played many late-1950s Gib-
high-end pickups. son guitars with PAF humbuckers
I’ve been using the over the past 30-plus years and a few
same USA magnet were very special. I noticed how the
manufacturer since neck pickups in these special guitars
2000 (they were didn’t “fart out” in the bass frequen-
used by Gretsch dur- cies, and how the treble in the bridge
ing the golden era). pickup had a smoother top. My goal
The price of our with the latest humbucker design
Filter’tron bar mag- was to mimic these special guitars.
Amy nets are priced much Over the years I have been able to analyze many pickup parts,
higher than imported bar magnets, but I won’t compromise. yet I was never able to get any detailed analytical information
I have tried different versions of the same magnet material, on these “special” guitars. I had to remember what I felt while
made by different foreign and domestic magnet manufactur- playing them. After figuring out the combination of materi-
ers, and noticed a subtle difference. Too many subtle differ- als to get the results I needed and a few new tricks, if you
ences can add up in a bad way, so I like to use positive subtle will, I was completely satisfied. It took a year to get that one
differences that add up and work in my favor. Our magnets right. Results though, cannot be achieved only by duplicating
add a “bloom” to the note after the attack. Our pole screws, all-original parts all the way down to the plastic bobbins, or
like so many of our components, are custom made in the wooden shims, etc. It’s much deeper than that.
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 guitars

TQR: Some people may not be aware that you have also screws,
created a very useful knowledge base on your web which are
site with excellent guides for things like install- shaped
ing pickups in a semi-hollow guitar, or in different more like a
Gretsch models that require subtle tweaks. What’s cylinder. I
ahead for TV Jones, Tom? What would you most found that
like to accomplish in the future? the string-
to-string
One of my first goals is to organize and clean house – to im- separation
plement a “touch it once theory”. The plans and goals to come was better with the Fillister head poles screws. I did a test
after reorganization are exciting. A cleaner, more simplified where I removed the pole screws for the B string on the stock
web site and shop- factory pickup and by removing the pole screws, I saw that
ping cart with more pole screws from the G and the E string still picked up the
helpful videos, an B string almost at full volume. I did the same test with the
improved and more Fillister heads and I heard a great drop in volume. All USA-
efficient pickup made, and every time I have these parts made they’re all in-
production floor to spected before they go
help keep overhead into the pickups. I have
cost in check, (and every part analyzed…
hopefully make I have metallurgists
it possible not to check everything out. I
raise prices), along with organizing the guitar shop with our may be a little insane…
new Luthiertool CNC machine – maybe a TV Jones Custom We keep the prices
Shop – who knows? I have a full guitar shop that has been in down by ordering larger
hibernation since 2001, so the future is very exciting. Hon- quantities of parts.
estly, I hope and try to share the excitement and my passion Being all made in the USA, it’s hard to keep prices down, but
for anything guitar related, as I have from the very beginning. so far we’ve been able to do that. That main thing is that the
quality doesn’t suffer.

Another issue with the stock factory pickup was that the
TV Jones Tone bridge pickup wasn’t tall enough. That’s crucial with the
Our October 2005 issue of TQR featured an in depth interview
Filter’Tron – you want to get the bobbins close enough to the
and review of the entire range of TV Jones Filter’tron pickups
strings for maximum growl. You also want to have a balanced
mounted in a current production Gretsch Jet Firebird. Recom-
output with the neck pickup. So I went ahead and designed
mended reading for anyone contemplating classic Gretsch
a completely independent bridge pickup. The shape of the
tones. Here is an excerpt of Tom’s interview in which he
bobbin, the way it’s wound, the pole screw alloy, wider pole
describes the specific methods he used to improve the tone of
to pole spacing… it’s a completely different pickup. Many
Filter’Trons…
guitar manufacturers over the years have always had just one
pickup that they put in all positions. … I try and do a lot of
TQR: What were the “shortcomings” in vintage or reissue little things that add up and make a big difference in the end.
production pickups that you set out to eliminate and
how? TQR: You also used a different technique that was vastly
different from how Gretsch was winding them.
The big problem I saw with the current Gretsch Filter’Tron
was that the pickup cover was almost twice as thick, which The pickups made
dampened the fidelity, and the use of ceramic magnets versus in the ‘90s and
Alnico magnets. That was a big problem. The ceramic mag- early 2000 era
nets are too hot and the trebles are kind of bright and brittle were wound with
compared to the Alnico, which are smoother. As a player, I thinner magnet
find I have more musical control with Alnico magnets. I can wire, so it’s going
control dynamics and overall tone, depending on how light I to generally have a
pick or how hard I dig in. Another problem I found with the darker tone with a
reissue Filter’Tron was that the pole screw heads were spheri- little more output.
cal. The original Filter’Tron pickups had Fillister head pole The ceramic mag-
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5
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 guitars

net was used to bring out the treble and give it some sparkle. overwound ‘PAF’ style (supposedly) pickups. Like the neck
They sound pretty cool at low volume, but you really hear the pickup, the bridge produces complex harmonic overtones
difference when you play with a band or at stage volume with and a spatial dynamic effect that is both percussive and airy
the Alnico pickups. The use of ceramic magnets helped keep without sounding tight or too compressed. Again, what you
the cost down in production. hear seems to be
a direct reflection
The bottom line is this – Tom has systematically improved and of Tom Jones’
enhanced the Filter’Tron pickup while developing variations deliberate efforts
that include the Filter’Tron Classic, Classic Plus, Magnatron, in voicing this
Powertron, Powertron Plus and Supertron. And now we can pickup with a very
include a Limited Edition TV Jones humbucker as well… specific target
in mind. In all
respects, it’s clear
that he succeeded.
TV Jones 20th Anniversary Limited These humbuckers possess a vocal character that is as unique
Edition Humbucker as any we have ever heard, and far different than most in a
You would expect gloriously good way. Recommended.
a set of Gibson-
style (Filter’Trons Please note that the 20th Anniversary humbuckers are
are humbucking, shipped without covers. $300 per set. Recommended sources
too) humbucking for true nickel silver covers (no brass!) include RS Guitar-
pickups created by works, Stew-Mac, and Allparts. TQ
TV Jones to sound www.tvjones.com, 360-779-4002
good, but they are
better than that. It
doesn’t take long
to appreciate how EPIPHONE
these pickups have
been voiced, in fact, if you pay attention you really can hear
what Tom Jones was after when he designed them. Starting
ES-335 Pro
with the 6.74K neck pickup, all we can say is whatever guitar Our review of the cherry Epiph-
you put this pickup in is going to sound better, but there is one DOT 335 in the September
more to it than that… Close your eyes and you can hear a big, 2013 “Hangin’ with Elvin” issue
expensive jazz guitar – some kind of semi-hollow body with inspired many of you to throw
depth, clarity and a big voice that is richly animated, complex down $399 and discover just how
and interesting. We are not surprised by the low resistance good the Epiphone 335 really is.
reading, because the best sounding PAFs we have heard in We are still enjoying ours, and yes,
the neck position read the same. Mounted in a ‘58 Gibson His- it remains one of the best 335s we
toric Les Paul, we found this pickup to be captivatingly com- have ever owned on all counts.
plex with excellent treble presence on the plain strings as well. The problem with a $399 335 is
There is simply more to the tone than the typical humbucking that some players will ‘see’ cheap-
neck pickup – something extra that is difficult to describe and ness where none exists simply
hard to let go. because the price paid prevents them from believing such a
guitar really is as good as it appears. To them, it can’t be, and
The 8.13K bridge they will surely find fault in the desire to demonstrate their
is extremely bal- shrewd ability to assess quality. This is the kind of stuff you
anced, bright and can read in forums online, which is why we don’t go to chat
cutting with per- rooms. Well, except this one.
fect midrange and
remarkably strong Among the many different archtop models built by Epiph-
bass response that one, the Limited Edition 335 Pro offers an upgrade to the
remains solid, DOT 335 with the same exceptional playability, finish, 3-ply
but without the maple/birch construction, and the added versatility of Epi
gritty grind of
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

Alnico Classic humbuckers The neck hum-

with coil taps for push/pull bucker is smooth
single coil tones. All the fea- and jazzy with
tures we admire in the DOT decent treble
335 are present in the 8.2 lb. presence on the
Pro, further enhanced with a plain strings and a
bound neck with cream bind- bassy vibe on the
ing, small block fingerboard wound strings that
inlays, Wilkinson Vintage isn’t muddy played
Classic tulip tuners, and our through a clean amp. We would describe the tone of the neck
Pro is finished in a beautiful pickup as being very sophisticated and dressy, smooth and
vintage sunburst finish. Like rich with character like an old pair of diamond cuff links.
the DOT 335, the neck shape Pull the volume knob and the single coil tone becomes very
is described as a ‘1960s slim Fender-like with a tight percussive response to pick attack
taper,’ but we would call it a and an animated, woody voice that is lively and cool. You’ll
D shape that is much more like it, too. In fact, we found nothing not to like about the
substantial than the typical pickups in the 335 Pro. They sound that good. Hard rockin’
slim taper necks found on early ‘60s Gibson 335s. You get the tones played through an overdriven amp are equally pleasing,
same expertly dressed medium jumbo frets, dark rosewood full and rich on the bridge with excellent sustain. The neck
fretboard with 12” radius, and we’ll say this again – the ap- is a rumbler, bluesy and fat, and you can get some very cool
pearance of the sunburst finish is simply outstanding – deep variations by jacking up the treble control on your amp. You
amber in the heart of the burst turning to a hint of ruby red and do use the tone controls on your amps, don’t you? For breezy
then to a dark brownish black. Perfect. No one is going to look rhythm tones both pickups mixed together work well in either
upon your Epiphone Pro and say, “What… you couldn’t afford full humbucking mode or single coil. Basically, you get the
a real one?” tones of two guitars in one, and for anyone tasked with play-
ing a wide variety of styles in a cover band, the Epiphone Pro
could well be the ultimate workingman’s tool. Perhaps that’s
Tones why they chose to call it the Pro… Currently reduced from
Coil taps on humbucking pickups are nothing new, but in our $499 to $399 online. Now bust a move and Quest forth…TQ
experience the results have been mixed. It seems that some
pickups that sound very good as humbucking double coils
don’t work as well in single coil mode, sounding weak, timid 1964 Gibson

GA-19RVT Falcon
and thin. The Alnico Classics are not plagued with these short-
comings – they sound very good in either mode – good enough
that we would hesitate to replace them. Sure, we replaced the
original Alnico Classics and wiring harness in our Epiphone
Dot 335, but they seem to work so well as humbuckers and
Gibson built a
single coils in the Pro that swapping them for another brand of
whole lot of amps
4-wire humbuckers would be a bit of a crap shoot at best. Let’s
throughout the
not fix what isn’t broken. So how do they sound?
‘50s and ‘60s and
the biggest seller
Better than you may expect, but that’s OK, we understand
of them all based
why you might be skeptical with an ‘affordable’ guitar… Well,
on production
prepare to be very pleased if not pleasantly surprised. We love
totals (13,914) was
the sound of humbucking bridge. It is bright enough to cut, but
the GA-19RVT
this pickup also produces excellent midrange balance and some
Falcon, Gibson’s
of the best low end we can recall in a bridge humbucker. Mea-
answer to the De-
suring 8.16K output is strong, but not to the extent that it will
luxe Reverb, followed by the little GA-5 Skylark. Undoubt-
push your favorite amps into premature distortion. It doesn’t
edly created to compete with the Fender Champ, the GA-5
quite produce the clarity of our vintage early ‘60s Gibson
possesses a unique Gibson growl that is darker and more
pickups, but then few other pickups do. In single coil mode the
threatening than a Champ. In fact, nearly all Gibson amps
bridge sounds very Fendery, percussive, plucky and bright, but
were intentionally voiced to sound darker than Fender amps,
not wimpy or weak, although the output in terms of volume is
but in this respect, the Falcon is a definite exception.
lower than full humbucking mode. You’ll like it.

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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

In 1964 Fender’s dominance of the guitar amplifier market bark’ covering that changed to black near the end of produc-
was settled. Growing up in Indianapolis, we can’t recall ever tion. The chassis layout consists of a small tag board filled
noticing Gibson amps at either of the two major music stores with Allen Bradley carbon comp resistors and caps that are
in town, although both were heavily stocked with Gibson flown rather than mounted on the board. In our amp the two
guitars. We were probably just so focused on Fender that we electrolytics had been replaced with Illinois caps, and the rest
failed to notice the Gibson amps, although Ampeg Rever- of the circuit remained untouched. The reverb circuit features
berockets and B15s were also very popular with local bands in an Accutronics reverb tank, but the reverb design is differ-
the late ‘60s. Ted McCarty certainly devoted a lot of resources ent from that used by Fender, tapping the signal before the
to Gibson amps, but volume and tone controls. The reverb can also be mixed for a
they were also rel- 100% wet signal by turning the volume all the way down. The
egated to the base- reverb effect is less splashy and intense than a typical Fender
ment of the building amp, but very good with a vivid 3-D quality that seems
in Kalamazoo, and unique to this amp.
guitars remained
the number one The tremolo is very cool, psychedelic with a heavy throb and
priority that paid a wide range of speeds. The Intensity knob seems to achieve
the rent. To be bru- full tilt well before you reach ‘6’ on the dial, and at faster
tally honest, most of speeds the jitterbug effect almost sounds like a Leslie whirl
Gibson’s amps de- and warble. This amp would be worth keeping in the studio
signed and built in the early to mid ‘60s absolutely suck. They solely for the tremolo effect.
sucked when they were new and they suck today. The engi-
neers at Gibson didn’t seem to understand the growing fascina- Fender players will
tion with distortion that was overtaking popular guitar-oriented need to rethink
music, and while Fender was also striving to achieve more their usual ap-
headroom and power, the way Gibson went about it produced proach to the single
amps that sounded dull, shrill, under-powered and curiously tone control on the
one dimensional. We are referring to the various Crestline and Falcon… Casually
Epiphone models that were ‘improved’ from earlier and far looking at the knob
superior ‘50s circuits. Gibson also introduced bizarre and very you might assume
complicated new models like the Crestline Tuck-a-way with that treble will be-
heads that stored inside the cabinet, the GA-90 with six 8” gin to audibly increase once you reach 12 o’clock - 2 o’clock.
speakers (harp players just kill yourselves…) and the com- In fact, the numbering on the panel reads zero at 12 o’clock,
pletely neutered GA-77 Vanguard RVT. In hindsight it seems 1-5 left on the bass side and 1-5 right on the treble side. On
that the problem with the Gibson amp program is that no one zero or 12 o’clock EQ is not flat as you might expect, but
could decide what they wanted to be, or how they should extremely bright. At first we set the tone control at 12 o’clock
be perceived in the market. McCarty was quoted as saying and the Falcon sounded way too bright with very little low
that they were not interested in the brash “Fender sound” but end or mids. It wasn’t until we turned the tone control way
Gibson guitars invariably sounded best when played through left to 3-5 on the bass side that the true, full tone of the amp
the amps made by their foremost competitor. Seriously, what was revealed. If you are accustomed to setting tone controls
sounds better than a Gibson through a Fender? the ‘normal’ way that won’t work too well with the Gibson.

Based on the production numbers, the GA-19RVT Falcon We also felt that the
was a very successful and popular amp for Gibson – a 15 watt original Jensen C12R
1x12 utilizing three 6EU7s and a 6C4 preamp tube, dual 6V6s wasn’t really capable of
and a 5Y3 recti- adequately reflecting what
fier. Falcons were the amp could do. If you
originally shipped want to use a speaker that
with a Jensen P12R is dimensionally deeper
or CTS ceramic than a C12R (and most
speaker. The cabinet are), you won’t be able
is typical Gibson to slide the chassis past the magnet and back into position
construction – solid with a deeper speaker frame and magnet. The only option
redwood throughout is to remove the chassis and speaker, then remove the six
with brown ‘tree screws holding the baffle board and mount the new speaker
-continued-

8
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

to the baffle while it is out of the cabinet. Then reinstall the amplifiers while
chassis first and screw the baffleboard back on with your new creating his
speaker mounted. We tried a Warehouse 15W Black & Blue own versions
Alnico and a ‘60s Jensen C12Q before pulling out a Celestion of classic Mar-
G12H30 70th Anniversary Hellatone, which turned out to be shall amps. His
the best by far. The big magnet and motor on the Hellatone new Master 50
immediately enhanced the perceived power and fidelity of the model is based on a JCM800 with some key enhancements,
Falcon. If you acquire one of these amps consider a speaker and our review follows Chuck’s interesting comments on the
upgrade to be essential, and don’t be concerned about pulling amps he knows best. Enjoy…
the baffleboard. Gibson used some short, nifty screws and
combined washers that make safely removing and reinstalling TQR: Just about all of us are at least familiar with music
the baffleboard very easy. recorded with the classic Marshall amps from
the JTM 45, Plexi and the metal panel eras, but
Despite what we we’re betting that most players today have never
had read online actually torched a vintage JTM 45, Plexi or those
about the sweet that followed from ‘69-’72 before Marshall went
‘overdriven’ tone to PCBs... Chuck, can you please provide a brief
of the Falcon, overview of the most significant differences in
our amp doesn’t design and sound between the original Plexi amps
produce much over- and the 50W and 100W heads that followed?
driven tone even
fully dimed on 10. The first JTM45s were made to emulate the original tweed
Maybe a hint of woolliness in the mids, but more or less clean, Bassman, but they didn’t have access to or use the same parts
yet the clean tones are very complex and musical – exception- as Fender. They used Radiospares transformers, and they
ally so. The clean nature of the Gibson also makes it… you started off with tube rectifiers and power transformers that
guessed it – the ultimate pedal amp. We alternately ran the put less than 390V on the plates, which is quite a bit less than
Falcon with our Bob Burt clean boost (Z Vex SHO knockoff), the amps they built later. The JTM 45 is actually only about
the Xotic Effects RC Booster and Xotic EP Booster with tre- 32 watts.
mendous results. If there is a better sounding amp paired with
overdrive effects we have yet to hear it. With a good pedal TQR: I have played through one early JTM45 and it was
the Falcon acquires a lush character with a rippin’ attitude quite a bit cleaner than what most people would
that defines the quintessential sound of rock & roll guitar, yet associate with the Marshall sound.
one that is not so easily pegged as being in the Fender or the
Marshall camp. There is some Vox lurking in the Falcon – not Back then
the chimey jangle, but an upper mid tone that lives right in the the cathodes
heart of an electric guitar. When you hear it, you’ll quickly on both
understand why this quirky, under-rated and downright cheap channels
Gibson relic is absolutely one of the last affordable vintage shared the
amps truly worth pursuing. Add the freaky tremolo, the same bypass
exceptional reverb, and you’ve got a Kalamazoo classic that cap and
will deliver you to places your other amps cannot go. We paid the same
$400 for our Falcon, footswitch included, and there are plenty resistor.
of them to be found. Quest forth…TQ That made
it sound cleaner, and they were using the same values as the
components in the Bassman. The very first Plexis were pretty
much the same story – the first ones were tube rectified with

Retro King Master 50 shared cathodes on the first stage. The first 50 watt still had
a tube rectifier, but they split the cathodes, which changed
how fast the amp distorted and the level of headroom. Then
they changed the slope resistors, which changed the upper
You may recall our December 2010 interview with Retro King
midrange and high end response. Next they went to solid state
amps founder Chuck Dean and our review of the Retro King
rectifiers and beefed up all the filter caps which made the
18 watt. Chuck has spent much of his career as a builder and
amps sound tighter in the late ‘60s. The metal panel amps had
tech working on, restoring and optimizing vintage Marshall
some values changed to increase the high end by using low
-continued-

9
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

value coupling caps that gave it more gain and more high end. On a lot of the Marshall amps
they had a .68 cap on the second
TQR: And they kept making changes throughout the stage. The 50W amps had it, but
‘70s… sometimes they would leave it
out. It adds a little more gain and
Yeah, and a lot of people upper midrange with that second
will pay extra money for the stage cathode cap in play, so if
handwired amps but they all you are playing a 335 or a hum-
have the potential to be really bucker that is a little darker it is a
good – even the early ‘70s amps nice thing to have.
with printed circuit boards.
I’ve owned them all and I have TQR: What types of power tubes can be used in the
worked on them all, and maybe Master 50 and how will different tubes affect the
one in ten would be a really sound?
good one. They had poor wiring
skills, inductance and noise, poor The best tubes to use are EL-34s because the primary imped-
grounding schemes… It seems ance of the output transformer is 3.4K, and that’s optimum
as if it depended on who did the for that tube. You can use 6L6s or 6550s but they like to see a
work. It wasn’t just a matter of tone, but noise and inductance. higher primary impedence, so you would need to change the
output transformer.
TQR: So either they didn’t know any better, or they knew
and just didn’t care… TQR: How would you compare the tone, power and
dynamic character of the Master 50 with your
Probably a little of both. They would put an amp together RK45 and Plexi 50?
a certain way, and the windings on the transformers weren’t
all that consistent, so it was a crapshoot, and every once in It has more gain. You can get a nice overdriven sound at a
a while you would get an amp that sounded really good. It reasonable volume level, but it will also take pedals well. I
seemed like an accident, though. was getting requests for an amp from guys that play heavier
rock, so this is my answer to that, but I wouldn’t call it a
TQR: In addition to the Plexi 18, RK45 and Plexi 50, you metal amp by any means.
are now building the Master 50 that we received for
review. In terms of features and tone, where does TQR: This is a physically big head – is it also available
this new amp fit within your other Retro King mod- as a combo?
els and does it have anything in common with amps
built by Marshall in the past? I am eventually
going to make a
I modeled it combo and also a
after the first 100 watt head. The
JCM800, so it head you have was
has the single made for a 4x12
channel with a cab, but I can make
low and high it smaller for a 50
input. It has watt combo with
all the gain of the JCM800 but with the fat tone of the earlier one or two 12s. It sounds great with a Strat or a Les Paul and
Marshalls, and a lot less noise. I consider the Master 50 to be I try to voice my amps so they work well and sound great
my ultimate rock amp, but smoother with more harmonic con- with all kinds of guitars and pickups.
tent. It’s not woofy and it takes pedals much better. It also has
an effects loop. Basically, I used all the things I have learned TQR: What’s ahead, Chuck? What do you have planned
and refined from people bringing me original JCM800s to for the future?
make them sound better.
The new bass amp that is coming out is all done. I’m having
TQR: Describe the function of the mini toggle switch on a special transformer built for it by Mercury Magnetics,
the Master 50. and I had to have an output transformer that mounted tall to
the keep the size of the amp down and not weigh a ton, yet
-continued-

10
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

handle low frequencies really well. It’s rated at 60 watts but faster levels of smooth
it’s way cleaner and louder than 60 watts using 6550s. I’m distortion in the style
getting every bit of headroom and bass response available out of a JCM800. We ran
of it, and it’s switchable from 2, 4, and 8 ohms for different the Master 50 through
cabinet configurations. I named it after a friend of mine that our straight front 4x12
just passed away and it’s called the Cassell Super Bass. cabinet loaded with
British Greenbacks ac-
quired years ago from
Midtown Music, and our birch-ply cabinet has been enhanced

Retro King Master 50

with genuine reproduction Bluesbreaker pinstripe grill cloth
made by Eric Collins. It isn’t cheap, but the original formula
does make a significant difference in tone. The fabric acts as
a baffle that creates a unique tone while attenuating volume.
Nothing See www.bluesbreaker-pinstripe.com/. The Master 50 sounds
sounds huge through the 4x12, but the volume and master volume
quite levels can be mixed for slightly cleaner tones with the master
like a up and volume set lower, or opposite settings will deliver
Marshall, more intense distor-
and the tion and overdriven
Master tones. This amp
50 clearly delivers a carefully crafted classic Marshall vibe also sounds very
and voice in a modern package that is road ready. Prices for good at lower
‘70s Marshall 50 watt amps have come down a little, not that volume levels, with none of the thin preamp distortion fizz
sellers aren’t still trying to get two grand or more for them, but you may have heard in some master volume amps. The pres-
by and large it ain’t happening. We have seen a few 4-input ence, bass, midrange and treble controls shape tone very well
‘70s Marshall 50 watt heads sell for as little as $1,200 recently, when switching from different guitars, and our Telecaster
but it is rare to find one that hasn’t been modded… There are and Strat sounded great through the Master 50 with some
a lot of ‘70s Marshall heads and ‘80s JCM800s in circulation, EQ and volume adjustments. Chuck was also correct when
but as Chuck Dean correctly observed, buying a used Marshall he commented that this amp sounds good with overdrive
presents a big crapshoot – even new these amps varied wildly pedals, especially with the Master 50 controls set cleaner –
in tone and by now you can expect to spend some money with Master volume higher than Volume, right? We also used the
your amp tech to get an old Marshall sounding right. Some- Wampler Faux Tape Echo and our Fender reissue reverb unit
times they never do. with outstanding results, and the effects loop really makes
all the difference. For those about to rock, the Master 50 is
The Master 50 a truly great amplifier – big enough to sound like only a big
offers a con- amp can, yet user friendly and fully capable of sounding like
venient detour a big Marshall at far less than full tilt boogie. Recommended,
from the road to $2,200 as reviewed. TQ
restoration and www.retrokingamps.com, 315-673-3435
it delivers au-
thentic Marshall
tones at variable
volume levels
with a very useful effects loop. Build quality as pictured far
surpasses the typical Marshall circuit circa 1980, meticulously
The Return of Park Amplifiers
handwired with premium trannies, a tone stack that actually
works, and an effective master volume that gives up the goods Mitch Colby’s long
without blowing down the house. What a great idea… The association with
toggle switch for the .68 cap is also a very cool and useful Unicord and Korg
feature that can add brightness, definition and a slight volume USA, the exclusive
boost to darker pickups. distributors of
Marshall and Vox
This isn’t one of those Marshall ‘clones’ that pretends to be amplification in the
a vintage JTM45 or Plexi… You can expect more gain and Ken Bran & Mitch Colby USA culminated
-continued-

11
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

in the creation of Colby Amplification in 2012. In addition to

1970 Park 75
having worked for decades with Marshall and Vox, Mitch is a
lifelong guitar player, an avid collector of vintage amplifiers,
and he was a key member of the team that developed both the
Vox and Marshall handwired series. We previously reviewed
Mitch’s Jim Weider Signature Tone Booster in the November When
2013 issue of TQR, and we recently received a new Colby we first
Park Top Mount 45 Limited Edition head for review. What’s a acquired
Park, you ask? We asked Jim Marshall the same question in our 1970
our September 2002 interview… Park
75 from
TQR: Park amplifiers are coveted by certain players who Midtown
feel that they have a very unique sound. How do Music we
they differ from Marshall amps of the same time knew very little about it, other than it sounded exceptionally
period? fine. We had recently reviewed a Roccaforte amp and know-
ing that Doug was a big fan of Park amps, we asked him to
Park amps were explain in our September 2002 issue of TQR:
made mainly for
John Jones of TQR: How similar are the circuits in the Park amps to
Jones and Cross- the Marshalls that were built during the same time
land, Birmingham period?
(a very influential
English There were some changes, but the earlier Parks, and even the
dealer in the ‘70s) ‘75’ you sent me are basically the same circuits as the Plexi
at a time when amps. The circuit layout is a bit different, and the location of
my business was the tube sockets are a bit closer than the Marshalls. I’ve seen
being severely limited by a 15-year contract I’d signed with a few Park amps with different circuit values – nothing super
a distribution company called Rose Morris to sell Marshall significant – but we saw this in the ‘60s Marshall amps, too.
exclusively. The Park models were very similar in sound to
Marshall, and the differences were mainly cosmetic. We did, TQR: The Park 75 is basically a Plexi?
however, offer some unusual configurations so Rose Morris
couldn’t complain. For example, the first Parks we made were Yes, if you put this amp next to a Plexi from 1968-70, it’s the
75 watts instead of our usual 50 watts or 100 watts. identical circuit. You can tell by the increased feedback loop.
It’s a Plexi with a little hotter transformer.
TQR: How did the Park name come about?
TQR: Uh, oh… now you’ve done it.
Ken Bran and
I were out for Well, there are plenty of people running around looking for
dinner one them now, anyway. They sell a lot of these amps out of Eng-
evening with land, but you need to be very careful…
John and his
wife, Margaret, TQR: Was the Park line extensive?
and I’d been
trying to think of a suitable name for the amp I was going to Oh, yeah… they made
make for him. I told John that I can’t call it a Jones amp and PA amps, 8x10 cabi-
I also can’t call it Bran, because people would say, “I’ve got nets, 4x12 cabinets,
a Kellogg’s amp or something!” Then, I just happened to say combos – the Park
to Margaret, “What was your maiden name?” She said “Park” line was huge, which
and I said, “That’s it! That’s a word used everywhere in the was pretty typical for
world for something or the other, just like Marshall is.” Marshall. One of the
things I really like
TQR: Common but classy… about the Parks are the
cosmetics, especially the grill cloth they used on the speaker
Exactly! cabinets. It’s typical British stuff, and hats off to the British
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12
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

amp builders, because they had the coolest coverings and stock, and
cloth – the Elpicos and Fenton Weil amps, for example. Park I’ll change
also made an 8x10 ‘V’ front cabinet, 15” cabs, 18” cabs… the feed-
back loop
TQR: We’ve never seen any of those. over to the
more mod-
It’s like the ern value,
WEM stuff… which will
most of it is open up
all overseas, the power amp gain and gives it more balls. I think Mar-
but some shall decreased the feedback loop in the early ‘70s for that
of it has reason. I haven’t spoken to anyone who was at Marshall at
made it over the time, but I suspect they listened to the amp and decided
here. A friend that it sounded better this way, and in my opinion, it does.
of mine who Even when I have a Plexi in here and the owner doesn’t want
is a guitar anything changed from stock, I’ll do it anyway. They’re al-
tech for a ways blown away by the sound of the amp before and after. It
superstar guitarist buys many of these rare English amplifiers, loosens up the power amp and you get a much fuller sound. If
and I have repaired about 100 of them for him. The Jennings you go too far, the tone will become muddy and flappy. That
AC40s I serviced for him were the end-all of AC30s. They was the point of the feedback loop in the first place – to keep
are another example of this fine grill cloth and a look that is the speakers from flapping in the wind. The feedback circuit
so cool. There’s an entire other side of the British amp history can totally change what any power amp does.
that most people in the U.S. have never seen before. How
would you ever know? The Watkins amps like the Joker, or TQR: When we turned on the Park, it had that sound.
Clubman – you play one and think, “My God, where the hell
has this been hiding?” If you could have heard it brand new, off the floor, it would
have sounded much brighter and sharper because the caps
TQR: Back to the Parks… What types of tubes were were brand new. When you restore these vintage amps, some-
originally shipped in them? times you have to compensate for new parts. Otherwise, you
might wind up with a really sharp tone that no one will like.
The early amps were shipped with KT66s, and later, KT88s It happens with a lot of these Fender guys who take their
or EL34s. amps to a tech who doesn’t compensate for new parts that are
brighter and more efficient. Then the amp comes back sound-
TQR: And you could use KT88s now, correct? We’ve ing worse than before.
heard that the Chinese KT88’s are pretty good.

LIMITED EDITION

Park Top Mount 45

Actually, the Chinese tubes have come a long way, but all of
the new KT88s have big problems. We could write another
issue on this. Some of them make a decent 6550 replacement,
but they act really funny when operated at the voltages that
you normally run with real KT88s. The closest I’ve found Thanks to Mitch Colby we received one of his new Park heads
are the EH 6550s that they call KT88s. That tube is very for review, and we asked him to comment on the development
close, but it has bias drift problems at 650 volts to 800 volts. of his new line of custom-built Park amps…
They just give it up. I’m not a KT88 fan for guitar anyway.
EL34’s are my favorite tube, period. 6L6s for mellow, round, TQR: In addition to your deep experience with Unicord
and compressed tone are great, and 6V6s are OK, but you and Korg, you have an extensive amp collection.
get into 6550s and KT88s for guitar and it’s not a very What kinds of Park amps did you have access to,
friendly overdriven tone. and aside from the obvious cosmetic differences,
how were the original Park amps different from
TQR: Describe what you’ll do with our Park 75. Marshalls from the same time period?

Replace all the coupling and filter capacitors, play it, and go Over the years, my collection has seen many Marshalls but
from there. I’ll probably tune it to be a pedal amp so that it relatively few Parks. The vintage Parks from the 1960s and
won’t be as trebly and sharp on the top end as it would be 1970s that are now collectible were mostly sold in the UK
-continued-

13
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

and didn’t into the effect of different components on amp tone I have
make it to come to the conclusion that component selection, transformer
the US until design and tube selection are key to getting an amp to sound
Marshall col- the way you want.
lecting became
popular and When mak-
people realized ing new
that Parks were versions of
very similar the vintage
and identical Park amps I
Mitch & Eddie Kramer
in some cases. had to do it
I have had five including a Park 50 with tube rectifier, early right or not
Park 75 with black panels (used to belong to George Lynch), at all. That
later Park 75 with silver panels (that George borrowed for meant doing
recording), Park 100 (early one with 3” power transformer) the detailed
and a Park 50 combo. I also had access to a number of other work of finding out what combinations of capacitors, resis-
Parks which were in friend’s collections. There is a relatively tors, transformers and tubes would produce the sound I was
famous red Park 45 head you will see on the cover of most of after. As it turns out, there are some new parts that when
the Groove Tubes books. That is an amazing sounding amp properly combined sound great. And not necessarily the
that is now in a friend’s collection. ones that are more expensive. As far as the NOS parts for the
limited edition amps, I have been buying them from sources
Early Parks were basically the same as early Marshalls. That I have found all over the world. I had some from years of
goes for the 45s with KT66s and the early tube rectified 50s collecting but not the quantities I needed to build 25 of the
with EL34s. In order to differentiate Park from Marshall limited edition versions. I will build 20 LTD heads and 5
they later switched to KT88 output tubes and called the amps LTD combos. The costs of these parts are much higher but
75s and 150s when the output power was really 50 and 100. the sound is worth it. One of the reasons the old amps sound
The sound was different because of the beefier KT88 tubes. so good is the use of these specific components. There is an
The circuits in these amps remained true to the early designs almost magical quality to the right combination of parts. I am
whereas the equivalent Marshalls became brighter and more also using Merren transformers in the LTD amps which in my
aggressive. opinion are the best sounding Marshall style transformers.

The Park 50 combo (which is now in someone else’s collec-

Review
tion) was one of the best sounding Bluesbreaker style 2x12
While
combos I ever heard. The size is smaller and there are some
Park
circuit differences. I plan on doing a spot-on reissue.
ampli-
fiers may
TQR: You are using NOS and vintage components in the
have been
limited edition amps... How do you source things
originally
like that these days in quantities large enough to
conceived
build even limited editions, and how important are
as a hedge
these components to the tone of the amp?
to expand
sales be-
Every-
yond the limitations of Marshall’s agreement with Rose Mor-
thing
ris, they have become extremely collectible and highly prized
mat-
by fans of Marshall amps. They are also comparatively rare,
ters.
and Mitch Colby has carefully recreated select Park models in
I first
the image of the originals.
learned
that
Our 1970 Park 75 50 watt head was a truly great amp in
almost 45 years ago when fixing my blonde Tremolux when
the style of a typical handwired Marshall 50 watt. Like the
changing only one component made a difference to the sound.
‘69 50 watt Marshall head we also owned, the Park actually
When helping develop reissue Marshalls it became apparent
possessed great clean tones and headroom, as well as an ex-
that it isn’t simple to get new amps to sound like the vintage
quisite overdriven sound above 6 on the volume control. We
treasures we love. Over the last three years of deep diving
-continued-

14
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

loved us- vintage

ing both amp.
amps Colby’s
with an Park head
outboard sounds as
Fender if it were a
reverb virgin time
unit for capsule
blues, or pushed into distortion at higher volume levels for from Mar-
heavier rock. Both amps also sounded very good set cleaner shall history. Highly recommended for the ultimate Marshall
with overdrive and distortion pedals, and the tone was un- tone. $3500.00 and worth it.
mistakably classic Marshall – middy, rippin’ and roarin,’ or
cleaner with smooth and subtle sustain. The same top mount 45 amp is also available as a compact
2x12 combo weighing 50 .lbs, with dimensions of (H) 19.75”,
The new Park Top Mount 45 Limited Edition is a meticulous- (W) 28”, (D) 10.5”. Additional models include the tube recti-
ly designed and built 35 watt head utilizing Piher and Allen fied dual EL34 Park 50 head, and the Park 45 standard head.
Bradley resistors, Lemco and Mustard capacitors on a brown The unique Park 4x12 cabinet is angled slightly upwards from
paxolin circuit board with split turrets, and custom Merren the bottom of the cab to the top producing the depth of tone
clone power and output transformers. Colby is also optionally associated with a straight 4x12 and the projection and clarity
using Eric Collins’ authentic reproduction pinstripe grille cloth on stage of a traditional 4x12. Both cabinets are available
noted in our review of the Retro King Master 50 with our with black covering and standard blue/black basket weave
pinstripe 4x12 cabinet. We used the same rig for evaluating grill cloth. EC Collins reissue Park pinstripe grill cloth is
the Park 45, and to put it plainly, the Park vividly recreates the available at an extra charge. See Park web site for more
sound of our old ‘69 Marshall and 1970 Park amps. information and pricing.TQ
www.parkamplifiers.com/
The Park uti-
lizes a GZ34
rectifier and
dual KT66
output tubes,
and the tone
is very old-
RecPro Audio 5E3 Deluxe
school vintage
If the Stratocaster
and rich. The 2-channel/4-input design allows you to select
is the most copied
the brighter Channel 1 or warmer Channel 2, and as in the
electric guitar in
past we really liked the tone we created using both channels
history, the Fender
jumped and mixed with a Hosa Y cable. Mixing the two chan-
5E3 tweed Deluxe
nels plugged into the #1 inputs produces a huge tone and drive
may be the most
that can be blended with the volume controls for a brighter or
copied guitar
heavier sound. The Park stays more or less clean up to about 6
amplifier of our
on the volume control, and steadily builds sustain and classic
time. Easy on the
British distortion from 6-10. You have the ability to explore all
ears and the back,
the tones of a vintage Marshall 45, from clean (cleanest with
the Deluxe has been
single coil pickups) to beautifully overdriven with a heavy
used on countless
musical grind on 10, pedals not required. In terms of fidelity,
recordings and in 2014 it continues to meet the needs of many
dynamic feel, harmonic complexity and variable sustain, the
players in terms of its size, volume and outstanding overdriv-
Park exhibits all the qualities of a truly exceptional vintage
en tones. Yes, it may be limited to one or two seminal sounds
Marshall, enhanced by a better tone stack and a very useful
(kinda clean and dirty) but it works. A straight up little amp
Brightness control. Best of all, this amp delivers absolutely
that cooks. It is also simple and easy to build, making it a
authentic vintage tone with none of the headaches that come
favorite of custom amp builders…
with finding, tweaking and restoring a vintage Marshall, most
of which have been modified. We can’t say why, but it seems
When builder Ron Damiani contacted us about a review of his
that more old Marshalls have been hacked with master volume
RecPro Audio tweed Deluxe we said, “Sure, why not?” Who
circuits and drastic component replacements than any other
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15
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps
doesn’t like a tweed Deluxe? We have reviewed a few replicas Vintage-Series is
from Fender, Victoria and Clark as well as a vintage ‘59 and an exact duplicate,
the muscled up Lazy J built in London by our pal Jesse. So down to the ground
we were happy to see the RecPro Deluxe arrive from Sanibel, straps on the sock-
Florida, although if you have been to beautiful Sanibel, it is ets. The Studio-Se-
hard to imagine getting much work done there… ries is very similar
but voiced for top
To our surprise performance. The
Ron’s amp turned P2P is a Studio-
out to be a surprise, Series that is wired
beginning with the true point-to-point, much like the old Valcos where very little
nekkid pine cabinet wire is used. I sometimes install vintage output transformers
painted black with in the P2P as well, making it even more retro-authentic. The
hot rod detail- P2P represents the best I offer.
ing. The surprises
continued when we TQR: Are you using NOS caps as well?
noted a full set of
NOS RCA tubes, With the P2P series I employ new old stock capacitors ex-
and a chassis layout that was definitely a departure from clusively (save for the big electrolytics), otherwise a mix of
standard Fullerton practice as drawn in the original 5E3 NOS and new production caps from today’s top vendors are
layout. We contacted Ron with a few introductory questions utilized. As a rule I always use NOS resistors, octal and noval
about his background and the 5E3, and our review follows his sockets, and other NOS components when I can source them.
comments:
TQR: Are there any other significant differences in the
TQR: Please briefly describe your background and how circuit versus a traditional 5E3?
you became involved in building amplifiers.
No, absolutely not. I stay
A guitarist as close to the original 5E3
for more schematic as possible, seeking
years than I only to bring out the best of
care to admit, the circuit through tuning.
I built my My objective is to provide an
first Tweed amplifier that delivers true
Deluxe back vintage Tweed Deluxe perfor-
in 2001; mance out of the gate.
however,
unhappy with the response and tone of the stock assembly I TQR: We noted that you shipped our review amp with
continued to break down and rebuild the amp using different NOS RCA tubes and you offer them as an option.
components and various modifications over several years, Is this ‘subject to availability’ or do you have an
until finally arriving at the sound I originally anticipated from adequate supply to meet demand? They do sound
the circuit in the first place – that of the classic recordings better...
from (among others) Larry Carlton with Steely Dan, Neil
Young and Don Felder. After having decoded the “DNA” for I keep enough
vintage tonal success, in the spring of 2010 I decided to offer NOS tubes on
my 5E3 re-creations to others likewise in search of authentic hand to sat-
performance and opened the Speed Shop. isfy demand.
For chassis and
TQR: We notice that the layout for the 5E3 amp we have combo customers
here looks entirely different than the typical tweed I assemble each
Deluxe with a lot of components ‘flown’ rather than tube complement,
soldered to a traditional Fender-style board. Please matching them
elaborate… for a performance
bogey while audi-
I offer three variants of Fender’s original 5E3 circuit. The tioning the amp.

-continued-

16
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 amps

TQR: We like the theme of the painted and uncovered horrible when we got it, but when we took it to Jeff Bakos we
pine cabinet. Do you also offer various covering found that quite a few of the caps were way out of spec and
options like traditional tweed and tolex? Are there the electrolytics were dimpled and shot. We’ll be develop-
any other options we should note? ing an article about the ‘60 Deluxe when we get the cabinet
back, but the point we want to make here is that for the amp to
Tweed is cool, and that’s mostly what my clients want, but sound as good as it possibly could, we chose to replace three
personally I prefer something more unusual. Bare wood with electrolytic caps and four additional caps rather than leaving
a flat Rat-Rod type finish is my favorite as this platform opens the amp in original condition (although we did save all the
up the possibility of further expression by way of adding original caps). Sometimes, you can’t keep these things stock
pinstripes, graphics or other treatments. This “de-tweeding” and expect them to sound good.
might be effecting resonance in a positive way as well. I’ve
also built a few “Kustom” Deluxes with wood cabinets shot On the other
by auto body shops in real-deal, multi-stage, Hot-Rod finishes hand, Ron
such as Candy Apple Green and Tangelo Metalflake. Folk Art Damiani
is another form I’d like to do more with in the future. 2x12 is building
cabinets are another option I like to use to mix things up a bit. new amps
with new old
TQR: We also like the tone of the Greenback – is that stock parts
your favorite speaker in this amp and if so, why? as an option,
including
In my the amp we
opinion, the received for review. Obviously, we can’t A/B his amp with
Celestion NOS and more common contemporary components, but we
G12M Heri- can tell you that the RecPro 5E3 P2P Deluxe sounds extraor-
tage (English) dinarily good as replica Deluxe amps go… Compared to our
speaker is a ‘60 Deluxe plugged into an heirloom pine 1x12 cabinet loaded
great match with an Eminence Alnico Red Fang 12, the Rec Pro isn’t quite
for the Nar- as loud and rowdy, but the Red Fang is a loud Alnico speaker.
row Panel Our old Deluxe possesses a little more clarity, and the original
Deluxe. It compresses beautifully and does the “Little Wing” output transformer makes the amp sing with an old and
thing with a Strat, yet with humbuckers will just kill “Cross- complex tone that really can’t be duplicated. Still, the RecPro
roads.” It covers both sides of the spectrum and the ground Deluxe has a smooth voice that is both warm and bright in
in-between equally well; Royal Scam, Eagles, Neil Young, ZZ a pleasing way, clean ‘til about 5 on the volume control, but
Top, early Frampton, etc., it’s all there; and with a little sag and tweed Deluxe ‘clean,’ which isn’t the same as ‘blackface’
a neck humbucker you’re in Savoy Brown territory. Regarding clean. The Normal channel is warmer and more subdued than
my favorite, it’s a toss-up between the Celestion and the vintage the Bright channel. Once again the Celestion Heritage Green-
Jensen P12Q (with original cone). The Jensens can vary a bit back seems to be so
in response, but they’re always very good with the best of them perfectly matched
being just fantastic. with a moderately
powered amp like
the Deluxe – not
Review too dark or bright
As a point of reference, we happen to have a 1960 5E3 Deluxe
– just right. You’ll
chassis perched atop our Super Beater Reverb as we wait for
also get a kick
Gregg Hopkins to finish his recover of a recover of the origi-
out of the keyed
nal cabinet. When we bought the Fender back in September it
ignition switch on
remained in
the RecPro Deluxe, the standby switch labeled Ground, the
100% origi-
big vintage knobs, and in our case, the hot rodded cabinet,
nal condition
although that particular theme is optional. We do kinda like
with the
the idea of paint with no covering on the pine cab, but whether
exception of
it makes a significant sonic difference we can’t say.
the cabinet
recover. It
Overall the RedPro Deluxe is a very solid reproduction 5E3
didn’t sound
with great tone, and a look that won’t be confused with
-continued-

17
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 effects

anything else on the planet. Very cool and recommended. TQR: How did the idea of creating an Eric Johnson signa-
5E3-P2P with NOS tubes, Celestion G12M Heritage and Rat ture Fuzz Face first come about?
Rod cabinet as reviewed $2520. With standard tweed cabinet,
$2020. TQ When I started at Dunlop in 2006, Jimmy was just finishing
www.recproaudio.com up with the EJ Jazz 3 and said I should try and make Eric a
Fuzz Face. Soon after, Eric was in Los Angeles for a show
and I went down with a camera and a number of measuring
DUNLOP tools and took apart his #1 red Fuzz Face.

Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz Face TQR: Can you describe the initial R&D process? We
would imagine that at some point you had access
We can vaguely to a number of EJ’s favorite Arbiter Fuzz Faces to
remember when the evaluate?
Maestro Fuzz and
the Arbiter Fuzz The first thing I
Face were the only did was to fully
high octane options measure every
available to teen aspect of two of
bands, and since Eric’s favorite
“Satisfaction” and Fuzz Faces…
later, “Inagoda- Both were 1969
davida” were set – one was red
list essentials, we (his main one);
owned both. The deal with “Inagodadavida” was that you the other was
could stretch it out with a long drum solo fortified with a black. I also took
psychedelic strobe light on the drummer, and the only way you a look at a blue
could carry the repetitive riff on guitar was with a Fuzz Face. Fuzz Face Eric
Hendrix must have sold a ton of Fuzz Faces, as well as fully would sometimes
Eric with Jeorge
elevating them to classic status among early guitar effects. use. After that, I
Hindsight tells us that the Arbiter fuzzes were ridiculously started building prototypes and sending them to Eric. Over the
simple, unruly and crude devices plagued by noise and wild course of six years I handbuilt close to 50 prototypes.
variations in sound from one unit to the next. And in 1967 no
one noticed or cared… TQR: There aren’t a lot of components in a classic Fuzz
Face, yet the old ones seemed to vary quite a bit
During the past in sound... What did you find interesting about the
40 years the fuzz old fuzzes in terms of the components used, their
has been copied design, and the extent to which they varied?
and recreated by
dozens of compa- Since there are so few parts, every part in the Fuzz Face
nies, yet perhaps makes a sonic difference. The original Fuzz Face used 10% to
the most famously 20% tolerance parts which is part of the reason they all sound
afflicted tonef- different, plus the older types of parts used would drift in
reak of our time, actual value over time. So some would drift into a good sound
Eric Johnson, has over time and some the opposite. The other interesting thing
steadfastly held is that the originals would vary in the actual parts used – some
on to a handful of have carbon resistors, carbon film, Erie large carbon film, and
his favorite vin- some have a combination. Capacitors vary too… tropical fish
tage Fuzz Faces, no doubt culled from many inferior pretend- seem to be the type people focus on, but there were a handful
ers over the years. Curious, we contacted the folks at Dunlop of others used as well. There were only five models of transis-
with a request to review the Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz tors ever used in original vintage Fuzz Faces – NKT275,
Face. Dunlop Director of Product Development, Electronics, BC183, BC108, BC130 and BC209. Another thing to remem-
Jeorge Tripps sent us an EJ fuzz for review, and we asked him ber, is they didn’t test or match the transistors in the old days.
to explain how the development process unfolded. Our review They just soldered them in. So it really was a crap shoot to get
follows Jeorge’s interview… a really good sounding unit back in the day.
-continued-

18
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 effects

TQR: How did you approach the challenge of creating a transformed into such a massive sound with a handful of com-
signature fuzz for Eric using modern components? ponents. It also isn’t difficult to appreciate the results Jeorge
Was it simply a combination of finding the right Tripps and Eric Johnson achieved from building nearly 50
parts and tweaking the values? Please explain. prototypes. We don’t get to hear the near misses, but hearing
the final product leaves vivid clues as to what they wished to
Exactly! The achieve – a
EJF1 was based low noise
on Eric’s favorite threshold,
two 1969 first smooth drive
issue silicon Fuzz and sustain,
Faces, then I just and tones from
dialed in all the all 6 strings
values until it was that are pleas-
where Eric liked ing and clear,
it. We used the void of disso-
same vintage style nant, clashing
layout and wiring overtones,
as a JHF1 and a vintage Fuzz Face. We also use high toler- muddiness or sharp, jagged edges. Mission accomplished. We
ance parts to keep each new unit as close to spec as possible. really can’t imagine a better sounding fuzz that offers a fairly
wide range of volume and intensity levels and quiet opera-
TQR: Do you have any final thoughts on what makes a tion. We have experienced two vintage Fuzz Faces in the past
great fuzz like the EJ Signature sound so musically ten years used by the late Michael Burks, and another used
pleasing? by Stevie Ray Vaughan and modded by Cesar Diaz, and they
shared a raw and throaty intensity that was rougher and in
There isn’t one part that is more important than another in this our opinion, less agreeable for the long haul than the EJ fuzz,
circuit – they all interact. I find that every time I make a new which sounds more even and balanced. Since the Dunlop
version of the Fuzz Face it’s an adventure. Fuzz Faces are has been created in the image of the original circuit design
the coolest! They’re fat and woolly and interactive, each with using hand-selected BC183 silicon transistors, despite the
their own charms. fact that it is true bypass we suggest you place it first in your
signal chain
when using a
pedalboard,
Fuzz Tone as you would
Jeorge got it right – fuzzes are fat and woolly, and the Dunlop
with a vintage
Eric Johnson Signature Fuzz Face oozes thick, musical and
wah. True to
muscular fuzz and sustain equally well with single coil and
form, power
humbucking pickups. Of course we began our evaluation of
is supplied by
the EJ fuzz on the bridge pickup of our Roadworn Stratocast-
an internal 9
er. The tone of the bridge pickup is typically trebly, bright and
volt battery
certainly not what you might call ‘powerful’… step on the
only, and
Fuzz Face and
yes, you are
the tone turns
welcome to
thick, heavy
experiment with different types of 9 volt batteries, or even use
and penetrating
those that have lost a little juice and measure say, 6-7 volts on
with a strong
a multi-meter. They will sound different and you may like the
upper midrange
difference. In our experience we like the old school Ever-
emphasis,
ready Black Cat carbon zinc heavy duty batteries over modern
great lows and
alkaline alternatives. The external hammertone Dunlop case
singing, soar-
is a work of roadworthy art with vintage style ‘60s knobs, and
ing sustain. It
if you are ready to get your fuzz on we can’t recommend a
is really quite
better choice at $199.99. Fuzz forth…TQ
amazing how
the Strat bridge
pickup can be www.jimdunlop.com

19
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 Resource Directory
speakers, a comprehensive selection of Several Sunface versions are available for
guitar and amplifier replacement parts that germanium or Silicon fuzzface sounds,
include, pickups, effects, bridges, saddles plus the Astro Tone, Peppermint, and Sun
and tuners, potentiometers, capacitors and Bender fuzz pedals. The Beano Boost is
Don’t miss your opportunity to save 10%
our exclusive MOD authentic, vintage-cor- a crunchy treble booster and is also avail-
on selected products offered by members
rect reverb tanks, plus tools and supplies able along with a Sun Face in the Sun Lion
of your ToneQuest Resource Directory!
for amp and guitar repair and maintenance, pedal. The Bad Bob booster is now made
reference books, and accessories. by Analog Man. The King of Tone dual
Look for exclusive ToneQuest discount
overdrive has been incredibly popular and
offers in gold and reference TQR when
We believe that every musician is unique, a Prince of Tone was developed in 2012 for
placing your order.
and deserves easy access to the equipment, better availability. The ARDX20 dual ana-
tools and resources necessary to create his/ log delay is also available with a tap tempo/
her own tone. Amplified Parts is dedicated modulation/preset controller for the most
to helping you sound your very best. features in any analog delay. The BIG-T
AllParts: Top players and guitar builders
www.amplifiedparts.com Telecaster pickup was developed with Jim
rely on Allparts for the right guitar and bass
Weider and is available at Analog Man.
parts they need, in stock and ready to ship.
AllParts offers a complete range of finished
Other hand-made pedals available from
and unfinished guitar bodies in a variety of
Analog Man include FOXROX, Teese
premium tone woods, including alder and
Analogman (Mike Piera) is one of the pre- RMC wahs, Z Vex, Black Cat, and Sweet
swamp ash, with optional highly figured
mier guitar effects dealers and manufactur- Sound, plus production pedals from Boss,
maple tops. Finishes include all of the most
ers serving professional players worldwide. Dunlop, MXR, Wah Huge, EHX, Eventide,
popular vintage col8.5ors, including see–
Analog Man is unique, since it manufac- VOX, Xotic, etc. Power supplies for
through blonde! Premium necks are also
tures, modifies, buys, sells, and repairs nearly any effect are available, plus cables,
available with maple, rosewood, and ebony
vintage and new guitar effects and acces- pedalboards, and other accessories. Mike
fingerboards in a variety of neck shape
sories - they have everything you need maintains excellent relationships with these
profiles, with or without binding. Custom
between your guitar and amp. Specializing manufacturers to insure that quality and
design your next guitar with AllParts,
in vintage and high-end effects, you won’t service standards are high. Please check
including tailpieces, tuning keys, bridges,
find cheap Taiwanese “happy meal” style, the web site for more information.
nuts and saddles, pickups, pickguards (that
toy effects there. Analog Man is dedi- Analog Man, Bethel, CT
really fit), knobs, hardware, and electronics
cated to helping you successfully pursue
for many popular models. Bass players and
your quest for tone, and every customer Analog Man, Bethel, CT
lefties can also find the parts they need at
is treated as a prospective friend. There www.analogman.com, buyanalogman.com
AllParts! You can also rely on Allparts for
are now Analog Friends all over the world 203–778–6658
hard to find parts, along with vacuum tubes
with the common interest of vintage guitars
and amplifier hardware.
and effects. Analog Man can meet all your
AllParts, Houston, TX
effects needs, including: Buying and sell-
www.allparts.com 713–466–6414
ing vintage, new, and custom built effects,
and modifying pedals to sound and func- Callaham Vintage Guitars & Amps New
tion better. A full repair service, including from Callaham! Check out the new billet
referrals to specialists. They specialize in steel ABR-1 style ‘tune-o-matic’ bridge:
creating the best new effects with vintage Bill Callaham is a builder of exceptional
values. FREE help with effects problems electric guitars that exceed the original
Amplified Parts was created to serve musi-
by e-mail, plus professional consultation quality, tone, and beauty of the vintage
cians who wish to optimize their sound
and technical services. models that inspire his work. “ Better
or simply repair, restore or optimize their
than vintage” is an apt description for the
amplifiers and guitars. Amplified Parts is a
Analog Man was the pioneer in pedal Callaham “ S” and “ T” model electric gui-
new entity itself, but as a DBA of Antique
modifications for Ibanez and Maxon Tube tars that feature premium lightweight ash
Electronic Supply, LLC (tubesandmore.
Screamers and several Boss pedals (TR-2, and alder bodies, custom hand–shaped rock
com), it is backed by over 25 years of
GE-7, SD-1, DS-1, BD-2, DD3, etc). They maple necks, and cryogenically treated
experience serving the electronic hobbyist
also modify DOD overdrives and Fuzz Lindy Fralin pickups specially wound to
market. We are a member in good standing
Faces to vintage specs and do true bypass Callaham’s specifications for true vintage
of the Better Business Bureau.
mods on many effects. They also build tone. Bill also offers cryogenically treated,
custom switch boxes with effects loops, pre-wired vintage pick guards for Strat
Amplified Parts is intended to serve the
AB switches, buffers, channel switchers, style guitars, and his exclusive formula for
needs of the musician who may not pos-
tuner switches, etc. Analog Man hand-built cold–rolled steel alloy tremolo blocks con-
sess a technical background, but wants to
pedals include chorus pedals, compressors, tinue to delight players around the world
create his/her own sound or tone by modi-
distortions, delays, and fuzz pedals. Three with improved resonance and sustain.
fying their existing amplifier or guitar. Our
chorus pedals are available, with several Callaham vintage saddles also improve
wide range of products include JJ, TAD,
options. Five versions of compressors are sustain while minimizing string fatigue and
Electro-Harmonix and Winged C vacuum
available, based on the Ross style and/or breaks. Additional Strat parts include stain-
tubes, Jensen and Celestion replacement
the Orange Squeezer style of compression. less steel trem arms, string ferrules, bridge
-continued-

20
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 Resource Directory

plates and mounting screws, and string Raleigh – Three watts, three knobs, two ated for those who are absolutely dedicated
retainers. Attention Tele Players! Callaham personalities. The Raleigh is a stylish and to the pursuit of true Vintage tone.
now offers a complete line of custom Tele versatile practice and recording amp.
parts. Please visit their web site for infor- For high-volume OEMs, Celestion
mation on pre–wired control plates with The Viceroy – The 33/7 watt Viceroy is Originals represent outstanding value for
premium pots, capacitors, and cloth–cov- our newest dual 6L6, classically American money. We have the specialist experience
ered wire, specially wound and cryogeni- amplifier designed to deliver a full range coupled with the most advanced, high-vol-
cally treated Fralin vintage Tele pickups, of clean and overdriven sounds for home, ume manufacturing techniques to deliver
compensated brass bridge saddles, bridge stage, and studio. Celestion tone, quality and brand appeal at
plates, knobs, jacks, tuners and string trees! Mercury – With selectable power from 8 extremely competitive prices.
The only thing better than Callaham parts watts down to 1/10th of a watt, the single
is a Callaham guitar. We said that, and you EL34 powered Mercury is ideal for apart- Celestion International Ltd
can take it to the bank. ments, studios, and intimate performance www.celestion.com
venues. For OEM Enquiries, contact Andy Farrow
Callaham Guitars, Winchester, VA at Celestion America, 732-683-2356
www.callahamguitars.com 540–678–4043 Rambler – Our flagship amp. With its Retail & distribution enquiries, contact
high headroom, the 28/14 watt, dual 6L6 John Sanchez at Celestion America, 732-
Rambler delivers rich, clean tones at levels 683-2356, sales@celestion.com.
suitable for home, clubs, and studios.

Slant 6V – With four 6V6 power tubes,

Carr Amplifiers Like you, all of us at full/half power modes, and two footswitch-
Carr Amplifiers are guitarists. We share able channels - clean and overdrive, the 40
your love of the guitar, and we feel very watt Slant 6V is our most versatile stage Collings Guitars: Bill Collings’ story
fortunate to build amplifiers for a living amp. provides a classic example of what can
at our shop in Pittsboro, North Carolina. be achieved with an engineer’s brain, a
And although we are understandably proud We sincerely appreciate your interest in machinists’ hand and an experienced repair-
of our unique circuit designs, meticulous Carr Amplifiers, and as you consider the man’s eye. After dropping out of medical
point-to-point construction, premium com- models described in detail on our web site school in Ohio to work in a machine shop,
ponents and hand-crafted cabinets, our suc- or in a dealer showroom, we invite you to ColliRDngs moved to Texas in the mid
cess has ultimately been the result of one contact us personally here in Pittsboro to 1970’s where the experience he gained
simple fact; discerning guitarists continue assist you in choosing the best Carr amp repairing and restoring guitars guided his
to enthusiastically embrace the tone, reli- for your needs. design of the first Collings guitars. His
ability and versatile nature of our ampli- understanding of the flaws and shortcomings
fiers. Perhaps it’s because we view guitar Steve Carr, Founder found in production instruments was instruc-
amps as being as much an instrument as the Carr Amplifiers, Pittsboro,NC tive, and he set out to eliminate those short-
guitar itself, and we truly believe that an www.carramps.com 919–545–0747 comings with the very first Collings guitars
amplifier should become a personal exten- Collings instruments have grown to include
sion of every player. To that end, we strive 32 different acoustic guitar models includ-
to design and build amps with a distinct ing the famed dreadnought and OM models,
character and sonic personality, and the seven award-winning mandolin models in
flexibility and practical features that will Celestion Ltd. Nobody knows more than both lacquer and varnish finishes, three arch-
inspire you to create your very own signa- Celestion about guitar loudspeaker design top guitars, and a new line of seven electric
ture sound at volume levels appropriate for and manufacture. Think of your all-time instruments crafted to inspire rock, blues,
home, studio and stage. Models include: favourite guitar riffs and solos, chances are, jazz, country, and your music, too.
they were played through Celestion guitar
The Bloke – Macho 70s to 80s overdrive loudspeakers. For the last fifty years - since Bill Collings work is respected by profes-
with a stripped-down, super-usable feature the birth of the Celestion Blue (the first sional and amateur musicians alike…
set. For those who crave honest, dynamic ever purpose-built guitar loudspeaker) - our anyone on the quest for quality. Some of
tube crunch with firm low end, we salute magical mix of metal paper and magnets these include artists: Keith Richards, Lyle
you! has formed an essential part of the sound Lovett, Pete Townshend, Emmylou Harris,
of guitar music. Andy Summers, David Crosby, Chris
The Sportsman – Inspired by mid ‘60s Hillman, Joni Mitchell, Don Felder, John
American reverb-type amps, the Carr Some of the greatest speakers available Sebastian, Lou Reed, John Fogerty, Tim
Sportsman is a versatile performer in a today are part of the Celestion Classic O’Brien, Pete Huttlinger, Kenny Smith,
compact and portable package. Series. Over the years, we’ve applied our Brian May, Joan Baez, John Prine, Nigel
design expertise to build a range of speak- Tufnel of Spinal Tap, and Steven Spielberg
Artemus – Archetypal EL84 tone meets ers that will give you classic Celestion to name a few. We invite you to play a
21st century innovation. The Artemus will tone, no matter what style you play. The Collings today.
expand your notion of what the British Alnico Series and the Heritage Series, both
AC-inspired amp can do. More dynamic, hand-built in Ipswich, England, are the For more information on the complete line
more expressive - simplicity redefined. result of meticulous attention to detail, cre- of Collings instruments and dealer loca-
-continued-

21
TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 Resource Directory

tions, please visit our web site. is hand selected from private reserves for ity. To locate genuine Eminence dealers in
the most stable, consistent and toneful your area, please visit their web site or call
Collings Guitars, Austin Texas blend for each specific model. Currie also Eminence Speakers.
www.collingsguitars.com, 512-288-7776 supports and works with custom pickup
winders such as Curtis Novak, Arcane Eminence Speaker LLC, Eminence, KY
Pickups and Jerry Amalfitano in creating a www.eminence.com 502–845–5622
Dave’s Guitar Shop: Dave’s Guitar Shop dynamic voice and personality that clearly Contact: Chris Rose
offers guitars by Fender, Gibson, PRS, set Echopark guitars apart as both works
National, Taylor, Gretsch, Ernie Ball, of art and exceptional musical instruments. Fishman: Widely recognized as the premier
Rickenbacker, Martin, Santa Cruz, Suhr, The highest quality accessories and elec- designer and manufacturer of acoustic
Collings, Tom Anderson and many other tronics only work to enhance the individual amplification products, Fishman is com-
fine new and used instruments, plus new characteristics of each guitar. From the mitted to making acoustic musicians heard
and used amplifiers such as Fender, Line tree to the stage, in the studio or as part of while faithfully maintaining their own
6, Matchless, Victoria, Bad Cat, and Dr. Z, a coveted collection, Echopark heirloom natural tone, for the best possible sound.
plus hundreds of guitar effects, and after- guitars represent Currie’s lifelong passion
market pickups from Joe Barden, Seymour and respect for handcrafted quality in the The Fishman product line began with the
Duncan, and more. Due to their inventory quest for pure, unchained tone. BP-100(tm) acoustic bass pickup, original-
of over 1,000 guitars, amps, and acces- For detailed information on the 13 ly developed to meet founder and president
sories, Dave’s is an excellent resource for Echopark models currently offered, options Larry Fishman’s own jazz performance
top of the line Custom Shop and Historic and to view our image gallery, visit our needs. With a track record of quality engi-
reissues, to intermediate new and used gear. web site at: neering, reliability, functional simplicity
Unlike some dealers’ out of date stock lists www.echoparkguitars.com and - most importantly - the natural tone it
on the web and in print, Dave’s inventory 626-536-3317. enables, Fishman firmly established a repu-
is updated daily. The selection of new tation of excellence that consumers have
and used instruments is truly exceptional, come to expect from the brand.
and you can often select among several
models of the same new guitars to find For acoustic guitar, Fishman offers the
that special instrument that was meant for Eminence Eminence is proud to present flagship Acoustic Matrix(tm) Series active
you. Dave’s staff is friendly and extremely the Patriot and Redcoat series of guitar pickup system, the Rare Earth(tm) Series
knowledgeable about the instruments and speakers. Incorporating both British and active magnetic soundhole pickups, and
gear that they sell, because they are players, American cone technology into speakers the Neo-D(tm) magnetic soundhole pickup,
too. Please check the web site for current that we manufacture in the USA gives as well as passive undersaddle, classical,
inventory, and you are welcome to call for us the ability to provide you with virtu- archtop, and resophonic guitar pickups.
more information or an accurate, in-hand ally any tone you desire. Be it British Fishman’s new Ellipse(tm) series combines
description. or American, clean or dirty, big bass or the Acoustic Matrix(tm) pickup with our
screaming highs, we have a speaker that industry leading preamp design. Designed to
Dave’s Guitar Shop, LaCrosse, WI will allow you to “ Pick Your Sound.” fit in the guitar’s soundhole, the Ellipse(tm)
www.davesguitar.com 608–785–7704 Choose from one of seventeen new mod- system provides volume and tone control at
els! Eminence has been building speakers your fingertips and easily installs without
to custom specifications for nearly every any modification to your instrument.
major manufacturer of guitar amplifier
and sound reinforcement products since Fishman pickups are also available for
1967. Their new Legend Series of gui- banjo, mandolin, harp/piano, violin, viola,
The Echopark Guitar, Los Angeles tar speakers captures the essence of the cello and acoustic bass. In addition, the
Echopark Guitars are uniquely designed, vintage American and British speaker Concertmaster(tm) amplification system
handcrafted instruments that vividly reveal designs that are held in such high regard for violin and the Full Circle(tm) upright
the vision, skill and experience of master today by so many discerning players. The bass pickup offer two elegant and cutting-
luthier Gabriel Currie. Following the storied Legend Series includes classic British and edge string amplification solutions.
tradition of luthiers who have collectively American designs for 6,” 8,” 10,” 12,” and
defined the modern electric guitar, Gabriel 15” speakers utilizing ceramic and AlNiCo Utilizing cutting-edge Acoustic Sound
has attracted a loyal following in the magnets, British or American cones, and Imaging(tm) technology, Aura(tm) features the
American boutique guitar market among Kapton polyamide voice coils for superior most innovative acoustic amplification tech-
some of the most discerning and influential heat dissipation and durability. Best of all, nology available today. This stompbox-sized
artists today. Dedicated to preserving and because Eminence has been successfully unit captures your instrument’s true acoustic
enhancing the tradition and culture of competing for years with other speaker sound with stunning, studio microphone qual-
American craftsmanship, Echopark Guitars manufacturers as an OEM supplier, the ity. Anytime, anywhere. Aura(tm) eliminates
offers a definitive line of custom instru- Legend Series speakers are priced far the boundaries of conventional acoustic ampli-
ments ranging from the revered Clarence below those of many other popular manu- fication and gives the most natural, realistic
models, to the Downtowner family and the facturers of “ reissue” and custom speak- amplified acoustic instrument sound available
Ghetto Bird. Cut, carved, shaped and craft- ers. The Eminence Legend Series delivers - both on stage and in the studio.
ed by hand, there are no limits to Gabriel’s all of the tone and durability you need, at a
exceptional creativity. Each piece of wood lower price, with no compromises in qual- Joining the award-winning Loudbox(tm)
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
 Resource Directory

and Loudbox Pro(tm) acoustic instru- for specific speakers based on the specifica- upon request. Minimum order quantity for
ment amplifiers, the new Loudbox tions and information you provide. pre-cut frets is 2000 pieces.
Performer(tm) completes Fishman’s popu-
lar, highly-acclaimed family of acoustic For detailed information on the entire line CAUTION: Jescar Fretwire will improve
amplifiers and represents the size, power of Jensen Vintage, Jet, MOD and Neo the tone and playability of your guitar.
and features that musicians demand. speakers and a list of dealers, please visit
Setting a new standard in acoustic ampli- our web site. www.jescar.com 877-453-7227
fiers, the Loudbox(tm) series feature a
powerful tri-amped system that delivers www.jensentone.com, 480-820-5411
sweet highs and undistorted lows-even at
tremendous volumes. Just Strings.com: Now more than ever,
guitarists are reaping the benefits of techni-
As Fishman celebrates its 25th year as the Jescar Fretwire Securely pressed into the cal innovations in string making that have
leader in acoustic amplification, the com- fingerboard, the fret wire is the gateway led to the widest selection of guitar strings
pany continues to redefine the benchmark between the musician and the instrument. ever available. JustStrings.com is dedicated
of acoustic sound. For more information, It is one of the most critical components to providing guitarists with the largest
please visit www.fishman.com. in the playing quality of the guitar. The selection of acoustic, roundwound, and
interaction between the strings and frets flatwound strings, complimented by excep-
Fishman Transducers Inc. determines the feel of the neck as much as tional personalized service and outstanding
Wilmington, MA the neck contour, fingerboard material, or value. Trying different types of strings often
www.fishman.com 978–988–9199 finish. results in amazing new discoveries that not
only improve the sound of your instrument,
There are many different fret wire profiles but dramatically enhance your playing
available, from small to large, low to high, enjoyment. From traditional hand–crafted
Jensen Loudspeakers Changing speakers narrow to wide, oval to round to triangular, strings to high–tech exotics, JustStrings.
in your amplifier is the easiest and often all affecting the playing characteristics com exists to help you get the most out
the most effective ‘modification’ you can and feel of the instrument. Brass frets of your instrument. Try a new set today,
do yourself in the quest for inspiring guitar from days past have given way to today’s or order your favorite acoustic or electric
tone. standard material, 18% nickel silver, also sets and SAVE! Juststrings.com offers the
called “German Silver.”Our highly refined best prices on all of the major and specialty
The complete range of Jensen speakers nickel silver consists of 62% copper, 18% brands, promptly delivered to your door.
reflects the heritage of the vintage C and P nickel and 20% zinc. But even with 18% Shop online at JustStrings.com, or place
series ceramic and alnico speakers used in nickel silver, there are differences in hard- your order by:
so many classic amplifiers from the ‘50s ness, tensile strength, surface quality, grain
and ’60s, as well as the modern Jet, MOD size, and other metallurgical properties fax at 603–889–7026 603–889–2664..
and Neo Series that offer a variety of tones that influence a fret’s quality, performance JustStrings.com, Nashua, NH
and power ratings to suit virtually any type and feel. info@juststrings.com
of music and application imaginable. You
will also find Jensen speakers in all the Beyond 18% nickel silver, new alloys have
sizes used today for electric and acoustic been employed in the production of mod-
guitar amplification, including 5, 6, 8 10, ern fret wire that dramatically improves the
12 and 15 inch models. performance and aesthetics of the guitar. Keeley Electronics – Check out the new
With so many excellent choices available Our stainless steel, with its greater hard- Keeley Katana Preamp! ToneQuest sub-
to guitarists today, we also understand that ness and tighter grain structure has much scribers receive 10% off on all pedal mods
choosing the right speakers for your unique higher wear resistance for greater fret and the Keeley Comp, Java Boost and Time
needs can be a complex, and even daunting life. In addition, string bending is much Machine boost: Keeley Electronics recently
decision. To assist you in making the right smoother without the friction or grinding won a Guitar Player Reader’s Choice Award
choice the first time, our web site offers a felt with traditional fret material. We have and Keeley is now the exclusive distribu-
comprehensive library of sound files for selected a stainless steel alloy that provides tor for Framptone! Robert Keeley’s Time
each speaker, video demonstrations, user the best combination of fret life and instal- Machine Boost, Keeley Compressor, and
reviews, a detailed tone chart, and wiring lation ease. his custom, state–of–the–art modifications
diagrams for virtually every speaker con- for vintage pedals continue to receive rave
figuration used in combo amplifiers and Most fretwire is manufactured in coils for reviews from guitarists around the world.
extension cabinets. Best of all, you may ease of installation. Our FW39040 and Keeley pedals are used by Aerosmith,
also utilize our exclusive Tone Generator FW37053 are only offered in 24” straight Abbey Road Studios, Steve Vai, legendary
program to determine the best speakers for lengths to prevent twisting if coiled. producer Bob Rock, George Lynch, Peter
your needs. Simply enter information such Pricing is based on orders of one pound Frampton, James Burton, and many, many
as the rated power of your amplifier, the minimum quantity per size, plus shipping more guitarists and music pros around
number of speakers and size, playing style via UPS, FedEx, or USPS. Gold colored the world. The Time Machine Boost is a
and musical taste, volume requirements EVO wire is available on selected sizes versatile 2 channel, 3 mode pre–amplifier
and other relevant factors and the Tone only. Individual frets cut to size, straight designed to drive your amplifiers into over-
Generator will develop recommendations cut or cut and notched tangs, are available drive or saturation. The two channels are
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
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labeled “ Vintage,” and “ Modern,” with the Recently, Jason was acknowledged by Next-generation guitar amplifier trans-
“ Vintage” side inspired by rare germanium gonzo pedal steel player Robert Randolph formers. The Axiom series are in a class
boosts like the Dallas Rangemaster. The for having wound the pickups in his two by themselves. We’ve taken our advanced
“ Modern” channel is a new +23dB gain, custom Fessenden pedal steels. And the knowledge of modern transformer design
dual JFET transparent signal amplifier. The list doesn’t end there – Jason has wound and mated it with historically best-sound-
Keeley Compressor is a superb audiophile pickups for guitar greats such as Billy F ing designs of the past. Axiom trannys are
and studio grade compressor with true Gibbons, Peter Stroud, Kevin Russel, Rick hybrids that take vintage tone to the next
bypass switching and premium metal film Vito, Elliot Easton, Duke Robillard, and level! More bloom, more overtone color,
resistors and capacitors for the cleanest Ross the Beasty Boys, among others. and awesome tonal depth. If you ever
clone compressor ever available. Available Jason is always happy to personally con- needed convincing as to how outstanding
with a standard Ibanez/Boss style adapter sult with his clients via phone and e–mail transformers affect your sound, Axiom
jack and/or battery power, you can say to determine the pickups that are right trannys will astonish you.
goodbye to that old red Dyna Comp! for each player, and TQR recommends
Lollar pickups without exception. His
Robert Keeley pedal mods include 2 ver- Lollar Special Strat pickups are standard Mercury Vintage™ Transformer Service:
sions for TS9’s – the TS808 mod, and the “ equipment in our custom built ToneQuest Most vintage transformers have already
Baked TS9” for searing hot Tube Screamer guitars. outlived or are nearing the end of their
tone. Keeley uses the original TI RC4558P life expectancies. That’s the bad news –
chip that appeared in the early TS808’s, Call Jason or check out all the options now for the good… Mercury will restore,
while increasing the bass response and available on his web site. rebuild or rewind your valuable original
overdrive range. The result is a perfectly transformers. Or, we can clone your origi-
voiced 808 that’s cleaner when turned www.lollarguitars.com, 206–463–9838 nals so that you can continue to play your
down and produces twice the drive/gain old amp without fear of further “wear and
when turned up, with all of the stock 808 tear.”
character in the middle. The Keeley mod-
ded BD–2 is not a fuzz pedal but has the Free Transformer Testing And Evaluation
best characteristics of a fuzz pedal, and it’s Mercury Magnetics: The basis of every Service: Do you think there might be
much smoother and more realistic sound- tube amp’s characteristic sound is the something wrong with your transformer?
ing. Other exclusive Keeley modifications unique design of its transformers. Mercury Send it to us. We’ll test it in our lab and
include the Boss Blues Driver BD–2 Tube transformers are legendary for their stun- report back to you. Our evaluation proce-
Mod, the PHAT Switch BD–2 Mod, Rat ning tonal superiority, build quality, con- dures are thorough, complete and reliable,
Mods, Boss DS–1 Seeing Eye Mod, Boss sistency, and reliability. We believe in old- and always free. The only transformers
SD–1, and Boss Chorus CE–2. For detailed world customer service and single-minded that come with a 10-year Manufacturer’s
specs, user comments, dealer information, focus. Transformers are our only business, Warrantee and a Money-Back Tonal
sound clips, and ordering information, allowing us to concentrate on providing Guarantee. Made entirely in the U.S.A.
please visit the Keeley Electronics website. you with the best-sounding guitar amplifier
trannies in the world. Mercury Magnetics
Keeley Electronics, Edmond, OK www.MercuryMagnetics.com
405–260–1385, www.robertkeeley.com If your amp is suffering from bland and Sales@MercuryMagnetics.com
unexciting tone, then it’s time for a trans- 818-998-7791 404–325–0515
former upgrade or repair. Here are your
options:

Lollar Custom Guitars & Pickups:

According to Jason, he never really set out RS Guitarworks: You can depend on RS
to become a custom pickup designer and ToneClone™: Best-of-Breed Series Guitarworks as your source for the finest
builder. Jason Lollar is a guitar builder on Transformers: Behind every great-sounding custom guitars, expert guitar finishing,
Vashon Island, Washington (near Seattle) vintage guitar amp is a piece of transformer refinishing and aging, complete guitar
who originally began building pickups for history. Within any amp line there are usu- assembly and repair, custom electronic
his own guitars and a few friends when ally a large number of transformer variations, upgrade kits, pickups, pickup covers, hard-
he couldn’t find the tone he was after. The inconsistencies and just plain ol’ building to-find hardware, and more.
word spread, and now Jason custom builds errors that affect their sound (good or bad).
over 30 different pickups, including Strat, At Mercury, we seek out, study, blueprint Located in Winchester, Kentucky, RS
Tele, humbuckers, P90’s, custom steels and replicate only the best-of-breed trans- Guitarworks began as a small repair and
and Charlie Christian–style pickups, all former designs (including their all-important shop in 1994. As the word spread among
persoanlly designed and wound by Jason. anomalies) and add these discoveries to guitarists, business rapidly grew for RS,
He is especially well known for his P90, our catalog. And we make these incredible and today they receive guitars from around
Imperial Humbucker and Tele replacement tonal selections available to you through our the world for restoration, finishing, aging
pickups, but he has also designed pickups ToneClone™ line. and custom voicing with specialty compo-
for many unusual applications… nents and exclusive pickups wound to RS
Axiom® Series Next-Gen Transformers: specs by Lindy Fralin.
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
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RS’s Old Friend, SolarFlair, Stepside and RS Guitarworks Swart Amplification: Long before the first
custom guitars can be seen in the hands of 859-737-5300, www.rsguitarworks.net Swart amp ever appeared, Michael Swart
many top players, and offer build quality had been playing through vintage amps for
and hardware second to none. Every guitar decades at live gigs and recording sessions
RS Guitarworks builds is meticulously as both a guitarist and recording engineer in
crafted with wood personally selected Wilmington, NC.
by RS,finished in nitrocellulose lacquer,
assembled with premium components, and Stewart MacDonald: Stewart-MacDonald Despite his access to countless vintage
individually voiced in final assembly as a offers a complete line of hard–to–find Fender, Vox, and Ampeg amps, Swart
true custom instrument. tools, parts, accessories, instructional vid- always felt the quintessential small record-
eos and books for building, repairing, set- ing/home use amp had yet to be built,
RS Guitarworks also offers many hard-to- ting up, and optimizing the playability and thus begin the quest for the best tone via a
find aged, vintage replica parts and other tone of stringed instruments. Whether you small, manageable package. After a slew
specialty accessories for vintage Fender, are just getting started or you’re a seasoned of suitcase amp wannabees, emerged the
Gibson and many other guitars that in luthier, you’ll find everything you need in original Space Tone 6V6se, a Class A, 5
many cases are exclusive to RS. the Stew–Mac catalog, including: fret wire, watt, Single-Ended, tube rectified beast with
finishing supplies, glues and adhesives, an über simple circuit revolving around the
The RS Guitarworks Premium Wiring wood, bodies, necks, binding, tuners, nuts soulful 6V6. The amp delivered big sound
Kits offer a dramatic improvement over and saddles, inlay, bridges, tailpieces, with unmatched musicality along with amaz-
the factory electronics found in even the electronics, pickups, and free informa- ing distortion. The 18w Atomic Space Tone
most expensive guitars. During extensive tion sheets and professional advice! Their soon followed to wide acclaim, and Swart
research and development in creating RS friendly customer service and technical amplifiers were quickly embraced by work-
Premium kits, they tested over 20 differ- support staff are trained to help you make ing pros and guitarists who shared Swart’s
ent tone capacitors and nearly every type the best product choices, and they also appreciation for truly exceptional guitar tone.
of potentiometer made before developing offer an Unconditional Return Guarantee.
the RS SuperPot™. All the RS upgrade If you’re not satisfied with an item for any Today, six different Swart models are
kits feature measured RS SuperPots™, reason, simply return it. hand-built to serve the needs of guitarists
that have a 5% tolerance for volumes, and for live performance and recording:
CTS™ audio pots within 10% of their Stew-Mac is the leading supplier of innova-
specified value for tone controls. Also in tive products for guitarists and repair pros, Space Tone 6V6se - The amp that started
the RS kits are a wide variety of tone caps and every thing they make is guaranteed to it all. 5w, Class A, Single-Ended, Tube
for single coil and humbucking pickups work well, because every product is tested Rectified, 8” Weber, finger-jointed, lac-
made by Jensen and vintage-correct replica by the professional luthiers at Stewart quered tweed pine cab. Amazing
caps by Luxe. RS Guitarworks™ also MacDonald first! The master builders and STR-Tweed - Another BIG Class A,
feature caps made here in the USA exclu- repairmen on staff include Dan Erlewine – Single-Ended 5w w/extra stage, Swart
sively for RS called well–known author of guitar repair books reverb, and 12” speaker. Atomic Space
and magazine articles, member of the Tone - Perhaps the amp that REALLY put
GuitarCaps™. RS Guitarworks wiring ToneQuest Report advisory board, and a Swart on the map. Considered one of the
upgrade kits impart a fuller, clearer tone regular contributor to TQR. Dan and all finest made. 18w 6V6 or 6L6 with tube
than standard factory components, with a of the experienced luthiers at Stew–Mac reverb & tremolo AST Pro: AST circuit w/
smoother, more even and responsive taper personally develop and test every product slightly larger cab, recessed knobs, 12” of
from each pot. Additionally, each potenti- the company offers, and they are also dedi- choice AST Head MKII - AST in a head
ometer is tested on a digital meter, checked cated to education. The Stewart MacDonald w/defeatable master volume and choice
for the proper sweep pattern, sorted and catalog is packed with helpful tips, and the of cabinets Super Space Tone 30 Head
labeled as a neck/volume, neck/tone, company produces an extensive series of (SST-30) 30w of soulful 6V6/6L6/EL-34
bridge/volume or bridge/tone control. training videos at their facility in Athens, mother of tone beauty. Richer than choco-
Ohio. late. Matching, custom tweed 2 x 12 Space
Wiring Upgrade Kits are available in Tone Cabinet Head to Swart Online for
Vintage, Modern and Reissue styles for For more information on the entire range the latest news, rants, photos, raves, artists,
various Les Paul type guitars, as well of products available, please visit the events, and dealer locations. Michael answers
as 335/345/355, Telecaster, Stratocaster, Stewart MacDonald web site. In addition every call. Kelly responds to every mail.
PRS guitars, and Explorer and Flying V to their free online help service, your tele- Personal service is #1 priority.
types in both kit and pre-wired versions. phone call is also always welcome.
Custom wiring and nearly any other con- Swart Amplifier Co., Wilmington, NC
figuration can also be built by calling RS Stewart MacDonald www.swartamps.com, 910-620-2512
Guitarworks™ directly at (859) 737-5300. www.stewmac.com,
Please call or visit the RS Guitarworks web 1–800–848–2273
site for complete information on finishing,
refinishing, restoration and aging of new
and used guitars custom wiring kits, vin- Toneman: Veteran working guitarist
tage repro parts, pickups and repairs. Don Butler is an experienced tech who
specializes in servicing, restoring JMI-
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
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era and modding Korg era Vox Amps to Visual Sound a market leader in the guitar its V2 and V3 series of pedals.
vintage specs. These, of course would be effects pedal arena, is pleased to announce
valve (tube) amps. As well as servicing & the release of a new and improved version Bob Weil, founder and president, explains
upgrading any `62-`89 era valve Marshall of their much-beloved H2O Chorus & Echo it this way: “We’ve worked hard for many
amps. He also services most other Golden pedal. years to make our products not only sound
era British valves amps like HiWatt, great, but also hold up to the demands of the
Selmer, Orange , Laney’s and Sound City The new V3 H20 is more than a mere re-boot working musician. The test procedures and
’s. Also included are Tweed , Blonde, of one of the finest dual pedals of all time: it quality control standards that R.G. Keen and
Brown and Blackface era Fender Amps. is a carefully thought out complete redesign. I have developed are extremely thorough.
On top of that, we designed our switching
Don offers a number of standard mods for Available late March, 2014, the V3 H20 system to pretty much last forever, and we’re
reissue Vox, Fender and Marshall amps to boasts some amazing features. First off, It’s very picky about our critical parts suppli-
bring them into “Vintage Spec” and achieve an extremely versatile analog Liquid Chorus. ers, too. When it comes down to it, we hate
that original tone/sound that reissues sadly The user has full control to create Stereo to have our gear go down in the middle of
lack. These have earned him a solid reputa- Chorus, Vibrato, or their own blend. Light, someone’s gig, so we’ve gone over the top
tion throughout the country for dramatically lush, Leslie, or pulsating out-of-this-world with reliability. To prove it, we’re now offer-
improved, authentic Vintage Tone from effects are all within reach. On the Echo side, ing a lifetime warranty on most of our pedals.
reissue amplifiers. Don has used the hand- the V3 H20 offers warm, natural delay. The And since we’ve been around since 1995,
made Mercury Magnetics Axiom/Tone high quality delay that Visual Sound is known you can be confident we’ll be around to sup-
Clone transformers for over 20 years along for is only a stomp away. port that warranty.”
with vintage spec Sozo Premium caps (both
the Iskra/”mustard caps” replicas and Blue Other highlights includes a Pure Tone buffer This “covered for life” promise extends to
Molded Fender types) and Carbon Comp on/off and separate Input and Output for each all V2 pedals, as well as to the still new (and
resistors in the signal path to bring reissue channel. This allows you to change order growing) line of V3 pedals, which currently
amps to Vintage specs. We also mod reissue of effects, patch in a loop, or use a switch- includes the Dual Tap Delay and Tap Delay
Vox and Cry Baby Wah Wah’s to original ing system. True Bypass is a much desired pedals and, now the V3H2O and VS-XO
1967 specs, Ibanez TS-9’s and Upgrade feature for today’s guitarists, the H20 has
Vox “Valve Tone” pedals. reliable and silent True Bypass with Visual Expect to hear about more additions to the
Sound’s proprietary custom designed Forever V3 Series in the very near future!
Don is equally at home working on Gibson Footswitch™ rated for 10 million hits.
Historics and Standard Production gui- We’re also happy to say that we continue to
tars, Fender guitars, Rickenbacker, and of This follows on the heels of the release in receive excellent reviews from Collectible
course, Gretsch Guitars. This applies to November, 2013 of the VS-XO Premium Guitar, Guitar Player, Guitar World, Premier
both Vintage models and current produc- Dual Overdrive. The right channel has Guitar, ToneQuest Report, and Vintage
tion guitars, electric and acoustic. Anything pronounced mids without being honky. In Guitar magazines, as well as continuous
from re-frets & fret dressing, rewiring, etc. addition to Drive, Tone, and Volume knobs, compliments online, by phone, e-mail, and
to simple set-ups and adjustments. it also has a 3-way Clipping (diodes) switch, postal mail, for our unparalleled customer
a 3-way Bass switch, and a Clean Mix knob. service and tech support.
Don was also the first dealer for German The left channel also has Drive, Tone and
made Pyramid Strings, starting in 1995. Volume knobs, along with a Bass knob, but To find out more about all of the pedals and
Don does attends the NAMM Show and with flat mids, making it sound very amp-like. 1SPOT power supplies, and for more infor-
the Frankfurt Musikmesse for Pyramid. The VS-XO is a tone-experimenter’s dream mation about Visual Sound, sound samples,
Providing his input, Pyramid has re-intro- pedal. The sound options are nearly endless. videos, artist endorsers and product informa-
duced the Round Core, pure nickel flatwound On top of that, the VS-XO is the first Visual tion, please visit the Visual Sound web site,
“Pyramid Golds” and the exceptional Round Sound pedal to incorporate True-Bypass, but Facebook page, Twitter, or contact Bob Weil
core/round wound “Nickel Classics” . All done the Visual Sound way. Bob Weil invent- personally.
Pyramids use a silver plated core of German ed the foot-switches which look traditional,
Steel and pure nickel wire wrap. All plain but interact with gold-plated relays, and will Visual Sound
strings are pure silver plated German Steel. last forever. RG Keen invented a circuit to www.visualsound.net
keep them quiet. You also have the choice www.facebook.com/visualsoundpedals
Also available now are the Bronze Wound/ of internally switching the Pure Tone buffer www.youtube.com/visualsound.usa
Round Core Acoustic “Pyramid Western onor off with each channel. 931-487-9001
Folk”. These strings are reminiscent of
the strings from the `50’s & `60’s before Founded in 1995, Visual Sound continues to
most manufacturers went to Hex cores and grow and expand, while remaining true to
smaller wrap wires. Strings can be ordered their core commitment of “real tone for real
securely online through the website! people”. Wampler Pedals: There are a lot of pedal
makers around that are just very ordinary. An
Toneman is open 10 am to 6 pm (Pacific That commitment has become more than just overdrive, a distortion, maybe a fuzz thrown
Time), Tuesday thru Saturday! a marketing slogan or mission statement: In in, but nothing that really stands apart from
661-259-4544, de1b@earthlink.net, 2012 Visual Sound was proud to announce the rest of the gear world. Maybe there’s noth-
www.tone-man.com its revolutionary Lifetime Warranty for all of ing terrible about being ordinary. Ordinary is
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
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safe and ordinary is comfortable, but the cost the world. When an OEM speaker manu- in the niche we created in 1978. We have
of being ordinary is living inside a box with facturer needed to clear warehouse space manufactured thousands of pickguards and
all the other ordinary companies and builders in 2006, WGS was born and began manu- if you need a replacement or something
who are doing the same old ordinary things facturing and selling American-assembled you envision yourself we can make it hap-
and selling you the same old ordinary tones. guitar speakers to the public. pen. For many years WD® Music has also
But who wants to be ordinary? More impor- carried a full line of replacement parts for
tantly, who wants to sound ordinary? Today we build a wide range of high-qual- just about any stringed instrument.
ity and reasonably priced 10 and 12-inch
Wampler Pedals makes effect pedals that Alnico and Ceramic magnet guitars speak- WD® Music is proud to continue the leg-
are anything but ordinary. Guitarists like ers that celebrate and reprise the golden era acy of Kluson® tuning machines, one of
Wampler Pedals because they want to of speaker manufacturing in the USA and the most respected OEM and replacement
sound extraordinary. They want something England during the ‘60s and ‘70s, includ- tuners for decades. Replace or restore your
that inspires them… to play better, create ing the 15 watt Alnico Black & BlueTM, vintage instrument with genuine Kluson®
music better, and sound better. 50 watt Alnico BlackHawkTM,60 watt tuning machines from WD® Music. We
Veteran 30TM, 25 watt Green BeretTM, 80 stock Kent Armstrong® pickups, L.R.
While other builders play it safe sell- watt British LeadTM, 65 watt ET65TM, 30 Baggs® acoustic gear, Q-Parts® custom
ing products they’ve been making for watt ReaperTM, and 75 watt Retro 30TM, knobs and accessories, Bigsby® tailpieces,
decades, some of them reissuing designs among others. WGS also builds high-power Graph Tech® products, Wilkinson®
that deserve the label “antique,” Wampler bass and PA speakers, and we are constantly bridges, Grover® tuners and accessories,
has constantly pushed the envelope with developing and adding new speaker models Big Bends® maintenance supplies, Guitar
new and exciting products designed to to meet the demands of today’s guitarists. Facelifts, effects and much more.
inspire guitarists to break out of the safety
of the ordinary and into true excellence. Why should you consider buying WGS History is repeating itself with genuine
Providing extremely high quality com- speakers? At a time when speaker manufac- Kluson® tuners, continuing with WD®’s
ponents and genuinely forward-thinking turers have moved production to Asia, com- customer service, and…Stromberg® Jazz
designs at prices that compete very well promising quality and reliability while prices Guitars. No one can attempt or claim to
with anybody in the boutique industry, continue to increase, our speakers are proudly reproduce the prestige of the original arch-
Wampler Pedals has a product to fit virtu- assembled in the USA by a team with decades top Stromberg® guitars. But with history
ally every need. of speaker design and building experience, at in mind WD® is also proud to distribute
a reasonable price. Our employees take pride Stromberg® Jazz Guitars. With six models
Brian Wampler didn’t invent the distortion in building the very best speakers available to satisfy everyone from the serious work-
pedal, but anyone who has used a few of anywhere. Selling direct via the Web enables ing jazz musician to the rockabilly king
his products can tell you he has done at us to keep prices low without compromising Stromberg® offers an affordable, quality
least as much as anyone to make sure that quality. You buy direct from the manufacturer, instrument for almost any taste or style.
the sound in your head can come out of and we proudly stand behind our products Stromberg® jazz Guitars is a small, limited
your speakers. Best of all, it doesn’t stop with fast shipping and exceptional customer production archtop guitar company whose
with what’s available. With Brian Wampler service. For information on the entire range main goals are quality, playability and
continuing to wield the soldering iron like of WGS guitar and bass speakers, please visit affordability. Play one and see.
an artist’s paint brush, the future has some our web site today.
serious tone in store. Wampler Pedals WD® Music Products. Thirty years
rocks today, and will rock tomorrow as Warehouse Guitar Speakers of knowledge, service, quality parts
new tonal options continue to be made www.WarehouseSpeakers.com and accessories waiting to serve you.
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www.wamplerpedals.com needs it, chances are WD® Music has it.
Brian Wampler WD Music Products: As a special offer Old fashioned customer service, genuine
brian@wamplerpedals.com WD® Music Products, Inc. is offering a Kluson® tuners, classic Stromberg® Jazz
10% off coupon to Tonequest readers… Guitars, and so much more.
Visit us at www.wdmusic.com and enter
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note: Coupon good for wdmusic.com web www.WDmusic.com
orders only, offer not valid on wdbiz.com
Warehouse Guitar Speakers® LLC: is an orders.
Internet-based retail speaker supplier and
manufacturer based in Paducah, KY – an For the past thirty years WD® Music
area of the country with a long history in Products has been providing quality ser-
speaker manufacturing that includes the vice and parts to satisfied working musi-
original CTS company, Credence Speakers, cians, discriminating builders and OEMs.
Voice Communication Coil, and Hawley WD® pioneered the field of aftermarket
Products – the oldest cone manufacturer in pickguards and continues to lead the way

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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Analogman Billy F. Gibbons Greg Martin
ZZ Top The Kentucky Headhunters
Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson GuitarWorks Joe Glaser Richard McDonald
Glaser Instruments VP Mktg, Fender Musical Instruments
Mark Baier
Victoria Amplifiers Tom Guerra Joe Mloganoski
Mambo Sons Co-Founder K&M Anaslog Designs
Jeff Bakos
Bakos AmpWorks Johnny Hiland Todd Money
Manager Gibson Repair & Restoration
Dick Boak Gregg Hopkins
CF Martin & Co. Vintage Amp Restoration Justin Norvell
Sr. Mktg Mgr, Fender Guitars
Joe Bonamassa Mark Johnson
Delta Moon James Pennebaker
Phil Brown Artist Relations, Fender Musical Instruments,
Phil Jones Nashville

Acquire Your Personal Copy Dan Butler

Butler Custom Sound
Gruhn Guitars

Mark Karan
Riverhorse

of the 1999-2013 TQR Archives Don Butler

The Toneman
Bob Weir & Ratdog Tommy Shannon
Double Trouble

NEW SALE PRICE

Robert Keeley
Steve Carr Robert Keeley Electronics Todd Sharp
Carr Amplifiers Nashville Amp Service
Gordon Kennedy
You know you want it… you know you need it… Erick Coleman Tim Shaw
Stewart-McacDonald Ernest King Fender Musical Instruments Corp.
In celebration of our 14th year of publication Gibson Custom Shop
Larry Cragg Randall C. Smith
you can now acquire the complete ToneQuest Neil Young Chris Kinman Designer & President, Mesa/Boogie Ltd.
Kinman AVn Pickups
Archives on CD for just $219.00 shipped. Jol Dantzig John Sprung
You will receive every issue of TQR spanning Jol Dantzig Guitar Design Mike Kropotkin American Guitar Center
KCA NOS Tubes
November 1999-April 2014 in PDF format, Ronnie Earl Peter Stroud
Sonny Landreth
keyword searchable for easy reference with a Dan Erlewine Buddy Whittington
Stewart-MacDonald Albert Lee John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
complete Back Issue Index in MS Word. Save
Larry Fishman Adrian Legg Greg V
these files to your PC or tablet for access to Fishman Transducers Los Angeles
Dave Malone
every review article and interview. Bill Finnegan The Radiators Lou Vito
Klon Centaur
Order now online at www.tonequest.com using Jimbo Mathus Mike Voltz
Lindy Fralin R&D / Product Development, Gibson Memphis
the coupon code TQXCD at checkout or by Shane Nicholas
phone at 1-877-MAX-TONE (629-8663). Offer Peter Frampton Sr. Mktg Mgr, Fender Guitar Amplifers

expires July 1, 2014, so don’t delay! Greg Germino René Martinez

Germino Amplification The Guitar Whiz

The ToneQuest Report™ (ISSN 1525-3392) is published monthly by Mountainview Publishing LLC, P.O. Box 717 Decatur, GA. 30031-0717, 1-877-MAX-TONE,
email: tonequest1@aol.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Decatur, GA and At Additional Mailing Offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to:TheToneQuest
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TONEQUEST REPORT V.15 N.8 June 2014