Based in Essex, amp guru David Lane is well known for his amp repair and customising work, and for some time now he’s also been building his own range of all-valve amplification. Last year, we looked at David’s Classic Blues 30, which is a close reproduction of the legendary Marshall JTM45, complete with a pair of KT66 output valves. As anyone who’s plugged into one will know, the JTM45 is big and loud – so this month we’ve picked out David’s latest addition, a compact lower-output alternative called the Classic Blues 15. It keeps the same circuit and layout but swaps KT66s for a pair of 6V6s to produce around 15 watts.
Like its bigger brother, the Classic Blues 15 is a traditional all-valve head that’s surrounded by a tough vinyl-clad plywood sleeve with a heavyweight perforated-steel rear-panel to protect the valves and help keep things cool. The electronics sit in a robust steel chassis, which supports all the valve bases and a generously sized pair of mains and output transformers.
Inside, the electronics sit on a heavy-duty eyelet board – a thick slab of Bakelite drilled and fitted with brass eyelets into which the resistors and capacitors are soldered, with hand-wired pots and valve bases bolted to the chassis. Eyelet boards tend to be associated more with American designs because this is how vintage Fenders were built, while many old British amps favoured turret board construction. In terms of audio fidelity and standing up to the knocks, there’s little or no difference between the two methods. What’s more important on valve designs like this one is the parts quality and layout.
Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sonic Shaper
Electro-Harmonix revisits the effect that launched the company with the LPB-3 Linear Power Booster and EQ
Platinum Blonde
PRS has updated its Texas-voiced David Grissom signature amp with more features, lower wattage and a more approachable price tag
TAN LINES
Many of us regard straps as a bit of an afterthought, but to find one that matches the quality of a custom or vintage guitar, Rod Boyes of Pinegrove Leather can help
ELECTRIC STRINGS
Your tone starts with your strings - strike a balance between sound, tuning and durability with six of our favourites
DIFFERENT WINDS
While there's no end to repros of all the classic pickup styles, more and more pickup makers are mixing things up to move forward - Cream T is a good example
Long termers
A few months' gigging, recording and everything that goes with it - welcome to Guitarist's longterm test report
Top Guns
Chapman's new factory move coincides with a bit of a rethink. We track down the key players all around the world
the Wishlist
Dream gear to beg, borrow and steal for...
Reach For The Star
Earlier this year Guild reorganised its 70s-era Polara range. We spent some time with this mid-range 2024 model: a modern pawn-shop prize or a copy too far?
HIGH FLYER
Adrian Thorpe of ThorpyFX remembers the flight path - and turbulence behind Chris Buck's Electric Lightning overdrive/boost, named after a fighter jet and packing a bona fide valve