Warktone Amps at The Laboratory in Deptford NJ!

Warktone are now being sold at The Laboratory in Deptford NJ!

Specifically, model #2, the 5e3 featured most recently on this blog, is available for test driving and purchase! Go check it out.

For more info, here's my official blurb:

What we have here is a spot-on replica of a 1959 Fender 5e3 Tweed Deluxe 1x12. Built by hand in 2009, this amp has all high-quality, period correct components, including Sprauge Atom filter capacitors, Mallory 150 signal caps, a Weber alnico sigature 12 speaker, weber transformers, REAL VINTAGE Sylvania 12ay7 preamp tube, New J/J 12ax7 phase inverter tube, REAL VINTAGE Philco 5Y3 rectifier tube, and new Sovtek 6V6 power tubes (not pictured, but that's whats in the amp). The wiring is period-correct 18 guage cotton-insulated solid core, on a period-correct cardboard eyelet board. The cabinet is also a Weber, period-correct pine construction with an "aged-tweed/oxblood" finish.

For those familiar with the 5e3, you know what you're in for. This amp has that classic tweed deluxe sound, with early break-up that is very touch sensitive and responsive, and this is one of those amps that will let the natural sound of you guitar shine through. You can get a nice clean tone out of this amp at low volumes, but due to the nature of these amps, expect breakup to happen around 3-4 on the dial (out of 12). This amp is totally giggable, being lightweight and powerful enough to fill a small room and hold up against a drummer, although putting a mic in front of it will give you the most flexibility.

This amp was hand-built by me and Jim, and I will warranty the amp as free from defects for 1 year, and will service the amp beyond that as needed, for a nominal fee. The only fine print is that tubes are not covered, being that they wear out over time. Average tube life can be expected to be 1-2 years for the power tubes, 4 or more for the rest. Because of the design of this amp rebiasing is generally not nessacery when replacing tubes, although power tubes should be a matched pair. Because of the nature of the construction & quality of the parts, however, it is likely this amp will not need servicing for 20 years or more, just like the real thing.

The amp is currently on consignment at The Laboratory in Depford, NJ, and as such can be checked out at any time, without appointment. Just go in and ask for the "Warktone"

everyone i went to highschool with is not, in fact, dead.

let me introduce myself. I'm this guy. I'm currently the guitarist in the silence kit, but i've also played in a number of other bands, the first and closest to my heart being dubbed in english, a band I started with some guys i met on a bbs(remember those?) way back in 1996.

anyway, being a tone-snob guitarist, and finally getting sick of the fact that nobody in south jersey can competently work on tube guitar amps i finally decided to start tinkering with them myself, and that quickly led to building my own. my first amp build was a Dave Hunter Two-Stroke, which was a great success and is now being happily played by some guy in New York. I'll talk more about that build and my experiences in a later post. i'm now working on a straight up 5e3 clone (a 1957 tweed Fender Deluxe) that i am working on with a friend, and will be posting some details on that as well.

which brings me to the point of this blog - amps in particular, and guitar tone in general. i plan on turning this amp building hobby into some sort of a semi-business, building high-quality handmade custom and cloned amps - and any thoughts i have along the way i'll be sharing here. comments are welcome.

i'll probably also be talking about bands i like (the cure, new order, joy division, faith no more, death cab for cutie, etc), and might occasionally write a crazy drunk post about how the end of mgs4 made me cry cool about video games i've played.

please to enjoy.