65amps

65amps is a musical equipment manufacturer, founded in 2002 (incorporated in 2004) by Dan Boul and Peter Stroud. Based in North Hollywood, CA, they manufacture hand-wired tube-powered guitar and bass amplifiers and cabinets.

Origin of the company

Advances in in-ear monitor technology and the pursuant lower stage volumes led to the need for low-powered amplification solution for guitar players that still sounded as full and rich as larger tube amps. Peter Stroud and long-time friend Dan Boul developed an amp in Boul's garage that would be robust enough for Stroud's show with Sheryl Crow while he played it at low volume. The amp was first shown to the public at the NAMM Show in 2004; Boul left his employer to devote his time to 65amps full-time in 2007.

Concept and design

Boul worked to expand the vocabulary of current low watt amps. He started with an 18 Watt Marshall and a Vintage VOX AC15 as his inspirations, and after much experimentation, he evolved the circuits of his amps to be more tonally versatile.^[1]

65amps are handcrafted in North Hollywood, CA, using high-quality components, including optimized transformers from Mercury Magnetics. The company employs "mil-spec" wiring techniques to ensure a consistent and reliable build for each amplifier.

65amps Product Line

The initial product offering, dubbed the "London,"^[2] made its official debut at the 2005 Winter NAMM show. Subsequently, the company added one or more new amps each year to the product line, which now includes:

• 
  Empire
• 
  London Pro
• 
  Tupelo

Guitar amps

• Tupelo - Handwired 20 watt, solid state rectifier, 2 x 6V6 power section, head or combo; it aims to replicate the classic American circuitry of the late 1950s and early-to-mid-1960s. Released January, 2010.^[3]
• London - Handwired 18 watt, tube rectified, 2 x EL84 power section, 12AX7, EF86, tremolo. The London offers 2-amps-in-one. Released January, 2005.^[4]
• Marquee Club - 35Watt (4 x EL84), tube rectified, 3 x 12 AX7, two channels. 65 Amps second model introduced after the London. One 12AX7 is in a "cascode" circuit instead of using an EF86 as was used in the London. It is a bigger sounding, louder version of the London in some respects, endowed with great headroom and presence.^[5]
• Stone Pony - 25 or 50 Watt (2x7591), tube rectified, EF86-12AX7 cathode follower. Employs an EF86 preamp tube feeding a 12AX7 phase inverter. Released January 2008^[6]
• SoHo - 20 watt (2 x EL84) or 35 watt (4 x 7591), Tube rectified, EF86-12AX7 cathode follower. Released January 2007.^[7][8]

Bass amps

• Apollo - 50 Watt tube bass head and 1x15 cabinet. Winner of Bass Gear's Outstanding Amp for 2009 Award. Apollo features a 3-way “Pad” switch that adjusts the input levels to accommodate modern basses with active electronics. Released January, 2010 ^[9]

References

1. ToneQuest Report, February 2005 http://tonequest.com/default.asp Archived 2010-01-18 at the Wayback Machine
2. "65Amps London 18 Watts of Bliss" Archived 2010-08-16 at the Wayback Machine by Ward Meeker and Bob Tekippe, Vintage Guitar, August 2007.
3. "65Amps Tupelo Combo Amp Review", Steve Ouimette, Premier Guitar Magazine, September 2010.
4. "65Amps London 65 Amplifier and Cabinet" by Paul Riario, Guitar World, March 2007.
5. ToneQuest Report, January 2007.
6. Guitar and Bass Magazine Archived 2010-08-31 at the Wayback Machine, July 2009.
7. Premier Guitar Magazine, October 2007.
8. "65amps SoHo Archived 2010-09-25 at the Wayback Machine", Dave Hunter, Guitar Player, February 2008.
9. "Geared: 65Amps Apollo - Product Profile" Archived 2011-03-02 at the Wayback Machine, Rave, January 2010.

External links

• "Official website". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2021-11-15.
• Sixty-Fiveamps.com, fan site documenting 65amps various products