There are a few reasons why I do not add reverb and/or tremolo in my amps. When these effects were first added to amps, it made a lot of sense. There were minimal effects pedals available and no one had pedal boards as a standard. Having some onboard effects was very useful. These days most players have a pedal board, and there are a lot of options for reverb, delay, tremolo, boost, overdrive, etc., making the on board effects a bit obsolete in my opinion. Players have a lot more to choose from these days. There is also the cost associated with adding the extra circuity to the amp. It takes longer to build the amp, and it costs more to add this extra circuity to the amp. This cost gets passed on to the consumer, making the overall price of the amp higher. My thought is that money could go to better use by buying some great pedals. Finally, the more things you add to an amp, the higher the probability that these circuits can develop a problem over time. Think about an amp with channel switching, extra switch foot pedals, reverb, etc., there is just simply more possibly of those things developing an issue. I also prefer to keep the signal path straight forward and allow the tube tone to blossom.
Let me start by saying I use each amp in my line myself, and they are all useful in certain situations and for specific purposes. These are the amps I’ve found to be the most useful, desirable and reliable over the past 15 years. That is why I offer each and all of these models. When choosing an amp, I believe you need to consider a few key things. What will be the main use cases for the amp, practice, band, studio, live, etc.? Or perhaps, all of the above? I like to combine the smaller amps with the larger ones when possible, or two smaller ones for a tight setup. Or I’ll choose one for the given application. I offer five basic amps to choose from, SA7, SA14, SA21, SA28, and SA35. The numbers in the name identify the power rating into 8 ohms. The SA7 and SA14 are based off Tweed era amps from the 50’s, so they are smaller, lower power and break up earlier. The tweed type amps can be great for the studio, small band setup, or combined with a higher-powered amp, the SA14 can also hold it’s own live with a drummer. They are more specialized for the decerning player when pushed, or multipurpose at low volumes. The SA21 (coming soon) is a mid-powered amp and similar to brownface era circuits. The SA21 may end up to be the most all around amp in terms of size, weight, performance and power. The SA28 and SA35 are the higher power options I offer these days. Both have plenty of power for guitar amps and can hold up in a full band situation with a loud drummer. The SA28 uses a split load phase inverter and has slightly different character than the SA35. The SA28 has a very percussive punchy response for 28 watts and the split load phase inverter gives it some brown face vibes as well. The SA35 is the highest power amp I offer; it uses a long tail phase inverter and will have the highest headroom of my amp offerings. You may equate it’s power level to that of a mid powered blackface era amp such as a pro or super. You can read more details about each amp in the amp description sections.
I use NOS rectifier tubes in my smaller combos for the following reasons;
For the SA7, it’s based on the Tweed Harvard 5F2A/6G10 circuit. Including the 10-inch speaker for more volume. The original circuit called for a 5Y3GT rectifier, but I like to use a 5V4G for a bit more headroom and punch before natural break up starts and as it sets in. There are no new production 5V4G rectifier tubes. You can use a 5Y3GT also if you choose to.
For the SA14, it’s based on a Tweed Deluxe 5E3 circuit, but with added NFB (negative feedback) and -6dB switch for more control and tonal options. I retain the original 5Y3GT as in the 5E3, but I found some shortcomings in the new production 5Y3G offerings. There are only a few I’m aware of. The SOVTEK 5Y3G tends to rattle in the small combo with that kind of sound pressure level. Also, they don’t drop the proper voltage as a true 5Y3G. That could potentially be good for headroom, but again if they rattle, it defeats the purpose. I haven’t had too much luck with JJ’s in general. I hear TAD has one, but I have not tried it. NOS 5Y3GT can be found for even less than new production. Given all that, I chose to find NOS 5Y3GTs for the SA14. If you want a bit more headroom, you can use a NOS 5V4G.
