Vintone Circuits TooTone Head

The previous review covers the amps features very well. As for my particular custom amp: It has a mahogany tray that wraps around the control panel. There are also two chrome handles for easy travels. Atop the amp there is a chrome see-through hood covering the tubes, transformers, and rectifier. I also got the internal lighting system. This this looks pretty damn awesome on night time gigs. I got a few tone upgrades: auricap tone coupling capacitors and a Hand wound heavy duty Output Transformer. This is a class A amp. It doesn't have tons of extra features, but it has all that I need and want as a tone freak. If there is anything extra that you want Doug Stalters could probably make it happen.

I play a fender custom shop fat strat with kinman blues single coils and a antiquity humbucker. This amp is the end-all amp for, my version of, the perfect tone. I had the guitar of my dreams and this was the perfect compliment. There are so many tones possible from this amp, but i have settled on a few "sweet spots." I can get the creamiest most harmonically sophisticated overdrives tones from this baby. I have top of the line tubes in this beast too (Gold Lion KT88 and mullard CV4004's). This amp is as silent as a mouse too! I really couldn't believe it. I play this head through a Detuned cab that was built by Doug. It's mahogany and has one tone tubby 12 in it. This amp will make you want to play all day and all night.

This thing has a life time warranty for the original owner. It is also built to last. Open up an old fender or marshall and compare the insides... you'll see what i mean. I've had this amp for about 8 months now and i've had NO problems.

Doug will give you the best customer support because he built your amp. Everything is very personal in the vintone business. He was very patient with me during the ordering/building phase. Truely an all round nice guy.

I would definitly buy another one of these if it got broken or stolen. I've played tons of vintage fender and marshall's, as well ad Dr. Z, Orange, and bruno amps. This one is the one for me. It took me 10 years to finally find "my tone." It's here and i'm enjoying every minute of it.

The TooTone gives you two entirely different preamp and power amp sections yielding clean to crunch to smooth gain. Made in 2002 by Doug Stalters of Vintone Circuits. Doug sent this amp to me for review and to make some sound files for him. The two channels can be whatever you want them to be. The TooTone is a Class A amp and is completely self biasing. Several different tubes combinations can be used. You can choose from KT90, KT88, KT77 KT66, 6550, 7027, EL34, 6l6, 6K6, 6V6, 12AX7, 12AU7, 12AT7, 12AY7, 12AZ7, 5881 and 5751 plus a Rectifier tube (GZ34). That's 11 different power tubes and 6 different preamp tubes. Doug can even build you a model that uses a EL84 power tube! (Vox AC4) The output power is between 3 and 12 watts depending on the rectifier and power tube you use at the time. This amp is extremely versatile!

Man, where to start. If you're looking for fat and sassy tone this amp is for you. The clean channel just drips with smooth saturated cleans that can go from clean to smooth crunch tones. This would make an excellent recording amp for rock, country, blues and R&B. It's extremely quiet. For a sample of the amps tones just visit Doug's site at www.vintone.com.

Only had the amp for a review and to make sound bites but the amp is built like a tank and the thing just drips quality when looking at the circuits.

Doug offers a Life Time Warranty on all his amps. Probably the best personalized support you'd ever get anywhere.

Been playing 36 years. I own 8 custom built guitars and several amps and run my own studio. I've reviewed and recorded sound bites for two of Doug's amps and all I can say is the tone of these amps is exceptional. The amount of detail and personal attention to detail is just unbelievable. Doug builds the best amps money can buy and he stands behind them with his personal guarantee. Do yourself and your tone a favor, have Doug build you an amp!

The cabinet is red oak with a wonderful finish. Dove tail joints. Leather handle. Very solid. Black front face and grill with machined aluminum knobs and etched lettering . Two amps in one. There are two single ended amps. They share a common input. Both are kept hot. The footswitch (nice oak piece) is used to relay back and forth between the amps. One amp has four preamps stages. The other (cleaner sound) has three. I have JJ ECC83s and a JJ EL34 in the four stage amp and Sovtek 5751s and a JJ 6L6GC in the three stage amp. Gives me a Fender black face sound on one and nice Marshall crunch on the other. Oversized custom made transformer provides a lot of umph from these small amps. They are loud enough that you need a monitor to practice singing while playing. Volume and gain controls allow you to get good tones at lower volumes when you want to play and the family is watching TV. For miced gigs, I use an Audix D3 in front of the speaker. You can change tubes any time. Plug and Play! I tried a variety before settling back on the original tubes. Doug Stalter know how to match them up better than I do!

Just about any kind of amp tone you want is available. Very rich harmonics. Clean (3 preamp stages) amp is the quietest I have ever heard. The other amp has the slightest bit of hiss when powered way up with much gain, but you have to get on your knees with your head in front of the speaker to hear it. Changing the tubes can take you from buttery smooth tones to rapsody-in-chainsaw. Whatever you want. Need quiter practice? Choose lower powered tubes. Got the blues, go 6V6 or 6L6GC. Need max headroom? Put in KT88s and let'er rip. Just want to play around, get some NOS tubes and go crazy!

Everything about this amp is solid. I would not even consider a backup. The worst that could happen is that you ship it and the gorilla is having a bad day. I would carry extra tubes. I expect to leave this amp to my son in my will. He might even get to pass it on to his son the same way. This amp will probably still be in good playable condition fifty years from now (if I can avoid the gorilla).

Doug Stalter is the best in the business. He isn't Fortune 500, so he doesn't have big budget money to throw around, but he will make your amp right for you. When you deal with a small company, you must be patient. Just remember, it is worth the extra tone! My amp has a lifetime warranty. Doug is younger than me. Hmmm. Doug, stay away from cigarettes and motorcycles, ok.

What can I say. In the thirty years I have been messing around with guitars, I have never had an amp that I love this much. I looks good and sounds better. I have never found this kind of tone anywhere else. Forget modelers, this is the (new) original. If it were lost or stolen, I would hunt down the filthy culprit and rip his dinky little heart from his hairless ....Actually, I would get Doug to make me another one.