65amps Soho

Very simple amp even down to the retro 1960s dials on the front. Single channel with optional 'bump circuit and master volume feature. Bearing inmind that there is no channel swithing and that effects work will all be upstream, I would have liked to see an effects loop in the circuit like Mesas have. The UK version that I have has the impedance set at 16 ohms which is not usual for cabinets in this country

I am using a range of Telecasters and Stratocasters with Fishman, Fender and Seymour Duncan pickups. Tone is bright and crisp with the gain down but the real beauty of this amplifier is how it reacts around the edges. It breaks up beautifully in the same way my old Hiwatt DR103 does but unlike using the Hiwatt I do not need to put the roof back on the house aftwerwards to get the tone I want

Never broken

Never had to call on them but I understand that they can be difficult to reach.

A fine amplifier for most applications. Records beautifully. Is a great addition to a set up that includes Mesa and Hiwatt gear.

This is a review for the 65 amps Soho HP model. The only notable difference is the addition of two more EL84's to the power section making it 35 watts, although it is switchable down to 22 watts like the standard Soho. Nice little feature that allows for more headroom although I've found that I keep it at the half power mode because the overdrive on this amp is so phenominal.

It's a 2x12 combo with a Celestion G12H and a Celestion Gold. I love mismatched speakers and this is a great combo. I would definitely recommend the gold speaker instead of the blue if you go with the higher watt 35 amp. Gives it more headroom which matches up better with the G12H.

Overall great features for a single channel class A amp. The tone controls are very usable and the bump feature with it's own set of tone and boost controls really is nice especially when recording to get those slightly different tonal pallets.

My favorite feature is the master volume. Outside of recording I have never been able to really turn an amp up. No matter if I'm playing in a 250 capacity bar or 5000 seat auditorium no sound man would ever let me turn an amp up to it's full range, so having a very usable master volume that sounds great at lower volumes makes this amp stand out.

Great clear sound. I think that's the best way to describe it. Very articulate when clean and the overdrive on both the normal side and bumped side is very smooth. I would rate it more of an 18 watt marshall overdrive although it's got a nice beef to it that I would normally use a fender to get.

Overall it mikes up very well both live and in the studio. It get's that beautiful wide open sound that you've got to have. I've been using it live with a couple pedals that I want to mention as they have been working very well together. One is the Z Vex Box of Rock. These two combined nail the heavy JTM 45 sound. The other pedal I wanted to mention is the Aphek Model T Peanut Butter Drive. I've been using it to get that half open Vox chimey gain sound. Although this combination has a little more responsive low end and at about the third of the volume.

I'm assuming it will live up to what I need to. I've already put it through a little 2 month tour and it did very well. My only beef is that switching out tubes is a little hard to do and requires removing the chasis to do it right. I'm used to the open back design of Matchless and Bad cat amps and so it was a little annoying having to get out the tools to re-tube it. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and balance out their score because the amp is a damn good looking amp.

Excellent amp. It's ability to record so well makes it an amp that you should definitely look at. I used a london in a studio 2 years ago and it turned me onto this company. Chose the Soho because of the master volume but the London 18 is another incredible choice you should look into as well. I think I might just have to break down and go with both eventually.

I think I should mention that what really sold me on this amp is that although it's in the boutique eL84 category it's not overly chimey like the Matchless and Bad Cat type amps I'm used to. All great amps but, instead of overwhelming chime it's incredibly clear and articulate which I've learned translates to miking very well live and in the studio. I've spent quite a few frustrating sessions being overwhelmed by the dripping harmonics of other amps that sound great in the room but cover too much frequency space when mixed in a band situation. Just food for thought.

2xEL84's, tube rectified. EF86 feeding a 12AX7 with 65's "Bump" feature which is amazing. Bypassable Master Volume that is the most realistic Master I've ever heard.

This is the most versatile little amp I've ever heard!

I use it for session gigs in LA and small to medium club gigs.

I plays Strats, Pauls and Teles through it and it completely reveals the character of each guitar better than anything I've ever played.

With the Bump off, it's sounds like the best Fender sound around. So much detail without any non musical crud. I love it.

When the bump is on, I can get great 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's high gain British Marshall, Vox and HiWatt sounds easily! All the distortion settings are smooth and rich. Nothing has offended me about this amp yet!

The amp has worked flawlessly through about 6 months of abuse so far. I looked inside and it looks like it's built like a tank. The wiring is extremely clean and artful. It looks like these guys go the extra mile. All the components look like top-shelf parts. No cheap caps or resistors anywhere.

I worked with Dan Boul on the phone and on email before buying and he and his staff were amazingly helpful and talked me through a lot of dumb questions without condescending to me like most amp builders do. It was a real pleasure!

Had it for 6 months and use it at length 5 days per week and no problems whatsoever. It actually sounds better now than when I bought it.

I love the vocabulary of the amp and the Master sounds so real I can't believe it! My wife doesn't get mad at all . . . finally!

65 Amps Soho Head bought new in September 2007. Amp is great for what I need - I have to cover 6o's through 80's rock, country and country rock, blues, R&B and some pop. Works great for all these styles.

While there's no channel switching, between the straight amp setting,the bump feature, and the bypassable master, the amp can give you a lot of flexibility if you play around with it for a little while. The low input is actually useful too. the amp has nice cleans and sings when you hit it hard. Great tone.

I have used the amp at indoor and outdoor venues, and it's surprisingly loud for a 20 watt output section. At small venues the volume level is great, and at larger events, the band is miked, and the stage volume is great for me and the other players as well

The amp gets a nice American style clean at a good volume level, and changes to more British sound as the gain, volume, and bump are kicked up. Great tone either way. I can get tones that are fender like, voxy, and marshall like but it still has it's own take on these sounds. I don't use the bump very much with the master kicked in, but that's due to personal preference - all combinations are very usable.

Distortion is nice and beefy, but not brutal- it's not that kind of amp.The amp is really quiet even at high gain settings,

Haven't owned it long enough yet to really know about reliability, but the amp is very well made with high quality components.

I haven't owned it very long yet but based on some communication with the company before I bought the amp, their response seems very good. One Sunday, I thought I'd just call and see if somebody was around to answer questions. Noone was there but about a half hour later, I get a call from Dan Boul on my cell. He's at a show but got my message that I had some questions about which amp would work best for my situation. He was really helpful, and took some time even though I could hear there was a lot going on in the background.

I have been playing a long time - over 35 years - and I have had the good fortune to own a number of good amps including Matchless, Fender, Marshall, VHT, and Dr.Z. This is the only amp I use now, and it I would buy another in a heartbeat if it was lost or stolen.
I chose this amp because of it's great tone, organic feel, it's versatility, and I wanted an amp that would give me a big sound in a relatively low wattage rating. In all these ways it just sounded and felt better to me than the others I tried or had owned before. This amp is one of the best, if not the best, sounding amps I have ever played and is worth every penny. If I could add one thing to this amp, it would be a tremelo.

Amp was purchased new in the summer of 2007. Saw Keith Urban on tour using 65 amps this summer and his tone was over the top and then after watching him play Gimme Shelter on Earth Day I pulled the trigger on this one. I believe Keith is using a Royal Albert but I wanted the tone bump and master volume which is available on the Soho (difference between club use and stadiums!). This amp has a by passable master volume and you can turn the tone boost on or off. The combination gives a tremendous amount of choices all of which are good. I almost went with a London and after getting this one it is next on my list. It is very difficult to buy an amp without playing it first so i hope they get a dealer in Arizona (hint if you are reading this Peter Stroud)

Really tight clean sounds and nice fat distortion. No need for a pedal because you can dial in Creedence (Saw John Fogerty and he is using a 65)or country twang or fat raunchy Angus. It would be nice to have channel switching but I have never found an amp that can do it all at once. Tried a Matchless Independence which had channel switching but couldn't really get my tone that I was looking for. You can always back off the volume but it seems to cut some of the high end. Although I mentioned above you can dial in one tone and stick with it but I found that for me I just run an Keeley modified tube screamer and play with just a bit of chunk and hit the pedal for leads. Perfect fat classic rock tone.

No problems with heavy use. Hot here in AZ and no issues.

Never called.

Been paying for 20 years and own a Marshall JCM 800, couple of Boss modified pedals, a custom shop tele and historic Les Paul. All I need really. This amp suits my style of 60s, 70s and 80s rock.

Amp was made in 2007 in California. Right out of the box I was able to get great smoking tones. This is the second amp I have purchased from 65. I have a London that I really dig but this amp takes the London to a higher level. There are a lot of tones in this amp and variables to tinker with however not so complicated that you have to work at it. First option is a mid boost and a by passable overdrive/master volume. When the master is engaged you can get a nice creamy distortion at any volume level and taken out of the circuit a classic AC 30 meets Marshall sound. All told there are 4 distinct sounds available from this amp and small nudges you can make within each of the settings. or you can just flip it on and start playing.

Amp is quiet and very musical. Amp has been road tested by Peter Stroud a nice southern gent with an extremely strong musical vocabulary. there are alot of musicians lending their name to gear these days but very few who built a company from the ground up. His business partner Dan is also a fine player and between the two of them are producing a hot product. There are a few sound clips on their web page but i would like to see and hear more.

Point to point and the London has been a workhorse and I would expect the same for the Soho

Call on the phone and you either get Peter or Dan. I am sure this will change as their amps become more popular but excellent service so far.

I am an amp junkie. I own several other well known hand made amps and this rates as good or better than any of them. Times have changed and with technology and magazines player advertise what they play (or claim to play!) I wish I had known Neil Young played a 57 deluxe before his tone got so muddy. So if you like they way Peter Stroud sounds on the Cheryl Crow cds or Pete Droge you will love this amp. Just think Beatles during the Abbey Road period and that is a good starting point.