Alessandro/Hound Dog English

One Channel; treble, mid, bass

Sound is ridiculously good. I bought it as few years ago off ebay, but it was way too loud for bedroom use -- it sat unused. I started playing in a gigging original three-piece rock band again a year ago, and bought an Allesandro power attenuator and an old Matchless 212 cab off ebay, and the result is fantastic rock sound -- thick, fat, sweet, bright if necessary, breaking up in just the right way. I use a Suhr tele, a 79 strat, a 78 custom tele, and a Les Paul. All sound different, but great. I don't use any pedals -- just plug in and kill.

No problems yet in a year of consistent gigging. It looks so pretty (flamed maple), I keep thinking it will break down. You can tell what sort of women I dated.

Playing since about 1978. My favorite amp ever, except for maybe a 1958 Fender Harvard I played in a music store about a year ago -- but that was real bedroom gem.

Single channel, Class A, EL84 based tube amp. Volume, bass, mid and treble controls, all VERY active and responsive. 4, 8 and 16 ohm selector in back. All the controls and features you need, and certainly all I'd ever want . . .

Mine has a flame maple cab and an upgrade on one of the power tubes.

This is where this amp excels . . . It's paired with an Alessandro 2 x 12 cab loaded with Celestion Alnico Blues, connected by an Alessandro Studio 2 speaker cable. The sound is best described as Three Dimesional. Rich and lush, allowing you to craft your own tone at any volume. Works great with high-quality effects, but be careful: It will expose the weaknesses of anything you put in the signal path! I play a strat, SG and Les Paul, Jr. All sound awesome (and very different) through this amp.

Not a single problem in over 2 years.

George is the man! He is easily accessible, infinitely knowledgeable and stands behind his products.

I've been playing for over 30 years and have had occasion to play through plenty of gear. Simply put, I have yet to hear an amp that sounds as good to my hears as this one. It wasn't cheap, but it's an ABSOLUTE BARGAIN for what you get.

Everything George Alessandro makes is the bomb. I've got his headphones and cables, too. All highly recommended.

This is a 2006 Alessandro english with caps/resistor/and wire upgrade- basically a high end
It has 1 channel and relies on your pick attack and the guitar volume control to go from clean to distorted.
Although only a single channel amp - it's versatile enough to use almost in any kind of band ( except heavy metal)
I use this in a pop/alternative band that plays original music. This amp suits my style perfectly and allows me to Express myself completely.
I'm using JJ EL84's and Jan/Phillips 5691 Pre amp tubes(Stock)
I also use Alessandro Instrument 2 Cable and high quality monster speaker cable.

This amp always sounds clear - even when the amp volume is maxed.
The tone controls are very versatile and allow many different combinations but this amp is primarily bright and I find I prefer soloing on the neck pickup although even when using the bridge pickup the amp is never piercing.
The sound is unique and very smooth and pleasing . It's very well suited to bluesy/Modern Jazz type stuff but I think this amp will also do well in a U2/Tom Petty kind of band etc....
Definitely from the Vox AC30 camp but much more refined - less boom and and very complex tone all round.
I'm using a vox 2x12 cab with Celestion Blues which I think is a must.
The amp is very very quiet except for tube hiss which is quite normal
I'm using a Santana 2 with this amp and all I can say is - Perfect!!!!

Had it for a few months but from what I've seen ( in and out) it's built to last.
very neat wiring and soldering work -
My only concern was the packiging - it's a large box filled with poystyrene pieces .
The amp sits in the middle surrounded by polystyrene loose pieces.
I was lucky as my amp was unharmed but i suspect that from a lot of moving the pieced could eventually separate and the amp could move to a side of the box and get damaged.
I would prefer four solid polystyrene corners and the loose pieces.
I also would like to see better tube sockets as the sockets on my amp allow play on the actual tube pins and also the tubes look like they can tip over easily so tube clamps would also be a welcome addition

George alessandro is really great to deal with.
He's probably extremely busy but always replies to email promptly.
his prices are really competative considering the quality of what you're getting.
I will definitely buy more amps from him in the future.

I own a marshall Slash/several mesa boogies/a couple of fenders and have played the new vox CC2 and many other amps.
To say an amp is the best I've ever heard is not something that I can relate to easily as any amp in the right hands /situation can be great - This is definitely a great great amp and easily one of my all time favorites.It records really well and live it absolutely kill in small to medium clubs.

The English is a ?Class A? 20 watt (conservatively rated) head. The power tubes consist of four EL84/6BQ5?s (no biasing required for tube change) with a two 6SL7/5691 octal preamp. Front controls are guitar input, volume, treble, middle, bass, standby and power. On the back is the speaker ohm selector (4-8-16), two speaker jacks, fuse and power cable connector. Outside cabinet dimensions are 8.5?H x 13.5?W x 9.0? deep. Cabinet is constructed from oak. This is a base model (no upgrades). Very small, tastefully designed, well built amplifier. The kind of class that comes with understatement.

First of all, don?t let the ?20 watt? label worry you. This amp has enough clean head room to hold its own with a very loud 5 piece band consisting of partially deaf old guys.

Second, I expect my amp to cover all styles of music. Many English amps don?t work well for me because sometimes the amp has too much mid range for certain styles of music. When the mids are decreased, the tone sometimes becomes weak and anemic. This will not happen with the Alessandro English. The amp has just the right amount of mid range to add ?meat? when soloing, but still sound ?Fenderish? enough to put a smile on the face of a devout ?tweed? owner.

Third, I really enjoy the way a low watt, EL84 tube amp responds when on the edge of breakup. The problem is, that ?sweet spot? is extremely hard to achieve. The room is either too small to really push the amp, or the room is too large and the amp starts to compress. The English really shines here. This amp always seems to have the right amount of volume for any size room. I guess you could say it has one big ?sweet spot?. The way this amp breaks up, the note definition, punch, sustain, overtones, etc. have to be felt to be understood. It will change the way you play.

Forth, Yes (at the risk of sounding trite), this amp has ?bell? like highs, the Vox jangle, tight low end and rich mids. Everyone says that about this amp. Believe the hype! This amp has the best sounding highs (never harsh or abrasive) and the most even tone across all strings that I have yet to hear from the other amps I?ve owned.

Fifth, The English does not use a rectifier tube. This worried me. One of the things I enjoy about vintage tube amps is the way the rectifier tube begins to sag/compress as you turn up the volume. No worries here. This amp has the perfect amount of compression as volume is increased.

Finally, let me confess: I?m not a straight in kind of guy. I play a Tele with light compression into an Xotic RC pedal (adds a bit of edge at lower volumes), a volume pedal and delay through a 2x12 cabinet with Celestion Blue?s.

I believe my amp was the prototype for the English, built in 1996. I play everyday and it just always works.

George Alessandro seems to be a very nice and knowledgeable guy. He promptly responds to emails.

I?m an old guy (54), and I have to admit I have a sickness? I?m a tone snob. I love tube amplifiers. I have owned many great amps through the years. Before buying, I research the amp for months. I try to use Harmony Central as part of my decision making process, however, many times it?s difficult. Often reviewers give straight 10?s without clearly identifying what makes the amp a ?10?. I hope this review of the Alessandro English Coonhound will help in your quest for tone. I still audition other amps, but I always come back to the English. ?When you?re done searching for great tone, you?re done?.

Only 4 knobs, but that is all you need with this amp. I have the basic version with no upgraded filter caps or wire.

The amazing thing about the english is it's clarity. There is this really sweet high end extension that I've never heard in any other amp I've played. It's similar to the traits of a great acoustic guitar without the abrupt transients that an acoustic produces. It has wonderful chime with balanced lows and rich mids. Great touch sensitivity, too. I was surprised at how loud it was. I took it to my rehearsal a few days after I got it and found that it has just the right amount of clean headroom to hang with my loud power trio. Both my drummer and bass layer commented on its sound. They both said it sounded bigger than any amp they've heard me play (which includes Bogners, Fenders, and another Alessandro). I think it has something to do with being able to really get the tubes on the verge of saturation without blowing everyone's eardrums out since it is only 20 watts. This amp takes pedals better than any amp I've owned. I typically run a tonebone classic or tube driver through it, and sometimes an experience pedal for the fuzz face sound. The pedals never sound constricted or muddy. It sounds like they are going straight to the power tubes. Perhaps it's the octal preamps tubes that provide that kind of transparency. What also struck me about this amp is how well you can control the amount of overdrive from your guitar volume knob. No other amp I've tried does it this well--even when there is a pedal on, you can get some cleaner tones if you want. The "in between" tones that occur between clean and all out saturation are also phenomenal. If you dime the amp you will get blistering overdrive with harmonics flying out everywhere. This is my favorite amp I've ever played. I've played a number of great ones, but this one is special.

I bought it used and I've owned it for about a month. No issues yet, but I can't comment on reliability. If its anything like my alessandro bloodhound, then I doubt there will be problems with it.

I've emailed George in the past about my bloodhound, and he's always been prompt to answer and very helpful.

I'm glad I got mine for the price I did. After playing it, I would've paid twice that much. Highly recommended.

English purchased 11/99 with wire and resistor upgrades. I use amp with a '59 Gibson 335 for spectacular vintage R&B and Blues tones for both great rhythm sounds and solo tones. I don't used it for country music with my telecaster. I like the simplicity: It has what I need and doesn't have un-needed features; I used every feature and miss nothing it doesn't have. Perfect!
I use it in small clubs with capacities up to 200 people. It never sounds too loud on stage, and all feedback indicates it sounds superlative everywhere in the clubs regardless of audience size.
This amp and guitar are my top R&B and Blues sound.
I commissioned a chassis cab of poplar wood painted black. It has no vents on the sides or top and overheats with the open back, quickly burning out the quad of 84 tubes (about 40 hours).
The cabinet feet came unglued and required modification.
I use a 2xG12 cab and am very happy with the sound and relative transporting convenience. I have never used a 4x12 cabinet.

I usually set the vol. treb. mid. bass controls close to 12 o'clock (varied from 10 to 2 o'clock. Control setting are very easy and intuitive. A studio engeneer commented that the amp had a very low noise floor.
The tones are very sweet and soft, and when the guitar's settings are increased the overdrive is very rich and dynamic. Perfect!

I experience the tubes burning out and getting excessively mushy on about the 8th gig. With a second set of power tubes I would consider the amp reliable.

The company asked me to return the amp for examination and chassis modification and repair, but I didn't feel like shipping it again.

I began performing publically in 1964 and have allways used Fender Amps. The English provides an improvement for specific uses. I would probably use it most of the time except the a Fender combo is much easier to transport and set up (I'm getting old). The English head with gig bag and the 2x12 cab (and my guitar gig bag) are still a one-trip gig-rig.

Serail #1 The first George made, but not sure what year. This amp has minimal features, but that is really the idea. One input, master volume, treble, mid, and bass. Two outputs with switchable impedence.

The knobs work! That and the volume knob on the guitar are very effective in changing the sound of the amp

Grosh guitar with virtual v and a PRS with dragons. I play mostly blues and seek that vintage sound. This amp certainly delivers that sound and more. I hate comparisons to existing amps since it makes it sound like one amp is trying to imitate another amp, but the English really delivers that jangly Vox tone with a clarity and depth that I have never heard in a Vox.

As the amp is pushed the overdriven tones are really sweet. Distortion is simply not a fair adjective since all the overtones and harmonics remain.

This amp runs nicely in my house or out on a gig. In most cases I set the master at one or two o'clock and control output with the guitar volume knob. In my experience this the best setting to achieve consistent tone at different outputs. At settings below ten o'clock on the amp, it sounds weak and dismal.

Although I have never played in a large hall, the amp has plenty of headroom for everything smaller. I can't say enough good things about this amp. Don't take my word for it - try one for yourself.

Never a problem in the six months I owned it. George Alessandro cares about quality and I am certain would do whatever it takes to fix the amp if something did happen. I have a small hum in my amp present at all volumes that he offered to fix w/o cost even though I am not the original owner. It doesn't bother me enough that I am willing to lose the use of the amp for the week or two it would take to ship to and from.

See above

I have one of the early versions. Alessandro now offers numerous upgrades which I am certain improve the sound. Only problem is that these amps are getting really expensive. I am glad I bought mine used and at a great price.

I have owned a number of Matchless & Boogies amps - this has its own unique sound, which to my ears is superior. I will probably keep this amp for a long time, just because of its unique sound and the quality of its sound.

This amp isn't loaded with features. Bass, Mid, Treble and Volume....that's it on the front panel. Rear panel includes two speaker jacks, olmage selector, (4,8 and 16), fuse and power cord socket. All you need to dial in a great tone. By the way this is a stock English. I belive it was built in '98. It has a flamed maple cab, which is really beautiful if you are into that sort of thing.

This amp has an incredible ability to capture pick articulation. Even with full on distortion sounds you can bring out a clean, slicing high end that isn't an icepick in your ears. This is what this amp excells at IMO. It is the most expressive amp I've ever played through. With this amp you don't need channel switching, you need a developed touch. And if "Tone is in the Hands", this amp will help you find your touch sooner than any other. I've been playing for more years than I care to remember and even now I am finding more sounds in this amp than I thought possible with just the "Hands". The transition between the clean and dirty sounds is the smoothest I've ever heard. The amp delivers more roar than fizz which is exactly what I'm looking for....when I lay into this amp every head on stage turns as if to ask, "Where is THAT sound comming from!?!?". The amp is loud. I kinda wish I had opted for the "Beagle" which is the 10 watt version of this amp. Sometimes I use a THD Hotplate to knock the volume down a bit.

George Alessandro is a great craftsman. His reputation is deserved. I think I would trust his amps as much as any other tube amp. But really, anything can happen to a tube on a gig, you just never know.

George Alessandro will take all the time you need to talk about his amps. His repair work is fast and reliable.

The English really is a great amp. If there was anything I wish it had it might be a circuit to cut the power in half by swiching off two of the output tubes. Some of the gigs I do are just not tolerant of the volume that this amp can produce.

This review is the second Bay Area 'shoot-out'. In response to the first shoot-out, John Bartlett and Brian Hill volunteered their TopHat Club Royale and King Royale, respectively. Oleg Tomashevsky brought his recently purchased Dr. Z Carmen Ghia, Pete Cage sent an 18/00 head and I brought my stock Alessandro English and George sent an upgraded English for comparison (see review for details on the differences). The price given for each amp is list price at the time of purchase, not necessarily what you would pay. Contact your nearest dealer or the manufacturer for your price.
The guitars used to evaluate the amps were a Grosh Retro Classic with Fralins and a rosewood fretboard, an older Fender strat with Rio Grandes and a maple neck, a PRS McCarty and a Tele clone with a stock Fender Telecaster pickup in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan in the bridge position and a maple neck.
In the interest of time, we used the tubes that were in each amp rather than switching tubes to optimize each amp. First, the owner of each amp did a quick run through of what he likes about his amp. Then the other 3 played the amp, changing guitars to get the overall tonality. Finally, we recorded each amp with every guitar on to Brian's Roland digital recorder.
E-MAIL - if you have general questions about this review that are germane to this post, please post a follow-up. If you have specific questions for one of us, please contact us via e-mail: scott.weaver@etak.com, olegt@pmanet.org, brianh@sirius.com.
Before describing what we heard, we should provide a little information about each participant and their preferences.
First up, Oleg Tomashevsky - I play single-coil (Van Zandts, Fralins and Duncan P90s) equipped Fender Strats and Don Grosh guitars. What I mainly appreciate in an amp is an ability to fatten single coil tone while preserving articulation and definition. I do appreciate high-end complexity but only after I hear strong (not TS9 honky, though) midrange. My favorite guitar tones are the ones of mid 70's Ritchie Blackmore and Tommy Bolin.
Brian Hill - I play a few different styles - mainly rock, funk, blues and jazz. I like amps that are versatile but I mainly want a good clean sound and a good overdrive sound. I particularly like amps with which I can smoothly go from one to the other just by changing the guitar's volume and/or my picking. Some of my favorite guitar tones are Eric Clapton's on the first Cream album (particularly his lead tone on 'Sleepy Time Time'); Jimi Hendrix's on the album 'Axis Bold As Love' (pretty much all the guitar tones); Mike Bloomfield's on 'Super Session'; just about all Bill Frisell's clean tones, especially those on the album 'Bill Evans' by Paul Motion, Prince's rhythm tones on tunes like 'The Kiss'; Eddie Van Halen's on the first three Van Halen albums.
Scott Weaver - I grew up listening to Queen. Brian May's guitar tone does it for me. I also love the sound that Mike Campbell gets with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers and Peter Buck with REM. I play a Grosh Retro Classic with Fralin single coils although I love a good Les Paul style guitar w/humbuckers. What I look for in an amp is balance throughout the entire frequency range (bass, low mids, high mids and treble) and a lot of detail and complexity. I love to play clean, semi-distorted and full tilt distorted (not metal) so I look for an amp that can do all three well. If I can control that from my guitar volume, that is even better.
Unfortunately, John was unable to complete his portion of the review due to work travel. Hopefully, he will post his comments at a later time.
ALESSANDRO ENGLISH - HIGH-END Head only; 4-EL84 based power amp; 2-6SL7 all octal (optional 12AX7) pre-amp; Class A; 20 watts; single channel with volume, treble, mid, bass controls; 2 speaker jacks; speaker impedance selection for 4, 8, 16 ohms; wired with Audioquest functionally perfect silver wire; all Black Gate caps in the power supply; all copper in oil coupling caps; audio