Allen Class Act 112 Combo

This is follow up to my review of the Allen Class Act 110 Combo. I have owned this amp for over two years, and uprgraded the cabinet to a 1x12 with a used Celestion Blue speaker that David Allen had for sale. I made my amp from a kit, before the tube rectifier options were available (don't really miss a tube recto for what I play). After playing this amp for the first year, I ended up selling my Marshall (JTM600- a very good amp) and Mesa 2x12 cab to a friend, because the Allen could match or better any tones from the Marshall, with the added benefit of power tube crunch and compression at more managable volume levels. As for "features," I have come to realize that an amp doesn't need to have reverb, channel switching, or whatever the latest fad is to get a "10." It only needs one "feature:" tone.

Still using my homemade strat (one-piece swamp ash body/maple neck/rosewood fretboard, vintage hardware), with 2 SD vintage rails, and a JB Jr. in the bridge. This amp sounds best for what I most enjoy playing: classic rock. Covers everything from 50's/60's tweed rock n'roll to 60's/70's Marshall rock tones including Hendrix, Zep, VH, to 80's JCM800 hair metal. Basically a fender tweed in the low gain input, and a modded Marshall plexi in the high gain input (extra gain stage). There's a little hiss in the high gain with gain cranked, but nothing to worry about. The best tubes I have found for it are El34's, 6v6's, and 6L6's (in that order IMHO). My combo with a 6v6 and the celestion Blue sounds like a nice tweed Deluxe. Current tubes I am using: EL34 power (JJ or Svet), Tungsram ecc83 for V1, and JJ ecc83s in V2. Controls (for both low and high inputs): Master 10, User (mids) 10, Bass 5, Treble 5, Volume 7 (with a Hot Plate to control overall volume). BTW: the high gain channel sounds like crap with the open back combo; you NEED a closed back cab to get nice high gain tones from this amp - I'm using an Avater 4x12 with Eminence GB12's and can get a nice old VH tone (think "1984") with the high gain channel. The amp can get bright like some old Marshalls can, depending on tubes. A JJ ecc83 in V2 darkens the tone a little and mellows the high end to a nice level.

Very reliable. I have not had a problem with it (besides tubes wearing out) for two years. It is now my only amplifier. With the Hot Plate, I can use it for bedroom practicing, and I am also able to use it live (with the 4x12 if more volume is needed). The combo is great for going to jams, where you don't feel like lugging a big cabinet around. 10 watts is a lot louder than you think, especially through very efficient speakers (such as the Celestion Blue), and also when the amp has an emphasis in the mid frequencies, like Tweeds/Marshall, you will have no problems cutting through the mix.

I've e-mailed David Allen a couple of times since purchasing the amp, regarding upgrading the cabinet to a 1x12, and questions about the tone stack. He was very helpful, and quick to respond.

I felt I had to write this review after I read the very negative review below. Perhaps that owner received a lemon, but I would never say that this amp has "dry cardboard tone." Not if you have ever played a Fender Tweed or an old Marshall, which this amp circuitry is modeled after. Very touch sensitive, with the ability to go from clean to crunch by just digging into the strings. For those considering a Class Act, my biggest suggestion would be to make sure to crank the master volume to at least 7 (preferably 10, where it is effectively out of the loop); like most MV Marshalls, the magic doesn't happen until it gets loud (a Hot Plate helps a lot with this amp).

Made in 2001 by David Allen himself. The features are covered in the other reviews and on the Allen website. This one came with a Reverend All-Tone 12" speaker which I love, but it's size prevented use of larger tubes such as the KT-66 or 6550. I put a Weber P12N in it which was a better fit. I ended up taking the chassis out of the cabinet for ease of tube swapping and running it into an external cabinet most of the time anyway.

I got this amp because I wasn't sure which way I wanted to go tube wise. But I knew I didn't want a digital amp. I had also heard how good the Allens did the Fender thing so...

When I first got it I was surprised how loud it was (Weber speaker tamed it down)and since I live in an apartment it took awhile before I really got to hear it. Once I did I knew I had made a mistake, but by then my trail period had expired. Doh!

The best way to describe the "TONE" is dry (the weber didn't help this but I tried it with other speakers as well). And I don't mean lack of reverb, I mean cardboard dry. It can do a fair Champ sound with a 6V6 but I've heard better champs for MUCH cheaper. As for the "baby plexi". Well it doesn't sound like any plexi I've ever heard! Yes it has lots of gain when plugged into the High input, which adds a gain stage. But it sounds more Maestro than Marshall if you ask me. It has a very un-musical tube fuzz sound.

I tried a number of different tubes in it, 6v6's, 6l6's and the 6550 were my favorites. But I never found anything that could justify even half the price of this amp.

This thing randomly fizzes out, I'm pretty sure it's caused by switching from the low gain input to the high gain input while the amp is on. If you play really hard a couple of times the sound will come back. I think this maybe a design flaw but I'm not sure.

It's currently hissy and pinging even when tubes have been swapped so something is broke. But since it never sounded that great I haven't bothered to fix it.

Also the tolex is coming off, even though it's only been a year and it's never been outside of the spare bedroom.

I talked with David a couple of times and he answered my questions. I always got the feeling he would rather be doing something else though. Maybe I just got him at a bad time. I don't need a new friend in anycase, but he certainly didn't seem as friendly as the other reviewers thought. Then again those reviews were pretty glowing in every Category.

I guess you learn from your mistakes and I learned allot from this one. I will probably strip this thing and turn it into a Super Champ someday.

I ended up getting a Carr Rambler after this and I use the Reverend speaker with that. So it wasn't a total waste, just $940 worth.

This is a simple, ALL tube guitar amplifier. It is offered as a 1x10 or 1x12 combo and as head only, I chose the 1x12 combo. You also have a choice of buying it ready to play, or assembling it yourself from a kit. I built this amp from a kit because I enjoy this type of work. (I also saved $300.00!). Based loosely on the 60?s Fender Champ and Marshall plexi amps. Single ended Class A operation with cathode bias. For pictures and current pricing info, go to (www.allenamps.com)
It just kills me how one reviewer rates it low because it doesn?t have reverb, efx loop, etc.etc.(It?s not supposed to!) I chose to evaluate it on whether it has the features necessary to do what it is intended to do. I don?t compare apples to oranges!
This is one of David Allen?s newest designs. The Class Act is now tube rectified. Several different types of power tubes can be used for many different tonal possibilities. No need to re-bias. Just plug ?em in, warm ?em up and play!
This is a single channel amp with two inputs. The low uses 3 gain stages and the high uses four. Plugging into the different inputs switches the triodes so you cannot use an ?A/B? box. No headphone jack, no reverb (I really don?t miss it.), no efx loop, no ?bells and whistles? of any kind. (IMHO these all steal your tone anyway!) Just a good old fashioned simple guitar amp.
Controls on front are (L to R): Pilot lamp (jewel), AC Mains on, Master (volume), User (midrange), Bass, Treble, Volume (gain), Low and High input jacks. Rear: Low and High impedance speaker out jacks, fuse holder and DC power switch. (play/standby).
There is a chart on the rear graphics panel indicating which rectifier and speaker jack to use for each power tube. I upgraded to a 12? speaker (Celestion) and I?m very glad I did. (Well worth the extra $50)
Power output is 3 watts with 6K6 tube, 4 watts with 6V6, 7 watts with EL34 or 6L6 and 10 watts with KT88 tube. The amp uses two 12AX7 preamp tubes. There are three rectifiers. 5Y3, 5AR4 and plug in solid state. The amp comes with the two 12AX7s and choice of one power tube and one rectifier. I bought the whole collection. Sovtek, Svetlana, Electro Harmonix, JJ Tesla, RCA (NOS) and JAN Phillips (NOS) are represented. (Nothing Chinese, thank you!) Every one of these tubes sounds fantastic. David screens them all before shipping.
I really can?t make up my mind, which tube I like the best. (The KT88 I think.)
I have assembled many electronic kits but never one that was point-to-point wired. I liked working with the eyelet board and the cloth covered wire. It took about 35 hours to complete it. I was in no hurry. I checked and re-checked every connection and every step until I was certain that it was right.
This was by far the finest kit that I have ever assembled. Nothing that I have ever built from a kit before was really a good, high quality product when finished.
The amp worked perfectly on its first power up. It sounds much better than I had ever imagined! This was the first time that I had ever actually heard an Allen amplifier.
I play Alternative and Rock music. The versatility of this amp is amazing. By switching inputs and tubes you can go from pristinely clean to overdriven and distorted metal/shred and everything in between. The possibilities are endless.
1 point off for DC switch on rear and limited access to tubes. (More about this later) Also, it would be nice if chassis were top mounted. The knobs are a little hard to reach with cabinet sitting on the floor.

I play a Hot Rodded Fender Strat. I have added a Seymour Duncan hot rails pick up (Awesome!!!) in bridge position and a Fender TBX tone control ($12 well spent!). I also added toggle switches to control series/parallel and reverse phasing of SD P/U, as well as a switch that turns on all three pickups at once, which really rocks!!
This amp is one mean little ass kicker! Killer Tone!!! Miles and miles of sustain. (A low G held for 13 seconds!) Overdrive to kill for! I have never heard TONE like this from any amp! Anywhere! This amp is very sensitive to your pick attack. All of the knobs actually do something and are very interactive. Overdrive/distortion can be slight or very brutal if you want it to. I thought that my pickups were lousy before I got this amp. Not any more!!! TONE, TONE, TONE and more TONE! Back off guitar?s volume to 5, kick up the gain and you get the coolest compressed ?Marshall? crunch! It is really cool the way a held note decays, slowly and very gradually.
The ONLY noise it makes is a very mild hum which you have to be within two feet of the speaker to hear. (It is a tube amp.) It does not get louder as you turn up the volume. There is no static, white noise, buzzes, RF, pings, pops or rattles at all. (Dead quiet!!)
There is no need for a headphone jack; it will play so low that the sound coming from the speaker is less than that coming directly from the strings. It will remain quiet and clean at the highest levels through either input jack. You may have to mike it in a medium or large gig, but it will cut through the mix in a small venue with no problem.
The 12? speaker is the ?bomb?! (Celestion V12-60 silver series) Very articulate and not ?muddy? at all. Extremely dynamic with a tight low end, clear midrange and shimmering highs.
I have searched a very long time looking for THAT tone. I have had many amps, pedals, processors, gadgets, etc. and never found ?It?. I got close, but not quite there. My quest is now over!

Can I depend on it? Absolutely! I built this amp ?from the ground up?. I point-to-point hand wired it. I know every component, every solder joint and every lead?s dress. The chassis is thick 13 gauge aluminum that will never rust. The amp uses oversized transformers and the finest components that are available today
The only thing that came pre-assembled was the cabinet. It is built like a tank but doesn?t weigh like one. At 28 lbs. you won?t break your back carrying it. I have looked very close and I cannot find anything wrong with it, whatsoever, it is flawless.
Built of ?? pine, finger jointed, and covered in black tolex with silver sparkle grill cloth. There are chrome corner guards, padded feet and a steel reinforced rubber handle. There is a very cool feature that David calls tilt back. It is a retractable ?leg? on the bottom. When extended, it raises the front off the floor about 3? ,tilting the entire cabinet to the rear. The amp is still very stable and I have no worries of it tipping over. (Maybe it would if the chassis were top mounted.)
I would not hesitate to gig it without a backup. A wise musician always takes spare tubes along. Besides, you will want to have some different ?flavors? with you.

I would give this a 15 if I could! David Allen is incredible! I had plenty of questions and some missing parts. The parts were sent out the next day by priority mail arriving two days later.
E-mail support is offered and you can call him on the phone as well. E-mails were promptly answered. The longest response time was 14 hours (overnight). One was answered in 15 minutes!
It is extremely obvious that he takes immense pride in his craft. The quality of his product states that loud and clear. From design, selection of parts, the quality of those parts, the writing of very clear instructions, careful packaging, (UPS couldn?t wreck it!), cabinet construction and finish there is quality at every turn.
David even warranties his amp kits, even though someone else assembles them! Parts 1 year, tubes and speakers for 30 days. He will even fix your amp if it doesn?t work. Send him the chassis. The first hour is ?on the house?.
He has a 10 day trial period during which he will give you a full refund, no questions asked. That?s how a musician can buy an Allen amp sight unseen and sound unheard. If you don?t like it, simply return it. (I don?t know if this applies to kits or not).
I haven?t had the amp long enough to need repairs but if and when I do, I will call David. The amp is simple enough that there is very little that can go wrong with it. In 20 years or so it may need a cap job.

I haven?t been playing all that long. (Only a year or so) I have had this amplifier in use for a month now, so I am ?over? the newness. I play one to two hours per day.
I sold or returned all of my other gear to get the Class Act. (Luckily I didn?t get stuck with anything that sucked!) Mars Music has an unconditional 30 day return policy. They got to know me real well. I had 5 different amps, 4 stomp boxes and a Boss GT3 Pedal board/processor. None of these had ?THAT? tone. (I agree with previous reviewer. Yes, stomp boxes and pedals are toyz!) The cost of all that crap was more than the Class Act!
The last Amp was a Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket. It got very close to ?THAT? tone but it was a real ?problem child?. It had lots of problems with microphonic tubes, static, RF interference and other noises. I sold that amp on E-Bay at a $100 loss. (Kept it too long to return it.)
If my Class Act was lost or stolen I would be on the phone to David Allen right away. (If I wasn?t in jail for killing the bastard that took it!) I would buy it again even though I also plan to get an Allen Old Flame. I would still need to have my Class Act for tube tasting.
The thing I like the best about it is the ability to use different tubes without re-biasing.
Also, a bonus point for tilt back feature!
It will overdrive at super low volumes and it can get loud if I want it to. The full sized pots allow for very small changes to volume and tone. With mini pots, (Are you reading this, Randall Smith?), the very slightest touch can bring about drastic changes.
One thing that I didn?t like was that it was hard to reach in to change the tubes. Simple solution: I added a hinge to the rear panel and close it with two friction catches. It does not rattle at all. When opened, it allows full access to the tubes.
One other modification that I have made is the addition of a bright switch. David sent one extra tone capacitor with the kit. He told me that some people had remarked that the amp was too bright. Changing this cap altered the treble greatly. I found that it really improved clarity, especially with single coil pickups. I was at odds which one to keep so I kept them both. I switch between the two with a SPDT toggle switch that I mounted directly on the top of the chassis.
I did a lot of research before deciding to buy this amp. I read everything that I could find including hundreds of reviews from owners of countless other amps. (Thanks harmony central) I also hit just about every web site there is on the subject.
What I wanted was the finest small, low power amp that there is. One that I could play in my apartment without the neighbors pounding on the walls. I wanted the flexibility of using different tubes and I wanted it to be ALL tube. (I found out early on that I don?t like anything digital or solid state.) And mainly, I wanted to build it myself.
I had narrowed it down to two, The Allen and another similar amp called the Superbaby. (This amp really looks cool!) See; (www.emerysound.com)
The Superbaby almost won. I had E-mailed Kurt Emery to see if he would sell me a Superbaby as a kit. I even offered to pay more for it. No was the answer. At the time the Class Act was not tube rectified.
A few days later I pulled up the Allen website and, much to my delight, I saw that David had modified the Class Act. It was now tube rectified! That settled that.
Some things just can?t be improved upon. How many ?modeling? amps do you see that try to emulate (copy) tube tone? Plenty! Why not just get the real thing?
There is nothing else that I wish it had. I got exactly what I was looking for. Nothing more, and nothing less.

This amp was not cheap. Nothing cheap is ever worth a damn! If you want cheap and don?t care about your tone, get a Crate or a Peavey or any one of the many cheesey amps that are out there. You get what you pay for. (Som