Allen Old Flame 210 Combo

I have used an allen old flame for about three years now , in the studio and live.
I was looking for a super reverb sound, in a smaller package with better reliability. I got it.

Single channel amp, about 40 watts and a great sound.

I tested this beside an old fender super reverb. It scored big on fender clean . It has the raw control though, that adds a bit of bite at any sound pressure level. It also has the best working master volume I've ever used. It sparkles, and it growls.


I retired my pedal board ( at least for awhile) because the tone is almost 3d, very chimey. The amp is dead quiet. I like the feature where you can switch on the back for an earlier breakup ( brown face) or later ( blackface/silverface?) Just an incredible, amp without a bad setting to be had.

The tone controls are powerful, so you need to eq it a little bit differently. ,I just back everything off a bit.

I play country and classic rock it gives a rich tele spank. On a strat it chimes. On either it can get really nasty.

The amp is well built. I expect it to last longer than I will. Solid pine cabinet, great tolex and a great look.

Mr Allen is a whiz. He is also a gentleman.. Let me tell you my experience. I bought the amp second hand, so he made no money from me. Yet he has always been helpful on questions such as speaker choices, tubes etc, thing that we guitar heads get excited about. I have found him to be passionate about his product and his customer service reflects that clearly.

Been playing a long time. This is the amp I grab if the house burns. I've owned and played and liked super reverbs, princetons, a marshall JCM 800, and a couple of traynor amps. I use G&L guitars and limited effects. I like to take my time and listen to the amp. As a matter of fact I just dd that for about an hour. I love it, however I must confess it now is a bit pimped up with a couple of weber signature classic speakers.Tweaker? Yup, guitar player....

The amp was made in 2003 by David Allen himself. No, it was not very versatile. It had one good sound, and that was when it was working. It was NOT, and I repeat NOT as sweet sounding as a quality vintage Fender blackface amp..it's just wasn't! It was very powerful...when it ran properly.

The clean sound wasn't too bad...when it ran properly. The reverb sounded good, until it started cutting out because David Allen uses phono type connectors on the reverb jacks, and they loosen over time, eventually they start to cut out.

It broke down on the very first gig I did with it. I got through one set, and then it started cutting out. I did a full tube swap right there on stage during intermission, and that managed to get me through the night. The Old Flame amp I had broke down on several gigs...just RIDICULOUS reliability from a 2 year old amp!

The customer support was short, curt, bordering on rude. What more do you need to know? The guy was totally unconcerned that this amp was breaking down on my gigs. When I shipped it to him, he looked it over, and charged me about $200.00. That must be why he has a one year warranty.

It was a horrible experience owning this amp. The only way I would ever own another Allen amp, would be if David Allen gave me an amp free, and I used it for a year without any issues. Then I MIGHT, MIGHT change my mind about it. That won't ever happen though, because the customer service sucks from this company. Take your money elsewhere from this arrogant company. BTW, I've been playing 30 years, a graduate of G.I.T., and a Berklee alumni. I KNOW tone and customer service, and I was SEVERELY mistreated and letdown by Allen amplification.

I bought my Allen Old Flame in the fall of 2004. I was looking for a Fender Super Reverb tone, in a more portable package. This is probably why you're looking at buying this amplifier. I like the tube bias points in the back, and the aluminum chassis etc. This particular Allen Old Flame was assembled by David Allen himself, so I figured it had to be bulletproof. I was wrong, and you'll read more about that later in my review. Is this amplifier versatile? You can get many different tones with this amp, but in my opinion, the "raw" control just adds a harsh, nasty kind of overdrive to an already slightly cold and sterile tone. I didn't dig many of the tones, and even using my Tom Anderson strats with this thing, it could not get a great Fender tone. So I'll give it a 5 for being versatile.

Sound quality is fair. I've been playing 30 years, GIT and Berklee alumni, been in 70 bands, studied for years with Carl Verheyen, so I know tone. The Old flame is not a Fender Super Reverb, it's not nearly as sweet sounding and the reverb just isn't "correct" sounding. I even A/Bed' my Old Flame with a few Fender Blackface and Silverface amps, and while close in tone...the classic fender tone just isn't there. I think that is why you don't see many name players playing Allen amps. They're okay sounding, but if you love the Fender clean...get a Vibroking or a real Super Reverb. Even my solid state/tube hybrid Hot Rod Deluxe gets close to the Allen in tone, and it cost far less to buy. I'll give it a "5" for having an average tube amp clean tone for how much this thing costs.

This is where my Allen amp fell FAR short of my expectations. Let me list some of the fine amps I have owned, just so you know that I know a bit about tube amps. I've owned and gigged with the following tube amps: '72 Fender Princeton silver, '71 Fender Twin w/JBL's silver, '73 Fender Vibrolux Reverb, Blackface Vibrolux Reverb(that was stolen after a gig in Pittsburgh PA. Still heartbroken over that one), 2 Silverface Fender Deluxe Reverbs, Marshall Silver Jubilee 25/50 combo, Germino Lead 55, various mesas including Mark 3 simulclass and a Mark 2a etc. etc. And there's more, but I don't want to bore you. Suffice to say, my Allen amp broke down on the first gig I took it to. Yes I brought spare tubes. I did a quick tube swap, and that got me through the rest of the night, but I was stunned at how un rugged this amp is. Most of the other amps that I listed, I bought used. Some were 20+ years old when I bought them, and never once did any of them break down on me at a gig. Oh yeah, some of them would make the occaisonal "pop"...as the line voltage in most bars is horrible, but my Allen Old Flame literally stopped producing sound in the middle of my guitar solo in front of about 100 people. I subsequently took this amp to several amp techs in my area, and none of them could get the amp to work properly. That's when I contacted David Allen, told him I bought this amp from a pro player who bought it new one year ago, and that's where this cheery story really takes a negative turn.

Here's why I'll never buy another Allen amp as long as I live. Okay, I'm taking a deep breath as I type this, because it still pisses me off when I think about it. I contacted David Allen, and told him about my amplifier's problems. He emailed me that I could send it down, but there would be quite a wait before he could get a look at it. In his emails, he didn't sound like he wanted to bother looking at my amp. I sent the amp down anyway, figuring that Allen was just a busy guy, and that his curtness was just due to him being busy. 4 weeks went by before he got around to even plugging my amp in. Then another week went by before he emailed me. So now we're at 5 weeks...a long time for a gigging guitarist. He emailed me that he checked the amp out, and that he changed all the tubes, and a few resistors, and that he could find nothing wrong with my amp! He told me my bill was close to $200 plus dollars, and that if I wanted him to check it out further, which mean't him leaving the amp on to warm up, and then playing through it for another hour, then it would be another $180.00 for his time. I thought that was kind of ridiculous, considering this amp was built in 2004, and it was barely 2 years old. I asked him about any warranty, and he emailed that the amp was 1 year out of it's one year warranty. I felt that this guy didn't care AT ALL about that fact that I needed this amp for my 2-3 gigs per week. In the emails, Allen intimated that I didn't know electronics, and it could be any number of things contributing to the amps problems, including my ineptitude. I quickly responded that I am a factory trained mechanic, and that I've done quite a bit of electrical diagnosis, albeit on DC systems versus AC. That kind of shut him up, and he quit being condescending in his emails after that. I told him to pack up my amp, and send it home, and I was seriously worried that it wouldn't work when it got here, because Allen had spent only an hour playing it, and that was about the exact amount of time it took for the amp to start acting up. It got here 1 week later..a total of 6 weeks of being without my amp, and after plugging it in, it started crapping out after about an hour of playing. So here's the deal. I don't think this company/guy treated me well when I needed them most. And this place is the place to review the kind of customer service I got with my Allen amp. A traumatic experience overall.

I think y'all know how I feel about this amp, and the horrible customer service I received.

I ordered this directly from David Allen about 6 months ago. Nothing custom, just the standard model with Ragin' Cajun speakers and reverb. That's all I need. I gig regularly with this amp (8-10 times per month) and also rehearse with it and it has been a fantastic performer at every event. 40 watts with two (2) 6L6s is plenty for me. At larger venues, I slap a mic in front of it.

I mostly use a Tele with Lollar Vinatge pickups and a Strat with Lollar Blonde pickups to play modern country, R&B and a little rock and funk. I set it for mostly a clean tone tone with the Master up high, the Raw control off (full CCW) and the Volume just high enough to get to the volume level I need for the venue I'm playing. I'm going for a blackface Super Reverb type of response. I typically leave the bright switch on with the treble dialed back to around 3 or 4, the mids at 5 and the bass at 2.5. The amp is quiet and sounds just great! I've been through a number of boutique style amps (about 10) in recent years and this is IT for me. It loves overdrive pedals (Paul Cochrane Tim Overdrive, a Barber Small Fry are current faves) and sounds awesome no matter what I throw at it.

So far, this amp has been just great and I have no concern that David would take care of any issues that would ever arise. I've retubed and biased it several times to experiment with different tube brands and it's been a piece of cake each time - no problems at all. Everything fails eventually, but this is clearly one very well crafted piece of gear and I would not anticipate having any problems for quite some time.

David was great each time we spoke. Delivery of the amp was delayed a week or so because he was waiting for the cabinet. But I have to say that while I was anxious to get the amp, it was well worth the time it took and I'd happily do it again.

I got my first guitar when I was 8 and have been playing ever since. I'm 48 now. I went on a quest last year to find a reasonably priced blackface style amp that didn't have the problems my old Fender amps had. I work in the guitar industry and have access to lots of people whose opinions I trust and respect. It was amazing how often David Allen's name came up when I told them what I was looking for. After a short time, it was basically a no-brainer for me and it should be for you too: If you want a reliable, great sounding blackface type amp at a realistic price, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.00 - just call David Allen.

I bought this amp new and fully assembled.It has a beautiful built in reverb, one channel, voltage switching, RAW control and a beautiful, beautiful pallette of tones!
40 watts is enough for me.

I play a tele and a G&L Bluesboy through it. It shimmers it barks it growls. It is beautiful to record with and play live with. You can get tones at any volume level by using the master volume, the RAW control and the volume control. I really like the two ten inch speakers. Typically I rely on an old marshall cab with greenbacks, but these are more efficient ( louder) and punchier. They have the bass of a 12' with some really nice ( never irritating ) highs. A very expressive amp/speaker combination, that makes me think of learning a new song every time I play it. It does not colour the sound of the guitars at all, and I can hear the differences between both of these. However it really compliments them and brings them alive like no other amp i have ever heard. When you want this to stand up and growl it can and it has that elusive ability to articulate notes that are distorted. In other words you could crank this thing and tune up if you were so disposed. Guess what I want to say is that it does not distort like an idling tractor, you can hear each note interplaying. That gives a defined edgy sound that does not have to be cranked to cut through.

Built like a truck. A pretty truck.

As I said i bought this used. I had a question about the 6v6 conversion and emailed david. He responded the next day. This guy is customer service!

I still look pretty good considering how long I've been playing. Clean lving and ( now) great tone seems to help.

Get a chance to try one and make up your own mind. I've owned a 60's bassman, the new traynor amps ( great value) a marshall JCM 800, etc.
Style varies over the years and I play less rock.

However if you want a very versatile , clean and sweet sounding amp that can stand up on its feet and growl, then have a listen to one of these.Me? I'm having a yard sale.

I had this amp built for me by Mr. Allen in August of '03... 40 watts, 2 x 10, controls as noted elsewhere. One channel with a master volume, "raw" control, awesome reverb with tone and dwell controls, -3db input, incredibly thoughtful bias access points, with complete instructions. David Allen is a rare individual who decided to do things right! I only give it a 9 because it would be great to have two channels with switching and separate EQ... maybe he will design one some day, and I will get in line!

This amp sounds incredible with strats and jazz flavored humbuckers... I play 2 HSS strats through it ( Roadhouse and frankenstrat with Floyd) a single coil Strat plus with Kinmans, a 335 Dot RI, 73 LP custom, Gibson L5, '52 Tele RI and a couple of electric acoustics. It is a very crisp and clear sounding amp that is a bit better suited for singles, as I've said, but with some tweaking, sounds good with humbuckers on overdrive and incredible for clean jazz tones ala Wes, Grant Green, etc. The "raw" control really adds a rootsy grind to everything. Mostly, I just love the way it sounds with single coils at any stage of distortion... clean - awesome, jangly; moderate crunch - think cleaner SRV or Landau tones; all the way up, sweet, singing strat tones like you have always wanted to hear! I will have to work with it more with humbuckers to get the same satisfaction, but I think it's in there, just haven't played with it that much (except for straight ahead clean tones.) Plenty of head room, much louder at 40 watts than the clean channel on my 50 watt VHT ST-50 (which still doesn't blow my skirt up.... that's another story for another time.) I ordered it with 10's, but think I might have been a little happier with the bottom end with a pair of 12's instead. I know that you can order it with at least one 12, and if I had it to do over, I would get the head and get separate cabs, but I love it, anyway, just the way it is. Sounds great with pedals ( Fulltone Distortion Pro, Marshall Shredmaster - my favorite, Analogman silver mod, Fulltone Octafuzz, Yamaha UD-stomp, etc.), and really cleans up well with the volumed rolled back. This is the sound of the Super I used in high school.... wow! Just plain magic. Don't know why these tones are so hard to achieve (again, referencing other amps, including my VHT.) Guess it's all what you want to hear.

I've only had it 3 months. Incredibly well built, beautiful to look at, solid, no rattles. David is so dedicated in all respects to his craft, that I seriously doubt that any problems with reliability will surface, other than from neglect, and I am a stickler for equipment maintenance. I'll give it a 10 for now.

I'm just glad I like this amp so much, because David has been so patient and kind, as well as incredibly responsive to email, that I would keep the damn thing even if I didn't like it, just because he deserves the support! Thankfully, his amps are as great sounding as is his dedication to his craft and his customers. I don't anticipate any service needs and I am especially impressed that he wants customers to have easy access to re-biasing their amps at home, in order to save a few bucks and keep things sounding great. I have played a lot of time on amps that I know needed re-biasing, but couldn't get them in, because the tech was too busy, and I couldn't do it myself. Why more amp manufacturers don't do this, I don't know, but they seem to spend more time putting make up on their endorsees than thinking about making life easier for musicians. David is absolutely tops, and the entire experience has been at a consistently high level from start to finish. You should buy one of his amps, just to see what it feels like to be treated with respect and sold a product worth more than you paid for it.

I play jazz, blues and fusion in a fusion band. Although this amp sometimes sounds a bit bright for some of the tones I'm going for, it is incredibly clean and versatile... I've only gigged with it a couple of times because I know my other amp better (VHT) .. but I think with a 2x12 cab, I will get more of the warmth I'm looking for. On the other hand, I absolutely love it for clean jazz and strat tones. I will never let go of this amp, no matter what else I wind up with in the meantime. I am looking to get rid of the VHT and get a Fuchs and have also considered a Carr, but need some good clean headroom, so need to stay above 40 watts or so. It's difficult to try any of the boutique amps where I live without buying them (which seems to be the way I'm headed). It definitely beats my old Hot Rod Deville and Peavey Classic 50 hands down... it HAS the clean black face tones most people are looking for... those other amps only were in the ball park, but had serious drawbacks with tone (although the Peavey Classics are still absolutely the best amps for the money, bar none!) The clean tones on the Old Flame make the VHT clean channel sound like car radio... dead, muffled, uninteresting. Not bad, mind you, but put them side by side and there is simply no comparison. Plus, VHT seems to be into something other than paying attention to paying customers before and after the sale. They answered a few emails for a while, then quit after I bought the amp from a dealer they didn't like, but I never did get a schematic, the amp came with different features than were advertised on their website (which is 2 years behind their current line-up), they have no sound files, they don't produce all their amps at any given time, they are hard as hell to locate and they don't support the product after the sale. This is starting to turn into a rant against VHT, but I really just want to contrast the extraordinary experience one can expect, when dealing with David Allen. Granted, these are two very different amps, but I had hoped to have most of my needs covered by dishing out some bucks on two separate and distinct boutique amps. The Allen Old Flame is an incredible value and wonderful sound. The VHT is an okay sounding amp with some nice channel switching features and very poor marketing and customer support. Bottom line: you will dig this amp, you will appreciate David Allen, and you will become less complacent about being treated poorly when you spend your hard earned dollars on other "boutique" products. Regardless of features, every custom amp and guitar builder should be as dedicated as David, or they should leave the business. Okay, I'll quit... you get the picture.

I built this from a kit in early 2002 shortly after this model was upgraded to the following: 2" wider chassis, two input jacks, full front panel RAW control, preamp voltage selector switch, aluminum chassis, improved reverb circuit and quieter preamp layout. 2x10 cabinet is an inch taller for improved bottom end performance. Notable features of this amp include the Raw control, 3 knob reverb, self biasing jacks/pot, and a highly effective master volume. The kit was excellent, and a great way to learn and hence look after a great ptp amp.

I wouldn't have minded a slanting control panel or tremolo (both on Encore model), or detachable power cord but these are pretty minor issues. I got the blonde/oxblood/cream knobs version which looks very classy. Others may wish for an amp that has an FX loop, switching for Raw function or reverb/tremolo, but this amp is designed as a simple yet very effective and user friendly BF/Tweed tone machine. Oh, and a tip for OF owners: a standard Fender Deluxe Reverb RI amp cover fits the OF like a glove.

I play with a hollow body tele (Kinman AVn-60's) and a Kinman strat (AVn-Traditionals) often straight into the amp, but also through some or all of the following: Pharaohamps Class A-Boost CS, Keeley BD-2 Freak, MI Audio Tube Zone, Keeley Comp, Sweetsound Mojo Vibe, Sherlock Tremit (tremolo pedal) and a Carl Martin Delaya. The Old Flame takes pedals through the front beautifully...no need for a loop IMHO. I like the description one reviewer made, that it had a sparkly yet smokey sound. This is one very touch responsive amp and when I'm playing badly it shows through, equally it shines when I play with energy; exactly the kind of amp I was after. The master volume on this amp is outstanding, allowing for rich, full sounds to be had at high volume, all the way down to fairly quiet bedroom practice. By manipulating the volume/master/raw knobs, it's possible to nail your tone in just about any size venue, or achieve deluxey, super, vibroluxy, tweedy etc. sounds. A large range of sounds for a single channel amp.

The clean headroom for a 40 watter is also excellent, and great for clean tone lovers like myself. The Raw knob, as previously described dials out the EQ and raises the gain floor for any level of tweed-like influence you may desire. This is one design improvement I think Leo would have been proud of. I play the mids at about 6-7, bass 2 (high vol), 3-4 (low vol), treble at about 4-5 and the bright switch on; this gives me a full, rich, punchy, articulate tone with a sparkly sting in the tail. I like the BF tone so much, I rarely use the Raw knob, but its great to have it, if an when the mood takes my fancy.

The reverb as others have said is superb and better than anything I've heard. Plenty of scope for tweaking, just like having a vintage Fender outboard tube reverb built into the amp.

A common comment people make when hearing the amp is that it's the nicest BF style amp they've ever heard, and it often fools people into thinking its a 2 x 12" combo due to the fullness of the Allen C1045's with their oversized magnets, but then the punchiness of the 10's becomes evident with further listening...the best of both worlds. The speakers also hold up at loud volumes very well, and remain tight and defined in the bass.

The OF was designed to preform with a minimal noise floor and suceeds in that regard.

No problems so far, worked first time. If something goes wrong with it, there's a fair chance I will be able to safely diagnose and fix it myself, or take to be serviced and watch the glee in the eye of the tech when he gets to work on a beautiful ptp amp and fix it for much less work than the average PCB amp requires. David designed the OF to run very cool with oversized trannies and components, to enhance performance and longevity...truely an amp fit for the road. Back up tubes and fuses only.

Most reviews have said it already. David Allen is mostly excellent to communicate with, and I expect providing kits (where all sorts of problems can be created by customers) is asking for added stress so understandably gets a little short at times. Its fair to say that David is reliable and doing this for the love of it. I might add he threw in a spare jewel lens, two sets of power tubes (6L6's and 6V6's) and two rectifier tubes (5AR4, 5U4), plus a few other odds and ends without any prompting; nice touch.

Been playing about 15 years. This is an amp that I bought with the intention of keeping permanently, and so far it continues to grow on me more and more, unlike a lot of gear. Yes I'd replace it, but may be with the Allen Encore or a head version, then again...
Love the sound, quality of parts and construction and features. Hate nothing. For a while I wished it had built in trem but that's been cured by getting an excellent Trem pedal. I spent almost 12 months on a long search for my perfect amp...this is the only one that came closest to my idea of the perfect combo. I also considered Carr Rampler, Blues Pearl Texas Tornado etc., Victorias, Clarkes and others I forget now. This amp compares favourably to amps 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 times the price. I have no regrets with my choice.

If you're after a well featured, 2 x 10" combo made with quality parts, which sounds brilliant for many styles (except metal), and won't required you to sell a kidney, this could be the one.

Single channel all tube amp derived from the Fender blackface era. I built this amp from a kit, it is simple, rugged, and has reverb. This is all I need. I play all styles. This amp is better than an original blackface super or vibrolux.

The best sound of any tube amp available today. It has an exceptionally low noise floor for a tube amp, and can go from squeaky clen to earth shattering grind rather quickly.Very vibrant, crisp and brilliant tonality.

The best materials and design I have seen in many decades. I buit the amp myself, it is a simple, and proven design that yields superb results

David Allen is willing to always go the extra mile for his customers...try that with Marshall or Fender, folks!

I have been playing 31 years. David Allen's amps are the best quality amps in the business. I have owned all of the others in the past.If you want to sound like any truly talented musician capable of playing multiple styles,look no more.I am an avvid fan of Roy Buchanan and this amp nails his tone, and many others. It is not for the chunking metalhead, but if you want the best possible tone from a well crafted instument, this is the best choice. This amp would be worth paying twice the price for.

I built my Old Flame in 2002. It has exactly what I need. I won't go into the features, it would be redundent. Suffice it to say, this amp does everything a black face Fender does and more, and does it better. 40 watts is absolutely big enough for anything. If you need more than that, you need to mike it anyway. As I built the amp myself, I was able to incorporate some custom features, Like a relay to take the raw control in and out of the circuit. It's not exactly 2 channels but it's a nice gain boost. Stock Fender clean (only better) to the raw turned up with a footswitch. It's sweet!

I use a variety of single coil and humbucking guitars and, with my tone dialed in, I can switch between them without touching the amp and it always sounds great. I play blues and southern rock but I can't imagine any kind of music it wouldn't work for. This amp is dead silent. Even with the volume turned up to 10 (with the guitar turned down, of course), you can't tell the amp is on. The raw control adds a nice subtle overdrive that's hard to beat, a Deluxe Reverb kind of overdrive but with more volume.

I was having real trouble with finding a good sounding amp I could count on, and wanted to build my own so I would know it's made right, that's why I bought the Allen. This amp has never broken down. I would never go to a gig without a backup. That's called professionalism. I have an early 50's Fender Deluxe that's still going strong and this amp is built better with better components. I know... I built it myself! It'll last.

As far as I know, Dave's the best. I doubt I'll ever need repair but if I do, I learned enough to do it myself. Don't kid yourself, nobody will help you like Dave. When you call, either he or his wife answer. There are no layers of BS to get through when you're dealing with him.

I really wasn't looking to buy another amp; I couldn't find a school that teaches tube amp repair and building. I was having a repair done to a Fender (that's right, he does repairs, also) and talked to Dave about building an amp as a learning process. He recommended the Old Flame so I went with it. It worked! I;ve gone through the Allen and revoiced it slightly to suit my needs exactly, I added a relay circuit to switch the raw conrol in and out with a footswitch (I've since done this to a couple of Fenders), I've repair a few amps, and I've built a few amps from scratch, the latest 2 with my own design. I'll tell you, once you get the fever, you can't stop. I've been selling my Fender, Blues Pearl, and Gibson amps. Thanks to Dave Allen (and a couple of other knowledgable friends), mine are better. If mine were lost....I believe I would make another although I'd just buy the cabinet and chassis and go from there. Making this amp is the best thing I've ever done. I've been playing since 1965 and this is the first time I've ever been totally satisfied with amp.

I bought this amp as a kit in November 2000. I live 30 minutes from David Allen and he allowed me to try one of his amps at his home. I immediately had to have one. The Old Flame is a 25 or 40 watt amp depending on which tubes you use(6v6 or 6l6). You can choose between tube or solid state rectifier as well. It has a three knob reverb and master volume as well as a RAW pot which allows for some serious gain. A very useful feature is the addition of jacks on the rear of the chassis which allow you to read voltage for adjusting the bias of the output tubes(no more hauling it to the tech for tube replacement). There is but one channel, no foot switches,no line out,no headphone jack, and no effects loop-which is fine with me, but I suppose a lot of players expect these things. I mainly play at home for fun but this amp has plenty of power for small clubs. Bear in mind if you're thinking about the kit it requires soldering skills and the ability to follow instructions closely. I caught myself a couple of times on the verge of screwing up.

I primarily play blues and basic rock that was originally played with Fender amps. I use a Gibson ES-335 and a Fender Strat. The Old Flame has the Fender clean sound down pat. I usually set the master volume on 10 and adjust the gain until it's loud enough for the situation. It sounds great with humbuckers or single coil pickups and the three knob reverb creates numerous possibilities. The distortion using the gain sounds good but I rarely use the RAW control because it just doesn't suit my style of playing. The amps tone can be altered by using the different tube types to a good degree if your really into tweaking. The amp is very quiet and I use it for recording constantly. I'm giving a nine because I suppose somewhere there could be an amp that I like better but I see no need to look.

I've had this amp for a little over two years now and have had no problems and don't expect to have any in the near future. I built this amp and it worked perfectly the first time I powered it up, so I'm sure the ones David assembles will be reliable as well. I play it daily - sometimes for hours on end.

David Allen's customer support is unbelievable- he's just a super nice guy. I was missing a couple of small parts and sent them out immediately and he will answer any question without talking to you like you're an idiot. I'm not aware of any warranty for the kits other than he will repair it if you foul it up. I believe the first hour of labor for this is free- check out his site to make sure.

I've been playing for 25 years and have owned several amps over the years. For my Fender clean tone I believe this is the last one I'll ever need. The tone is great, the reverb is great and it has top notch components throughout. This amp replaced a Mesa Blue Angel 2-10 combo which is no where near as good as my Old Flame. I would by another kit from David Allen in a heartbeat- as a matter of fact I did-I just ordered a Class Act kit and his Sole-Mate overdrive pedal which I tried out at his home. Their both great sounding units and I will review those whenever I get them built.