Allen Old Flame

I have the Old Flame head and Allen 2x10 cab with his 45 watt speakers (he now has a newer version of the speaker rated at 60 watts or so). I put mine together as a kit in August, 2002. I told myself I'd wait at least a year before posting a review and now it's been two and a half. I play blues, soul, r&b, rock & roll. Our band seems to get about a gig every month. Yes the amp is great for all of these styles; in the bedroom and in rehearsal and gig situations. Features? Single channel, 3-knob reverb, front RAW control, Master Volume, bias adjustment on back, pre-amp voltage selector on back. I use all of these features and personally wouldn't want a two channel amp or an effects loop. My only regret is that I should have just bought the combo kit. The head and cab does have some advantages, but I could have saved 350 bucks and it seems stage room is always an issue. Plus it's an extra trip to and from the car. Even David kind of paused when I ordered the head and cab. He knew better, but the customer's always right, right?? This year I bought and assembled his V-18 kit for a more portable amp. I will post a review on that someday.

Main guitars are a 79 strat with S-S-H pickup setup and a 1993 carvin DC135 with the same pickup arrangement. I also own a Carvin DC400 (two humbuckers) and a Fender squier bullet with 2 humbuckers. For 99 percent of my playing I use the guitars with the single coils. I prefer single coils for rhythm and use my pedal board for leads. My current pedal board is wah>Boss TU2>Klon Centaur>Boss Ds-1 (Keeley mod)>Digitech Bad Monkey Overdrive. Humbuckers do sound great for leads with this amp but I have to use the single coil guitars for rhythm since I play both rhythm and lead and enjoy them both equally.

I currently have the amp set up with JJ 6V6's, a Weber Wu4g copper cap rectifier, and the EH 12Ax7 pre-amp tubes that it came with. The JJ6v6's are awesome and I highly recommend both them and the copper cap rectifier. I set the MV somewhere above 6 and the volume at 1.5-2 or so for gigging and band rehearsals. I click the preamp-voltage selector to low and set the RAW level between 1 and 2, which just seems to fatten up the sound and add some harmonics or something. When I first got the amp I cranked the RAW up, decided I didn't like it and didn't use it. I discovered the beauty of this feature by accident. Everybody, myself included was wondering why the amp was sounding so good one night, and I discovered the raw was turned up to 1 1/2 or so!

The pre-amp voltage selector, though subtle, is great. It kind of softens the amp and takes a little bit of the highs out. Great feature. Anyways that's about how I currently set every thing on the amp. This gives me a rhythm sound that is clean with a tad bit of "hair" for lack of a better term. I then kick in various pedals and get some nice leads.

The Master Volume on this amp really is good for bedroom levels. The amp still sounds sweet at very low levels (MV at 1-2) The reverb is very nice too.

When I ordered the amp it came with Svetlana 6L6's. I thought they were a bit sterile, however the bias had drifted quite a bit on them so that may have been the problem. I then put in JAN Philips 6v6's. Much more of a nice chime. The JJ6V6's are the best i've tried yet. I will try some of the Tube Amp Doctor 6L6's some day David really likes them in his amps as do some other well-regarded amp folks. For now I'm very happy with the JJ 6V6's.

I'm no big "tone-describer" so I can't really tell you that this amp has "blackface tone for days" or whatever these guys always say. I've never owned a Black face amp. I can just tell you this amp sounds beautiful and I will NEVER get rid of it. I still am occasionally in awe of how good this thing sounds.

I wired it up. I bought a good soldering station for the project and I did a kick-ass job (yeah yeah pat myself on the back). I did have a Sovtek 5U4g rectifier go out on me. Tubes go once in while, and I always thought that tube just looked fragile. Luckily it was not at a gig, as I had no contingency plan. I bought the Copper Cap and am extremely confident that i won't see any other failures other than tubes.

The main reasons I'm finally doing this review are I feel some kind of strange obligation to David (even though I don't even know the man and am in no way affiliated with his business),because he is so cool with his customer service and his products are really great. When I started researching to buy an amp two years ago, Harmony-Central was one of my main sources for feedback, so it's my turn now.

David is really great on the customer support end of things. I called and e-mailed him several time with STUPID questions during my project and he was quite patient with me. David's kits are great. My lifetime elecrical experience consisted of a little bit of household wiring and a few car stereos. If you follow the kit instructions carefully you should never need to call him, even if you're a first time amp builder. A good soldering station is the single most important tool you'll need. From what I've read, he's top notch if you need a repair or a Fender amp re-capped, seviced, etc.

I've been playing 21 years or so, although I sometimes wonder if this matters. There are kids out there with 2 years playing that will smoke anybody and guys with 40 years who suck and don't know squat. I've owned a couple of solid state amps, a carvin vintage 33, and played with quite a few others in my time. This amp has no annoying buzzes or hums, sounds beautiful. It's still the best amp I've played through for the styles I play. It sounds glassy, but doesn't pierce your ears. It's a ten in my book.

The amp is a kit (built proudly by me!) and is a 410 combo; loaded with Weber VST P10Q's. It's based on a Blackface Fender Super Reverb 410; without a second channel and tremelo. I won't cover everything; the other reviews have that covered. I have to mention the bias jacks though. This is just about the coolest feature to an Allen that nobody else has. No pulling the chassis; just plug you're multi-meter to the jacks and bias to you're hearts content. That simple. The bias pot is easy to reach right next to the rectifier tube. You can even accurately match tubes with this set-up. Talk about versatile...I've run 6V6's, 5881'S, 6L6WGB's, 6L6GC's, 7581A's and KT66's with no mods, just those easy bias jacks, and a little rectifier swapping. Before I got an Allen, to bias my old amp I had to drive across town to an amp tech, and wait for weeks. Good riddance! Safe, easy, accurate.
If you're in the market for a Fendery sounding kit, you found it! I'm for sure no electrical engineer; but anyone who can read English, solder, has patients, and can correctly read a multi-meter can handle this kit. You will learn allot about tube amps, and have a ball.
I kind of hate Harmony Centrals 1-10 rating for features; more features getting the high numbers. Us old-school guys don't like tons of features!!!One totally incredible tone is better than 100 average tones.

I use the Old Flame with a PRS Custom 24, and they seem to be a nice match. Bluesy rock is what I love, and what I play. If you're familiar with the Blackface tone; you're there. You want early break-up? 6V6's. High headroom? 7581A's.Most of the time I run a 6L6GC. This amp is best described as "medium gain". Some times I need a little mo' gain, so I put a Budda Phatman in front, and run the amp loud and clean. Now to my ears, this just absolutely smokes. I used to think more is better; you know a 100 watt Marshall must be better that a 50. Right? Not necessarily. I'm not playing any rooms the size of the "Enormo-dome". 45 watts is about the most an O.F. will put out, and thats just right for getting good power tube distortion,(cranked all the way up) in a small to medium sized room. Of course SRV's tone comes to mind, maybe early Billy Gibbons when describing the O.F. sound.

Well I built it, so do I trust my own work? You bet I do! Ever hear the one about " if you want it done right, do it you're self"? Folks when you start one of these kits,the chassis, and circuit board are dead bare. The only thing you don't do is build the cabinet and apply the tolex. I have complete confidence in this amp; just bring some spare tubes...you're good to go.

I challenge you to find better customer support than the kind you get from David Allen. Every single review here just raves about the first class support they all received. Put it this way. If you called Marshall for support at 8 PM and Mr. Jim Marshall himself answered, ready and eager to help you in any way, you would like that wouldn't you?(aint' gonna happen no way) You get all that with Allen. This guy actually cares! He really does give a crap about you and you're amp!

It's clear I love my amp. The tones, the building experience, the great customer support. But some folks kindda freak when I tell them how much it cost. "For a kit?" they say. It is true,you are in the price range of a real mid 60's Blackface Super Reverb. But... how good are those old caps? When the output transformer goes, that's gonna cost, might not be easy to find either. Do you want reliability, or that "all things vintage mentality" Do this for fun. Add up all the parts involved and see how much you save. It's actually a fair price, all things considered.

I built the kit version of this incredible tone machine and have been playing it for about two months. I was very confident I could build the kit even though I am not an electronics wizard. The instructions were well thought out and the color schematic was great. It worked the first time I fired it up. If you haven't built an amp and are so inclined, do it. It was as fun as playing through the thing. I chose the 2x10 Weber C10Q's for a tighter sound. I was in search of an amp that had incredible clean tones with the versatility to do a little grinding as well. This is it! I've owned several amps over the years including a reissue Fender Twin Reverb. This thing blows it away. Seeing as I don't have thousands of dollars to dump into any hand-built I may fancy, I chose the Old Flame based on the reviews and mainly talking with David Allen several times before I ordered a kit, not to mention the price - it's well worth it. This amp is simple - one channel with a raw knob which gradually cuts the eq as it gives more gain. Treble/mid/bass/master volume and three knob reberb (which is amazing sounding). 35 watts with a tube rectifier/40 watts with a solid state rectifier. This thing is loud - it'll shake your ear wax loose! On the back of the amp are bias jacks which make changing tubes a breeze. Two out jacks (4 & 8ohm). The only thing I wish it had is effect send and return, but I am convinced that less is more when it comes to hand wired circuitry.

I have been playing for 20 years and am currently only playing/writing/recording in my home studio. I play mainly rock and some blues, but I would classify my style of writing as "modern rock-folk", if that means anything. I needed an amp that had fat tube sound and was sick and tired of searching the music stores for that "killer" warm tube clean tone. Production amps just don't cut it. The sound is warm and thick - both clean and dirty. I play a Big Apple Strat, a Les Paul Custom (w/Duncans), and a Hamer ES335 copy. The strat sounds amazing all over the selector switch - from thick bell-like cleans to fat and dirty to tight and blistering. In fact, what tone DO you want? The Paul and Hamer are a close match sound wise and both sound big, thick and warm, although the Paul may be a bit too hot for louder settings as it overdrives the speakers a bit even with the bass turned way down. The most amazing part of playing any guitar through this amp is how sensitive it is. I didn't quite realize I sucked that bad - couldn't hear everything I've been playing before this amp I guess. I don't claim to be a brilliant guitarist by any means, but this amp has made me play better because I had to. Overall, the sound is almost exactly what I was in search for (I say almost because that leaves me open to pursuing the mother of all tone - that way I can buy more amps). Overall, I'd say I have never actually "heard" what these guitars sound like in any other amp I have owned until now. The only problem with the sound (and trust me, it may be me not wanting to turn the bass down), is that it overdrives the speakers on the high volume settings - beyond just a thick blues crunch. (I play LOUD). But if you are a blues freak, then it would be perfect.

I am not playing out currently, so it stays in my studio. I am confident the amp is built solidly as I built the thing. The workmanship on the cab/face plate/grill is flawless.

This category is mainly why I wanted to submit this review as all the others clearly paint a picture as to the sound. David Allen is a pleasure to deal with. I called the guy a half dozen times before I ordered the amp. Through the building process, he was always a phone call away to answer any questions. He was friendly every time and never got impatient - even when I called him at 9p on a Saturday night and caused him to burn dinner. "So much for dinner, now about that tube socket wiring you were asking about." The guy is great - he was as excited as I was about me being excited when I finished the amp and heard it for the first time. After I finished the amp, I ordered some extra tubes and different rectifiers. He not only sent me the ones I paid for, he sent me a whole box of them to try - if I liked em, send a check in, if not, send em back. Get that from your local Marshall dealer!

My main amp is a Marshall JTM60 head played through a JCM800 412 cab with looped effects and a BBE maximizer. (I must have got a fluke amp because this amp throbs with distortion which is uncharacteristic of this cheap production piece of *&%!) The Marshall is great for distortion and power, but can't compare to the clean tube or overdrive sounds of the Old Flame. If this amp were stolen or lost, I would be on the phone to David before the next thought. I researched and listened to many amps for over a year and chose the Old Flame based on reviews and the personable knowledge from David Allen. It's tough to hand over a grand for an amp you never heard, but David Allen made the buying process a pleasure and was truly dead on in his opinions of tone. Again, I wish it had an effects loop and maybe vibrato, but I can certainly live without these - keep it simple - keep it sounding awesome.

I built the kit version of this amp about three months ago. As for features it?s got all the features that made blackface Fenders famous and more. Three knob (Dwell, Reverb Mix, and Tone) reverb, which adds a Dwell and Tone control to Fender?s single Reverb control. These two controls (Dwell and Tone) remind me of the controls on a Fender?s outboard Reverb unit and allow me to dial in new worlds of reverb flavors. Oversized transformer like a Super Reverb, which adds body to your low notes and authority to every note you play. A pine cabinet, like all vintage Fenders, which resonates beautifully, adding that elusive third dimension to your tone. A tube rectifier, which produces that sought after vintage ?sag? in your lower register. All tube circuitry and 6L6 power tubes with point-to-point wiring, just like the old Fenders that are still kickin? today. In addition to these classic features it has several innovative features that make it extrordinary: External Bias Jacks, which make biasing the amp a 5 minute snap and allow you to substitute 6V6 tubes or with a small modification even EL34s. External Speaker Jack, with an 8/4 ohm Impedance Selector Switch, an amazing Master Volume control that actually leaves your tone alone! On top of all this it has a Raw control that lets you morph the circuit into a tweed or early Marshall sound.

I play a PRS McCarty, I like to play SRV's meaty blues from the neck pup in the single-coil mode and Duane Allman's singing blues through the humbuckers. If I had to say it in one sentence, I?d say that the Old Flame is a Ferrari for your fingers ? sensitive and HOT! If you don?t want to hear everything your fingers can do, this amp is not for you. If, on the other hand, you revel in the tonal subtleties a guitar can produce, you?ve just found your amp. This is one of those amps that can tell you the differences between two bridge humbuckers. Unlike many Fender amps, all the Old Flame?s controls make a difference in your tone. The midrange control gives me the means to fine tune my sound that I always missed on my Vibrolux Reverb. Many amps have a Master Volume control that castrates the amp?s tone, not so with the Old Flame?s Master Volume control. David Allen is an Electrical Engineer and he designed a different type of circuit for the Master Volume control that retains the beauty and the body of the note while simply lowering the amp?s volume. I have a THD Hot Plate (great and worth the $$$), which I had to use to tame my Vibrolux Reverb and I haven?t even bothered to hook it up to my Old Flame ? I just turn the Master control down. The Volume control on this one channel amp takes you from squeakin? clean into familiar and unfamiliar overdrives that respond to the slightest adjustment of your guitar?s volume control and your picking attack. Truly an amp that you play like an instrument. In three months, I feel that I have barely begun to produce a tenth of all the tones this amp can deliver. When I bought the amp I expected to be rewarded with the best blackface Fender tones possible ? my expectations were exceeded, but what I was unprepared for was what David calls the Raw control. David explained to me that that it incrementally removes the tone controls from the circuit. I?ll tell you what it does ? it seems to morph this fine Fender into a gnarly vintage Tweed Fender or early Marshall, say a Bluesbreaker or JTM45. Don?t be fooled by the humble blackface cosmetics, with the larger tranny this baby has BALLS! Sometime I would like to hook it up to a 4x12 cabinet just to give the circuitry something to play with. I have to give it a 10!

I have only had it for three months, so I really don't know yet, but I know every part in it is new and it has point-to-point construction in a finger-jointed pine cabinet, like the classic amps that sell for the big bucks now cause they still put out the tones, I expect it to hold up real well. I dig that when a power tube goes I can just stick in another one in, rebias in 5 minutes and then return to rockin?.

When I was building the kit I must have called David Allen ten times and every time he had the answer and even sent an extra tube. Like the other posts say, David is all about customer support - buy now before he has to raise his prices. If you are considering the kit version, go for it, the color layout diagram and instructions are probably the best you will ever see.

I have been playing for over forty years. I have come to the conclusion that some amps generate a tone for you and other amps listen to your tones. I love this amp because it listens very carefully to everything my fingers do and it obeys me. If it were stolen or lost I would be on the phone to David that day.

I think this amp is deceptively versatile. On first glance and listen it's blackface fender. However, the addition of the raw switch (11 levels), master volume (sounds very good actually) and user bias jacks (incredibly simple to use) allows the users an amazing array of options. It took a while for me to actually start using the raw switch as I was very happy with the "blackface" tone-gives you a more aggressive Marshally/tweed type tone. As I started using the bias jack-I experimented with different power tubes. Think of the saving in biasing the amp yourself and setting the bias to what you like versus being at the mercy of a tech. As I said the amp is deceptive in that it doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles (fx loop, second channel, etc.), but it has the tools to give you some really great sounds and tailor them to your liking. You can even put in 6v6's and low powerered 6L6's-just rebias and you're set (although with the 6v6 you may want to put in a diff. rectifier tube).

Blackface fender w/a bit more umph! I play primarily blues and classic rock w/a Grosh Retro Classic and a McInturff Polaris. Sounds great with both guitars. Amazingly dynamic and responsive. I haven't had the opportunity to crank it too much (has a lot of power), but I've run the gamut from crystal, shimmering clean to medium amounts of drive.

I've had the amp for 4 months now with no problems-the thing is built like a tank. Everything has a very solid feel and is professionally built.

I'm the sort of person that votes w/my money so to speak. I'm willing to pay more for service and someone that is working hard to put out a good product-not to say this amp was pricey for what it is and does. There were many options out there and some fine amps for sure. I've spoken to David several times, both before and after my purchase. He has been nothing but helpful and patient with any questions I might have. I was skeptical when I first inquired about the amp-I've heard so many promises of the ultimate tone before. David is not a saleman-he didn't try and sell me the amp and tell me it would be the answer to everything. He provided me with information and was never full of techno-talk (a very humble guy actually imo).

I'm giving the amp my highest rating. I've owned many boutique amps and have always ended up being dissatisfied until now. This is a great amp! Try one out you won't be dissappointed if you are looking for a blackface fender w/more versatility.

All the other reviews said so much of what I would say in each of these categories that I will be very brief. This is a very versatile amp and I am impressed with the clean tones, the kind of "brown" crunchy rhythm sound, and the Marshally gain sounds. I have the 2 x 10" version with Jensen reissue speakers in it.

Not a Mesa Boogie high gain amp, but it can do just about everything else, and all that I need. Incredible!!

I bought it as a kit and built it myself and can testify that it will hold up for years. It's been several months now and no problems, even playing it out twice a week. I am selling my other amp.

David Allen is a great guy, easy to talk to and deal with, and very helpful in every aspect. I would buy from him again in a heartbeat.

I've been playing for 10 years and have played virtually every amp imaginable. I literally played hundreds of different amps before choosing this one and I have no regrets whatsoever. If anything happened to this amp I would rush to the phone and give David a call immediately for a replacement. In addition, it was fun building it myself. The truth is, this amp is everything I have ever wanted and if I never own another amp in my lifetime I will die a contented man. Take a look at my web page for photos of the building process and my story at http://www.primenet.com/~helmke/amp.html

All tube kit. 1 channel, 1 input, 45 watts. 2 - Weber 10" Californias. Fender type circuitry w/ post P.I. master vol (actually works!), bias jacks on back panel makes adjustment a breeze. 3-knob tube reverb. A switch (not footswitch) labelled "RAW" that lifts the tone stack from ground and makes the amp jump up in gain, resulting in a kind of tweedy/Marshally rawness (it's LOUD - stand back!)

Sound is similar to my black tolex SR and DR, while being a little more articulate than either one at lower volume. The Fenders seem a little more spongy and forgiving here. This is not necessarily a bad thing. As you turn up the wick, the tone just gets sweeter and sweeter to full open - without that zingy icepick!

I like to be able to bring the treble up to 7-8-9, along with the mids, as this seems to be where the amp can make the best power and tone. The Weber California 10's (w/paper dustcaps) are very efficient and transparent-sounding speakers without too much high-end. They are, to me, the perfect match for this amp, and allow the treble knob to be cranked. At first I had tried reissue Jensen C10Q's. They sounded ok, but had too much top, and not enough bottom. The Webers are like a clear lens that that lets any colors YOU produce shine through. The only drawback is they are heavy and add considerably to the weight of the amp.

I play blues, mostly using strats, and don't use any effects except for reverb. The reverb on this amp is extemely smooth and pleasing. Dwell, mix, and tone controls allow subtle-to-surf.

In the normal mode, this amp behaves in typical fender fashion, giving it up around 6 to 8 on the vol knob. At 10, it has that combination of grease and twang that lets you get either with your fingers. If you back down the master volume here, you are pleasantly surprised at how you can get "that tone" at a not-so-loud volume! The master is not so convincing at super-low bedroom levels - kinda buzzy, but at reasonable levels, say jamming sans drummer or by yourself, it's as good as any 5 watt amp cranked. I mostly like the level around 5 - 8, with the master on 10, or backed down slightly. Ronnie Earl!

In the "RAW" mode, there is a huge jump in gain and volume. The amp is as loud on 3 here as it is on 10 in normal mode. This is where you may really need the master vol. The amp can really sing in this mode. Turned up, it gets way more distorted than I use, but I don't think most would call it "high gain". When I do use it, it's at 2-1/2 to 3 on the vol for a tweed-like sound.

I built this amp from a kit. Not a problem in 6 months of almost daily use (except for an early tube failure that was quickly fixed). All the parts are of good quality, and I have confidence in my soldering work.

David Allen was quick to answer any questions during shipping and construction. Extremely polite and helpful. Had an early failure on the driver tube, and he sent a new one right out to me.

Been playing for 30+ years, Also own a '68 DR, a '73 SR, and a Clark Beaufort - all great sounding amps. I now have another.

I have had the amp for one month and wanted to test the amp on stage several times and just live with it to get a feel for it before I wrote a review. You see, I have had many amps fail to please me after a month or so, some right away. What I was looking for had primarily been the result of many bad experiences with production amplifiers. One very bad experience with a popular builder of custom amps from Ohio. What I have learned is the result of trial and error. It has been an expensive process. That is why I am sharing my views. Hopefully, someone can benefit from this and save themselves the expense of making bad decisions.

Now down to the amp. It was a fun thing to do. Discovering David Allen and his amplifiers. For years, I had seen his ads in Vintage Guitar Magazine. I kept wondering about his reputation and kept hoping for a review in the magazine. Finally, I got on-line and discovered a wonderful world of information. I searched and found Allen. I read the reviews here at Harmony Central. I called David Allen to get a feel for what kind of company he had. Apparently, it's him with his wife helping occasionally on paperwork. He never seemed moody or distracted. He listened, took notes, offered advice and never came off like a know-it-all. How refreshing. David shared the story about his dad building the first color tv set in their neighborhood from a kit. David went on to become an electrical engineer. All of his amplifiers are available as a kit. I did not trust myself to build one on my own. I have seen pictures of his instruction manual and it looks very well thought out and simple to understand. If you have the ability, you would probably have a good time building one.

The Old Flame. What a great name. The script has that Fender look. The amp is black tolex with the familiar grill cloth. Defintely a blackface look. The front panel has one input, volume, Raw switch (bypasses all the tone controls), bright switch, treble, midrange, bass, a three knob reverb, DC power (standby), power on and the jewel light. I ordered cream knobs and a purple jewel. David forgot to ship those and the extra tubes I had ordered. Standard knobs a black chicken heads and the standard jewel is amber which is actually pretty nice. When I called he admitted that he forgot and sent them out. I was worried that his nameplate would look cheesy. It doesn't. It's a very good looking amp. With that Fender vibe. The amp weighs 50 pounds, which is my limit for amps anymore. I ordered the KBR (named after the blues guitarist, Kenny Blue Ray) version of the amp which adds a beefier output transformer (twice the weight of the standard 2.5 lb transformer), two special Weber C10 Ferromax 10" speakers (with doping to cut back on the brightness), two special 5751 (NOS) preamp tubes, two 12AT7's, two standard 6L6 power tubes (Svetlana), a 5AR4 rectifer tube (a solid state rectifier is also sent in a bag). The power cord is 12 foot long. What a convienient thing for those stages that don't have well planned outlets. The back panel tells you what the tubes are and where they go. One speaker output jack that is rated at 4 ohms. The big plus is the bias adjusting jacks. Everything is neat and clean. Well laid out. The controls work well. All of the components and controls are top notch and have a great feel to them. It is also a relatively quiet amp. The reverb has a nice depth and you have plenty of control over it. The master volume can be overdrive and get a fantastic blues crunch without the hard rock mega drive sound. I didn't want that. The amp needs to be driven to appreciate the tone and volume control. This is a modern blues man's tool. That means you can also play some jazz and make it sound real. I took it to a blues and jazz jam and had the house guitar player try it out. He is a very fine player. He pulled off some nice sweet jazz tones and then went into some down home funky blues. This amp delivered the goods. The drummer compliment

The amp is rated at 40 watts (with the tube rectifier). For the band I'm in it is plenty. We aren't that loud. Now, some of the jams I go to require a loud amp. This amp has survived the volume tests. If you like Fender blackface tone. This amp will please you. It is that good. I am a blues guitarist with a soft spot for melodic finger picking. I exclusively use Fender Strats. A '57 re-issue and an SRV. Texas Specials are very nice pick-ups but I've discovered Fenders 50's pick-ups and prefer them for more balanced yet strong tone. I use several pedals (do I hear the purists making noise?). A distortion (I prefer amps that have the ability to go from clean to somewhat dirty without a pedal and the distortion pedal just takes it over the edge). I am still searching for the right pedal. This amp will be somewhat forgiving of your pedal so you can pick whatever one you want and still get good tone. I also use a Korg AX-1 for its delay and chorus. You can't beat what you get for the price here. Other people have heard this pedal and could not believe the price and sound. The amp has impressed many players around here with its tone. I have had one amp whose tone was so awesome that the local players complimented that amp. A Matchless Lightning. This Allen has pushed the Matchless aside. This is the sound I've wanted.

The neat thing is that David Allen sent me a letter and welcomed me to the world of vintage sound from a brand new amp. He has succeeded. I am so glad I found this guy.

David has put together a soild, well built amp. He provides a schematic, written tips and a heart of gold. I expect no problems and know he will be there should I need him.

I knew the amp comes with a one year warranty, but check this out. I asked what would happen if I got the amp and did not like it. David told me to try it for ten days and if I didn't like it to return it for a full refund. Ten days. Do you know how many people give you 24-hours?!!!! This is a custom built amp and that was the best sounding deal. I couldn't believe it. He is trusting of people. I really enjoyed talking to him and get the impression he is a happy person doing something he likes. He told me that the people who call about his amps and buy his amps are so enthusiastic about the little details that it inspires him. This guy is real.

The really unbelieveable deal is the price. For a custom amp, hand- wired, top notch components with a beautiful tone YOU CANNOT BEAT THIS DEAL. I have owned a Dr.Z, several Riveras, many Fenders, a few Marshalls, Matchless and paid more for a production amp and got less. These amps are so well priced you should get one just to have one. I'm serious.

I would not hesitate to buy this same amp again if I had to. I would do so in a heartbeat. David Allen picked the right circuit to model and has complimented it. If tone is what you want, this will surely please you and your friends. The reasonable price is icing on a fine cake. Just don't tell too many people. He may raise his prices.

This is a new, custom 1x15 45 watt tube amp. I got it for its clean sound, principally for jazz playing; I have an Epi archtop with a DeArmond pickup. The amp has preamp controls and a master volume control that allow you to dial in a healty amount of overdrive, if that is your desired sound. It also has a 3-knob reverb that allows a lot of fine-tuning. I use the amp to play with friends or on my own. It has plenty of power for those uses but would likely need mic'ing on the clean setting if played on stage with an energetic drummer and bass player; I'd like to see an 80 watt version.

The amp is unbelievably quiet at all volume levels. It gives me exactly what I was looking for -- a clean, deep, alive sound for jazz playing. Unbelieveable note separation, shimmer and bass response. I compared it with a SF Twin and a Polytone MB IV with a 15 in speaker, and it was far and away cleaner and added less color to my archtop's natural sound. It is so accurate that it is unforgiving of fingering mistakes, at least on the clean setting. I can get a neat overdriven sound from my solidbody (Yamaha SG 2000) for blues playing as well. Dave ships them with a solid state rectifier (which I like) and a tube rectifier so you can better choose your sound.

Just got it recently, not enough experience yet to tell.

Dave Allen builds them himself and is available and helpful by telephone and e-mail.

I would definitely buy one again. It is superior in sound to my SF Twin and Polytone MB IV.

This a incredibly well put together 47lb, hand wired single 12", 35-40 watt combo amp featuring 3 band EQ, and a killer reverb circuit. It's most appealing aspect is its portability and bulletproof design. This little amp ( don't be misled by the weight..this amp is tiny and that huge transformer makes the weight bearable) is a pro tool all the way. Metal corners, tube retainers and rock solid cabinetry make this baby a Tonto to your six string lone ranger.

For jazz, blues and classic rock this amp is perfect..especially for those small clubs where lugging a head/cab or a larger amp just doesn't pay.

Although brand new...one cursory glance in the back will tell you that you and your grandchildren will no outlive this amp.

David Allen designs and builds these one by one. A more sincere and dedicated guy you will not find.

Grab on of these while you can..because Allen's Amp pices are bound to go up!