Clark Amplification Beaufort 1x12 Combo

I bought this amp sometime in 06. I sometimes wish that I had gotten the verb, after hearing from a few people how good it sounds. I got the Attenuator (3,6,9 I think?) and run it on the lowest attenuation setting all the time. I like the way it pads the amp down and adds a touch of compression. The attenuator is not 100% transparent, but it does its job very well - and musically - at lower settings. It gets a bit much all the way up.

I also got the Celestion Blue 12". It's a great speaker and matches the amp perfectly. You have to be careful with it, though, because you can blow it with an overdrive or boost. If you like to crank the amp on 10 and leave it there, probably best to get the Celestion Gold instead.

As for other features, there really aren't any. It is more of a highly refined simple design. There's no extra buttons, switches, etc. Even the Ground switch on top has been used as a Stand By instead to save room and keep the same look. It doesn't need anything else.

I use my Beaufort for blues mostly, and rock and lighter stuff on occasion. In a smaller room or bedroom, it is plenty loud. For a bigger gig, you'd have to mic it. I use a Custom Shop Fender 57 Maple Strat, a Suhr Rosewood Classic Strat, and a Reverend LP Copy. All sound great through it, although I prefer the Strats for clean tones.

It overdrives nicely past half-way up, just like the original. It allows for the unused channel to be turned up to thicken the tone, like the original, as well. But unlike the original, it's whisper quiet when it comes to hiss or grounding noise. I have been startled a few times thinking I had the amp on Stand By, when is was actually on and cranked a bit.

The Beaufort is the single best amp I have ever heard for home or studio use, if you are going to a very natural, vintage sort of vibe, without needing an overdrive channel or such. It is an amp that makes you forget it's an amp and just play. And, it has sonic hints of many classic rock recordings without really needing to do anything special. It has a character to its tone that is warm and dimensional, not brittle or stiff like some reissues.

I have not gigged with it, because I think I would need more vol for most bigger rooms. It is a loud little amp, but with an open back, it's hard to demand too much vol from it. Besides, I would not want to risk a very $$$ Celestion Blue. With an extension speaker (yes, it has a jack) you might be just fine, though.

The build quality is better than any other amp I have seen. The soldering is a work of art and the cabinet has no rattles or visable mistakes. Even the tweed matches up perfectly on all of the seems. Mr. Clark is a perfectionist and it shows through the entire amp, even areas you normally would not see.

I had a rattle once, contacted Mr. Clark via email and he contacted me back in a day. He sent me free felt to try in the back, stating that sometimes the chassis can work its way back and extra damping can help. I ended up noticing a loose screw on top of the amp when I opened it to put the felt in. And after tightening it, problem solved. I didn't even need the felt.

Turns out the screw just worked it's way loose and it hasn't been a problem since. I think it happened because of the extra care Mr. Clark takes not to over-tighten any of the outside screws. If anyone has looked closely at the back of a reissue, they'd know what I mean - screws chewing through the wood and tweed. Anyway, the thing is put together like a clock and I expect no problems in the future.

I really cannot cover the shear number of expensive amps I have recorded with, bought, sold, and borrowed... and this one is the best for its purpose. If I could own only one amp, this would win with no close second.

It sounded incredible right out of the shipping box and has been getting better ever since. I rarely write a manufacturer after a sale and thank them, but I did for this amp. If you are on the fence for ordering one, just call Bob at tpngear.com and do it. You will not be sorry.

Unknown what year the amp was made. The amp is very versatile for all styles; however, I am a blues player. This amp has two channels a bright and normal, I mostly use the bright channel. This is a 12 watt monster and if you don't have one you don't know what your missing, it is modeled after the fender deluxe 1957. I have had all amps this is one of the kings of amptomn. Point to Point wired and built to perfection by Mike Clark. The best of parts and real work of art.

I mostly use single coils and p90s, but have used humbuckers. This amp makes telecasters sound unbelievabe. Makes all guitars sound great. You don't need effects. Fits any agenda with style.

I never use a backup. Fender makes the same amp and sells it for 1700.00, fender does not come close to the quality of this amp from a build standpoint and especilly a sound standpoint. This amp was so good I bought another and play them both at the same time. The meanest amp I have ever owned and I have owned plenty. The amp is very dependable.

Mike Clark is the best. He's stands behind his work 100%. His works are pieces of art. I have had my amps a couple of years and have called him just to ask him questions about other amps and he has always taken the time to talk to me. I have never had any problems with any of his amps. The best of the best.

I have been playing 25 years and have had most of the highline equipment seaching for tone. Save yourself some money and time and buy these amps they are the best. I have two beauforts, tyger and a mtc45 with his handmade cabinet. I got rid of my blackface fenders, they where great. I have had two rocks and most of the boutique amps and there all great, but these Clark amps are absolutely the best. The build quality is superb, the sound is what you constantly have been looking for. I know everybody got their own thing, but it took me a long time to find these. Good luck and wake up.

Not a lot of features- two volume and one tone. Two channels.

I'm using an old tele mostly but sometimes a Les Paul. I play a variety of music for a living. This amp is a little easier on the ears than black face Fenders. It does not have a lot of clean headroom. The distortion is smooth and easy on the ears. The best thing about it is it doesn't weigh very much and it is easy to carry. Perhaps not the right amp for everyone. This amp would be hard to hear on stage with a loud bass player. It is a little bit noisey with my Boss compressor raising the noise floor, but I'll be using till I find something better. The drummer likes it and he dosn't complain as much about it being to loud.

Seems reliable. The workmanship looks first rate.

Seems ok as far as I can tell. Warranty is tranferable.

Been playing professionally over 30 years and this is a nice light amp for small gigs. I get a lot of compliments when using it. I just mic it through the PA if it is not loud enough.

Two Volume, One Tone, Four imputs, what more do you need

I play Fender Strats, Gibson Les Paul and '62 S.G. Junior. Playing mostly Rock and Blues. This amp covers it all with class. As with Tweed era amps, the sound compresses and overdrives early. The clean is pristine, and the overdrive creamy and right on the money. Get rid of your pedals man, a good guitar,lead,and this amp, and you have a whole spectrum of Tonal Nirvana at you disposal. You want Tonal variation and nuance, with this amp its right there in your own hands,not some crap o/d pedal. Simple circuits and quality construction is what made the old guitars and amps soooooo great. Todays cost effective,tone sapping machine wound transformers,ply cabinets,cheap components,printed circuit boards, don't cut it. This amp is as close as it gets to the Real Deal,only without the noise,and reliability problems,a modern vintage you can gig with. Great Amp!

I live in Australia,so trusted the reputation of Mike. One look at the Amp, and the workmanship inside,I have absolutely no worries about reliability. The components,wiring,cabinetry,and Tweed covering is as good as anything that ever came out of Fullerton, and those Babies have lasted Fifty Five years,and are still Rockin! I expect Mike's amps to do the same.

I had direct contact with Mike and Teresa,via e-mail, and phone. All questions I had were answered immediately. Advice I needed, same. Mike and Teresa are THE most helpful,and delightful to deal with people you could wish for. I wanted a smaller Boutique company who I could have direct liason with,that cared for every aspect of the product they built, and there customers. Clark Amplification builds amps with the same attitude Leo had....."My customers deserve the very best product I can build for them". That attitude made Fender.Unfortunately lost in todays mass produced world. I found it with Clark Amplification.

If you are looking for The Tweed Tone,there are many builders offering '50s era replica amps. I looked around and chose Clark because of Reviews from Harmony Central,and others. If you want in my opinion the Very Best '50s era Replica Tweed amps, Clark Amps is it! The Build quality,components,Cabinet,Tweed,and most importantly TONE! are the best there is.(Talk about Bang for your Buck)Value also. I have 100% Stock Original '58 and '62 Tweed Champs that are Killer.....I love them. The Clark Amps give you the Tone so close its not funny. Originals can cost a lot,electrical components age and wear out.Most originals have had many components changed,or need to,so that expensive original is not so original. Its nice to have an old amp,but its a keep at home,treat with tender care proposition.The Clark offers the best of the old,but with the quality and reliability of one that has just rolled out of Fullerton, circa 1955. A modern classic! If it were stollen,would have no hesitation of buying another.Of all the amps I've had over the years,Just about everything,you learn,at great expense, simple,hand wired circuits,transformers,quality components,good pine cabinets,are it.For me, the Tweed era amps are The Tone,Clark Amps capture it totally. A great company to deal with.

11/2004 1x12 Beaufort 2x6v6 with Weber 12A125A alnico speaker. This is a 5e3 Tweed Deluxe circuit w/updates. I got it with the attenuator so I could play at lower volume levels. I play at home, with friends and record so it is plenty loud for those applications.

I play with a '57 Strat reissue w/Rio Grande Vintage Tallboys, a stock G&L Semihollow ASAT Classic and a Yamaha AE820(?). It sounds especially awesome w/the Strat but is inspiring with all the guitars. By myself I plays blues/rock'n roll style but w/friends we play everything and generally fairly poorly. We do have a good time though. The amp is quiet at all volumes except for single coil hum. As far as tone, this amp is totally inspiring. It has that classic American sound - a clean sound with slight "hair" that is multidimensional, and an overdriven sound that is deep, woody with a great midrange growl. It is an inspiring and awesome sounding amp. I have trouble NOT playing it.

HAndmade w/PTP wiring by Michael Clark with a 10yr warranty. No problems with the amp and I don't expect any. If I have any I'll take it back to Michael. He is an upright guy who stands behind his work. No problems with the amp for the 3 months I've had it.

As above. 10yr warranty. Michael is a great and extremely hard working guy.

I've been playing in a mediocre fashion for ~25yrs. I LOVE THIS AMP. It has elevated my playing to a new level. My wife can even hear it. My friends love it's tone but not as much as I do. My other gear is recording stuff(Zoom 1266CD, Studio Projects C1, AT3035, FMR Audio RNC and RNP, Shure SM57, Martin Shenandoah D2832). I was looking for a small American vintage sounding amp - it came down to a Savage Macht 6/12, Bluesboy 5f1 takeoff, Allen amps. I was more into the tweed thing and am VERY glad I chose this amp. I would love to replace it if lost/stolen, but it was a lot of money and I would have to save for a long time again. Once again an awesome and inspiring amp.

Fender Tweed Deluxe clone. Features two channels (Bright and Normal) with two inputs (high and low gain) for each. Two volume knobs, one Tone. The Beaufort has a Standby switch, which is something not true to the original design, but is a welcome design improvement. Unique to the Beaufort over other Deluxe clones is its ability to accept 6L6 tubes without a rebias. I only briefly tried this, but it sounds nice and changes the feel of the amp-- less of that 6V6 sweetness and more of a bolder, rounder tone. Michael Clark has changed the specs recently on what constitues a "standard" Beaufort. At present, they come with a tinted lacquered tweed cabinet, NOS tubes, Emminence Fed Fang speaker (similar to a Celestion Alnico Blue), and NOS Jensen paper foil & oil capacitors. To save a few bucks you can request to have one or more of these features left off. While I wanted the Jensen caps and lacquered cab, I'm not married to the idea of NOS tubes, nor did I want a British sounding speaker. So, I ordered mine without tubes or a speaker. I then bought Tesla tubes and a Weber 12A125 (P12Q sound-alike) speaker, which turned out to be perfect for the sound I was after. Michael builds all of his own cabinets now, and they are to a very high standard. He tints each one to an aged vintage amber, and each looks different to a degree. It would be a good idea to specify when ordering if you prefer a dark or light tint. Construction on everything is top notch. The chassis and board look like a work of art. You don't buy an amp like this for 1,000 wiz-bang electronic features. The only features here are quality construction and superior tone. For those, I give this amp a 10.

I've been playing the amp for several months now using a Fender '60 Reissue Strat and a Gibson '58 Les Paul Reissue. The circuit here is as simple as it gets, so you are left to hear every subtle nuance of your playing. For years I've heard players rave about the virtues of the Tweed Deluxe sound, and now I know for myself what they were talking about. As stated above, I ordered my Beaufort without a speaker or tubes and installed JJ/Tesla 6V6 and 12AX7/12AU7 tubes along with an NOS Philips rectifier. They sound great, as does the Weber 12A125, which is a reproduction of the old Jense P12Q that would have come standard in a Fender Tweed Deluxe back in the late 50's. A friend of mine has a Beaufort with a Celestion Alnico Blue, which is a popular speaker to put in these amps for more of an upper midrange chime reminiscent of an early Marshall. We did a side-by-side taste test and you can hear the difference in the speakers, although it is more subtle tahn I fisrt would have thought. The Weber had less mids and bite, but sounded fatter and more, well, American. No "farting out" that I can hear. I prefer my Weber speaker with it's authentic 50's Tweed tone, while my friend prefers his Celestion with its Marshall-like bite, so to each his own, I suppose. While the Les Paul sounds great through this amp, I REALLY like to play my Strat with it. Each pickup position produces a very distinctive tone, and the in-between sounds are truly bell-like and Mark Knopfler-ish. I suppose it's a result of the ultra-simple circuit and how it lets the natural guitar signal shine through. With the Les Paul I'm coping early ZZ Top/Billy Gibbons sounds without a problem. I'm generally running the Strat (single coils) through the higher gain Normal input, and the Les Paul (PAF style humbuckers) through the lower gain Bright input, to compensate for the darker tone and hotter output. I have some pedals (all Fulltone), but for some reason it seems a waste to mess with this kind of tone using effects, so I usually just end up plugging straight into the amp and then setting the volume for the amount of overdrive I want. 18 watts is about perfect for playing in my townhouse. I can get some sweet power tube overdrive and the neighbors haven't complained (yet!). There's not a lot of clean headroom (especially with the Les Paul), but it's enough volume for playing at home or in the studio with a miked amp. FWIW, a couple of weekends ago I was in Atlanta and had the chance to demo a Victoria 20112 (also a Tweed Deluxe copy). As far as I'm concerned this is the only competition for the Beaufort. While I didn't get to do a side-by-side comparison, I was slightly underwhelmed with the Victoria after having played through my Beaufort for several months. Maybe it's the Jensen caps or the Weber speaker, but the Beaufort just seemed more "alive" and dynamic.

It's a simple circuit. Not too much to go wrong. When I first powered mine up there were a lot of snaps, crackles, and pops. It may have been a dirty pot or a dirty input jack, but without me having to do anything the amp seems to have settled in and found its center. Now it's as quiet as a mouse (well, relatively speaking for a vintage style tube amp, of course). The cabinet construction is top notch and I'm not getting any excessive vibrations or rattles from the cab.

"This one goes to eleven!" Really, this guy is above reproach. I am somewhat finicky about my gear and am not always the easiest customer to deal with. Michael Clark and his wife/business partner Teresa readily accommodated every nit picky detail and question I had. Like David Allen of Allen Amplification (GREAT Fender Blackface style amps) Michael Clark IS the company. He builds his amps to the highest possible standard and then stands behind them 100%. If you decide to order one of these you will have to go through Bob at The Perfect Note. Bob was willing to "talk shop" with me and made sure I was ordering the amp to the right configuration to suit my needs. About the only inconvenience was that I had to send Bob two checks (one for a 50% deposit and a second for the balance when the amp was done). I guess I would have preferred to use my credit card, but this is no big deal since you will have to wait a month or two for your amp to be built, anyway. I also had to set up an account with FedEx before they would ship the amp to me. This cost me nothing, but was a slight inconvenience.

I don't like how HC adds the term "Outstanding Value" when you select a 10 for an overall rating, but in this case I think it's appropriate. I never thought I'd describe a boutique, hand-made amp as a good value (they usually cost an arm and a leg), but the Beaufort truly is considering what other amps of this caliber cost. Even with all of the upgrades now standard, this amp costs several hundred less than its closest competition: the Victoria 20112. I considered buying the Victoria, but ultimately chose the Beaufort because of the lower price, standby switch, and its ability to accept 6L6 tubes for some different tones. As I said above, after finally getting a chance to hear the Victoria up close, I'm glad I decided on the Beaufort. Don't get me wrong, the Victoria is very nice, but there just seems to be some magic voodoo living inside the Beaufort. Everything about this amp screams quality and you have the added advantage of knowing that it was built from scratch (cabinet and all) by ONE man with dedication to what he does. And the tone! You really have to play through one of these to appreciate how rich and dynamic it can be. Very "raw" in sense that feel you are hearing the unadultered tone of your guitar. My other amp is an Allen Sweet Spot (18 watts Princeton Reverb clone with a 10" ceramic speaker). The Allen is great for those more mellow 60's Blackface sounds and has a deep reverb and tremolo. It sounds great with delay, fuzz, or a vibe effect. But the Beaufort really shines when it's just the guitar and amp. Well, OK, sometimes I do use my Fulldrive II overdrive pedal, but that's about all you want between this amp and your guitar. I'm also going to throw in a pitch for Weber VST and say that I simply love the sound of their 12A125 with this amp. It's the sound I was hearing in my head. If you don't want a hybrid British/Celestion sound and want to stay true to the original 50's Tweed Fender tone, I highly recommend installing one of these speakers. I've been playing for 18 years (man, I'm gettin' old) and have owned mostly Fenders and Marshalls (JCM series, vintage Plexis, and several reissues), with a Mesa/Boogie Mark I and a Peavy thrown in somewhere back there. I'm extremely picky about my gear and have been through a lot of stuff (yes, I have G.A.S.). The Beaufort is a wonderful tone machine and is staying with me for the foreseeable future.

My Beaufort is a 1x12 (Weber speaker) combo based on a '50's Tweed Deluxe circuit. I won't pretend to be able to discuss the details of the circuit, components, etc., but Mike Clark will gladly do so if you contact him. I can simply say that the amp is easy to operate and sounds AWESOME, AMAZING, OUTSTANDING, UNBELIEVABLE. Operation wise, just plug in a good guitar and there you are. Normal and Bright channel inputs and volume controls and one tone control. Very simple, and that is all it needs.

I own a '64 Fender Deluxe Reverb that I truly LOVE, it just sounds wonderful. I also frequently use a '71 Vibrolux Reverb, lovingly reworked by Mike Clark, and a '65 Tremolux. All of these amps sound great! I gave up an Alessandro Plott Hound (cool amp!) to get the Beaufort, and I do not miss the Alessandro one bit. The Beaufort has much more character and tone available without having to search for it. It sounds every bit as good as my old Deluxe Reverb, perhaps better...just depends on what you are looking for. Running a Gainster overdrive in front of it, I have the best straight up blues sound, ala Robben Ford, that I have ever found. Very fine amp and very fun to play through. I can't seem to put it down! I have played tele, strat, L.P. style, and 335 style guitars through the Beaufort and they all sounded good. My favorite through this amp is my Zion Ninety, a hollow-body tele-style axe with Barden Danny Gatton pickups...sounds KILLER! Also, this amp produces a very rich overdrive without getting loud, but quickly softens to a nice, warm, clean tone by simply rolling the guitar volume down to 8 or 7.

Beautiful construction. I do not anticipate any problems.

Mike Clark is a super nice guy and knows as much about amps and tone as anyone out there. He will back his products and his work. The repair work and tweaking he has done on my Fender amps has been excellent.

I love this amp. It is small, easy to port and use, and is attractive. The workmanship is outstanding; the tweed covering is beautifully matched up and looks awesome But best of all, the amp just sounds great! I highly recommend Clark Amps for anyone looking for a hand-built, top quality amplifier. I gig frequently and will happily take this amp out and play.

I ordered this amp in December 2002 and it arrived in January 2003. It has the most simple circuitry which has been well described in other reviews below. When discussing with Michael Clark I decided to go for the straight Delux replica with no attenuator or reverb; as he said, it's probably his favourite sounding amp - no bells, no whistles, just tone. Came with NOS valves/tubes and a Celestion Alnico Blue which matches this amp so well. I give it a 5 because it is simple, but I knew that and that's what I was after.

I use mainly a custom made telecaster and PRS Santana 2 through this amp and both sound wonderful. Full tilt with the Santana is an amazing experience; and the tele just spanks with the volume of the amp set at 5. I'm waiting for my DeTemple '56; now that should sing through this baby.

Not yet had a problem and its nearly 11 months old. I got this for rehearsals and playing at home and take it along to gigs as a back. I have actually used it at two gigs where the venue was too small for my normal amp and I couldn't dial into the sweet spot. So I whipped out the Beaufort and had the most amazing tone.

Had lots of dealings when ordering and no problems whatsoever. Not had the need to contact Michael since as the amp has been so reliable.

Well, it's an absolutely awesome amp and the only concern I have is that looking on the Clark Web Site it seems he only does the Beaufort Special, which has a number of economy cuts. However, if ever this amp was lost to me I would want to replace it with exactly what I have now - no comprmises.

Having had this amp for a year now - I fall more in love with it everytime I play it. It is very simple to use and not a lot of features are noticable - but undoubtably the best feature is its sound then its reverb.

I still use my PRS and two gainsters, into the beaufort. It suits my style of music very well. There is still no noise but I have replaced the svetlana AX7's in the reverb for GEC NOS units. This cured the slight microphonic squeal which occurred occasionally. This amp can make all kinds of sounds and is the envy of all who hear it. Clean wise it is crystal clear to a point - then begins to break up. Its too loud for me to have it at full tilt - but when I have tried it it is amazing. I now use a gainster pedal - from Clark - to give instant Santana, and another gainster with different settings to give a more british sound. There is a point, using both volume controls, where you get a fantastic clean and overdriven sound all at once( its hard to explain). If i use both gainsters and the volume controls - it would cut steel at 50 paces and make I sound any guitarist would die for!

Nevrhd a problem - only the slght noise n the reverb occaionally, which is now sorte with NOS valves.

I deal direct with Mike, s its not an issue.

Since buying this amp, I ave decreased the stuff I own down to two gainsters, a PRS, and the beaufort. It is less to carry, sounds better, looks amazing, improves my playing, and is a joy to listen to the compliments. Thanks Mike. The comments about not replacing it in my last review must be a typo by the editor - 'cause I would replace it if I had to.

The amp is very straight forward and discribed well by others.

I use the the amp with an Anderson Tele or American Standard Strat. It's great amp for blues or old school rock. It can do traditional jazz but only at low volumes as the amp breaks up quickly. I mostly use the bright channel as I find the Normal Channel to be a little dark. The amp lets all the nuances of your picking technique shine through, it has a wonderful, almost 3-d sound. The one that I have is quite noisy when turned up (it can pop, buzz and hum and I would never consider using it in studio (I have tried all kinds of tubes but to no avail). I feel the amp works well for the single coil guitars mentioned above but I don't care for it with hums.

The amp seems built well, I've owned it for about a year and a half. I initially had some problems and sent it back but since then it has been fine. The build quality was good but my cabinat was not perfect as advertised.

They were very good before the sale but afterwords you may find that you will some problems getting either the dealer or the company to respond to e-mails. If you live close by the 10 year warrenty will do you good, otherwise the shipping will cost as much as taking it to a local tech (as they pointed out to me when I had a problem).

The amp sound really good but is noisy. Mine can become unstable if I unplug from the bright and plug into the normal channel without putting it on standby. I like the amp enough to keep it but I don't think I would buy another because of the noise and lack of local dealer support. The support after the sale is spotty.