Clark Amplification Piedmont

I have been playing Blues since 1959 when I learned to play by listening to Jimmy Reed on my old tube radio. I have used almost every old Fender you can amagine. Too bad I didn't hold onto them!!! I could retire! That being said, the Clark Piedmont is absolutely the best reproduction of an original 1959 Bassman I have ever heard. Add to it a 3 knob reverb and an attenuator, and it is Amp Heavin!!!!!

Many people try and speculate as to the "sound" of a certain amplifier. I have the luxery of (1) being fairly old...63, and (2) having actually played the original Les Pauls, Strats, and Fender amplifiers. This Piedmont is the absolute best reproduction of a '59 Bassman there is. Now, one has to add the addition of new technology, and when you add a 3 knob reverb, plus an attenuator, old has met new in the best amp, ever!!! I play professionally a 335, a Strat, a Tele '72 with humbuckers (okay, so they're not really humbuckers!!), and a Yamaha AEX502 with twin P90's (one of the best Blues guitars...ever), and this amp yields the tone we all dream about. I'm not kidding or throwing out a bunch of B.S. I've been there, and heard and played through them all. This is IT. What more can be said????

I have not had it long enough to tell, but I have talked to the factory people, and they are great. With a transferable 10 year warranty, what do you have to lose????

See my comments on reliability.....

Absolutely the best. What more can be said?? Okay, I just thought of something... I play a one man show. I try and emulate the old Blues sound, which means I sing as well as play through tube amps. This Piedmont not only kicks total butt as to tone, but is excellent to sing through. Okay, so I use an EQ, sustainer, and a digital delay...the point is that this amp does it all!!! Buy one!! Boogie on!!!!

This is a take on a bassman but it does have reverb. All controls work perfect.

I use Fender Masterbuilt Strats by John Cruz and John England. I play blues and Americana in a band where I am the writer and front man. This amp is very quiet on all settings. The amp is chimy, punchy dripping with rich vintage harmonics. I don't worry about versatility because I play what I play, take it or leave it. This amp is not for head bangin' it is for player's that really can play. It will expose you right away.

Best amp I've ever owned and built a tank.

Had a broken 5881 from shipping but that was just an easy fix.

Awesome, I worked with perfect note and it was painless.

I've been playing for 40 years, bunin' up the bars and then doing concerts in the Christian venues. This is a fantastic amp that you might have to be my age to fully appreciate. I've had about every botique amp made and this is the " Shizzle ". I have a Rockford being made now and I think that will set me up for a while.

This is a follow up to my somewhat goofy review below.

Great amp. Period.

I did have this weird thing going on with the reverb a couple years ago, but I think I had everything dimed, and it hasn't done it since.

Michael Clark has always been professional, personable and responsive
to all my queries and comments. I Hope to buy the guy a beer one day.
My amp has never needed any servicing at all, save a wiping the face plate now and then.

This is the best sounding amplifier I have EVER heard. I can barely adequately describe the sound. It's rich and full, complex and just perfect. Every single person that has heard it has been floored. Even the drummers I've played with have said that it made their kits sound better. I've had this amp 2&1/2 years now, and it just keeps sounding better and better. I'm more than happy with it. If it was lost or stolen, I'd cry like a newborn. It's the first thing I'd grab in a fire. If you have the coin, and you like the old school amps, this is a very, very wise choice. You can (I can anyway) play ANY STYLE YOU WANT on this thing. I've played it direct and with a grip of pedals in fornt of it, and it's never, ever sounded bad. As a matter of fact, it seems to sound perfect after about an hour or so of playing at volume. Michael Clark is one of the best amp builders out there.
My only problem is I now want the 2 X 12 combo.

Feel free to e-mail me for more info.

You know the dilley-yo, the EXACT same setup as a 1959&1/2 5F6A Western Electric circuit; A.K.A. the Fender Bassman. However: THIS amp has the added benefit of a 3 knob reverb, and an attenuator, which, believe me, you'll use if you've got it. You know what you want or you don't. In this case I knew what I wanted, so I have no beefs AT ALL about the features. But, hey!? Can Tubes be Features? Ever step into a brand spanking new 1971 Super GTO with overdrive? I haven't either. But I did help drive an "pert near" new one up the east coast once when was living in Leesburg, "Flerida". All I have to say about that, is at 70MPH, all I could hear was the wind coming through the aged window seals. When I drove it, after it's rightful owner fell asleep, I drove it at a blazing 65Mph, but I was a weiner then. If I had that same car now, I'd probably end up killing myself in it. And I'm older, and now I know better: I'd rather kill myself by playing my guitar. Maybe THAT'S why my wife left me... Oh well. The point is: things age, but apparently not the tubes that the demented Mr. Clark robs from graves of long dead vacuum tube industrialists. I think of 'em as features anyway, so long story short: a 10.

Sounds? Sounds? Hell Yeah this thing makes sounds! That's all it does! But I personally wouldn't call them sounds, exactly. More like, very menacing, large, unkown things coming at you in the dark. In other words, it is the best amp I've EVER heard.
As far as setup, I play with a Grosh(Thanks, Don) through a Teese RMC1, Barber Tone PumpII(the 3 knob species), occasionally an old, funky Maestro wedge shaped Fuzz pedal, Boss Pitch shifter-Delay, a Roger Mayer Voodoo Vibe, one day a Klon, then the Clark.
Is it noisy? Is it noisy? It's noisy as hell at 11, but the amp itself is like that crazy-ass, baking soda and water powered sub in "The Hunt for Red October",in that the only thing the "Good Guys" can hear are voices of the submariner-commies inside "Red October" singing what I'm pretty sure are AUTHENTIC Commie Anthems, with sole aim of warping the impressionable navy boys of the U.S.A. In other words, it's not noisy even a little bit. I repeat: It is like that crazy ass quiet ass sub in Red October, dig?

Reliability? Reliability? Hell Yeah it's reliable! It looks like I could go in there myself and replace the blown part. Attention: This is the nicest, cleanest, most professional wiring job I have seen, and I have seen many, thanks to my crack smoking repairman, who manages to f*&k up even the least f*&ked up amp. He shall remain nameless.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm not worried about customer service.

I've been playing since the Reagan Adminstration.
I own enough gear to outfit a platoon of midget hookers, if they were playing, like, forks or something..
If it were stolen I'd have somebody exectued.
What do I love about it? Hmmm.... Well, I like looking at it, moving it around so I can view it from different angles, Tipping it towards me when I'm sitting in a chair and playing, so I can see the knobs, and pretend I'm doing something meaningful with my wusic enough to make cats in 100 years wonder how in the hell did I sound like that, exactly? I also like playing it loud, soft, I like going between the clean and bright channels, the way it wiggles when it's cooking me a special Celebration meatloaf, I love it. I know it's kinda sad that a single, Jewish, divorced, 37 year old, Physics type guy that lives alone with his dog could posess anthropomorphic fascinations towards an inaminate object, but it is a Clark.
Do yourself a favor: Put down the Direct Box remote, recall why you became a musician in the first place, and then realize that anything you can do to sound the way you really want to is worth it.

This is a replica of a late fifties tweed bassman so it doesn't have alot of features. The full EQ section is very nice as is the *very* long power cord.

Using this amp with a strat style guitar, barber burn unit, fulltone wah, and a klon centaur. Playing mostly blues and for this the amp excels. I went with the Weber P10Q's instead of the R's as the R's break up alot sooner than the Q's. I used to have a Victoria bassman and I've played the originals and none have floored me like this amp. I think the Weber speakers have alot to do with it, and this amp doesn't rattle like my vickie used to. This amp definitely has the best clean sound I've ever heard, I know the words have been overused but detailed, three dimensional, and very, very warm come to mind. Quacks with a good strat and howls with P-90's, a very full and balanced tone. If you've heard a good bassman, you know what I'm talking about. When turned up you get a very sweet distortion, but I've been using my burn unit for the dirtier sounds.

No problems on the 4 or 5 gigs I've used it on.

Michael and Bob have always been helpful and responsive to my questions. The waiting time for an amp is no longer over a year, I think they are quoting 12-14 weeks and my amp arrived within the window they gave me.

This is my second amp from Clark and of all the tweed builders out there I think he is the best. The vickies rattle and come with those cheap mojo speakers while the Clark has top workmanship in the circuit, the cabinet and the Weber speakers. I've tried alot of the other boutique and repro stuff, and Michael's work has been the best.

Simple and easy this is just like a (59 BASSMAN. 4 inputs + volume + Treble/mids/bass and a killer reverb installed on the side just like a Kendrick.But it does sound very Fenderish and lush great +++ to this amp. It as P10Q which by Cesar DIAZ the great amp builder this are exactly the same used by SRV on the 59 BASSMAN he recorded few of is CD's. ALL 100% handwired the best you will ever seen and the the cab is also the best work I ever seen looks like an old one and sounds like the real deal.

If you like the 59 BASSMAN one of the best sounding amps ever made you will go nuts because this amp is just incredible sounding. This is the 1st Piedmont made and it made for Kenny Blue Ray. I happen to go see Kenny play live and that is how I got to buy this amp. He his just an incredible player! But with this amp, it was just a matched made in Haven. He used from Singles+HUM + P90 and everything sounded the best and the snarling is just a beatifull thing to hear. The amp as an incredible range of Highs, mids and lows and with a Rotovibe and little reverb you will not forget the SOUL to SOUL sound from the hands of SRV. THIS AMP IS REAL QUITE. GREAT CLEAN AND DRIVE WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED! You will not loose with this amp, this guy is right on the money. Beatifull work Mr CLARK

The as 3 year warranty and I only had the amp for few months and I can't complain.

Mr CLARK is a 1st class fellow and he is seem to be all ready to help. Just get in line if you want to buy a NEW amp and the waiting time is about 0ne year but is worth every penny. Comes with 3 year warranty.

Yes I will like to tell you if you like Fender 59 BASSMAN you will love this amp and with no problems that come along with an vintage amp and No HUM. This is one of the best amps I ever crossed my path. From the NEW builder I like the Matchless C-30 and a Custom 2X12" chieftain, DR Z 38 MAZ; Any Bruno amps and the Kendrick 2112 TC.