Dynacord Jazz Combo

My amp has some bits inside stamped 1963, so I'm assuming that was the year it was manufactured. I had my speaker-out changed from the DIN to a 1/4" output. I have not bothered to update the second input from DIN to 1/4" because I am already in jazz-tone heaven with this thing and I would not like any more distortion.

I use this amp for Jazz only, with my fully hollow Ibanez AF85 Artcore guitar, stock everything. I just cannot overstate how sweet the tone that comes out of this amp is. It sounds like old jazz recordings from Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Herb Ellis and so on. The only thing you need to do is balance the treble / bass with your treble knob on your guitar to find your own sweet spot. The nuances in your playing and picking come through very well. If you are a jazz guitarist and you can find one of these little guys, do not hesitate to pick it up. It will dirty up if you crank it and pick hard, but (obviously) I like it clean. Regarding tubes, I have a pair of Sovtek EL84's in there now, I will probably try out some other brands eventually.

For a 40 year old amp, mine is holding together quite well. I had it into the shop for them to give it a look-over, and to switch the power cable to be 3-prong grounded. That makes me feel a bit safer. I have only had it for about 3 months now, so I can only speculate on it's reliability. If I intend to gig with it, I would probably bring a backup. I was able to find the schematic for this amp on some German message board site.

So awesome for traditional Jazz, probably would be limiting for other genres. If you want a small tube amp to crank, you might be better off with an old Fender Champ or something like that.

Not much features, but enough for such an amp.

i want to add to the former reviews, that the gain - and the amount of crunch - is different on the three inputs. The 1/4" input delivers the least, the DIN jack on that channel adds some more punch, and with the other channels DIN jack there is a lot of - useable - distortion available.

Used it for years, never had a problem.

I would like to add some additional lines to this section. Lately, my beloved Dynacord Jazz Amp died after a big noise and a lot of burn smell. Sort of show off and theatrical death typical of these old tube amp! However: I sent an email to Dynacord asking them to send me the schematic as the local tech needed that to fix the amp. Well: right after TWO HOURS they sent my by email a perfect scan of not only the Jazz Amp schematic, but also the schematic of some other similar amps (just in case)!!!
This is what I call a VERY SERIOUS COMPANY, and a VERY EFFECTIVE, FAST AND RELIABLE CUSTOMER CARE AND SUPPORT!!!
Thank you Dynacord!!!

It's a super simple amp, made in West Germany in the 50s when everything you needed was an input, one volume and one tone control... and actually that is what you get. Very simple circuitation, power around 15/20 Watt, very nice "bag style" cream/burgundy covered cabinet, aestethically fits wonderfully with vintage jazz guitars. One big beatiful 10" Dynacord labeled speaker (might be an English made Goodman?).

This amp has basically just one sound, so if you are looking for something really versatile, look elsewhere. The basic tone is clean, not that "hi-fi" style aseptyc clean you get from amps like the Roland Jazz Chorus, but "tube style" clean: warm, with just a bit of soft crunch when you pick hard. There are some tonal variation available, from dark to bright, so you can dial the sound you need. This amp is the first I've found really able to make sound those old jazz archtops the way you can hear on Kenny Burrell - Barney Kessel etc recordings from the fifties... clean, round, dynamic but with that bit of dirt!
I use it with a couple of old nice German archtops from the 50s, an Hopf fitted with a Shadow Attila Zoller pickup and a Hoyer with an old Schaller p.u. (great guitars!): I must say that the Kartoffeln team sounds really amazing! To me, this amp is A+++++++++++

The Jazz Amp looks VERY well built, old German stuff, and that's all you need to know (learn, Chinese workers!) In case of servicing, I know that any tech expert in tube circuits could easily fix it.

Dynacord is still in existence, now they build mainly high quality P.A. systems, the tube stuff is no longer made, but I'm sure that in case of need of assistance they would surely help... in any case, as I already said, the amp is a really simple tube circuit, so servicings wouldn't be a problem.

I'm more than happy with this little old grandpa, I always use it live when I play old style jazz and swing, and always the other guys tell me how my tone is good... thanks of course to my good hands (I'm modest, isn't it???), but good tools sure help! I got mine on eBay, if you look there you can find Dynacord Jazz Amps once in a while, their value range from 200 to 300 Euros more or less.

The Dynacord "Jazz" was my first amp when I began playing guitar in 1979. I bought it from a friend, and he had it from another guy. The latter had it new in the early sixties. Unfortunately, I got it in a state of gradual disassembly: Originally a combo, there was only the amp-head itself, without speaker. So I built myself a new box with a Celestion speaker. For many years I didn't use it, cause in the meantime I liked a Roland JC120 and then a Boogie DC3 better...
But now, I've rediscovered the Dynacord being an exellent practise- and session amp!!! Especially in combination with my old Framus "Sorella" archtop upgraded with a floating "Attila Zoller" pickup. It is pure fun playing this hot combination! I feel that there is just the right balance of cutting edge, soft midrange and a bit of beginning overdrive, depending only on the setting of the two lonesome volume and tone pots.
Furthermore, there's a certain sentimental feeling, because I remember the first time, when I simply couldn't afford something "better". Our new drummer, age 58, came in and said: "Hey, isn't this our first amp, which Werner bought back in the sixties when we played with "The Terries"? And we found out that he's been right! So the circle was closed again...

I play a Framus "Sorella" cutaway-archtop with 0.10 gauge strings and a floating Jazz head ("Attila Zoller" by Shadow).
The "Jazz"-amp is used for practise and spontaneous sessions, when I don't want to install all the effects and don't need my "Boogie".
There's some 50Hz hum, sure, but not much more than with the DC3!
The amp has got only one sound, but that's enough! When played at top volume (18 Watts, ha, ha...!), I delivers some kind of nice, crunchy overdrive. Must be nice with P90's!!!

Since 1979 I had never ever changed any tubes or made anything else.
I didn't touch the thing for some 10 years, because of different sound preferances. Now,liking it again, I switched it on like nothing had happened during all those years! I hate any nationalist tendencies, so don't misunderstand me here, but I'm proud of this kind of "deutsche Wertarbeit"!

Not built anymore since 1693 or so...!

`Nuff said!

The Amp features one channel, vol and Tone control. No more is needed!!! 18W through 2* EL84, 2* ECC83, a EZ21 rectifier tube and one 10" custom made Dynacord speaker!

I use both a Jazzmaster and a Tele, through different pedals. At low vol, it has a bit thin sound, but when you turn the vol up to about half, it Sounds D.... great! You would not expect such sounds from a very small amp.

I have had it for 2 years now. The owner told me that it had never been sevicesed, since he bought it in 63'!

Well the dos not make amps any more, so I don't think they are very helpful....

The best practis amp I have tried. EVER!!