Harry Joyce Custom 50

This is a new (2006), limited production Harry Joyce Custom 50 by George Scholz. For those of you who don't know the history, George was Harry's partner, and is a formidible amp tech/guru in his own right. This version of the Custom 50 features the last revision of the circuit to be approved by Harry before his passing.<BR><BR>>The HJ Custom 50 features noram and brilliant inputs which are not unlike vintage amps. The nornal and brilliant channels have independent volume controls, but share an eq and master volume. It is a very traditional configuraton. I asked George to jumper the channels internally for me, which I later learned is a mod that George performed for many of Rich Robinson's amps. It eliminates the need to jumper with a patch cord or A/B/Y box. As a previous owner of an HJ Custom 50, I knew that I preferred to have the channels jumpered. I wouldn't recommend this feature to everyone. You have to know whether or not you like it. Once the channels are jumpered internally, that's it.<BR><BR>No channel switching. No high gain or boost features, no vintage or modern switches. Just pure British-inspired tone. The back panel features a voltage selector (nice option!), ohm selector, effects loop, and slave out. I do wish that it had a boost feature, but that would not be in line with the intent of the design. This is my primary amp for recording and live performance. Based on the straight-ahead design, I'm only giving the amp an 8. It is not intended to be a Swiss Army Knife of amp tones.

It's easy to say that that only way to appreciate the amp is to actually play it or hear it for yourself. The truth is that the HJ is capable of a wide palette of tones depending on how you dial it in. While the amp surely takes its lead from Harry's Hiwatt background, that's not what this amp is about. Sure, the Hiwatt sound is in the amp, and you can easily dial in a convincing "Live at Leeds" tone, but to say that this is just a brilliantly executed Hiwatt does the amp a great disservice. <BR><BR>I don't describe tones in the terms of "vintage" or "modern", because I feel that its the player who determines whether or not they're pursuing those types of sounds. That said, the HJ is not a high-gain amp. It has a big, balanced, articulate sound that can be dialed in for Gilmour-esque clean all the way through singing harmonic overdrive. You can run the amp clean up to volumes that will run you out ofthe room. though it's a 50 watt amp, it is louder than many 100 watt amps I have owned or played. The best way to describe the amp is that it is the perfect platform for sonic experimentation. You can set it and forget it, or you can use it as the starting point to define your own signature tone.<BR><BR>Compared to an original HJ 50, the new circuit has more gain, smoother treble resonse, and less bass...though still more bass than most will ever need in their guitar signal. The bass stays tight and full at all volumes. The most noticable difference to me is in the midrange. There's some real magic happening in the latest version of the Custom 50. The harmonic complexity brings to mind a particular AC-30 that I have had the pleasure to use over the years, though with a more defined bottom and top end. It's a very thick sound when the amp is dialed in for clean tones. As the gain is increased, the amp takes on an aggressive, throaty midrange character that just wasn't present in the prior version of the circuit. My guess is that Harry and George made adjustments to the midrange based on feedback received from Rich Robinsons countless recordings and globe trotting with a Harry Joyce backline. However they came to this final circuit, it's a winner. It's not a night and day difference, but more of a fully realized version of the original circuit (which I felt was more Hiwatt inspired than the current HJ).<BR><BR>I've owned and played some of the most well-respected "boutique" amps available today. The only amp that I put on par with the Harry Joyce is a Wizard Modern Classic. That's not a bash against other amps/designs, just that I feel the tone of the HJ's and Wizards stand head and shoulders above 90% of what's available today. I use the amp with a number of different guitars (Humbuckers, P-90's, Filtertrons). The character of the guitar always shines through with the HJ. I also use the Scholz drivers in a custom-made Swanson 2x12. I believe the Scholz speakers to be the best available today. They are the only speakers I've heard that can accurately reproduce everything that the HJ puts out. I also used them with my Wizard Modern Classic to great effect.<BR><BR>I have to give a 10 in this category because tone this good just doesn't happen in every amp. I could skip my effects and go straight into this amp, and it would be a sound that would bring a tear to many a guitarists eye. It's that good.

Harry Joyce was the father of mil-spec wiring. His work for Dan Reeves put Hiwatt on the map. The meticulous attention to detail in the construction of the HJ is the standard by which I judge all other amps. In recent years, I have seen a number of amps that are built to extraordinarilly high quality. The HJ is overbuilt. At nearly $3000, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the cost of materials alone comprised more than half of retail. I would use this amp without a backup without fear. Hiwatts are known for their tank-like construction, and if you can imagine it, Harry took that quality about the Hiwatt amps to another level. The few tech's that saw the innards of my first HJ called it a "work of art". George Scholz builds to the same high standards that put Harry in the history books. The Wizard amps also possess this quality of construction. Both are among the best I've seen, so I must award another 10.

I deal directly with charles Bertonazzi, and have done so for years. I cannot count the times that charles has gone above and beyond the call of duty for me. He treats me as if I were Rich Robinson or Price (another convert to Scholz speakers!). Rarely has an e-mail or phonecall gone unacknowledged for mor than 12 hours. It's as close to real time customer service as I've ever had, short of my dealings with master luthier Terry McInturff. Charles knows the value of good cutomer service. Lets face it, these amps are very expensive. In addition, most if not all sales are generated through word of mouth (or Rich Robinson...the most visible endorsee of HJ amps). When your business is essentialy run through word of mouth, you cannot afford to fail at customer service. Charles and George treat everyone as if they are their most important customer. I'm fairly certain that Harry wouldn't have it any other way. He was a gentleman, as are both Charles and George. They rise to the expectations of a customer who's willing to spend $3000 on an amplifier. They recognize that it's big money for most of us, and do whatever they can to make owning a HJ amp possible.

I've been playing for nearly 11 years. I own a number of hand-made guitars, as well as a number of boutique pedals and pro recording gear. If any of my gear were lost or stolen, I would have a difficult time replacing it because of what it is. You can't buy most of my gear off the rack at your local shop. I would try to replace anything that was lost or stolen, with the full understanding that hand-made instruments are not easily replaced. I know what works for me, and I'm willing to pay a premium for it. I love the tone of this amp. You can't get it with anything else. when I combine the amp with my effects and custom guitars, it's my sound. That's what matters to me at the end of the day...my sound is my sound. I spent way too much money running though some very nice gear in order to settle on the things that work for me. I compared this amp to offerings from Wizard, Savage, Guytron, Budda, Hiwatt UK, Reeves, Top Hat, Bogner, and Orange. Only the Wizard matched the Harry Joyce, and me. The other amps are incredible, they're just not me. side from the switchable boost, i do not wish for any other bell or whistle on this amp. I've found over the years that bells and whistles just get in the way of tone. less truly is more...more often than not. I won't conclude with the cliche' "if you're serious about tone" bullshit. I know that everyone out there who loves playing guitar is serious about their tone...regardless of their budget. If you have the budget to get a Harry Joyce, you simply cannot go wrong. The original HJ's have developed quite a following fr good reason. Having owned both, I can say with a clear conscience that the latest (and final) version of the HJ circuit is the one. There's nothing that you would want to do in any genre of music that you couldn't do with an HJ and a few pedals. There might be different, but there's not better. I can't give the amp a rating of fantastic value with a clear conscience. To me, a value is a great deal on an undervalued piece of gear. The HJ is very fairly priced for what you get, but it's not a bargain. It can't be. These aren't mass produced amps that Charles and George can offer deep dicounts on. They are as individual as your music and your life experiences behind a guitar. Laurence (the review below) made a typo on the price of the HJ that HC is supposed to correct. If you are fortunate, you might be able to locate an original HJ used for $2000. If you do, get in touch with Charles and George, and get it brought up to the latest spec. You won't regret it.

i'm reviewing a 2006 harry joyce custom 50 amp made by george scholz. it is a 2 channel, four input, hiwatt styled amp. there's no channel switching but you can link the inputs together for more versatility. it does have an effects loop that but i haven't used it. i generally plug straight in with only a klon. this amp has more then enough features for me. it's your classic british set up ala hiwatt and marshall. it has a volume for each channel(normal and bright), bass, treble, middle, prescence, and master. the tolex is much more sturdy then the old harry joyce's. there are no metal corners because of this(the old ones had them). it came stock with 2 jj el34's and 4 jj ecc803's(12ax7's?). it sounded fine stock but i'm a freakin tweaker(not meth!). so i had to put some nos mullard 12ax7's in all th preamp slots. i have 2 mullard el34's that i have yet to put in. the addition of the mullard preamp tubes added more bass, more clarity, and more volume/gain. of course the differnce is very subtle but it is there. for me this amp is a 10 in features. i don't need/want reverb or tremelo. and i'm no channel switching fan. most people that are looking for this amp aren't interested in bells and whores, excuse me, whistles. just for reference i currently play a real 57 lp special, a 69 sg with holmes, and a newer esquire relic with a lollar alnico 5 bridge pickup. i'm getting a 67 maple neck'd tele from mikes music in ohio next week.

i've never played an old hiwatt but these are supposed to be in the same vein. however the hj's have more available gain then the old hiwatts. it's no hi gain amp by any means(good for me). but it does have a fairly muscular overdrive. the bass is really booming and i don't have to put it past noon. i like the mids as well. they're very controllable. i like them at about 11:00. the treble and prescence don't work until their 3/4 up. i guess that's how it was designed. but the mid control has enough treble built in that i don't even use the treble or prescence control.
this amp could be used for jazz, country, blues, and of course rock n roll. the latter is what i use it for. it get's that great overdriven, slightly broken up but not distorted tone that i love. it's really loud so i can crank the master and set the preamp to taste. and when i want a good singing solo that's when i hit the KLON. So if you're into classic rock ala zeppelin, aerosmith, the black crowes then you'll love this amp. it's much bigger sounding then old marshalls. and it has more overdrive then old hiwatts. it's the best of both worlds. it also is very touch sensitive(i don't know what amp isn't these days). i can go from clean to crunch by adjusting my pick attack. and it has those sparkly cleans that hiwatts are known for. ATTENTION: this amp is best suited for a harry joyce cab with scholz speakers. i tried this amp with an orange cab with heritage G12H30's for more of a classic rock tone but the amp did not bond well at all. i don't know if it was the cab or speakers or what but it was mushy and dark. my old dr z head sounded fine with that cab so.....? but my rxes head sounded even better with the hj cab as does the hj head. keep i mind the speakers are very articulate and are rated at 100 watts. i believe they're about efficient as the g12h30's so they're loud. the high wattage means your sound won't overdrive as quick as other speakers. but this is great for the type of music i play. the only drawback is a slight hum when the prescence and the master are all the way up. but i don't use the prescence much so it doesn't bother me. any additional hum can be dialed out by a hum balance pot that's on the back panel(very nice feature).

i sure hope i can depend on it. i've only owned it 4 months but i have yet to encounter any problem what so ever. and since this amp is in the hiwatt family it is dressed with military point to point wiring. and the chassis is bigger then the old hj's and is made of pure steel(i think). i'll guess this amp is very dependable.

charles bertonazzi(hj A&R guy) has been extremely helpful. he's guided me along the way with any questions about the amp or the company. he's treated me with out any condescending attitude or with any "know it all" behavior. there's been a lot of drama and mis-information whenever someone mentions harry joyce. but i honestly don't care about that stuff. all i know is that he's treated me great and that i have a fine amp!

i've been playing for 8 years and i've owned a couple decent amps. i've had a dr z rxes that i really liked as well as a 73 ptp marshall 50 watter, a fender tone master(not very good), an orange od 120(only sounded good on 10), a germino lead 55(sounded great but not really marshally to me), a dr z kt 45(the rxes had better cleans and a better overdrive), and i currently also own a sf fender twin(great cleans and crunch!). i'm not saying the hj is better then all these amps. i'm just saying the hj fits my style better then these other amps. and since i've had it my lust for amps(i hate the term "gas") has really calmed down. however i still want a good tweed and a plexi some day. there's all these great amps that are out including the new komet concorde, the divided by 13 stuff, the two rocks, maven peal, mojave, and what ever. but when ever i'm tempted by any other new amp all i do is plug in my hj and i'm reminded why i love it so much. with my 57 lp special i feel very blessed to have this gear at my age.

i'm not great at reviews so please email me if you have any specific questions about this amp. hopefully my email will show up.