Holland Mini Jimi 112 Combo

The Mini Jimi is a 50 watt, 1x12, combo with foot swithcable gain boost. Controls include volume, treble, bass, middle, presence, and master volume. This particular combo is outfitted with Sovtek tubes(6L6 power tubes) and an Emminence Legend speaker. Although my amp did not come with reverb, I understand it is now an option. The amp weighs in at a very manageable 40lbs. The purple tolex covering and cain grill cloth make for a very impressive package. I do wish the reverb came standard. This amp is versatle enough for me as a blues, r&b, and jazz player and probably for other players using single-channel amps. The fact that is has a foot switchable is also a plus.

As stated above, I'm mainly a blues, r&b, and jazz player. My main guitar is a '57 Gibson ES-225 with P-90's. I also play a Tele on a few songs as well. My effects include a Dunlop Crybaby, a Klon or Fulltone Fulldrive II overdrive pedal, Boss RV-3 reverb/delay, and an Ernie Ball volume pedal. I prefer an amp that delivers a warm clean tone that breaks up like an old blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb. The Mini Jimi can provide a very "fat", saturated but articulate tone (think Robben Ford and the Blue Line) that doesn't get mushy if you push it. The secret to this amps sweet spot is in the volume and master volume controls. With minimal volume and half on the master, you can get Deluxe Reverb tones (just go easy on the mids). Set the volume at 12 o'clock and master at 9 or 10 o'clock and watch out! This thing screams. All the tone controls as well as the volume controls are very interactive making it easy to dial in the sound you wish. The gain boost is just that, a gain boost. Since it doesn't have its own volume control you can't set it to a pre-dersired level. However, the boosted level is pleasing nonetheless. Imagine turning your guitar's volume from 8 to 10. I find it adds just enough gain to make you stand out but not so much that you would cause your bandmates to give you dirty looks. The well-defined bass response coupled with the very interactive tone controls make it possible to dial in a full-sounding tone on low-volume gig levels. I compared the Mini Jimi to a Deluxe Reverb and while I still love the sound of a good Deluxe Reverb, the Mini Jimi is just a fuller, more robust sounding amp. If you've ever had the problem of losing your tone when you had to play quietly, give this amp a listen. I've played on large and small stages with this amp and it delivered. While I do tend to prefer the fullness of two speaker combos on larger stages, the Mini Jimi provided the tone I was after. It's also one of the quietest amps I've played.

I have owned a Holland Gibb Droll 2-10 combo for almost 4 years and its only needed tubes and a new handle. I have confidence that the Mini Jimi will be just as reliable and the 10 I give in this category is based on past experience. However, we should realize that all amps fail sooner or later if you gig with them on a regular basis. If you're lucky, its just a bad tube or connector. Whenever possible, I try to take a backup amp; on the road, its a given. If you have no other choice, a Sansamp should fit in your guitar case.

If this reads as a testimonial to Mike Holland, I apologize. Mike has worked on my amps since '97 when in was located in Va. Beach, VA. If it was just talking about how to tweak an amp to get the "perfect tone" or if my amp needed a quick fix before a gig, Mike was there for me. When I purchased my first amp from him, he even came to the club to hear how it sounded on a gig. I'm not telling this story to brag or sing praises to Mike. I just think that he truly takes pride in what he builds and wants the buyer to be happy with the product. Before he moved to Nashville, he took the time to give my amp a tune-up at no charge. Since I'm still based in Virginia, I can't just walk into his shop and get "fix it in time for the gig" service anymore but Holland offers a lifetime warrenty on all their amps. Although he prefers you to send him the amp, he'll troulbe-shoot with you over the phone. Yes its a pain to have to send an amp off for repair, but those of us who choose to purchase "boutique' amps accept that when we made the purchase. We also probably have another amp we can use during the downtime. Again, the 10 rating is based on past experience.

I've been playing for over 30 years and have played professionally for more than 20 years. In addition to the Mini Jimi and Gibb Droll, I own or have owned all the blackface Fender amps. While I appreciate how this amp sounds when you crank it, I am really impressed at how full it sounds when played on low-volume gigs. Before this amp, my all-time favorite small club amp was a Deluxe Reverb. I do miss the built-in reverb, but the overall tone of the Mini Jimi almost makes up for it. At 40lbs, transporting the amp is not a problem. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definately order another one. This amp is very responsive to your touch and the guitar being played. It'll bring out your best or your worst.

The biggest drawback in purchasing handmade, "boutique", amps, once you get beyond the price, is that you generally don't have the opportunity to try before you buy. If you're lucky, you've heard the amp played by a great guitarist using a great guitar, backed by a great band, in a great sounding room. This usually isn't the case. Most times you have to rely on reviews, reputation, and general word-of-mouth. When you finally decide to take the leap of faith, and place your order (with your check of $1,000 or more), it generally takes 6-8 weeks for the amp to get in your hands. The last thing you want is disappointment. I've been lucky to have had the chance to test-drive my Holland amps before I purchased them. In both cases, it didn't take long to realize the amp was giving me the sound it was designed to give and the tone I was looking for. I've had the pleasure to share the stage with some very good players using Victoria's, Matchless, and Mesa Boogie's. I can tell you from experience, Holland's are as tonefull as any of them. If you're a player who knows the tone he or she is after, and is ready to move up to a custom, hand-made amp, give the Holland's a try. They're worth it.