Kingsley Deluxe 30 Head

Ok, the other guys have laid out the features so in a nutshell:
1) global tone control
2) treble, mid and bass eq
3) two inputs - one for gain one for clean
4) eq bypass
5) footswitcheable trem and variable boost
6) triode/pentode switch
7) verb
8) 1/2 power switch
9)volume control and gain control (both active on gain channel)
10) bright switch

Bottom line, find me another el84 handwired amp with these features and wide ranging tone shaping options for this price. You can't!! Lots of different tones here all amazing.

This amp sounds good with every guitar you can plug in because of the tonal options. It takes strats, teles, lp's, ricky's, gretsches, prs very well. It is quiet and sounds great at low volumes but really kicks when you crank her up baby. You can basically ride the Vox AC30 tones and Marshall tones all the way to the bank, but using the triode switch you can visit fender heaven and on the gain channel go to dumble land. I know it sounds too good to be true, but it's the truth - this amp is designed so cleverly you will never need another amp. My favorite tones occur on the clean input with the bright switch engaged and the treble and global tone controls tamed - has the chimeyness of an ac30 but way more bottom end - a very addictive sound that slayed the bad cat trem cat I was A/Bing it with - and I mean slayed. The bad cat sounded colored and noisy next to the transparent Kingsley. The BC is a great amp but the Kingsley had way smoother top end and way more sturdy bass response, and when gained up the overdrive remained smooth and tight. The badcat when cranked became a bit too hairy and the bottom flabbed out. The verb and trem are very nice, much nicer than most similar amps. Verb is nice and deep and the trem while perhaps not as slow as I would like sounds excellent.

Ok, it is built well. Took a licking from UPS and kept ticking but what fool would gig without a backup - at least bring a pod or something in case a tube blows or a fuse goes etc.

Simon is the man. Easy to get ahold of. Sticks to his build deadline. Warranty is 5 years which is decent. Simon is a kick ass player too and is keen to hear what you think of his amps. Top notch my man!!

Here's where I'm supposed to list my gear and say how the Kingsley compares. Basically I've searched high and low and spared no expense or credit card in my search for an el84 amp that would give me the vox magic, with better articulation, bass response and modern day performance but that would still have its own disinct voice. This amp does this. Every time I plug in I am happy and that never happens with other amps I own or have owned. This amp ought to be on every pro player's must own list, but because Simon is in BC and not LA the big guns will never catch on. They'll be too busy chasing after some big star's tech to build them an amp with a logo that lights up or spins or that comes in some pink sparkle tolex or whatever. I have tried every boutique el84 amp that has been heralded as the next big thing from Matchless to /13 to whatever - lot of great amps out there no doubt. The Kingsley suits me best and in my mind outperforms every el84 based amp I have tried period!!

This amp was delivered in July of 2003. The amp is as versitile as the person using it. I have used it for blues, country and early rock. It is a single channel, all tube, 30 watt, class A head with reverb. You can check out the spec's at www.kingsleyamplifiers.com. These amps are handbuilt by Simon Jarrett and are built like a tank. I have built and repaired tube amps for years and Simon's work is as good as it gets.

Don't have much to say here, it is one of the best sounding amplifiers I have ever had the pleasure of using. Not a super high gain amp, but enough gain for the styles I like to play, and if you need more put an O.D. pedal in front of it.

Have used it for over seventeen months now and not a problem, not even a funny snap, crackle or pop. If you look at the quality of construction and components, you will see why I expect years of trouble free use.

Simon always available and friendly, his wife Chritine is a pleasure to talk to. Do not foresee any problems with the amp, but I am sure that if one comes up it will be dealt with asap. They contacted me several times during the construction of the amp to let me know when it would ship etc. And were friendly even after I forgot the time zone difference once and woke them up very early in their morning.

I know all tens looks strange, but I really like this amp and the company ( Simon & Christine ). My amp collection has gotten smaller snice I started using my Kingsley. I hve been playing since the late 50's and playing proffesionally since the 60's. I no longer have a Matchless, Dr Z and several fenders

As a quick preface, let me say that although the following seems like a lot (and in a sense it is), the Kingsley still represents a no-bones-plug-in-and-play type of amp. This is NOT a gadget or gimmicky type of amp. All the features have practicality and tone as a common denominator, leaving all the purity as well as the simplicity of a good ol? Class A workhorse intact. Despite all the cool features, you still have simply a handmade point-to-point ultra high-end single channel Class A amplifier.

Made in Canada by Simon Jarrett (owner and builder of Kingsley Amplifiers) in 2004. This amp is actually two Kingsley?s in one box. I asked Simon to incorporate the features of his Overdrive Series into a Deluxe 30 and the result he called a ?Deluxe 30S?. However, tone-wise it still remains a regular Deluxe 30. Hand-built point-to-point top notch craftsmanship from the ground up. This amp covers crystal clean up to and including classic Van Halen territory. I personally gravitate toward a type of fusion involving primarily blues/funk/jazz/rock in fairly equal proportions. Again, this amp is a Class A single channel amplifier powered by 4 EL-84s. No effects loop, but who wants one if you have a slave out (see below). No headphone jack. All the features I wish an amp could have, this one has (described in detail below). There are no superfluous features on this amp ? all are practical, all are useable. I use this amp in a wide variety of situations involving everything from an at-home environment to live with 300-500 people. It has plenty of power for most situations, but in those times I may need more power I will either use mics or the slaving feature, so either way volume needs remain completely covered.

Front Panel:

Slave Volume

Used to send the sound of the D30S to another amplifier when ?slaving?.

TONE

This control ?rolls off highs in the power amplifier section and can be use as a global tone control without affecting the relative levels of treble, middle and bass.?

REVERB

A very useable medium-decay reverb. No surf here. Very pleasant and modest, not ?boingy? and ?washy? like most spring reverbs. Retains its usability even well past twelve o?clock.

True Bypass for reverb

I?ve never seen this feature on any amp before and quite frankly cannot understand why. I?ve read endless debates over whether on-board reverb affects the tone of high-end Class A amps. Everybody seems to like the idea of reverb but they don?t want the possibility of it compromising their tone so they resign themselves to an either/or situation. I say: How about both? This feature takes the reverb completely out of the circuit via a push-pull pot that functions as the reverb knob. When I want reverb, there it is. When I don?t, I not only turn it down or off, I take it completely out of the circuit. Those who want reverb have it, and the purist tone snobs out there have nothing to complain about. This definitely qualifies as one of the coolest features I?ve ever seen.

EQ (Bass, Mid, Treble)

Interactive (changing one will change the response of the others) and usable through the full sweep of the knobs. Even slight changes produce pronounced effects on the tone. Very well voiced with perhaps a little greater bass response comparatively.

VOLUME

GAIN

The gain control knob does not give searing over-the-top type gain, but rather tasteful amounts of pre-amp gain. It NEVER gets fuzzy or harsh but stays controllable with outstanding separation and articulation of individual notes and strings.

EQ Bypass Switch

This allows the complete bypassing of the EQ in effect making the amp a true old-school plug-in-and-crank-the-volume type of amp. This causes dramatic changes in tonal response in that it ?opens up? the sound in a way that gives it a true vintage British type of vibe and tone.

Bright Switch

?Adds high end response to the pre-amp and works in conjunction with the VOLUME control. As the VOLUME

Sound Quality: 10

Before I jump in head long here, let me say that I come to the idea of ?sound quality? from a particular frame of reference. My ideal tones center around ?between? sounds that for the most part fall into the clean to moderately overdriven categories. In other words, not clean but not really distorted either. I value the place somewhere in the middle that gives me solid and truly clean tone if I back off the volume on the guitar or slightly (and smoothly) overdriven when digging into the strings with the volume on the guitar increased. However, I still strongly value (and demand) completely clean or more heavily overdriven tones in certain situations. As far as my musical tastes, they go all over the place but if you cross The Allman Brothers with Maceo Parker, Aretha Franklin, and Eric Johnson you?ll have a good idea of where my ideal musical experience lies. With respect to guitar players I gravitate toward Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Warren Haynes, and Larry Carlton (although I will admit I?m still a die-hard EVH fan!). One final note before going on: I use primarily a ?77 Les Paul Custom and an American Strat loaded with Lindy Fralins. It remains surprisingly quiet for a Class A amplifier.

Having said the above, I can happily say that the Kingsley deserves nearly as much praise as I can give. It excels at providing warm, round, and full overdrive in moderate amounts. Individual note articulation as well as string/note separation during chords are both outstanding. The D30S always remains extremely sensitive to volume and EQ changes as well as pick attack and playing technique.

With respect to the ?between? tones mentioned above, I simply cannot imagine something sounding much better. The D30S stands head and shoulders above any amp I?ve ever played (and I?ve played many) and at least equal to any amp I?ve ever even heard. Although adjectives used to describe tone notoriously remain vague and subjective, I?ll attempt a few anyway. The D30S has a ?fullness? or ?completeness? to the sound, a phenomena that I?m sure has some really complex scientific and intellectual explanation having to do perhaps with the specific voicings of various frequencies in the EQ spectrum or something crazy like that. But for the rest of us, it just sounds like everything ?fits? ? not too much or too little of anything. Bass response does not overpower high-end or cause muddiness yet gives more than enough low-end even with a strat using the bridge pick-up, and the mids don?t sound ?honky? nor flat, it has plenty of sparkle and jangle but not so as to cause harshness or raspiness, etc., etc.. Fat, round, solid, pure, clear?all those words fit into the description. ?Smooth? also fits perfectly and is perhaps the adjective that comes to mind first when I think of Kingsley. It has such a pleasing, warm, and round breakup yet never becomes ?flabby? and unfocused like some of the old vintage stuff does. If you?ve ever played a really good tube amp that has warmed up over thirty minutes to an hour of good hard playing ? when the overdrive seems to ?sag? and round out such that it seems the harder you dig in the smoother and more liquid it sounds ? you know some of what I?m attempting to describe. But again, despite its smoothness the Kingsley always has a clarity and focus. As contradictory as it sounds, one could describe it as both raw and refined depending on what aspect your describing and in what sense you mean.

As I said before however, I also demand crystal clean as well as healthy doses of overdrive to a degree that neither of which would qualify as ?between?. The D30S handles both ends of the spectrum beautifully. Some might say the clean tones lack some headroom for some situations. However, keep in mind that in the first place those situations that merit that much clean headroom usually involve mics anyway and second, the most sought after clean tones usually involve low to medium

I haven?t had the amp long enough to reasonably comment on reliability. But if the workmanship gives any indication whatsoever, I won?t have any problems. This thing borders on overbuilt. Very big, very heavy ? seems solid as a rock. I would without hesitation play a gig with no backup with it.

Dealing with Simon Jarrett (the owner and builder of Kingsley Amplifiers) has proven a wonderful experience. Throughout the course of our discussions, I have asked him tons of questions and came to him with lots of concerns to which he has without fail responded quickly, completely, and honestly. He doesn?t shy from giving his opinion when asked and has accommodated me on every request within his power and bent over backwards to make sure I was satisfied. He exemplifies good old-fashioned service.

I?ve played for about 13 years and like every other guitar player I?ve went through a ton of gear. Over time I have simplified my rig to a very bare-bones setup. As mentioned earlier, guitar-wise I have a ?77 Les Paul Custom, an American Strat loaded with Fralins, plus a G&L Asat. I also have two acoustics I play a great deal: a Martin HD28 and a Taylor Chris Proctor Model. With respect to amplifiers, I now have only the Kingsley, which I play through two cabs: a closed back Marshall 2x12 loaded with one Vintage 30 and one Celestion Heritage and an old Marshall straight 4x12 loaded with Greenbacks. An Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, Fulltone Clyde Wah, Maxon AD-900 Delay, and Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive complete the rig. I also rely on a Marshall EL34 100/100 power amp when slaving and a Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner to protect all the aforementioned. For gear junkies this rig seems almost painfully simple, but I?ve grown to love that simplicity. It is very liberating (not to mention a lot less to drag around) to set aside endless effects chains and pedals, chest-high rack gear, and all the junk that goes with them and just play. No parameter screens 10 pages deep, cords strung everywhere, and a stage full of stuff that seems mostly just to get in the way ? just great guitar tone that allows me to concentrate on what really matters: the creation and expression of music.

If lost or stolen, I would replace it immediately.

I love the fact that while it remains a very simple single channel Class A amplifier, it still has wonderful features that you don?t find elsewhere and that truly set it apart with respect to the needs of working musicians.

The only amplifiers I?ve had the opportunity to truly A/B against the Kingsley are Badcat (Cub and HotCat 30), Dr.Z (Carmen Ghia and Route 66), and Bogner (Shiva). The Kingsley handily beat them all, although the Bogner and Dr.Z had some good tones. The Badcat almost seemed a bad joke. The Kingsley just sounded beefier and warmer than the others and the overdrive breaks up smoother and more natural. Do I wish it had or did anything else? Hmmm?making coffee would be nice. Seriously though, the tone as well as the features satisfy me perfectly ? I wouldn?t change a thing.



Lastly, let?s get one thing straight: I?ll not sit here and say that no other amplifier in the world will compare to Kingsley in the ability to create inspiring and beautiful guitar tones. The fact is that there are lots. But while I?ll be the first to say that there exist tons of great amplifiers out there (everything from old vintage Fender and Marshall stuff to modern day boutique amps such as Badcat, Bruno, Dr. Z, Top Hat, Bogner, Budda, Germino, Victoria, etc.), one would be a fool to classify Kingsley as anything but among the very best. The shear tonal quality alone would put it at the top of the pile, but when coupled with its myriad of practical options and craftsmanship, you have an amp nearly impossible to beat for what it was meant to do (clean to moderate amounts of overdrive). So if you ask, ?Is Kingsley THE best amp ever created?? That?s an opinion question. However, if you ask, ?Does Kingsley have a place among the very best guitar amplifiers have to offer?? That?s a much more factual question. And the answer? Absolutely.

I know this is a really glowing review, and I debated at some length about the idea of giving something a perfect score. But in the end I rated the Kingsley as I did based in the context of two areas: 1. Does it inspire and motivate me to play? In other words, does the general vibe (including craftsmanship, versatility, features, and obviously tone, etc.) help me achieve a higher level of musical expression? And yes, tone DOES affect one?s creative inspiration despite what some may say. And yes, the Kingsley achieves this standard. 2. Does it do what it was intended to do? Obviously it remains completely unfair to judge an amp based o