TopHat Club Royale 2x12 Combo

My Tophat is a 1999 Club Royale 2X12. It is loaded with a Greenback and a weber Blue Dog. My CR does not have a pull boost or a fat/bright switch. It is the solid state rectifier model with a soft/hard switch. It has an adjustable cut knob, with a volume, a master volume, and bass, mid and tone knobs. If it had any more gizmos, the tone would be degraded. Less is more in this case.

This amp has a range from chimey cleans to moderate, smooth distortion. I use a Fender Stratocaster with Harmonic Design V+ pickups in the neck and middle positions and a Harmonic Design STP (strat/Tele pickup in the bridge. This amp is really an instrument. It produces tones that are so sweet, crunchy, and chimey it almost hurts.

If you have never owned a top of the line class A amp, you have no idea what truly sublime tone is. These Tophats are tonal nirvana.

Build Quality is absolutely to highest standards. I would imagine this amp will be around for many generations to come.

Company owner and founder Brian Gerhard is very helpful and he stands behind every Tophat he has ever made.

This is my second Tophat. I also owned a 2004 Club Deluxe that I bought new. Selling it was the single biggest gear sale mistake I ever made (even though I sold it for more than I paid)! I have had Mesa, Marshall, and Vox. For me, the Tophats are a big step up in tone and build quality. The Club Series amps are simply amazing. I am told the latest models are even "better". But, for the money ($900-$1,100) used Tophats are hard to pass up. These amps are so beautiful, owners typically take very good care of them.

This is a new model - First week of Jan 2007. It's 18 watts, all tube (2 x EL84 in the power section, 12AX7s in the Preamp and an EZ81 rectifier tube) with 2 tophat/celestion G-12H speakers.

I play a sort of mix of indie/punk and klezmer (with a violin and lots of vocals). I was long searching for an amp that got great clean tone but also could be driven hard.

This has 1 channel with a high and low input. It has controls for master volume, bass, mid, treble, cut, volume and a switch for bright, normal or fat boost. This is more or less Top Hat's adaptation of a vox ac30 top boost into an 18-watt amp.

The tone controls are very very interactive - and quite different than the marshall/fender tone controls that i was used to. However, I've found that with the interactive tone controls I have more control over the tone than i ever had. which is, well, awesome. The cut control cuts the high frequencies.

on paper, 18 watts may not sound like much but it's really really loud with the 2 12" Celestions. I have no problem competeing with the drums, bass, violin or pa. I play mostly small/medium clubs and its great because I can get it to that sweet spot or drive it hard without overwhelming the stage volume. That being said, it's also damn loud un-mic'd and can easily fill a room.

For all that, I'm giving it a 10 - especially because of how functional the tone controls are.

My setup is: '05 Gretsch Jet Firebird w/TV Jones Classics through a zvex box of rock and electro harmonix holy grail reverb. I own two other guitars - a telecaster hs and les paul studio lite and tried them both through the amp and they soudned great. Lately I've been terribley unsatisfied with the sound of both of those guitars through a wide range of amps (mostly fenders, marshalls, and a few old ampegs) so to me that's saying something.

To my ears the amp makes sounds that are in the range of a vox ac30 or a marshall jtm 45 or plexi - depending on what you do with the tone controls. I can get beautiful, rich clean tone ala a vox - which is really really satisying. The breakup sounds damn good and at the sweet spot it's really warm, sweet and creamy. Driving it more brings out more grind but maintains the rich harmonic quality of the amp.

Before buying I played the Club Royale with a vox ac15 custom classic and a vox ac30 custom classic. I knew I wanted that vox tone but wasn't sure where to go. I think both the AC15CC and the AC30CC are really good amps for their value but the TopHat blew them away - way more versatile and the sound quality when driven hard was phenomenal. I didn't buy the tophat I played then (i had to wait to save more money) but the one I got sounds just a s good.

The overall frequency balance of this amp is really good - it gets beautiful chimy highs, great mids and can pump out its share of bass (on my 71 fender twin I usually had the bass up 3/4 to all the way whereas on this amp it is usually around 1/2 way).

This amp really does it for me.

I've not had it for very long but it's already had it's good share of long road trips and nasty weather and so far it's been in good shape. I'm not going to rate it since that would feel pretty premature but I would be surprised is something went seriously wrong. It being the most expensive amp i've ever owned, I want to get a road case or something for it. Also, I always carry backup tubes with me.

Haven't dealt with them but I hear really good stuff about Brian and Co. Knowing their reputation I feel very comfortable.

I've been playing for 12 years, and have had a number of amps - JCM 800s, Fender Twins, a Hot Rod Deluxe, weird fender solid state crap, a Laney (crazy, problematic, all tube chanel switching beast), and some other stuff - and this is by far the best amp i've ever owned. Currently it's the only amp I own but when I can I want to pick up the 5 watt "Studio Royale" that Top Hat no longer makes (can be found online at decent prices).

If it were stolen I would figure out a way to replace it. I love it.

2001; Versatile for all kinds of rock with the propper pedal. (except heavy smash metal)Single channel - think of top-vox / marshall with the cut in the power section of the amp. Master vol, fat-bright sw. trb., mid, bass, ext. speaker. Other reviews spec., this out. 20 watts class A = enough for gigs (mic) or studio.You better have some chops or you'll be exsposed. El84s with switchable rectifier.

I use a prs McCarty, Aerican Custom Strat. Reverb or Trem. would be nice.(Just a touch, mostly trem)
Actualy a head version would be great? I use a Hughes Tube Factor, Fultone Wah, Boss NC...So the noise is min. Great amp for all kinds of rock (the hughes gets you to higher gain). However the amp gets good sustain/gain when cranked. Nice & smoothe. Clean headroom is not bad with the "vox chime"

Outstanding for 3 years...I did sell the amp last year for an additional purshase. I will purchase anothe soon.

At first good. Let me preface: I have contacted them at times with no call back on questions? Don't know why the lack of response? That being said the dealer I bought the amp from is outstanding "Nate @ eddies guitars" That's why it's an 8...

I've waited years to post reviews on most amps I've owned or still own (except my Vox AC30 hwh) Which after 2 weeks set the bar...I've owned at least 30 high end amps over 20+ years and this is considerd one of the best.

This is a newer 2005 model. May have been assembled just before Brian Gerhard's move to North Car. from Calif., or not. Mine is a "black-and-gold' package.

Rather than fuel redundancy from all the other reviews, I'm posting this for the benefit of those who may feel swamped by info on all the 'boutique' amp manufacturers, and who may be just browsing. So, my review will concentrate on the sonic aspects of this amp, on what sounds I tend to pursue, other guitarists who've influenced me. Hopefull, that'll make for a useful review, beyond the "this is the best...this is the worst...piece of gear I've owned" horsehooey that pollutes HC.
So, here in the first categ. "Features," to me, does not mean channel switching, power windows, effects loops, and fancy tweedword; it means functional features. In this case, the master volume and the hugely interactive nature of the tone knobs make this a ten.

As I mentioned at the outset:
The players who've most influenced me, though not exclusively, have been British rock/bluesers of the Clapton school. But this also means I pursue the melodicism of George Harrison and Knopfler, as well as the edgier rhythmic bite of Keef et al. This model TopHat doesn't do, from what I hear, the crunchy straight 6V6 as well as the Club Delux or Super Deluxe. It DOES do the "creamy with a little fur" business of my favorite Vox's and bluesbreaker Marshalls. I wouldn't say it's exactly like either, but the synthesis is MIGHTY FINE, if you're a self-ordained "tone guru."
Some players, by the way, affect disdain for 'boutique' amps ($1500 for an amp like this is 'boutique'? Price your way through the mass-produced crappola some Saturday) which are "modeled" on other amp designs and vintage staples. I ask: Now, why again is that a problem? For me, the offer of a Vox/Marshall hybrid is a matter of pure lust. And, having played this at twenty gigs already, this thing performs at all volume levels, and with all guitars.
I use G&L teles, reissue and Studio Les Pauls, various Strats. You need to readjust tones for single-coils vs. Pauls -- you know how to do that, right?

This amp withstood being dropped (how badly I don't know, it's hard to tell when dealing with the buffoons of UPS) on its initial shipment. Perhaps it was just jarred, but the wire tube holders were dislodged, and two of the premap tubes were out (the amp ships with tubes installed).
In short, it was not gently handled between N.C. and Iowa, but it simply popped the tubes back in, and its worked like a charm since Day !. It's heavy, but I got smart enough at 52 to buy a dollie. I like tanks for amps.
To be honest, though, we'll have to see. But I don't any amp manufacturer responsible for the rel. of vacuum tubes.

Brian WILL respond to your emails,if they're serious.

Speaking of 'support,' how 'bout supporting the talented, well-intentioned BUILDERS of such great products. I believe the customer deserves respect and consideration, but so do the makers of great products. I consider whoever built this amp (Brian G.) to be every bit as talented as any of the chumps like me who play it.

I've been playing since 1967, in bands since 1979.
I won't bore you with equipment envy; I don't have as much as most dinasaurs my age, but what I do have is good, after much wheeling and dealing, stupid moves, and a thousand arabian nights in smokey bars.
I have a Super Reverb with is THE clean sound of reference, but too loud for most venues, although it IS functional on lower volumes; I've had a half dozen Boogies, until I realized I hated "high-gain" sounds; I've owned vintage Gibson Skylards, a '62 brown Princeton that some dipstick named Brooke still owes me money for; Fender Bandmaster and Basement heads; Peavy Classic 30's (not a bad amp, incidentally); Fender Super Champ; Marshall 50-watts, blah, blah, blah.
None of these amps touch the Club Royale, for what I do and want. Fantastic value is the apprpriate term.

CUSTOM TOP HAT CLUB ROYALE 2X12 COMBO 2004
No head phone jack, No channel switching, 18 watts all tube

controls are as follows:

ON/OFF
STANDBY
MASTER VOLUME
CUT
BASS
MID
TREB
VOLUME
INPUT 1
INPUT 2
FAT/ normal / Bright 3 way toggle switch

Amp is black with black grill , white trim , no logo installed.
using 2 16ohms weber alnico blue dogs and sovtek tubes. this is the Tube Recto version.

custom ordered took 3 weeks to get to me.

amazing clean tone , has a slight mid type hump like the vox but can get into a nice chimey clean. With preamp on full and master volume at 12 you can get an amazing overdriven sound.

I have used the following guitars on this amp
Fender Jaguar
Fender Jazzmaster
Fender telcaster 50's RI
Fender stratocaster
gibson flying v
gibson SG -200 (rare as hell)
Reverend Rocco custom
Rickenbacker 360
epiphone les paul custom

Believe me when i say , that this amp is amazing and not picky when it comes to guitars or pickups. I needed an amp that had that ac-30 ish feel without the weight of an ac-30 , I can honestly after searching that this is the best I have played. The clean channel is very clear , you can hear all of your strings and has a slight chorus sound to it . very usable and very guitar friendly. Driving this amp is where the fun is really at. the overdrive is warm and transparent very open sounding better for lead in my opinion. Its very versitle but also has its limitations, its a single channel amp so you either play it overdriven or you play it clean , but the amaing thing is that you have a volume knob on your guitar so if you use it correctly you can yield two very usable tones out of this one channel amp. with the webers my amp breaks up alot sooner then other speakers, i think the break up starts around noon on the preamp where as on other speakers it would break up around 2 o'clock. not much more i can say. if you know what you want and I did , then you wont feel as if you are lacking anything.

I have left this amp in cold storage over the winter , about 2 months of no use in 20 degree weather , brought it back home , turned it on and bam .. I rocked on it for 4 hours straight with no problem.

tubes always die , mine have lasted a year and to no fault of the amp , these tubes will need replacing.

I worked with Brian on this amp over the phone , he was very helpful and he also was very patient with all of my dumb questions. I dont know of any other company that would do that without atleast a little hint of sarcasim. good company , great guy , greater amp.

I have been playing for about 6 years, I have owned more amps, guitars and pedals than I have time to write. some of my most beloved amps are , the Carvin VT50 with 2 4x10 tweed cabs , Vox AC30 , DR.Z
carmen ghia 2x10 combo and of course the top hat club royale 2x12. If it were lost or stolen , I would buy a CARVIN VT50 cause I sure as hell ain't gonna throw down another $1650 on an amp. I play in a few bands and mostly
new wave / alternative and indy rock and in total contradiction I also play teeny Pop music(jamming with the younger kids) . The amp suits all styles just fine and Im proud to say I am a top hat user.

Mine is a 2004 model in offwhite tolex and gold grill, it looks AWESOME. I wont go into the features since everyone else has done that so well. BUT if I could add anything to the amp's features it would be an adjustable line out and an effects loop. At least having the line out would be nice, i could live without the FXloop. I use this amp playing in an old school punk/powerpop type band (Jam/Undertones/Hives/yougettheidea) and it's loud enough to play with a drummer, bass and vox. Initially i was worried the 20 watts wouldnt be enough but it has definitely got some juice.

The natural OD gain is AMAZING. Really warm drive powered by 2 EL84s and it can definitely sound more AC30 than some reissues, as well as have a hint of classic Marshall overdrive tone. With the volume turned up to 3/4 and using the Master volume for overall loudness, i get the EXACT tone i have been looking for. A nice clean driven gain that isn't too fuzzy or distorted sounding. The EQ knobs are VERY interactive, unlike most amps where they dont seem to do much except at extreme settings. A slight adjustment in the middle and treble knobs gives you radically different sounds. Much more versatile than the limited number of knobs would indicate. The sound is butter smooth....this amp is no hype.

so far so good, just had to change the power on lamp that had burnt out (#47 hobby bulb found at any radio shack for $3)

have emailed and talked with Brian and he is quick to respond. Am completely confident that if i had an issue with the amp, it would be resolved quickly. and it helps that he is only about 40 minutes from me.

Having heard so much hype about boutique amps, i wasnt sure if a 2x12 combo that cost 3x as much as a solid Classic 50 would be that much better. But it is! You have to hear it/play it to believe it. I was going to get the Vox AC30custom classic reissue but after hearing the Club Royale, that notion went out the window. I would replace this in a second if I had to.

2x12 Club Royale made in 9/99, 1 Greenback, 1 Weber Blue Dog, bright/fat boost switch, soft/normal SS rectifier switch, teal green tolex with gold piping and grill cloth. 20 loud Class A watts from 2 EL84's (JJ's in mine now) and 3 12AX7's (mine has a NOS Brimar in V1 and EH in V2-V3). 2 inputs, one channel, no FX loop or reverb, control panel is master volume, cut, bass, mid, treble and preamp volume, along with the boost switch. This is the second one of these I've owned (my previous review is dated 1/17/02) and getting rid of the first one was the WORST gear mistake I've ever made, and believe me I have done plenty 'o bonehead gear deals! The wattage/speaker configuration is perfect for what I do (roots rock/Americana/alt country), you can really get great tones at different volume levels, and these amps record GREAT! The wattage is perfect for clubs of all sizes, 20 Class A watts is really plenty loud. The lack of FX loop and reverb really isn't an issue for me, this amp makes me want to rely more on it for great tone and less and less on FX.......

I feel truly blessed to be able to re-acquire one of these great amps, I felt right back at home when I plugged my Guild Blues 90 (this amp LOVES P-90's!)into it. It is an inspiring piece of gear, it brings out the heart and soul of my playing. As I said, the amp makes me want to turn away from effects and just wallow in it's sweet tone. I have a Top Hat Xpressor on board, this give a transparent boost or cut (very handy), along with a Boss tremelo/pan and a Korg 301 dl dynamic delay...that's all. The amp has lovely chime and grind, and of course the Vox comparisions are to be expected, but there are many unique flavors blended in there-Marshall, HiWatt...the end result exceeds the sum of its influences, if you know what I mean. Not a huge amount of gain on tap, but it is plenty for my style, and the best thing is the amp retains harmonic character and clarity at all gain levels-you will not be able to hide sloppy playing behind high-gain syrup here, my friends... I do find myself setting the preamp higher than I used to, and using either the Xpressor or my guitar volume knob to clean it up-it responds to dynamic changes in attack very well, and cleans up even at the highest gain settings. My first Top Hat was a tube rectified model, and I know there are a lot of strong opinions about the merits of tube vs. SS recto. I don't have the ability to do a side-by-side comparision, but I am very happy with my SS recto model, I like having the two options available and I think both sound great. I actually find it easier to dial in my sound with my new Club, as it has a cut knob and two boost settings available, whereas my old one had one boost setting and a "fixed" cut setting. So far my typical setting with my Guild is master as loud as possible :-), cut at 1-2 O'clock, bass at 1 O'clock, mid at 12 O'clock, treble at 10 O'clock, preamp at 2 O'clock, boost on "fat", recto switch varies. At lower master settings I might lower the cut to 12 O'clock to give it a little more brightness. What a wonderful tone-this amp deserves nothing less than a "10".

I had my first one for 3 1/2 years without a single problem, I expect nothing less this time around. The build quality of these amps is wonderful, and from what I have heard is only getting better.

Brian is top-notch with customer service, he'll answer emails and take phone calls to answer questions and insure satisfaction

I have been playing for 28 years or so, have owned TONS of amps both new and vintage, off-the-rack and boo-teek, and I can honestly say I have never owned a BETTER amp than either Top Hat I've had. The amp inspires me, makes me realize that I do not deserve to sound this good!

This category has been covered pretty well in the other reviews, so I won't really elaborate. Mine is a 1999 (#303) model and is one of the first from the factory to come with the fat/bright switch and hard/soft rectifier switch installed stock. I had it custom done with a White tolex front and Black tolex everywhere else. *(Very reminiscent of a Matchless...I just couldn't help myself! hahaha) The EQ on this amp is EXTREMELY interactive!!! It has so many useable tones inside that you can use practically use any guitar/pickup combination and find a great tone! Even with its one channel, I still find it to be one of the most versitile amps I have ever come across! I also own a Matchless Lightning, and a BadCat Cub II...the TopHat is my favorite!!

I am using a '56 Gibson LP Goldtop (RI) with P-90's as well as a '99 Gibson Deluxe (30th Anniversary) with mini-buckers. I must admit the tone with the P-90's is absolutely incredible! They push the TopHat into such a smooth overdrive that must be heard to believe. I play mostly rock/modern rock with this amp and I am able to create a distinctive, yet sought after tone that I have dreamt about having for years. I use the amp set to a clean sound on the verge of break-up so I can get a little dirt when I dig into the strings of my guitar. For overdrive/heavy distorted tones, I use a modified Boss SD-1 and a Keeley freak of the week #2 Maxon OD-9 pedal in conjunction with one another. I have read some of the reviews here saying that this amp is loud/noisy...In my experience with this amp, I would ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE!!!!! This amp only sounds better the louder you turn it up. You can hear sound samples of this amp at my bands website: www.leosinvention.com

I have toured across the US with this amp for a year straight (Over 300+ shows) and have not had a single problem with it at all!!! That's what I call bullet-proof construction!! The only thing I had to do was buy new power tubes. I have been using this CR amp ever since I got in 1999, and it seems to only sound better with time/use!

Brian and Joan are the nicest and most helpful people you could come across. My original logo was the screw on type, however, it kept cracking around the screws until it finally reached across the entire logo! Brian sent me a brand new "stick on" logo for free...Also, I put my foot through the silver-sparkle grill cloth at a show *(On accident I mind you!! hehe) and he helped me replace it for super cheap!!! I have NOT dealt with more honest and kind people who will stand behind their product 110%.

I would not know what to do if I did not have my CR anymore! Almost every show someone will come up to me and ask about what amp I'm using and where they can get one! TopHats are truly the amps for me! I am thinking about getting a SD 2x12 next, but I just may buy my 3rd CR 2x12...you can never have enough TopHat amps!! *(Ask Teleplayer on the TH forum!!!!) =)

My top hat club royale 2x12 20 watt class A amp (like my ac30 but better) Basic , Volume , Treb -Mid -Bass -Cut -Master. thats it ..
you can plug an extension cab to it if you want . it has a solid state rect. and a switch at the bottom to change it from 20 -18 watts.
high and low inputs. one celstion greenback and one celestion vintage.30. the amp is black with tan grill. This top hat amp gets a
10 for being easy to use and having one of the most interactive eq's i have ever had the pleasure tweaking. This is not a reverb having effect producing amp modeling piece of machinery although some may think that the price is high to people who give a damn about tone the price is nothing.

I found this amp being sold on consignment at the local shop and decided to check it out. I have heard of top hats but the name didnt strike me as much as Bad Cat , Matchless , Orange ... I Have owned a few amps in the past 3 years ..close to 19 different setups from high gain stacks to tiny combos some of which were high end and some of which were mid level. I can honestly say that this is one of best sounding amps I have ever played through. some of my favs. include -
Bad Cat Cub II R - Vox AC-30tb - Orange AD30 so as you can see im into the whole class A thing. anyways .... The clean on this amp (which took me a bit of time to tone up )sings like no other, I try not to use to many pedals and if i do its usually a bunch of hand made boutiques wired for true bypass. this amp is pretty darn silent.
with the master at noon and the volume cranked I can get a really warm overdrive (not a metal sound) just a nice warm open mild overdrive, with a keeley java boost you can get some serious crunch like ac/dc crunch I also use a keeley compressor which helps tighten up the sound abit. back to the clean side which is really why i bought this amp. Dont buy this amp if you have a hard time missing your notes ...this is so damn interactive to how you play ..i can hear every nuance and further more every mistake.. its helped me try to focus more on my speed and accuracy considering you dont want everyone and their moma's to hear you mess up. I cant say enough wonderful things about this amp. I suggest you try to check one out really soon.

had it for 4 months and it sounds great .. actually i think the speakers have now been broken in so the amp actually sounds even better then it did when i got it.

never dealt with them, but im sure they would be good.

right now I own the Top Hat 2x12 and am planning on getting a Bad Cat CubII 2x10 to run overdriven. Im using a Fender Jazzmaster & Jaguar both MIJ that are bone stock. I traded off a gibson to get the top hat and another gibson for both guitars. I use mostly Analogman and keeley pedals , a jacques tube blower nelsound apex fuzz and a whammy pedal, slow volume and a boss dd-5. I mostly play indie experimental based rock. This amp is def. part of my permenant setup which if you know me and how much gear i go through really means alot. I wouldnt suggest this amp for a metal player but instead maybe someone who is into jazz-blues-classic rockand even hard rock.. with this amp its about the clean. I love this amp and if anyone messed with it i would cut off his hands and bury them with Ed geins.

2003 model. Blues,hard rock,punk,and more. This is a basic hand wired,point to point,tube amp...THANK GOD,THANK BRIAN. 20 watts, high low,master volume. Wish it had reverb,but the Holy grail pedal has proved to work well. Don't let the 20 watss fool ya, this baby screams. Too loud for the apartment, loud enough to cut through drums and bass.

80's Les Paul custom, '57 reissue Strat, MIM Tele w/ seymour five-twos,Gary Moore Les Paul, 80 Dean V, 80 Dean Explorer, 85 Gibson Explorer and all sound great and unique plugged straight into this amp. Rich clean tones (not Fender clean) with any of my guitars. Nice break up on the single coils and moster distortion with the humbuckers. This amp has many differant sound possibilities, play with the knobs and take notes.It don't sound like a Fender nor a Marshall nor a Vox...It's A Top Hat, and in my humble opinion, the best sounding amp I've ever heard, and I'm old enough to have heard many. Unless you want Fender "Nashville" or "Surf Clean" or Death Metal sound, you cannot go wrong with this amp.

So Far, so Good. I live only a few miles from Top Hat, I'm not worried. Unless the marketing nazis at Fender,Gibson,or Korg buy Brian out. As good as this amp is,there's a chance.

I called Brian before I bought this amp. I asked him many questions abouth this model and others. He was patient and answered all of my questions. 1 year warranty, but I get the feeling Brian would back up his product at any time.

Been playing almost 30 years. This amp is magic to me. Friends agree that the tones and sounds are second to none. Easy to use. Thanks to Brian, the best amps on the planet are made in Orange County again , "No Sheet", made in ANAHEIM.