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.

Evey thing I need...

Volume
Master
Cut
Bass
Treble
TONE!

The only am I have ever owned I will never sell... it only took 23 years and 30-40 amps

Hand made and cared for by BG

#2 guy in the biz for customer support, really, Brian is an awesome guy

... whose #1, well ask Ben Fargen :)

Perfect, I mean it, perfect. I have never bothered to write a word about gear on Harmony. I lurk here daily, EVERYDAY to be honest, and have owned nearly $100,000.00 worth of gear in the last 7 years alone and never bothered to write a word... But the Royale is inspiring that way. Those negative reviews are ticked off competitors, or folks with an axe to grind, don't believe them, those aren't reviews of the Royale, they are descriptions of the authors character.

2001 Class A 20W combo single channel. On the top: hi & lo inputs; Volume Treble Mid Bass Cut Master knobs; Bright Off Fat selector switch; Standby & Power switches. Underneath: Soft/Normal rectifier switch; polarity switch; external cabinet jack; 2 12" (Celestion?) matched speakers with Top Hat decal. This amp can do everything with anything

This is the second one I HAVE (as in two). Holy Mother of all rock sounds, you should hear them in stereo using a simple Boss CE3.

Why don't you already own this amp?

Gigged & recorded with the First one. I do not expect this one to be any different.

If you can't find one from brian, talk to Hoosierdad his own dang self!

"Fantastic value" does not do justice to this 10 rating. What is the best tone you've ever heard flying from your fingers into your ears translate to? "Fantastic value"? How about

EARVANA!

This one is a '98 CR212. It doesnt have a fat boost switch but does have the solid state rectifier with the soft normal switch. I talked to Brian about this as I wanted a tube rectifier. Hands down Brian knows his business and I was satisfied. Over the life of this model, Brian has evolved his design. I think this was a transition model. It has no features other than Vol, Master Vol, Treb, Mid, Bass, and Cut. You plug it in, it plays. I wish it had reverb, but it has sufficient power for what I do. I play mostly a Tele with Lindy Fralins Blues Specials through this amp. Its very articulate, can sing like Roy Buchanan. Chords can bloom with this amp. It does a class A straight unadulterated sound, REALLY well. I use a Fender 63 reissue reverb with it. It must be mic'ed to be used live.

This is a special amp. Ive often remarked how I wish Id had this thing 30 years ago. Its the best amp Ive ever owned. Flat out, hands down, this amp sounds georgeous. But note this well, its an 18 watt amp. It does not have the power for stage volume in a big or moderate venue. If you cant bring it back through the monitors you have two choices. Buy another one, or buy a King Royale. I now have two CR212s and am thinking of a Club Deluxe 212 as well. This amp is ambrosia for recording. I use it with a tele and its lovely, but it also has that Clapton, Blues Breakers sound nailed with a Les Paul or a 335. Frankly, if you are looking for produced, modeled sounds, get a modeling amp, this is a straight and simple amplifier. You will get no breaks from this peice. If you have the magic, this amp just makes it louder. It does not compress, distort, flange, chorus, or modifiy the envelope. If you want that sound, this is the wrong amp. If you play with effects to get your sound, this is probably not the right amp. But to me...this amp sounds awesome.

No problems. Its built like a tank. I dont expect anything but tubes later, and someday filter caps. Ill be dead by then.

I called for a question, and the president and owner of the company called me back. He answered questions directly. His passion for his amps is evident. I can only imagine what it will be like to deal with him if I ever have a problem. I carry a Vibrolux Custom with me just in case. It has never left its case. I tried it once at practice and it just wasnt close to the sound quality. I hope I never need it,. I think the Warranty was 1 year.

Ive been playing for 39 years. I play electric jazz, finger picked tele stuff, Old Axis Bold as Love era Hendrix copies and complex blues. The differences between this amp and Dr Zs, Matchless, Bogner, and Bad Cats are a matter of taste. Theyre all good. I happen to like this one. I used to like JMP 45s, But theyre too loud. I can get that glassy sound out of the top hat
If you're looking for a strong club amp, and want that Chimey Class A sound, and you need strong stage volume get the 30 watt model. But if you have a really good PA, try the CR212, you get the sound, and not the headache... and you can hear whats going on.

My TH is serial #610, I received it in April of 2002. Very basic features, but I don't use reverb much and I have pedals for distortion. The only feature I wish it had is a headphone jack. I like to play in the morning before work or late at night when everyone is asleep, I do have a different amp to do this though. I do most of my playing at home, sometimes I jam with some friends, drummer and bass, in an 18X18 barn/shed.This amp more than holds its own. At home, I have 3 1/2 acres with nobody behind me. I will take it out on the deck and open it up, and even at half volume, the sound just echos back. I don't know for sure because I haven't done it yet, but I think this amp would hold up real well in a live situation.

I have a Les Paul Elegant(from the Gibson custom shop) and an Epiphone Dot in which I switched out the pickups with a DeArmond guitar I bought. The Tec then put in two switches to split the pickups, I get a lot of different tone combinations. I TRY to play mostly classic rock and some blues. The tone of this amp is what is so awesome. Even though it has no distortion channel, 'I' think there is some kind of "breaking up" that it does, depending on your volume and where you have the soft/normal switch set. I run the controls straight up and usually have it on the FAT side.

I have had NO problems with mine. It arrived very nicly packed. The way I will take care of it, it should last longer than me....

Brian not only answered all my questions, but gave more information than I'll ever need or use. Therefore, I'm sure he will handle ALL problems(if any) that come up. A very nice person to talk to, I will say, sometimes it's hard to get a word in!!

I have been playing on and off for about 35 years. I even started taking lessons again last year and I have to say, I think I have improved. Just goes to show you, you're never too old to learn. How did I end up buying a TopHat? Well, I have been a Beatles fan since they came here in 64 and I really started getting back into play in the past five years. I had my mind made up to buy a Vox. But, after reading all the reviews on HC, I didn't want to spend that kind of money on poor quality and service. TopHat was recommended by someone I didn't even know. I checked one out at a store that was an hour and a half away, and that's all it took. I ordered one. I also have a Marshall JTM30 with an extension cab. I ended up buying a Carvin Legacy 2X12 extension cab for the TopHat, a very nice addition at half the price of TopHats ext.cab. What is really cool is to get an ABY switch and run both of these amps together at the same time. Down right AWESOME!!!! All in all, I love this amp more and more, every time I use it. I wanted the Vox sound, and I think I found it, along with some quality and dependability which sounds like something Vox has lost. It was more money than I wanted to spend, but I look at it as an investment. This will give me something to do when I retire!! This amp is highly recommended from me. I have to finish by saying, Thank you Peter..... Thank you for turning me on to TopHat. It has been an complete joy.......

2001 Class A 20W combo single channel. On the top: hi & lo inputs; Volume Treble Mid Bass Cut Master knobs; Bright Off Fat selector switch; Standby & Power switches. Underneath: Soft/Normal rectifier switch; polarity switch; external cabinet jack; 2 12" (Celestion?) matched speakers with Top Hat decal. This amp can do everything with anything.

Why don't you own this amp yet?

I have not found a sound that this cannot make. You will smile in continuing amazement.

Sounds great with P90s, Trisonics, Virtual Vintage singles, MIJ Strat p/us (H/S/S), Parker Fly & NiteFly DiMarzios, lipstick p/us, DeArmond 2Ks, DiMarzio PAF Pro & Tone Zone, Duncans. A/B-ing with Marshall DSL 2000 100W .5stack and it even makes the Marshall sound better!

So far so good. Hoosierdad's the man!

Amazing, reasonably immediate replies to all e-mail inquiries. Check out the Forum page at tophatamps.com

I need more Club Royales in my life, keeping a couple for myself and giving away the rest to spread joy to a depressingly rectal-fied world of rock and roll. This amp is so not boring! (10 ratings are, but can they be helped?) How can one place a value to something invaluable?

This is an update on a review I submitted after owning the Club for about 3 weeks. I feel compelled to write this only because I'm still as enthused about the product as I was when I wrote the first review. It's stripped down and I like that, it's versatile in that it's EQ is offers a lot of usable sounds, and most importantly, it really shows me the difference between Class A and A/B. I don't play on stage so I can't vouch for it's ability to cut through, but for my use(basement recording) its ideal. My guess is that it might be a little under powered for the stage...my Deluxe Reverb blows it away as far as volume is concerned but most of my guitar playing friends say my Deluxe is the loudest they have heard so maybe something is delightfully wrong with it. Anyway, The Royale is a killer recording amp. That's what I use it for and it transfers to tape like no other in my arsenal. It does have the ability to "fool" the tape recorder into believing a much larger amp is in the room, or it can sound very chimey and Vox-like as well and thats what I would call versatility. As far as features I never use...yeah, I never use master volumes, especially with a 20 watt rig like this. Master volumes are a waste of time for me in that I can turn up as loud as I want when I record. Features I wish it had?...not since I bought reverb and trem pedals. The simpler the better as far as I'm concerned.

I like Telecasters the best and after figuring out the EQ on this thing, it is indeed a great Tele amp. The guy I bought it from was a David Grissom(spell check) fan and he said he bought this amp to cop Grissom's tones on the Storyville CD's which I also love. But this puzzled me since I thought Grissom was a Marshall guy, but sure enough, with just a simple tweak of the EQ, this thing delivers that smooth,rich Storyville sound in spades..When you turn down the treble on the Club, it boosts the midrange dramatically and at first this confused the Neanderthal in me. But after much grunting and chest banging I became calm and figured this out and it no longer frightens me. Yeah, this amp sounds good with single coil and humbuckers. The EQ can handle anything. Sometimes I go weeks without playing through this amp, using old Fenders just for the sake of variety. When I finally come back to the Club, I'm always excited because it sounds and feels is so radically different to my ear. I have not had the pleasure of using other Class A amps for any extended period of time so I can't really make a comparison beween Top Hat and say..Matchless, Kingsley, Vox,Dr. Z etc. but I really enjoy this Top Hat and for recording, it's an absolute blast.

Not one squeak,pop or fizzle....flawless so far and I do play it loud and hard.

I have not had a reason to call Top Hat, but I did email Brian when I bought the amp(used) and he replied promptly.

As mentioned, I like Teles and old Fender amps. I've been through alot of stuff new and old and now I like Top Hat too. I would defintly buy another one but I'd like to try out the other Class A amps as well.What do I love about it?... It's simple and it sounds good.Hate about it?...nothing but the EQ could be more straight forward I guess. It could also get rid of the master volume and lose the knob...the fewer the better. Otherwise, I really enjoy the heck out of it. I normally would prefer a little more power and headroom, but for recording...who cares? It can sound huge on tape.

I want to start this review by stating that I'm not one of those people giving a rave review of this amp to justify my purchase. I'm I working musician that uses different rigs at several gigs a week. Hopefully I qualify to give an opinion on the subject of gear. NOW, FEATURES. I rated this a little lower for those of you who like to be able to just set a couple of settings and switch between the two (or three). Can't here, but there are many usable tones from this one channel amp. Mine is brand new, made in January of 2002. It has interactive tone controls, Treble, Mid, Bass and Cut plus a pre-volume, and a master volume. It also has 2 inputs(low, high) a switch that has three settings, bright, off and a fat gain boost. One last switch, a soft/normal rectifier switch which allows, set soft, a lower output and spongier feeling output with quicker breakup. With tweeks on the eq and various switches you can get any tone you would need, in my opinion. This amp uses 3 12AX7 preamp tubes and 2 EL84s for power. It has a solid state rectifier, which sounds fine to me, the amp still sags enough with it anyway. It my bother the tweed neards out there though, but I've found that most of the tube amp neards really just sit around talking tone rather than giging (no offense intended). It also has no effects loop or reverb.

I have to play several styles of music. Sheryl Crow, Sara McLachlan Brit-Pop stuff, sometimes I play Jazz at weddings, or just straight rock stuff. I also dig really creative jazz stuff by Bill Frisell and David Torn, using guitar loops, stuff like that. In my opinion this is the best sounding amp I've heard for any style I play. I use it with a PRS Custom 22. I've owned many different amps more notable, a 71 50 wt Marshall, a JCM900 Marshall, Both good for rock but not very versatile. Now I use for most gigs a Matchless Hurricane with several pedals (Menatone, Zvex, Line6, Fulltone, Prescription Elec.). The Club Royale is by far my favorite. I use it for some of my gigs, but I really like to keep it at home for jamming, or recording. The amp has so many usable tones and they all sound great. You just need to learn how the eq works. The treble really effects the midrange of the amp. Depending on how you have the treble, and mid controls set, you really can get a Fender type sparkly sound, then set them just right, you get a really great Vox tone. With a good overdrive and the pre volume set about three oclock turn the mid down a bit, you get a great vintage Marshall tone (my favorite). I know this sounds a little to good to be true, but it's the truth. By the way, my favorite overdrive with this amp is a Prescription Rx Overdriver. On the pedal put the treble @ ten oclock, bass @ 9 oclock, Drive @ 10-11 oclock and crank output. It is really just an extention on the amps gain, with this setting, It just makes the amp cook a little more. The dynamics of both the pedal and amp are so good you can get cleanish sounds with just backing your volume down to 3 or 4. I now It's not as popular to say but I actually like the smoothness of more preamp distortion than power amp. But for those of you that really like power amp distortion this amp is a low enough wattage (18-20) that it works great for power amp break up at reasonable volumes. It breaks up like I good EL84 vox class A distortion. Power amp distortion is Just a little loose for my taste. Basically I like the smooth distortion of a Marshall, but the tone of a Vox. I just love the sound of a good British circuit amp going through an open back cab with celestions. Mine has one G12H and one Greenback, they sound nice together. The amp has a very smooth, midrange complex sound.

The amp Is built completely by hand with high quality parts, It is not as clean as my Matchless (I havn't seen a circuit that clean) but it looks very tough. I would think this amp is very reliable, I've only had it for a couple of months, I havn't had any problems with it though.

I was thinking about getting several amps, and Brian at Top Hat wanted me to be completely satisfied with his amp. We emailed several times on options for his different amps, and it seemed he was basically willing to build me just about any thing, within reason, that I wanted. But in trying out this amp I felt it was perfect. I have not delt with a more friendly company than Top Hat, It is a pretty small company, and they really want their customers to be happy. I've spent 45 minutes on the phone with Brian, he is very nice, and very informative. There are not very many companies where you can speak with the quy who built your amp. Great touch Brian!

I've been playing 13 years, professionaly for about 10 and of all the amps I've owned and tried this is my favorite. I had 3 main amps I was considering, a Matchless DC30, a Dr. Z Maz 18 or 38, and the Top Hat. I felt the best for versatility and overall pleasing tone was the Club Royale. The others to me had a harder, stiffer sound. If I needed another amp to just run my pedals through, I would probably choose another Matchless, but I wanted an amp that I enjoyed just plugging straight into. The Top Hat is very versatile, and pleasing to the ear. I only wish that I didn't have to make eq changes to get good clean sounds, then make eq changes for good dirty tones. Whether we like it or not, an amp has to be made this simple to get this good a tone. Every guitarist that has heard my amp, is amazed with it. Especially the guys that really work. It has a very full, fat sooth sound. You actually have to keep the Bass control no higher than 12 oclock on dirty tones or you get too fat a sound. Another thing to watch is the higher the volume the more highs come out of the power section, so its great to have the cut control. I usually turn the cut down the higher I have the volume. Overall this amp makes me feel like I won't have to buy another amp for a long time. Thanks Top Hat! My wife thanks you too!!!!!

IMO, in the features category, less is more. I've come a long way with amps, moving from Crate, to Peavey - eventually to Marshall and Mesa before arriving at TopHat. The knobs on the amp (Volume, treb, mid, bass, cut, and master volume make it easy for the user to find a useable tone. The other reviews stating that the amp's volume will diminish when the treble is above 12 o'clock is absolutely true. If you want a more ballsy sound, it's best to turn the treble down, the bass just past 12, the mid up to your liking and turn the tone selector to "Fat." The amps's knobs are truly dependent of one another. The tone selector is a key piece for this amp, allowing you to play some serious treble rock when the amp is switched to "bright." Two inputs, Class A, Celestion G12H's in it that sound good and don't sound fizzy when distorted. A true tone monster at 20 watts. This amp was made in early 2001 and I've waited some time to see if my initial infatuation would fade with this beautiful green amp - it has not. I use this amp at home, and in recording and it is perfect. The EL-84 tubes provide the warmth I need and it doens't kill my ears to crank this baby all the way up. I have turned these knobs every which way and can honestly say that I could find a useable sound on this amp at any position. It goes from brown to bright with one scoop of the cut knob! Brian- you are a genius my friend!

I use three guitars with this amp. A '95 Lone Star Strat, a PRS McCarty with dual humbuckers, and a G&L ASAT with MFD's. The PRS is good for metal-style rocks and the sustain with the Club and the PRS is phenomenal. I'll bet there are a few readers in agreement on that one! The Strat is my main axe and sounds great as it would through anything. I can play seering solos or let the tone just ring on in that classic Fender rhythm scenario. Let's get one thing straight - this amp is not a VOX AC30. Nor is it a 100 Watt Marshall used for scorching the first ten rows of your audience. Miked up, the amp can sound plenty loud for any club but it is not Pete Townsend's live rig. I guess the only reason I write this is because amidst the glowing reviews for this amp are some serious misunderstandings for what this amp can do. The guy with the Fender Deville - sorry dude, it's not the amp. If it's not powerful enough for you, you should have bought the Ambassador, or even the Emplexador, but I imagine at these prices the Club seemed optimal. They are spendy, I wouldn't kid about that! I paid $1400 for mine, which I thought was a little too much. But, it doesn't stink like an old closet classic and I don't have to go to the "What's Wrong with Your Amp Today" forum any more! I primarily play rock and blues, with influences ranging from Bob Mould, Frank Black, Billy Corgan to the classics such as Clapton, Gilmour, EVH, Jimi, May. Love 'em all. These speakers need to be broken in, especially for the Blues Thump. This amp does not sound the same as when I bought it. It's better. One minus: the amp sounds like crap with most distortion pedals in front of it. You need a true bypass pedal or forget about it. Best is to keep the amp a little on the cranker side and come down with your guitar volume. Isn't it better to have control at your fingertips anyway?

I do not shell out 10's like this. But I don't want to break the streak in this category. Brian and Joan are awesome and if you are in the know, then there you go!

You can ship it to Anaheim and Brian will take care of you. Good luck finding a worthy authorized repair man. I know there are none in Seattle.

I've been playing for 14 years now (Jesus time flies!) and have wanted this amp before I even knew it existed. I'm a gear slut and it almost breaks my heart because I'm not going to be able to justify buying another amp for a long, long time. The Club may not do it for everyone. I mean, don't take my word for it, go out and find the amp of your dreams. To me, all that Dual Rectified crap is garbage. If I wanted an amp that would damn near play itself, I'd be playing a Mesa. Instead, I chose the best hand-built, American Made, Point-to-point, hand wired, baddest little MOFO on the planet. Get it? I compared this amp to VOX's and Fender Twins mostly and decided this was a little more on the meatier side of things as far as Tone goes. I love Fender and Vox and think it is a huge testament that I wold choose the Club over the rock standards. This amp is more versatile believe it or not. I love the simplicity of the Club Royale and will continue exploring on it for a long time.

Mine is an early model, bought new in 9/98, early master volume style (control panel marked "cut", actually master volume) w/pull boost on pre-amp. High and low inputs, no voicing switch like those found on the current models, tube rectifier. 1 Celestion Greenback, 1 Weber.
Simple, straightforward-no reverb, effects loop, channel switching, etc. Some would give low marks in this category because of this, but someone who was looking for all those things probably wouldn't be looking at one of these amps anyway! I base my rating on the features of superior construction, point-to-point wiring,etc.-the things that matter to ME.

I know that it is our tendency as guitarists and tone freaks to rave about our new high dollar purchases to make us feel justified for spending MORE money on gear, and I also tire of the constant "10"'s on this website, along with the "this kills everything else out there" type of remarks. But I have been playing for 25+ years and have owned the usual gamut of vintage and new Fenders, Marshalls, Boogies, some oddballs like Magnatones and Selmers; in short, just about every size, configuration and wattage out there, but I have stuck with this amp for over 3 years and have no plans to buy any others. For me, that is MAJOR.
I have used this amp in clubs, studio, church, indoors and outdoors, big stages and tiny ones-I can get great tone out of this amp in any situation. Soundmen no longer yell at me-they compliment me on my tone! I used my Top Hat on a recording session with a very well-known (sorry, no name dropping) engineer, and he was very impressed with the variety and quality of tones I got, and how well they sat in the mix.
My main guitars right now are a Am Std Strat and an Epi Riviera with Gibson electronics. I used to own a '60 LP Jr (P-90's sound great thru this amp) that I had to sell awhile back. (It is a testament to this amp that I elected to sell the Junior instead of it!)
But no matter what guitar I use, I always find a great sound with the Club Royale. I recently acquired my Strat without trying it thru my Top Hat, and I have to admit that I was afraid that it might not be a good match. I have always thought "Fender guitar, Fender amp" and recalled seeing Jimmy Vaughn a few years back, playing his Strats thru a Matchless Clubman and sounding HORRIBLE-to my ears, the class "A" distortion sounded gritchy and thin. But I immediately found the Club Royale a great match with the Strat, and that backing off on the midrange was the key.
I am a bit of a reverb junkie, and occasionally find myself wishing for built in 'verb, but I have found a Boss RV2 Digital Reverb (sorry-I can't afford a real spring tank right now) sounds great if I keep the preamp volume low.
My stage setup is as follows:
VHT Valveulator (get one!), Klon Centaur>RV2 reverb>Line 6 DL4>Boss PN 2 Tremolo/Pan>Top Hat. In a live setting, I prefer the control of using the Centaur for overdrive and keeping the amp relatively clean. In the studio, I like to "play the amp" more. However, I have been in live situations where a straight ahead amp sound was all I needed, and kept the amp dirty with great results using my guitar volume to clean it up a little. I prefer to keep my master volume high and my preamp at the same level or lower, as I do with all master volume amps. I'm not a big fan of the typical "preamp dimed, master on 2" setting, but on this amp that type of setting sounds a lot better than most. With my Strat, my settings are as follows:
Master: 5-7 Pre amp: 3-5 (boost on) Bass: 5 Mid: 3 1/2-4 Treble: 4 (typical settings-will of course vary a little)
Blah Blah Blah-what's my rating? 10! I love this amp, and my listeners do too!

I have had this amp over 3 years and have not had any problems-it still has the original tubes! (OK,OK-I probably need to change the EL84's)

Brian is a very knowledgeable and courteous professional-he will take the time to talk to you at LENGTH about any questions you may have. I feel confident that he would be very responsive to a problem.

My comments under "sound quality" pretty much tell the whole story...
I would replace with another Club Royale if stolen-it is the perfect amp for me in terms of tone and power (don't be frightened by the low wattage-this amp is plenty loud!)

I submitted a previous review but want to point out something to these people who have not been satisfied with this amp. I have read the review from the guy who said this amp does'nt cut it in a live situation. I can't imagine how this amp would not cut it in a live situation because I use mine only turned up 1/4 on the master and it is more than sufficient. I think the misunderstanding is in the tone controls. The tone controls are interactive on these amps meaning that tweaking the mid also effects the bass and treble settings. You must forget about anything you know about tone settings on any other amp and start from dead zero and work your settings from there. I found the treble tone control settings after 12:00 brighten the amp into an actual loss of volume so if you keep the treble in the reigon below 12:00 the volume should be more than sufficient. Some of my guitars actually sound great with the tone settings at zero. Another thing I see is on this amp review and also on the Dr. Z Maz 18 review is the complaint about strange overtones on certain notes. I also have experienced this and contacted the manufacturer as to it being a potential problem of which it is not. These amps are very basic Class A no frills all out crude rock n roll monsters. They are fashioned after the old vox AC30 top boost type amps of the early and mid 60's. False overtones on certain notes happened on old AC30's, to a greater extent than the Top Hat or Dr Z. It's just a quirk of these amps that one must learn to live with if you want to have that Class A amplifier tone. I've played through Marshalls and Fenders and many other amps but IMO nothing compares to the rich sound of a Class A amp and If you're in a smoke filled room blowing out Blues or dirty rock and roll nobody is going to notice a false overtone or two. I have my Top Hat for 2 years now and to me it is the best amp on the planet for what I do. One word to potential buyers is to understand what a Class A amp is before you purchase one avd are dissapointed.

2001 Tophat "Club Royale". 20watt class "a" combo with two 12inch Celestion g12h 30watt speakers (with Tophat stickers over the Celestion logos). Mine came with all EI brand tubes except for the first 12ax7 which is a Sovtek. The box/cab is awesome! Baltic birch with a mahoganny baffle board! A simple single channel amp...very cool. I would say that it is very versatile because it really lets you hand control the tone/amount of gain. I have found that the more features/options an amp has the worse the it can sound. A short singal path is best for pure tone.

I play a '63 closet classic Tele, a Gibson SG junior and a Jerry Jones. I have been playing Tophat "King Royale" amps for about 5 years. The Club Royale may be my favorite though. It's great because it sounds very vintage and Voxy and you can turn up and not drown out the rest of the band. My drummer plays a 24inch kick, uses BIG cymbals and hits like Bonahm and the volume of this amp is not an issue at all. It even has clean headroom. It is just the perfect size. I really like the sound of little amps that are about to blow up. You get that killer compression and really hear the amp juicing up but it is not TOO dinky sounding thanks to the 2x12 speakers. It's just right. Great tones from clean to dirty depending on how hard you push the amp.

Never had a problem with any Tophat in the 5 years I have been using them.

Brian and his wife Joan are both extremly kind. They have the best service I have ever experienced...period.

A great amp. They should get a perfect 10 from every person who posted here. Did anyone notice that the guy who gave this amp such a bad review also said he loves his Fender Hotrod Deville? Consider the source!

Amp was made in late 2000. Has one Greenback and one Vintage 30 speaker. Has the solid state rectifier with soft/normal switch. Came with three Edicron 12AX7's in the preamp and two Sovtek EL84's in the poweramp which I replaced with NOS Telefunken 12AX7's and Mullard EL84's. The tube swap actually made very little difference in sound and performance - save your money and just use the stock tubes. Top panel has high/lo inputs, bright/normal/fat mini-toggle, vol/treb/mid/bass/cut/master controls, and standby/on and on/off switches. Simple, straightforward, old school design. The amp is not particularly versatile, but what it does, it does well.

It's a Class A amp and not surprisingly, it delivers a roundish, warmish, somewhat compressed, Voxy kind of sound. It doesn't produce a real hard front edge to your notes in the way that a Class A/B amp can, but the "bloom" after the initial attack is really great - it's what this amp was designed to do. And when pushed into distortion, the amp produces very pleasing, smooth-sounding tones. I use this amp primarily in a small club setting for playing blues-based music. The other instruments in the band include a 2nd guitar, bass, drums, harmonica, keyboards, and voice. The amp is ideal for this format because I play it at near full volume, which is where this amp really develops its best voice. At only 20 watts, I can't overpower the other musicians, but no one has any problems hearing me either. I own a variety of guitars, but in the small club blues setting, I have found that the amp works great with a Lone Star Strat (single coils at the neck and middle positions, humbucker at the bridge). If I use any pedals at all, its gonna be a wah, nothing else. I use the "lo" input, mini-toggle set at "normal" voicing, preamp volume at around 3 oclock (7 oclock = min, 5 oclock = max), treb/mid/bass/cut at 1-2/3/9/7 oclock, and master at 5 oclock, rectifier switch on the "normal" position. With this guitar/amp configuration, I can get get absolutely wonderful clean or distorted sounds, all controllable from the guitar. Great lead tones from the neck single coil (slight amount of distortion if I pick hard) and from the bridge humbucker (instant singing distortion), and great sparkly clean rhythm tones using the neck+middle pickup setting especially, or from any other pickup with the volume rolled back slightly on the guitar. And for those scorchin' licks to really cut through the mix, I dial in a little extra gain and high end using the wah pedal. I love it! Absolutley delightful guitar/amp combination for this application! Very positive feedback from the band members and audience, too.

I've owned the amp for almost a year now, and I have had ZERO problems. The amp is made with top-quality components (hand wired, point-to-point construction) and is very solidly built. I have never had any rattles of any kind at any volume. I expect this thing will last my lifetime (except tubes), easily.

I've talked to the owner Brian Gerhard and his wife at TopHat a couple of times. Very friendly, helpful folks, they are.

I've been playing guitar in a performance setting for more than 30 years and have owned Fender, Marshall, Mesa-Boogie, and Roland amps. This is my first Class A amp, and it is an absolute joy! It's not hugely versatile, but it performs extremely well in what I use it for (edge of distortion blues-based music in small clubs with a multi-piece band). It's definitely kind of pricey, but the components, build quality, and sounds are top-notch. I'm extremely pleased with this amplifier.

I am posting this as an update to a previous post regarding this amp. As the owner of not one, but two Club Royales, (one was a 1X12), I felt compelled to repost, and unfortuanely to reverse my previous opinion on these amps. About 6 years ago, I got my first 1x12 Royale, with the greenback 25. I ended up selling this amp not long after, due to the fact that in a band context, it became very "splatty" and un-focussed, and generally dissapeared in the mix. Cut to present:, recently I aquired another Club Royale, only this being a 2x12 version. I thought that the 2x12 might actually cut a bit better, as Brian had switched to G12H30's, instead of the greenbacks, and added a switchable SS rectifier, which was reported to provide more headroom. After a very exhuastive search for an alternative to my heavy, valuable, and fairly un-reliable VOX Ac30, I arrived back at Top Hat.(don't know why) Upon receipt of the amp, I was once again pleased with the construction, and I admit, at first.....pleased with the tone as well. The G12H's seemed a tad dark sounding, but I thought that might be good thing. I played the amp only at home for a few weeks....hence my "glowing review". Well, I am here to say that once again....the Top Hat, despite the 2x12 configutarion fell flat on its face in a real-world live situation. Now, I DO NOT play in a ridiculously loud band. I am a rock player, and require that the amp at leaset come up over the kit a bit, and can hang with a reasonably fat sounding rhythm section. NO CAN DO!!!! Once again this amp when pushed in the band....gets very "fizzy", and rather stressed sounding, and gets completely dominated. These low powered Top Hats are just not what they are reported to be. Live....they are dogs!
Hit them with a good pedal, they rebel, and sound even worse. The EQ section is not very well suited to live playing, as the mids are in a very weird zone, and become very pinched when the amp is pushed. I knew the amp was a one-trick pony when I got it, and after many years of using one trick amps (Marshalls and VOX's), I was OK with that. I just feel like I need to warn folks about these amps. Bassically....if you need an amp that will realy cut in a nice way in a real-world rock band......get the higher powered Top Hats, or stay away altogether.
I won't tell you what I replaced this amp with, but I will tell you it has only 1x12, is the same wattage, was HALF the price, can be purchased all day long.....anywhere....and it WALKED ALL OVER the Top Hat in tone, volume, and was less noisy to boot! Sure, you can mike the Top Hat, but I feel thet this amp not only lacks useable volume, IT LACKS TONE. Lessons learned:
1.Do not post a review on equip. until used live
2.Do not buy an amp based mainly on other's reveiws or reputation
3.DO NOT waist my money on another over-rated boutique amp, espescially Top Hats!!!
Trust me folks.....PLAY the shit out of these amps before buying one. And try it in a real world, live situation before passing judgement. In a bedroom, or living room, they do a decent class A, VOX-type vibe, in a band......they die a horrible tone death. Maybe a decent recording amp, although you can have better for less $$. My new rating....2

BTW, this amp made a myriad of funny noises, all un-pleasant. Buzzes, hums, intermittent buzzes, very noisy amp.

I was looking for a High Line hand made class A amp - I looked into all the brands-checked them all out. And I can tell you-even reading all the Harmony-Central reviews wont take the place of playing the amp before you buy.This amp does not have alot of features-but I was only looking for one feature... "tone" - I bought this amp-lucky for me the place where I bought it allowed me to exchange it after 3 days-this amp sucks! i dont know whats up with all the reviews below saying what a great amp it is-I dont get it-I could not this amp to sound decent no matter what i did.

This amp is not cheap-at 1600.00 for a 20 watt amp I must ahve been crazy- but I was brainwashed into thinking it was the holy grail of guitar amps. I was wrong-sounds terrible through my Les Paul - which makes all amps sound GOOD!

The only thing I can think is that something was wrong with the amp- I'm not an electrician so I cant say-But the place where I bought the amp had two on display-I tried the first one and it was broken - as you turned the volume up-the sound went down, and sounded fuzzy-I dont know what was wrong with that one.So I tried the other one out and it worked okay - it didn't seem to sound that good but I thought it was because I was a big music store with alot of noise-and besides, every thing I have read about this amp tells me it is THE amp! So I bought it and took it home and spent the next 3 days trying to get some kind of tone from it.I still think maybe something was wrong with it.

Didn't have it long enough to check that part out

I finally started going to my Fender Hot Rod deluxe to compare with and the Fender sounded lots better. And I never really thought it sounded too great anyway until I compared it with the TOPHAT-then it hit me that the fender cost 400.00 and the Tophat cost 1400.00 and sounded worse-loaded it up and my car and away we went!!!!!!!!!

20 watt, class A, El84 equipped 2x12 combo, based on the AC30's top boost circuit. Point to point construction. Master voume, volume, treble, bass, cut, and middle controls. Very well constructed amp. Solid state rectifier, with soft/ hard setting. Includes 2 Celestion G12H's.

I primarily play a 52 Telecaster through this amp, and it sounds absolutely wonderful. My songs are big, fat, guitar laiden, hard rock/alternative stuff, ala Collective Soul, Lit, V. Horizon, Life House. I require an amp that provides an aggressive, glassy saturation, yet cleans up when I back off the Tele's volume. The Top Hat delivers, and more. I have been a long time user of VOX products, AC30's mainly, both old and new. They are great amps. However, they are cumbersome, and very loud. They also lack a certain EQ nitch, which I usually have to create via a stompbox. The Club Royale, is not only lighter, but has a much more "useable" volume range. Most of all, it's natural overdrive is simply to die for. It is so sweet, like an old Marshall, meets a cranked AC30. It has all that gassy sheen that I love, and gets downright angry when pushed. I run mine with the master flat out.....heaven. Back off the guitar, and it cleans up beautifully. I really could not ask for more in an amp. After 27 years of playing, 33 amplifiers, and countless trials, I have found an amp that gives me what I need, at the right volume, and w/o having to rely on a box to help it along. The rectifier setting switch is a very nice feature. I leave mine set to "soft", after all, I have become quite accustomed to that AC30-like "squish", but for a player requiring a bit more punch and headroom, the amp can be set to the "normal" setting. The speaker selection is perfect. I know Brian has varied his speaker selections over the years, and I was a bit skeptical about the G12H's. My conclusion: they are great sounding speakers. I have been a long time user of the V30, and have several high dollar ALNICO equipped amps, and can honestly say that the G12H 30's are perfect for this application. Sweet mids, tight bass, and not to shrill on the highs. Most of all, they breath, and do not "squash" and "pinch" the signal at all. I imagine they will get even sweeter with age.

Well, the amp is point to point, which I find to be a more reliable set-up. The cabinet work is first rate, no rattles, no hums. I think the amp will easily stand up th the rigors of live playing/touring.

As many here know, you can easily reach Brian by phone. He is very friendly, and eager to please. Great customer support. Limited lifetime warranty on the amp.

As I stated earlier, been playin a long time. I have owned too many amps (a passion of mine), and I am very particular about tone. The Top Hat is simply a sweet amp. It delivers complex, interactive, harmonically rich tones that invite you to play for hours at a time.
The amp does exactly what it states it will do, and does it better than most. The fine construction, beautiful cosmetics, and hand-wired circuit are a bonus. I own several other fine amps, and have demoed just about everything out there. I have often used Matchless products in the studio, as well as my VOX's, Vintage Fenders, Marshalls, and too many others to list. The Top Hat ranks with the best of them, and in many ways, out-performs most. This of course, is just my opininon, but this Royale simply lets me say what I want, how I want, and at the right volumes. The Club Royale 2x12 rocks!.......period.