TopHat Portly Cadet

Mine was made in April of 2000. The features are very basic - which to me is a huge plus, as it delivers a wide range of incredible tone with just 5W, 3 tubes, 8" speaker, and a volume knob/boost switch/brite switch. This amp lets the personality of the guitar sing through, and really allows you to explore preamp and poweramp distortion, as well as speaker breakup at reasonable volumes. It allows you to go from clean to dripping with dirt, using only the guitar volume knob. I find this extremely liberating, so I give it a 9 for features - ELEGANT SIMPLICITY. This amp does exactly what they say it does - amazing studio recording amp tones, reasonalbe volume levels and price.

I use the amp to record in my project studio, and mostly use it with a number of early 60s jazzmasters, a '61 strat, and a newer Les Paul Classic. What is really amazing is that the guitars all sound totally different, which is what is supposed to happen. The fenders sound bluesy and clean at low volumes, bright and aggressive with the brite engaged, and bluesy with grit with the boost or volume turned up. The LP sounds very early Zeppelin at moderate volume, and when cranked, you get this dripping Neil Young Crazy Horse sound on steroids. Open G chords never sounded so good!

Built like a tank. I've had no problems so far, but I don't gig with it. It sits in my studio, but sees alot of "air time"

Great company, nice people, and very good reputation for service and support. Again, I've had no problems, but everyone that I've spoken with things the world of the company. I suppose I'd have to send it back to them if there was a problem, but I can't see that happening.

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, and had lots of cool gear. I had a champ once (not even close), and have played through supros (this amp is essentially a modified supro design), and nothing has come close to the pure tone this amp produces. I'd replace in a heart beat if I lost the amp. THere is nothing like it, and I am suprised that other boutique amp companies don't do many low watt, all tube, recording amps.

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Absolutely SUCKS! Cranked sound is very "buzzy". Called Brian at Tophat and he explained that this was a great sound and I should like it. NOT. Save your money and buy a Dr Z Carmen Ghia or a Carr Rambler. They blow this amp away. An Electar (Gibson) Tube 10 blows this amp away, ang you can get one for $110 new from www.musicyo.com.

Brian wasnt very interested in helping me. Did not answer several emails. When I write Dr Z he answers me the same day. DO NOT BUY TOPHAT - YOU WILL BE SORRY.

Great little amp for recording or not having the neighbors lynch you.
5 watts into a 8" speaker, volume, bright and boost. What more do you want? A little pricey? Got a Fender Champ? This is not a Fender copy,
someone finally decided to do it differnt and any of us old farts will
know this is close to an old Supro Amp.

Sounds great with any guitar, no channels no reverb but it honks and the reverb in those little Fenders are cheesy anyway. thats why I have an old fender outboard reverb unit.

Hand wired...built to last longer than a Greatfull dead jam

Havent delt with them but everyone who has says support is first class

Playing forever and older than my 51 broadcaster by nine months

I have a number of high-end amps and am always on the lookout for something that adds to my tone arsenal. Lo and behold, the 5-watt wonder from TopHat is verything a strat player needs and then more. For this particular amp, nothing more than on/off and volume is needed, yet included in this design is a "bright" and "fat" switch which can also be switched to the off position. The tube recifier in the power section was definitely a nice feature.

My main guitar is a Don Grosh Retro Classic, and it sounds great through this amp. As soon as I plugged in, it was Derek and the Domino's "Layla" tone. I swithed to an ASAT Semihollow Classic (Seymour Duncan pickups) and managed to get some of the old Zeppelin tones going.

The amp is very bluesy with plenty of high-end shimmer. It cleans up nicely with the guitar volume at mid level. But with the guitar volume cranked, it gives up some very sweet sustain and warmth.

It seems to be a very dependable amp, although I have had to replace the fuse in it. (I think that was my fault). I use it at home when I want a "cranked" tone without a lot of volume, but I don't think I would ever use it as a gigging amp. It is just too small to make it over the drums and other instruments. But, then, I didn't buy it for that.

I have had no dealings with TopHat other than through my local music store.

I've been playing for about 30 years. I currently gig with a Matchless SC-30 and TopHat Club Deluxe (1X12) and a Tone King Continental. The Portly Cadet is a great amp for home recording and late night playing. It definitely has a vibe that you can get only from an amp of this design. There is no way you can get this sound from a bigger amp. If you crave that "Layla" tone and early Zepp stuff, this is the amp for you. Another purchasing factor was that this amp is serial number 001.

Features:
Well for a "champ clone" you would suppose that it wouldn't have any features. It's not a clone, it's based on that concept; 1 pre tube , 1 power tube, 1 rectifier tube, 1 8" speaker.
point to point wiring, 1 volume, no tone controls. I am told that this amp is based on more of an older Supra design that anything. I just listed all but 2 features. There are also a "brite" and "boost" switch. And not just one of those crappy plastic push/pull things, real HD steel toggles.
Let's not forget the special design Top Hat 8" speaker.
I talked to the owner, Brian about this. He said the Jensen and Webers were good, but they were more replicas, not improvements. He tore apart a JBL speaker and designed this one from the ground up. And it is quite impressive sounding.
Construction: A work of art, that's all. The best of everything went into this amp.
It was designed to last decades. This is one to pass on to generations.
Black kevlar corner protecters on all 8 amp corners.
Looks: Modern vintage. very cool. Mine is Burgundy tolex w/oxblood tweedy grillclothe featuring gold sparlkes and gold piping. and a gold plexiglass name plate
Black plexiglass control panel. Steel toggles (3) and 1 white chiken head knob for the volume.
url=http://www.geocities.com/sirdanielgrant/portly2.jpg:Top Hat Cadet[/url]

Sound: This amp has that sound that people crave. Between the volume on the amp,
the volume and tone on the guitar, the bright switch (cutting lead sound on/ creamy brown sound off)
and the boost switch (cranks all frequencies up a couple of dB; more pronounces at lower volumes)
you have incredable variety of tones. real tones that make you never want to stop playing.
Don't look for big bottom here. 1x8 isn' gonna rumble. It does have extraordinary cutting power.
that 8 gives it a superb clarity. And don't for a minute think that 5 watts is insignificant.
I found this amp because everything else that had good sound was earsplitting.

I hear that it is outstanding.
It comes with a ltd. lifetime warantee and the owner is easily accessable

I have a Hamer Artist semi hollow with dual humbuckers. I started with a Fender Prosonic. very sweet amp. Channel one is a non-master which was both cleanish and great rock tone. But oh my, the volume!! Tinnitus special.
Next try was a Tech 21 Trademark 60. Again, an excellent amp w/excellent flexability. I really liked it. But it was missing that certain something that only tubes have.
Found a tweed Pro jr; 15 watts, 1x10 blue frame.
super tone; I would havve kept it if it weren't so loud. Yes, 15 watts can rock the neighborhood.
then I plugged into a '56 tweed champ. Oh baby, this is it. But to find one, and to keep it running.
I stumbled on to this new breed of amp. 4-8 watt modern-vintage. I believe the market for these is growing fast.
especially with the explosion of home studios.
Due to Top Hats stellar reviews and endorsements,
and after talking to the owner himself on the phone.
I was convinced to Purchase this spendy little amp.
Low and behold. I had found it. something that just rocked with life and breath.
Made me sound like a session master. No, really. My main gig currently is playing pit
band in a musical. I can open this thing up. It's just the perfect amp for this app.
Let it ring and rip. That 8" speaker cuts right through everything. No big bottom,
no problem, that's what the bass instrument is for. Do you just wanna sound good by yourself
or in the context of other musicians. The boost and bright were huge additions to the original concept. I have found my holy grail. And I can carry it a couple of blocks in my hand (15#) if I have to.
Brian says he barely makes enough on these to keep em coming, thus the list price is going up.
My setup now is Guitar-compressor-TOP HAT to add flexability and volume, mic w/sm57 to mulieffect guitar processor
(BOSS GX-700)-amp/speaker to add watts and time based effects

I will endorse this a pristine quality amplifier built for a lifetime.
Thanks Top Hat for bringing this to the public.

You can have this amp for a lifetime. It's that good