Valvetech 30 Watt Head

The amp was made in August of 2004. The preamp section is Rob's "stock" layout - just like it's shown on the website. For the power section, I asked Rob to use a pair of EL34 tubes, cathode biased. He said, "well, I haven't done one like that before. I might need a little extra time to get an output transformer made, and tune up the low end". I received the amp about 3 months from the date the order was placed, and it was worth the wait. His normal lead time is about 2 months.
As for features, the preamp layout is very unusual. Best to check out his website for better detail. You've got Vol 1, Vol 2, Hi, Lo, Mid, Master, and 4 inputs. It's basically a 2 channel head with shared EQ, and switchable gain stages. It's not a real channel-switching head. Also, there are controls on the back for Effects Loop and Presence. Mine is without reverb. Also, this is a tube amp all the way - preamp tubes, power tubes and a 5u4 rectifier.

This thing sounds better than I could have imagined. The clean sound is amazing. It's got a rich, velvety clean that I've never heard in any other amp. It's the sound I've heard in my head for years, but couldn't find until now.
Overdrive and distortion sounds are dynamite. I wouldn't call the distortion brutal. It's incredibly musical. The overdrive sound is nice and crunchy. There's detail and sustain for both rhythm and leads with gain settings on overdrive.
High gain distortion is getting into modded Marshall territory, especially with the EL34 power tubes. The Valvetech still has it's own character though, so it doesn't sound like a Marshall clone. Again, very musical and detailed distortion, not muddy or tubby. Very liquid is what comes to mind, a joy to play through this amp.
For gigs, I tend to set this amp on clean, then use my pedal board. The preamp won't really let you go from clean to high gain lead. It will go from clean to a bit crunchy, or from great crunch to high gain. In the studio, this thing is great. Beautiful tone all around, easy to mic, and quiet. Very quiet. Thank you Rob.

Very dependable. I opened the amp up just to see how it's made, and it's put together for the long haul. Super solid. I have gigged without a backup with this amp. And layout is such that my amp tech could work on this no problem, if it ever did break down.

Rob answers email very quickly, and answers the phone or will return your call promptly. He talked me through a cap mod for the speaker output that he's tried and liked. I did the mod, then ended up removing the cap in the long run. Not many builders will do that. When I mentioned I was thinking about modding the amp so it would basically have two independent channels with separate eq, etc., he said we'd have to gut the amp and start over. Okay, maybe with my next Valvetech. The amp sounds amazing with the stock preamp. I hope to have Rob build me an amp like I just described above.

This is glowing review. I've been buying, selling, modding, and getting amps rebuilt for a long time in the search for tone. For an amp of this quality, built by hand, this is an exceptional value. I've been playing for 25+ years, and also own a Framus Dragon, some Gibson BR-6's and GA-20's, a bunch of Silvertone 1482's, a Silvertone 1483, and an old Fender Bandmaster (have owned but sold Bassmans and Twins). For just plain gorgeous tone, this is my favorite. It's loud enough to do most gigs. If you've got a good soundman, it'll handle just about any venue. If you're stuck with a lousy soundman/company, this amp could have a hard time cutting through in large venues. Just like any other 30 watt all-tube amp.
There are a few rather negative reviews of the 1x12 combo with 6v6 power tubes. I can't on those specifically, since I've never played a 6v6 Valvetech. But I am very surprised that those reviewers expected tube rectified 6v6's to perform like el34's, or 6L6's, or el84's. They don't. Duh.
I like el34 tubes, so I asked Rob to build one with el34 tubes, cathode biased (less actual output than fixed biasing). He did, and I love it. For those people that still don't get it after reading the reviews and checking out the Valvetech website, THIS AMP IS NOT A CLONE OF ANYTHING. It's a Valvetech. I'm a full time pro musician, and I use this amp regularly. I also use my Framus Dragon, and my Silvertone 1482 amps. The right tool for the job, my Grandpa used to say. My Valvetech fits the bill as one of those tools.