After ClassicRevamp closed, I decided to replace Revamp30 #1 with a point-to-point chassis in a new head cabinet design, I found a 30 watt Baldwin organ power amp that had been converted to a guitar amp, by James at BearPaw, on eBay and purchased it. I'd progressed from grill cloth to formed metal grills to allow for more ventilation and protection. Besides, I liked the look. Other than shelving the wide-panel look, everything else stayed the same. This amp got me interested (obsessed is probably a better term) with really good NOS and vintage tubes. I spent over $700 searching for the best combination. Anybody that is willing to live with the factory tubes in their amp without "tube rolling" has no idea of the potential of their amp. I bought over 40 EL84's ($400 alone) to get two matched  (within 1.5%) quad of power tubes and it shows in the performance (see HarmonyCentral review under BearPaw). This amp was later "improved" by Jeremy at Grampa's Basement Audio and converted to the BadBoyBaldwin. He cut the pre-amp tubes from three 12a*7's to one, added a standby switch and weeded out anything that wasn't neccesary. Less stuff in the signal path, less background noise. I built a new head cab, along the same lines as the V5 and V10, and had Amplates make me a new faceplate. I like a new amp. Think of a cross between  a Vox Ac30 and a Supro1688t. 

 

Next came the V5. I found this chassis on eBay, too. Sold by Jeremy at Grampa's Basement Audio, this is a single ended 5 watt amp built from a Silvertone accordian amp. All point-to-point, simple controls and absolutely dead quiet. Makes a fantastic bedroom/practice amp. The cabinet was designed to emulate the sometimes quirky designs from the '50's. Very tricky cabinet and tolex work. Tube rolling really opened up the voicing on this one.

 

A good friend heard it and immediately asked for a 15 watt version. It was to be housed in identical cabinets to the V5. (see HarmonyCentral review under Grampa's Basement Audio). I liked the finished 15 watt (labelled Vintage10, go figure) so much that I had a second chassis made with interchangable 6v and 12v preamp tubes. The 6EU7 is a great tube and although they were used quite a bit in the 50's, amp makers eventually went to 12a*7's. Since demand is down for these tubes, so is the price. How else could you buy an NOS Mullard preamp tube for $10?

 

All Revamp speaker cabinets have one thing in common. Speakers by Ted Weber (the best IMHO). The 1210 (by far my most popular) has two of them at 16 ohms, wired in parallel. The latest 1210's have another option that I believe is one-of-a-kind (at least nobody I've talked to, has heard of it). Ted Weber gave me an rotary impedance switch that he sells for speaker-out use in his amp kits. I install it in the jack plate on the back of the cabinet and it allows one to play both speakers at 8 ohms, or each one by itself, at 16 ohms. This adds more voicing possibilities, especially with the different size/magnet type duo installed in this cab. There have been several of these made, with various combinations. My personal cab has a Weber Ceramic Blue Dog 12 and a Weber 10A125-O (alnico) 10 inch.

 

All of the above amps have gone on to new homes. I had to make room for the only amp I have (or need). The Mutt was built by famed amp builder L'il Dawg, out of CA. Jim is known for his Fender tweed clones and this was the prototype for a new model. Champ power section and a DeLuxe preamp. Holy C%#p! It'll hit the sweet spot at lower volumes and has enough power for small clubs. A full compliment of AbsoluteTubes beauties inside. Matched up to the 1210 speaker cab, well, I'll never need another amp. The Supro can stay in the closet. Read the review on HarmonyCentral.