# List the best boutique amps?



## guitarjunky (Sep 11, 2007)

Hi, I'm looking to better understand who are the best boutique amps that would be exciting for the Montreal Guitar Show visitors...

Boutique amps for acoustic guitars, archtop and electric.

Do you have a top 10 list?

thanks!!!


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## suttree (Aug 17, 2007)

well i've just plunked my money down on james peters' amps


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## starjag (Jan 30, 2008)

I like my Zinkys :rockon2:


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

*DR Z!!!!!!!!*

Best tone and value


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Swart Amps... They really put my tone over the top: 

http://swartamps.com/


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## November5th (Sep 29, 2007)

Two-Rock Custom Reverb Signature.Beautiful cleans and beautiful smooth overdrive.Peace.

Dean


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

Tarbender said:


> Swart Amps... They really put my tone over the top:
> 
> http://swartamps.com/


I second that nomination...I love my AST. Also recommend Stephenson amps, made by Mark Stephenson in BC...I love my Stephenson 30 watt combo even more than the AST :smile:


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

Just got a Trinity http://www.trinityamps.com/
"Wow".


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

I'd be interested in Peters, Morrison, Fuchs, Brunetti, Dr. Z, Mako


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## gibson335 (Dec 7, 2007)

+1 for Dr.Z !!!!!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Any tube amp that is way too expensive for me to buy.


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## starvingstudent (Mar 16, 2007)

November5th said:


> Two-Rock Custom Reverb Signature.Beautiful cleans and beautiful smooth overdrive.Peace.
> 
> Dean


I agree 100%.

If youre in montreal dude, check out boutique tone on st laurent. they carry all the big boutique amps, and pedals and guitars... i walk in and drool everytime...


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

For archtops: Comins/Alessandro, Evans, Henriksen, Acoustic Image, makers of jazz cabinets like Leonardo, Raezer's Edge and Redstone. For electric solidbody: Richter, Clark, Victoria.


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## nitehawk55 (Sep 19, 2007)

I've had many amps but I like what Carr has to offer .


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## old crow (Aug 17, 2006)

nitehawk55 said:


> I've had many amps but I like what Carr has to offer .


Me too... http://www.carramps.com/
I have a Mercury and it is the best damn practice amp I've heard, at really low levels. I especially like the 1/2 watt setting.
Can't vouch for thier bigger models, but I'd like to try them.


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## Perkinsfan (Oct 17, 2007)

I like Morris amps for electric guitar.


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## rwe333 (Feb 18, 2006)

Matchless and Victoria...
Both have been around for a while and continue to offer up compelling new designs.

Valvetrain another cool tweed style builder. 

Would be cool to feature as many Canadian builders as possible: Peters, Texeira, Trinity, Newall, London Power, etc...


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## JHarasym (Mar 27, 2007)

Quote:
Originally Posted by JHarasym 
Just got a Trinity http://www.trinityamps.com/
"Wow". 

Which one? 
__________________
Peace,

Paul

It's Trinity 15 Lightning. Apparently based on the Matchless Lightning. Sounds amazing with all my guitars, but I have to get the preamp level just right to get the sounds I want out of my overdrive pedals.


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

guitarjunky said:


> Hi, I'm looking to better understand who are the best boutique amps that would be exciting for the Montreal Guitar Show visitors...
> 
> Boutique amps for acoustic guitars, archtop and electric.
> 
> ...


Gotta mention Bruno and Top Hat.

You can't mention Matchless without mentioning Bad Cat and Star.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

Reinhardt.

If they're good enough for Mark Knopfler .....

http://www.reinhardtamps.com/


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## Brennan (Apr 9, 2008)

suttree said:


> well i've just plunked my money down on james peters' amps


I'll second Peters' amps, mine should be arriving next week!


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## vds5000 (Apr 14, 2008)

davetcan said:


> Reinhardt.
> 
> If they're good enough for Mark Knopfler .....
> 
> http://www.reinhardtamps.com/


Nice looking amp! Looks like they may have borrowed an idea or two from /13. I think hooking up with Knopfler was a major coup for them.


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## gpower (May 12, 2006)

Dumble probably fits somewhere in here too.


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## ssdeluxe (Mar 29, 2007)

....this could go on forever ....... a good thing really! 

best time in history of the world for amp choices..that's for sure:

my favourite non-vintage choices are : 
--chuteamps.com ( honest to goodness my #1 studio amp, and I care not to mention how many diff. amps I've owned.) this is a gr8t amp (p.s. I have no affilations)

--carr
--clark

oh...I wanted to add Faracaster's Kingsley's are amazing amps.


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## adhambu (Jan 10, 2012)

Regarding boutique amps, you need to check out native Canadian Kevin O'Connor's London Power amplifiers at www.londonpower.com. The flagship model at the time of this blog being the London Power Studio Power Amp. You have a genius among you. His power scale circuit is being used by the likes of Suhr Amplification and Egnater Amplification, not mention fellow Canadian Mark Stephenson, www.stephensonamps.com. I own the Stephenson 40 Watt Combo which I highly recommend, though it has been discontinued (final sales price before being discontinued was $7,200. Check out the current Custom Reverb 1x12 Combo instead, much more reasonably priced. And this coming from a Yankee.

Other recommended amps: 
Custom Audio Electronics	OD-100 SE Plus, PT100Custom Audio Electronics	3+
Siegmund Midnight Blues
Soldano	SLO100
Rivera	TBR-1 SL
Rivera	S120
Harry Joyce	50W
Egnater	Tourmaster 4100
Bogner	Fish
Suhr	Badger 18, Badger 30
Two Rock	Gain Master 35
Swart	Super Space Tone 30
Trillium	The Empyrean
Top Hat	The King Royale K-35
65 Amps	Royal Albert
Engl	670
Granger	H50
THD	Flexi 50
Granger	M50
Bogner	Shiva
Electricamp USA	www.electricamp.com


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## MCKBC (Aug 22, 2011)

+1 for Mark Stephenson. And the *Custom 40 is not discontinued*. Mark is having his website refurbished and the Custom 40 will soon go back online. If you want one just talk to Mark. He is an amazing person to work with. I just recently collected my new Custom 40 and I agree it is an amazing amplifier in its own right. Mark worked with me to change specs to my needs and I now have a truly one-off Custom 40. Very pleased with it. So yes, as far as deep boutique zone goes, Mark Stephenson all the way! Added amazing boutique builders for me are : 

Carol Ann Amps
RedPlate Amps
Dr.Z
Mojave
Reason Amps


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## al3d (Oct 3, 2007)

FARGEN Amps, blows every amp i've owned or tried by a long shot..AND price wise as well.


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## ghynes (Oct 12, 2009)

I own mostly vintage tube amps from the mainstream producers, but I've had a Bad Cat Cub II Reverb for about 12 years now and it has been my number one amp the whole time. Still haven't tried anything else as good. For any piece of gear to stay number one for that long with me...well, lets just say that its got the record! Absolutely love it.


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

Perkinsfan said:


> I like Morris amps for electric guitar.


+1 for a CDN builder.


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## captainbrew (Feb 5, 2010)

My two favourite amp builders after working in two guitar stores that sold almost exclusively boutique and high end gear over the last 12 years are: Dr. Z and Matchless. EXTREMELY consistent quality and tone with both. For the money Dr. Z is the best out there and he's a really cool guy. I got to hang out at his shop about 6-7 years ago. A no BS, straight shooter genius of an amp builder. He's not building clones of anything and he's got a GREAT ear for tone and his amps are SUPER clean builds! Matchless amps offer some unique and INCREDIBLE sounding amps but generally cost more than the Dr. Z stuff due to the true PTP wiring and RIDICULOUSLY overspec'ed transformers and internals. 

My favourite all time amps are probably: Dr. Z Maz 18 and 38, Dr. Z EZG50 (although it's ugly in my opinion) and then the Matchless DC-30 and Matchless Chieftain.

On a side note, Martin Newall is a genius amp builder/tech so although he's British I'll give him the best Canadian amp guy award since he's been in Ottawa/GTA for a number of years.


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## bluesmostly (Feb 10, 2006)

There are so many amazing quality boutique tone rigs being made these days. As for Canadian content Stephenson and Peters amps are top notch. Others I have owned and can vouch for are:

Two Rock
Fuchs
CAA OD 100 (Suhr)
Bruno
Roccaforte
VHT


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## Ubermonkey (Jan 19, 2011)

I'll also put my vote in for Roccaforte. Mind you, it's one of the only boutique amps I've personally heard, besides RokDog (made in Saskatchewan, but I didn't hear it long enough to vote for it one way or another) and Soldano, which I didn't hear much of either, but was impressed enough by it to probably give it a vote as well.


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