Guitars and Amps

Keeping in line with my 25 year passion for playing guitar and seeking out the finest guitar tones, I have been drawn into making guitars and amps over the last 10 years. When luthier Mark Wilson began teaching me how to build guitars it wasn't long after that I discovered the amazing tone of the 50's Fender Tweed Amps. With the almost non availability of the amps in Australia, except for $5000 Victoria copies, I set about learning how they work and how to build them. Since then i have built numerous amps and they are now used by top artists such as Ash Grunwald and Matt Mc Hugh of the Beautiful Girls.

i basically build versions of classic amps from the 50's and 60's using the highest quality components, valves and speakers that i can source. The cabs are built from hand picked local Aussie pine for the best tone and these days I no longer cover them but use high end wood finishing techniques to bring out the inherent beauty and resonance of the natural timber.

i love pedals and have many great pedals but my favourite tone is still a guitar plugged into an amp that i can send from clean to scream simply by how i hit the strings or with just the guitar's volume control. I find that a good amp will interact with the player and come alive to actually lift the guitarists playing. No longer is the guitarist playing through the amp, they are now playing with amp…the amp is no longer just something to amplify sound, it's behaving as if it were another instrument. It’s as if the amp has become another member of the band, breathing and responding to the music.

Currently I'm working on a range of amps for some of the artists who will be playing at the Byron Blues festival.

Models

CLASS A 5W - Based on the Fender Tweed Champ but with a GZ34 rectifier, a custom wound larger output transformer and a 12" speaker. This is really a great amp with a wide variety of tones. It has a suprising amount of volume that will hold up well for small gigs. This amp is also ideal for playing at home and recording. Acoustic guitars sound amazingly good through this amp. Loves pedals!
Speaker - 30W Ferrite (similar to Celestion greenback)
Valves- GZ34 rectifier (can sustitute 5Y3), 6V6 output, 12AX7 preamp
Controls - One Volume knob- that's it!
Price - $1500

CLASS A 10W - Very similar to the Champ but with and extra stage of gain and a Marshall style tone stack. This amp rocks! The low input sounds just like a beefed up Tweed Fender Champ while the high input starts off like a dialed Champ but as you turn it up, it moves out of Fender territory and starts roaring like a classic Plexi... but in Class A for even richer tones and harmonics! Also sounds really good with acoustic guitars. This one's actually too loud for my house! My bass playing neighbour who's about 1/2k away across the field can't believe it's only 10W! Last year at the Byron Blues Festival we set Ash up with the 5W on one side and the 10W on the other side and blew the walls off the MOJO tent! The punters wouldn't have believed they were listening to 5 and 10 watt amps! I thought it was hilarious! Big sounds from little boxes!
Speaker - 30W Lorantz Ferrite (Great Aussie made speaker similar to Celestion Vintage 30)
Valves - GZ34 Rectifier, EL34 Output (can substitute 6L6, 6V6), 2 x 12AX7 preamp
Controls - Volume. Bass, Middle, Treble
Options - Weber Blue Dog Speaker $200 (incredible speaker!)
Price - $1750

18W DELUXE - Based on an all time classic, the Fender Tweed Deluxe, this is one of my all time favourite amps. Incredible clean tone that thickens up real fast and will really scream when driven hard. This is the circuit that Neil Young has been using for years. The unique interactive volume controls of this circuit allow boosting and scooping of mids and play a big part in this amps unique sound. Fantastic recording amp with an amazingly diverse tone palette that will really accentuate the subtlies of playing styles as well as the timber and pick ups of the guitars themselves. When i started playing the first one that i built, i couldn't believe how responsive it was and how it really accentuated the subtlies of the tones of different guitars. Ash has one of these and Matt has a 40W version with 6L6's.
Speaker - 25W Weber 12" Alnico
Valves - 5Y3 rectifier, 2 x 6V6 Output, 12AX7 & 12AY7 preamp
Controls - Vol (Normal), Vol (Bright), Tone
Options - 35W (4 x 6V6) Version with 15" Speaker $250
Price - $2,500

45W - Based on the legendary Marshall circuit, the JCM45, which was actually a copy of another all time classic, the Fender Tweed Bassman, this is a serious tone monster! The 2 x KT66 tubes produce a mesmerising clean tone and classic AC/DC raunch when cranked. A very inspiring amp to play and an awesome gigging amp that will get the house rockin'.
Speaker - 50W Lorantz Ferrite (Great Aussie made speaker similar to Celestion geenback)
Valves - GZ34 rectifier, 2 x KT66 Output, 2 x 12AX7 preamp
Controls- Vol (Normal), Vol (Bright), Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence
Options - Valve Driven Tremelo $200.
Head Price - $2450
Combo Price - $2750

50W - Another legendary circuit. One that Jimi Hendrix was closely associated with....the Marshall Plexi. The Plexi circuit is highly regarded for searing lead breaks and classic Marshall crunch. Similar to the 45W but more rockier with a solid state rectifier for a tighter response and bottom end. The 2 x EL34's and a higher gain structure complete the circuit for classic Plexi tone. Available in Bass or Lead versions.
Speaker - 50W Lorantz ferrite (Great Aussie made speaker similar to Celestion geenback)
Valves - Solid state rectifier, 2 x EL34 Output, 2 x 12AX7 preamp
Controls- Vol (Normal), Vol (Bright), Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence
Options - Bass or Lead Versions
Head Price - $2450
Combo Price - $2750

30W 'WRECK - Based on a Ken Fischer design that uses 4 x EL84 tubes, this circuit is highly regarded for its sweet tone, touch response and single note clarity even at high levels of distortion. The EL84's produce a unique grind and have those really nice upper mids. A sweet, punchy, very responsive, very dynamic amp - think of it as a more touch sensitive and more open sounding Vox AC30.
Speaker - 50W Lorantz ferrite (Great Aussie made speaker similar to Celestion geenback)
Valves - Solid state rectifier, 2 x EL84's , 2 x 12AX7 preamp
Controls - Vol, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, Bright sw.
Head Price - $2650
Combo Price - $2950

50W 'WRECK- Based on a Ken Fischer design that uses 2 x EL34's this circuit is also highly regarded for its legendary string definition and single note clarity even at high levels of distortion. A very punchy, very touch sensitive, very dynamic amp - think of it as the best Marshall you've ever heard.
Speaker - 50W Lorantz Ferrite (Great Aussie made speaker similar to Celestion geenback)
Valves - Solid state rectifier, 2 x EL34's (can substitute 6V6), 2 x 12AX7 preamp
Controls - Vol, Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence, Bright sw.
Head Price - $2650
Combo Price - $2950

ORDERS & ENQUIRIES - Phone 0412 853 660 or email: amps@jimbankssurf.com

ORDER TURNAROUND - Current turnaround on a custom amp is 8 - 12 weeks