Ol' Brown Shoe

Part of the reason we like old guitars is that they fit us like a well-worn glove. Here's an amp with a tone that fits like an well-worn leather Ol' Brown Shoe.

It's a simple circuit designed to have as little as possible in the way of the signal between input and ouput. A single 6SG7 pentode preamp tube provides enough gain to drive the single-ended 6V6 output tube, with only a volume and variable-tone boost controls in between. A single 10" Weber speaker sends all 5 watts to your ears. It also features Hammond transformers and a 5Y3 tube rectifier, of course.

The tone is warm and round, with distortion characteristics that can be changed using the boost control from mild to gritty to fat.

The unique cabinet is assembled from solid wood in much the same way that I make my guitars. No tolex-covered particleboard here! The front and back are bookmatched black walnut, while the sides are hand bent and attached with kerfed linings, just like an acoustic guitar. The result is light, surprisingly sturdy, and adds a little bit of woody resonance to the tone. It's also one of the only amps pretty enough to keep in your livingroom!