Has anyone gone custom?

shaunm

I am in the midst of an amp search and I keep coming across some amps that are nearly there but not quite. As a result I'm thinking about a custom build.

Other than pricing etc (I'm not concerned about resale as I now just want a keeper) has anyone got any wisdom on this route? I am totally useless so this will not be a kit that I am building, I will be hopefully discussing this with an amp maker.

What's been people's experiences?

spacecadet

Never had a custom amp made but had things modded before. Ultimately what you're looking for is a signature amp so it's finding someone that will help you do that. The big manufacturers are unlikely to so you'll need to look at independent ones like MJW. I would hazard a guess even then you're gonna just get a variation on what is already there. Probably best to have something that already exists and have it modded.

Sassafras

If you get a custom made amp, you'll get something that's well made but might possibly still not be quite "there". You probably won't know for sure until you've tried it. Having said that, if I had the money, I'd love to have a custom amp.

musteatbrain

Mjw aren't expensive for hand wired in the UK. What type of amp are you looking for?

davedave

Mjw are fantastic amps. I've got a Bantam and I love it to bits. I'm a massive fan of Matamp too. They're more than happy to tweak things to taste also.

longi

I have an MJW Orion in an SLO/Blackface configuration. It felt like I was taking a leap of faith when I ordered it but it turned out to be a smart move it sounds realy nice. Martin's very helpfull and he's priced very aggressively. I can't recommend him enough really. You know it makes sense!!

shaunm

I am glad you guys are all saying good things about MJW. I have contacted Martin about an idea of putting together an amp.

I am sure what I want is about in part but I am struggling to find exactly what I am after without spending an awful lot of money.

Essentially I was a 15/25 watt version of a JTM45. basically a one channel amp that I can run hard and get a good break up tone. Simple controls of Bass, Mid, treble and some sort of tone contour.
I'd also like it to have some sort of power scaling so it can be used in slightly smaller and quieter scenarios.

samzadgan

Theres all out custom or there is custom shops who have a line up of amps...im not sure if i would ever go custom as i dont really know all the ins and outs of an amp and what i would want.

But somewhere like Mjw, or Jpf or Matamp have a line up to choose from. But they are really well made and have a flavour of legendary amps with their own personality stamped on it.

I recently got a Matamp...i was thinking about customising it with different tubes etc, but then i just went with a standard GT1 and couldnt be happier.

richardhomer

I've had a custom made guitar - and vowed I would never buy a guitar I hadn't played before buying again. It was a significant disappointment and sold on at a sizeable loss.

Given the immense amount of choice out there, I can't believe there isn't an amp out there that will deliver what you want.

thisisguitar

Aside from the power scaling my Cornell is perfect for you Shaun ;-)

shaunm

richardhomer;558402" said:

I've had a custom made guitar - and vowed I would never buy a guitar I hadn't played before buying again. It was a significant disappointment and sold on at a sizeable loss.

Given the immense amount of choice out there, I can't believe there isn't an amp out there that will deliver what you want.

It's true there will be I have no doubt but I can't seem to find it. Basically I am fed up of changing amps every few months. I keep finding amps that are close but not quite.

shaunm

@thisisguitar if only I didn't have neighbours and didn't value my hearing. I know your amp will sound beyond belief but it is just way too much amp for my needs.

thisisguitar

It's a gigging amp, no question… but boy does it sound amazing when it's cranked!

Deijavoo

I got a custom built amp, but what I had ended up being not really what I needed over time. Needs and tastes change etc....and I was left with a massive loss. If I could've afforded to house it as a second amp volume wise then I would have done so but I also needed the cash.

Sounded great but made my choice to change. I guess if you're pretty set in where your tone lies and the features that will need then getting a custom build is ultimately an excellent idea but if you're a bit of a flipper then it's a bad one. 

richardhomer

shaunm;558413" said:

[quote="richardhomer;558402"]I've had a custom made guitar - and vowed I would never buy a guitar I hadn't played before buying again. It was a significant disappointment and sold on at a sizeable loss.

Given the immense amount of choice out there, I can't believe there isn't an amp out there that will deliver what you want.

It's true there will be I have no doubt but I can't seem to find it. Basically I am fed up of changing amps every few months. I keep finding amps that are close but not quite. [/quote]

The point I was making that the guitar I'm referring to (it was a Suhr) was specced exactly to my requirements - unfortunately it fell short of the stock guitars I'd tried in the shop which I ordered it from.

It's one thing knowing what you want - whether the maker you have chosen can ultimately deliver it to you is a different matter.

drwiddly

Might be worth having a word with Dave Gascoigne at Rosewell Amps - http://www.rosewell-amps.co.uk/ - to see what he could do for you.

Moe_Zambeek

The problem with '15 watt version of normally-50 watt amp x' is that it's now a 15 watt amp that sort of sounds like amp x. It's not amp x. It doesn't sound exactly the same. It doesn't feel exactly the same. If you want the sound of amp x, ultimately you'll be disappointed. And you'll have an amp that possibly no one else wants.

Best to find an amp you like the feel and sound of that fits your needs, which might not be amp x or someone's interpretation of a 15 watt amp x...in fact perhaps amp h is what will do it for you.

I'd hesitate to go down the full custom route because as noted, there are so many amps out there already, one of then is bound to be close to what you're after.

shaunm

@richardhomer I suspect the only way that it can work is to be involved and to keep testing. I'm not sure this is possible though.

@Mor_Zambeek this is certainly a consideration. Can I get a smaller version of what I want? Is it a case that the 50/100 watt versions of these amps work because of the volume and power? As a result would a 18 watt version leave me wanting somewhat?

It is possible and I guess I will need to play some amps of the makers to find out how close the sounds are to what my expectations are.

If it was easy to scale down the process I guess Marshall would have made a 15 watt Plexi by now? Obviously they have made the 2061x which is as close to what I'm after off the shelf. The problem I have is I want that amp but with a full tone control panel on the front. I never get on with amps that have a single tone control.

martinw

I thought I'd chip in to this discussion, as I think I can offer an insight, and also I'd like to respond to some of the comments made. Obviously I have an axe to grind here, but I think I have a reasonably balanced view on the subject.

Buying a custom amp isn't for everybody, as there are downsides, but in my view, the risks can be minimised, and if it's what you want, a custom amp (from me or one of the other UK based amp builders, although I'm speaking for myself only in this post) can offer things that you can't get off-the-shelf.

Getting the downsides out of the way first: waiting time, the element of trusting someone with a 50% deposit, the risk that the amp won't be what you hoped, and resale values.

I can't do much about waiting time I'm afraid; there's only me, and for whatever reason I seem to be reasonably popular (which is good right?) however I think most, if not all, of my customers would agree that the amp was worth waiting for. As are most good things.

As for trust, there has to be some. I hope my reputation speaks for me, but well, for anyone who's not comfortable with this, don't buy custom. There's nowhere to hide in these internet days, so I would hope that this allays those worries. I've been around as a trader now since 2007, and I am on serial number #180.... that's plenty of opportunities to screw up!

As for the possibility of the amp not being what was hoped. Again, I've been at this a fair while, and I'm quite good at making sure customers get the right amp. However, I offer a free service of tweaking/modding should the amp be not quite in the zone. I reckon less than 0.5% of my customers take me up on this, and 100% of those who do are happy with the results. A hand-made amp like mine is infinitely mod-able; ordered a 5F6 Bassman and now want a hot rodded JCM800 sound? Not a problem. Unlike a guitar, an amp can be changed quite radically if necessary so you're not 'stuck' with anything. Even if your tastes change, the amp can change with you.

Resale values? I'm with Jon at Feline on this. But yeah, it's an issue, if you disregard all of the above. Not quite sure what you want? Then buy off-the-shelf amps till you're sure. Or put some trust in your amp builder to build you a great sounding amp and hone it to your desires.

There are many positives: great build quality, supporting UK businesses, very reasonable prices (in my case at least), repairable forever, eminently tweakable, great backup (as long as I'm fit and able, which applies to large companies too, don't forget), the amp you really want, not a compromise, individuality etc.

Not to mention the range of amps that are available. You can get things that you just can't get off-the-shelf; A 20W JTM45/Plexi/JCM800 is the obvious example, but how about a 2x12 Boogie Mk 1, a Vibro-Champ with the reverb from  Princeton (on the bench at the moment), a WEM Dominator Mk III with spring reverb, a high gain 10W SLO-style head, a twin channel amp with a Twin clean and 5150 III lead channel, a Mk 1 Dominator with an extra gain stage, a Blackface with the tremolo removed, a JTM45/100, a two-and-a-half channel amp that covers all the great Marshall sounds, an SLO with the effects loop in the right place(!), two and three channel amps with fully independent preamps to optimise the sounds available, effects loops that don't clip, Power Scaling, footswitchable dual master volumes, point-to-point 1W amps, 3- channel 200W monsters  etc, etc, etc.

Like I said, it's not for everyone, but I think for those who want it, it provides something that is very satisfying. A surprisingly (to me at least) large number of the amps and cabs I make are still with their original owners. I'm happy with that.

DavidRees

I have an MJW Roadstar 30 and could not be happier .. an excellent robust and fabulous piece of equipment and Martin is a joy to deal with .. I often comment that it is Martin who has helped make me sound better than I really am

DavidRees

and as you can see from my avatar I also have one of his custom overdrives which allows me to be just that little bit more of everything when required ..