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Anyone tried a Top Hat amp?

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ParkerParker Frets: 961
edited May 2014 in Amps
I've been offered one of these US boutique amps but don't know a lot about them. Certainly look nice and appear to be in same vain as Bad Cat / Matchless-esque?

Opinions would be good
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Comments

  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16667
    I entirely associate them with David Hildago of Los Lobos. Check him out on something like Mas Y Mas if you think its all La Bamba. From an old ( 2005) interview he was playing a 20w and a 40w combo, had played 100w heads previously.
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3531
    Some marshally some voxy, high quality low brand awareness low resale...
    Feedback thread here: https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/60727/
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  • DodgeDodge Frets: 1492
    I had the pleasure of trying one once.  It was  ~30 watts called an Ambassador and it was properly lovely - gorgeous cleans and a very smooth drive.

    Superb build quality too - but rare as hens teeth over here.
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  • LoobsLoobs Frets: 3897
    I played an Emplexidor back in the day. V nice. 
    https://www.instagram.com/len_bluevan/
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  • CacofonixCacofonix Frets: 357
    edited May 2014
    Check out the Champions of Chime link on youtube.  It covers the Top Hat, amongst others.  Very nice, to my ears.  I looked into it as well as the others they demo-ed when I was looking for a 30w-ish amp, but there were literally none available in the UK at the time.

    I'd check which one you would be getting, and whether it's 230v or 240v, because I think it makes a difference.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 74495
    I've worked on one. It was well-made, but seem rather thin-sounding and a bit underpowered, to me. I couldn't work out why since everything seemed to be OK, until for some reason I had a hunch and checked the output impedance - it was wired wrong from the factory. When fixed it was louder and better-sounding, but still a bit bland. I didn't really like the mix of speakers they'd put in it either, a Celestion and a Jensen which didn't seem to blend together very well.

    Not really impressed. Maybe I just don't get this 'boutique' thing...

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

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  • stevehsteveh Frets: 277
    edited May 2014
    I have an Emplexador; had to import it from the States because they are like hen's teeth in the UK. Easy to wire to 240 since the PT has the right taps.

    Bottom line is that I wanted a rock-solid, well-built Plexi like a Metroamp etc and the Emplex caught my ear because it has the facility to go from Plexi to JCM800 territory via a "voice" switch that basically brings in an extra side of one of the 12AX7s for more preamp gain. Ultimately, it can do pretty much any Marshall era up to JCM800 (has various boost and fat switches). The build quality is bullet-proof (no PCBs etc), using tag-strips and carbon comp resistors etc.

    Sounds absolutely killer. Far better than any Marshall I've personally played. Bit too much beef for me tho' since I don't play out, but you know what the internet is like... 

    Cheers, Steve

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