Guitar Amp Repairs, Custom Amp Builds, Speakers – JPF Amplification

When you think you’ve seen every conceivable bodge job on the planet, something comes in that beggars belief.

Here are some snaps from an amp I’ve just worked on.

The amp is US voltage Ampeg Gemini. Someone had installed a step down transformer into the bottom of the cabinet to allow operation from UK mains.  So far so good.

The amp had its original 2 prong US mains lead without a safety earth connection. This is obviously unsafe, and is conventionally remedied by fitting a new 3 prong mains cord and securing the earth to the chassis with a star washer and bolt.

A previous repairer had obviously decide that a new 3-prong mains cord with earth connection was frivolous luxury, and so came up with a novel solution.

Firstly a new earth wire was connected to the vacant earth pin in the female US socket coming from the step down transformer using a wood screw.

Then the other end was “securely” soldered to a ready made hole in the chassis. A light tug and the wire came free.

Good work!!

Suffice to say I fitted an earthed 3 prong mains cord before I powered up the amp.

As you (hopefully) will have noticed from our home page, JPF Amplification have launched a new amplifier, the Regent 25, powered by a pair of Golden Lion KT66 reissues to give an undistorted 25W.

Barrie Cadogan (Little Barrie & Primal Scream) took delivery of the first 2 x 12″ Regent 25 combination amplifier (see his interview with Guitarist Magazine).

Barrie can be seen (and heard…..) putting his new amplifier through its paces on our Youtube channel using a variety of guitars, including a £109 Squier Bullet. Checkout our media section to access the videos.

The Regent 25 is available both as a head (£875) and as a 2 x 12″ combination (from £1225 depending on speaker configuration).

Just a quick reminder that JPF Amps will be at the Vintage Guitar Fair, this weekend (3rd/4th December). We will be sharing a stand with Zilla cabs.

We will be offering a 10% discount on any amps purchased/ ordered at the show.

We will the following vintage amps for sale: Fender Deluxe Reverb II (£8o0), Fender 1971 Vibrolux (£1200), Fender 1973 Pro Reverb with flight case (£850) and an 80s 50W 2 input Marshall JCM800 (£650).

Guitar and Bass magazine have reviewed the combo version of our Sir Charles 15 Amplifier.

Click here for a pdf of the review.

We got 92% for our “homework” so I guess they liked it……..

After some experimentation and testing with Paul at Zilla Music who constructs our cabinetry, we are pleased to announce our new range of combination amplifiers.

All our amps are available in either 2 x 12″ or 1 x 12″ format (pictured above) with a wide choice of tolex coverings, and Tayden speakers. See our products page for pricing.

Here’s a photo of James Stevenson using a JPF Sir Charles 15 with the Alarm.

In addition to playing with the Alarm, James also plays with Glen Matlock, and Gene Loves Jezebel. Check out James’ website for details of his upcoming gigs and highlights of his guitar and amp collection.

Thanks to everyone who dropped by our stand at Guitar Nation 2010 to have  a chat and try out out our new amps, the Sir Charles 15 and the King Charles 30.

Here are some photos from the show.

Got to love the glitter!

King Charles 30 in Red/White.

King Charles 30 in Blck/White

Sir Charles 15 in white/black

And here’s a shot of the internal wiring.

As we’ve posted previously, JPF Amplification will be on stand 168 at Guitar Nation 2010, November 13th/14th (this weekend!), at London Olympia.

We will be launching two new amplifiers: the “Sir Charles 15″, and the “King Charles 30″ (no prizes for guessing their power output), which we will have for sale at a “show special” price.

Here’s a Sir Charles 15 in BRG with white stripe. Other colour options are available at no extra cost, although all amps will have Go Faster stripe for enhanced tone.

These amps are our own design, and are hand wired by us using as many UK-made parts as possible, eg transformers, chassis etc. Cabinetry and panel engraving is done in house.

More info on these amps including technical specs, photos, and sound samples will be uploaded to our products page in the next couple of days.

We’ll also have a range of Tayden speakers on our stand, and Paul from Tayden will be dropping in on Sunday.

So drop by our stand to try out our amps, Tayden speakers, or if you simply want to chat about valve amps. We will be more than happy to try to answer any technical enquiries you might have, or give advice about amp building, repairing, modifying etc.

See you at the weekend!

JPF Amplification Ltd will be on stall 168 at Guitar Nation 2010, 13 & 14th November at London Olympia.

Not only will we have some amplifiers for sale, we’ll also have the Tayden range of speakers to test out.

We’ll be posting more details nearer the show.

Angel Music seem to have accumulated several Marshall amps at the moment, so here’s a snap of the wall o’Marshalls. Quite an impressive line up!