DESCRIPTION:
Smith Custom Amps CS-15 demo by Brent Wilson (Sara Evans' longtime lead guitarist) for Nashville's Blues Vintage Guitars.
The amp is covered in brown tolex for the vintage look, and it is rated very conservatively at 15 watts, but it's actually somewhere between 18-20 watts because the Output and Power Transformers are both rated at 25 watts.
It's a Class A/B amp with Cathode Bias (like all the old Tweed amps). It has two 6V6 power tubes, and two 12AX7 power tubes.
There are two input channels: a mic channel and an instrument channel, with one volume knob for each channel, and one tone knob that is used for both channels.
It has two preamp toggle switches (one for each channel) that affects the timing of the bias/preamp tubes. Each one has three positions ... the middle position is sort of a flat EQ, which allows you to push the amp and get a more rock sound at a lower volume. The right position for each switch delivers more of a Blackface sound with a bigger bigger bottom, while the left position is more like a Vox or Marshall Plexi sound.
The last switch is the Dual/Normal switch, which is like jumping the two channels together - similar to what happens when you jump the channels on a Marshall with four inputs. This allows you to use all the switches with all the channels, all working together at one time. This also allows you use the volume knobs for each channel to combine the two channels as you wish, which gives you an infinite number of tone settings. You can literally sit there for hours and get as many different tones as you can think of.
The speaker is a 12" Weber Blue Dog Ceramic, which is one of the most amazing speakers on the market today.
Additionally, the rectifier tube is a 5Y3 rectifier tube which can also be substituted with other tubes, like a GZ34 rectifier or a solid state rectifier to allow you more volume and headroom.
Basically, this amp is a mid-1950s Tweed Deluxe, but on steroids. However, IT IS NOT a copy of a Tweed Deluxe. BUT, if the Tweed Deluxe amp was produced today - using all of today's modern technology - this is the amp you would have.
The cost of this amp is $1599 plus tax. If you compare this price against the price of other similar amps (Lil Walter, Dr. Z, etc., etc., etc.) this is definitely the best bang for your buck BY FAR!!!! There isn't anything else that even comes close to it. And like I said, you really do have to hear it and play it to truly appreciate it.
Call Blues Vintage Guitars in Nashville to order yours. We have them in stock, but they tend to go quick. Call us today at 1-888-407-2717 or 1-615-613-1389 to place your order, or for more information. Thanks for checking us out!