A custom PreBS 15 with personalized faceplate for repeat client, Chicago Blues musician, Breezy Rodio. Custom features include a multi-voltage power transformer for use in Italy and a utility outlet as found on many larger vintage Fender amps. A hemp cone Eminence speaker was selected for a warm and full bodied tone. A compact and toneful world traveler amp!
A couple of new PreBS T5 builds are completed and available for sale now! A traditional 8″ version with Alligator Tolex and a custom Black 10″ version with a special Mercury Magnetics OT and 6V6/6L6 switch to maintain proper bias when switching tubes. The alligator build has a Guitar Speaker Warehouse 8″ ceramic which sounds very traditional with a soft early vintage sounding breakup. The Black Tolex one features an Eminence GA10-SC64 which is just so musical and vintage but with a better low end clarity and natural tone both clean and driven with distortion. Both amps feature our exclusive and newly improved 3-way gain switch which allows for some clean and bouncy headroom at the low setting and with the click of a switch goes from crunch to grind and screaming overdrive. The familiar tweed Champ tones are there and then some!
4/03/20 The Alligator T5 just got some custom upgrades for its new owner including grill cloth designed by Artist Donna Mibus and 10″ baffle and Eminence GA10-SC64 speaker!
The Black T5 is available now at Chicago Fret Works. SOLD! 10/02/19
First of its kind! The BFF, A PreBS20+ in a PreBS15+ sized chassis(BFF faceplate coming soon). All of the best hand-wired features of the Princeton Reverb, Deluxe Reverb, and Vibrolux Reverb in one compact head with separate cabinet for easy transport and versatility.
Single channel enhanced blackface tone with all of the Sweet extras and attention to detail. Push-pull bright and mid-boost, negative feedback control, user adjustable bias control and test points, bias modulated vibrato, full sized spring reverb, long-tailed pair phase inverter(like deluxe reverb and larger Fender models), Mercury Magnetics output transformer, and cherry wood cabinets with hand rubbed oil finish and 12″ Eminence GA-SC64 speaker. Output is from 20W-38W depending on tubes. Uses 6V6 0r 6L6 power tubes and 5U4G or GZ34 rectifier to dial in the power and feel for your gig or recording preference.
Can also be ordered with any color Tolex covered pine cabinet.
$1950 Head $500 Cab $2350 for the pair(-200 for pine/Tolex)
SOLD!
Another PreBS 15 is completed! This one is a traditional looking build with 12″ Eminence GA-SC64 speaker, Mercury Magnetics transformers, and user adjustable bias control and test points on the rear panel. This $50 upgrade will pay for itself the first time you replace your own power tubes and won’t have to pay a tech to re-bias your amp!
SOLD!
A very special custom PreBS 20 for a “Deadicated” client with tie dye grill cloth from artist Courtanay Pollock from late 60′s Grateful Dead fame. This one has Mercury Magnetics transformers, Weber 12F150B speaker, and push-pull midboost, as well as user adjustable bias on the rear panel. Ready for any roots rock, blues, jazz, country, R&B, or indy rock duty!
SOLD!
A custom cherry 1×12 speaker cabinet for a black or silverface bassman head! Made for a friend, Chicago Blues, Jazz, R&B guitarist Hiro Konishi.
SOLD!
Fresh off the bench, this PreBS 20+ is extra Sweet with top of the line Mercury Magnetics trannies, solid cherry cab with dovetail joints and hand rubbed oil/urethane finish. This time around I went with a traditional 1×12 baffle featuring a hemp cone Eminence Cannabis Rex. Of course it also has all the bells and whistles too like push-pull bright and mid-boost pots and negative feedback control to dial in the amount and character of headroom/breakup. Equally at home in the studio or on stage. A Deluxe reverb style build and then some!
A pair of 6V6 or 6L6 power tubes put out from 20W -36W and a user adjustable bias pot on the rear panel makes tube changes simple and saves you $. The best inside and out!
Available for demo and purchase now! Stop by Chicago Fret Works for a test drive. Give me a call to set up a private demo with your guitar and pedals in the amp workshop where you can crank it up, compare to other Sweet amps, or even bring your current amp! Many custom options available. Choose your speaker, tubes, and have it dialed in for your preferences. That’s what handbuilt amps are all about, finding YOUR tone!
$1999
The first Sweet Low Power Tweed Twin build is completed! This is one of the most unique and interesting Fender tweed era models with dual rectifier tubes, a unique pre-amp circuit, cathodyne phase inverter(like tweed Bandmaster and Princeton Reverb), and a quite large output transformer for a pair of 6L6 power tubes. As always, I’ve added a few extra features for versatility like separate pre-amp cathode resistors and caps for less interaction between channels and the ability to use different tubes for each channel. I’ve also added a gain switch for each channel, push-pull brite switch for each channel, bias trim pot, and a negative feedback switch.
The result is a beautiful touch sensitive tweed tone with lots of character and compression when pushed. Well suited for any rootsy musical genre! Output is 25W-45W depending on power and rectifier tubes used but sounds best to me with the stock dual 5U4G and 6L6GC combination.
Sold!
As an amp tech for several decades, I cant tell you how many broken and bent tubes and damaged sockets I’ve seen in Blues and Pro Jrs. The new III version comes with a cage but it is not available as an accessory. So, at the request of a regular customer, I made a couple of protective tube cages and then decided to make them available to everyone.
They are available to purchase on Reverb.com or if you are in the Chicago area, you could buy direct from me at Chicago Fret Works/Amp Works, 4229 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60618 773-698-6246
https://reverb.com/item/11938366-tube-cage-for-fender-blues-jr SOLD OUT!
https://reverb.com/item/11953199-tube-cage-for-fender-pro-jr
Pro Jr $20 Blues Jr $22
Introducing a new Sweet combo for acoustic instruments, the McKoustic 30! Another McKeever collaboration with my dad who built the cab from solid cherrywood and finished with hand rubbed oil/urethane. The sealed and ported cab features full range Eminence 10″ and 3″ drivers for a natural reproduction of your acoustic guitar, mandolin, guitaron, uke, or violin.
The pre-amp has been tuned specifically for acoustic instruments and features a feedback control section with selectable frequency and level control as well as a push-pull bass cut and push-pull bright control.
Tested with a passive K&K equipped boutique guitar as well as a modern Seagull with active Fischman pickup and pre-amp system. This amp will sound like your guitar but louder! Bring your acoustic guitar/instrument for a demo to Chicago Fret Works before the client pickups it up!
* This is also the prototype for a similar all tube bass combo coming soon!
SOLD!
