Most guitarists have an opinion on vintage capacitors long before they have ever actually heard them properly tested side by side. Same amplifier. Same circuit. Same settings. Just old blue moulded caps against modern orange drops. This is where the myths usually stop and the listening starts. You can hear exactly what changes when the amp is allowed to behave the way it originally did. #VintageTone #GuitarAmplifier #ToneChaser #HandWired #BoutiqueAmp
If you watch That Pedal Show, you will have heard Mick and Dan talk about modulation usually sounding better through the cleaner amplifier in a dual amp rig. Honestly, I completely agree with them. So naturally… I ignored that advice and shoved modulation straight into the front of the Tweedle Dee Deluxe just to see what happened. Turns out this amp handled it far better than I expected once the gain came up. #ModulationPedal #TweedDeluxe #VintageAmp #GuitarTone #ToneChaser
One of the things people do not realise about old valve amplifiers is that they can still hold dangerous voltage long after they have been switched off. That is why I always tell people to go and watch proper amp techs like Colleen Fazio when it comes to safely discharging filter capacitors. Vintage amps are fascinating… but they absolutely deserve respect. #ValveAmp #VintageAmp #AmpRepair #GuitarTone #Electronics
When you first power up an old valve amp, one of the best signs is actually nothing happening at all. The valves warming up is normal. High voltages are normal. But if the output transformer stays cold while everything settles in, that is usually very encouraging. Because when transformers fail… they normally let you know fairly quickly. #ValveAmp #VintageAmp #AmpRepair #Electronics
The first power up on a hand built valve amp is always slightly nerve wracking. You can stare at the wiring for hours, check every connection three times, convince yourself it is perfect… but until voltage actually goes through it for the first time, you genuinely do not know. This stage is less about tone and more about finding out whether everything inside the amplifier is actually connected where it should be. #ValveAmp #AmpBuild #VintageAmp #Electronics #ToneChaser
These amps all come from almost the same lineage… yet they react completely differently once you actually play through them. Same cabinet. Same room. Same output transformer. One is a Tweedle Dee Deluxe, one is a standard Tweed Deluxe built from a Filmo Sound amplifier, and one is the original Filmo Sound itself. This is the sort of comparison that explains why some old amps just feel alive under your hands. #TweedDeluxe #VintageAmp #Filmosound #GuitarTone #ToneChaser
Join me and Joe on Monday the 18th May on the Hello Sailor Effects Official YouTube channel, were we speak to Steve Legg of SL Guitars on Episode 46 of The Pedal Dive Podcast
Steve builds every guitar by hand, one at a time, combining vintage inspired soul with modern playability and serious attention to detail. From custom woods and pickups to the little touches most factories overlook, this is a conversation about craftsmanship, obsession, and why boutique guitars still matter in a world of mass production.
#ThePedalDivePodcast #BoutiqueGuitars #HandBuiltGuitars #CustomGuitars #geartalk
The first power up on an old valve amplifier is always slightly tense. You are listening for smells, vibrations, strange noises, red plating valves… all the little warning signs that tell you something is wrong before it properly lets go. And one thing you absolutely do not do is power one up without a speaker or dummy load connected unless you want your output transformer to have a very bad day. #ValveAmp #VintageAmp #AmpRepair #Electronics #ToneChaser
Most guitarists think the feel of an amp comes from the speaker or the valves. But tiny changes inside the power supply completely change how an amplifier holds together once you actually start playing through it. Different rectifier valves, extra filtering, more available voltage… none of it sounds exciting until you hear what happens under your fingers when the amp is pushed hard. #ValveAmp #TweedDeluxe #VintageAmp #GuitarTone #ToneChaser
Before an old valve amp ever makes a sound, there are a few little voltage checks that quietly decide whether the whole thing is alive or dead. Heater voltage for the valves. High voltage coming out of the transformer. The mains fuse surviving more than five seconds. This is the part where old amplifiers slowly reveal whether they actually want to work again. #ValveAmp #VintageAmp #AmpRepair #Electronics #ToneChaser
2 million views across the channel now.
Still mad to me that this many people want to watch videos about old fuzz circuits, strange amplifier behaviour, hand wired tagboard builds, and why certain pedals just feel right under the fingers.
Genuinely appreciate every single person who has watched, commented, shared a video, or supported the builds along the way.
Plenty more coming. The workshop is still chaos.
#GuitarPedals #BoutiquePedals #VintageTone #GuitarTone #HelloSailorEffects
A big fuzz face style circuit into a Tweed amp with a 70s Les Paul should honestly be a complete mess. Too much bass. Too much output. Too much everything. So I took my Abbey Road Fuzz, switched it into the fat humbucker mode, and smashed the front of the Tweedle Dee Deluxe just to see if it would collapse. This is where amp behaviour gets far more interesting than people think. #FuzzFace #LesPaul #VintageAmp #GuitarTone #ToneChaser
