Filthy Amplification Dual-Amp Stereo Rig Hand-Wired UK Boutique Fender/Vox – 15" + 12"

A seriously special boutique amplifier rig with an enormous stereo sound.

This is my Filthy Amplification rig, hand-built in the UK and originally costing £3,400. It is a beautifully made, boutique, point-to-point wired amplifier system that combines the character of a classic Fender Brownface-style preamp and power amp with a Vox-style preamp and power amp, giving you an extraordinary range of sounds. When you run the two sides together in stereo, a huge and three-dimensional guitar sound. The Fender-inspired side brings the warm, rich, open character associated with the Brownface era, while the Vox-inspired side brings that unmistakable British chime, bite and harmonic complexity. Essentially you're buying 2 handmade boutique amps at a bargain price. Set up in stereo so you don't need to worry about phase inversion or any technical issues.

I'm sad to let this go, it sounds sublime - best sounding amp(s) I've ever played... and would be very hard to replace. However, I no longer gig, and I'm at the point where I need to free up both some cash and some space at home. So, reluctantly, it's time for someone else to enjoy it.

The beauty of this system is its flexibility.

You effectively have two different amplifier voices, based around Fender Brownface and Vox-style circuits, and you can configure the rig in a number of different ways.

You can switch:

• Which preamp feeds which power amp
• Which power amp drives which speaker
• Whatever you choose, run the two amplifier sections together in stereo
• Each has its own fx loop so you can run wet/dry
• Experiment with different combinations of the Fender and Vox-style voices and the two speakers

Both preamps sit in a foot pedal, with each controlled by a volume pedal; and both power amps sit in the larger cab with the 15" speaker. This means you can mix and blend in real time, and control the level/gain.

The rig incorporates both a 15" speaker and a 12" speaker, allowing the two sides to complement each other beautifully.

Running the two amplifier sections together produces a huge, expansive and wonderfully rich sound. You get the different characteristics of the two amplifier designs interacting with one another, with the 15" and 12" speakers contributing their own voices.

Although I didn't really use the technical capability of the amp much, I just plug in and it sounds awesome.

Boutique construction

This isn't a mass-produced amplifier. Filthy Amplification builds these rigs by hand in the UK, with point-to-point wiring and a serious attention to traditional amplifier construction.

Why this rig is special

There are plenty of excellent Fender-style and Vox-style amplifiers out there.

There aren't many that let you combine the two amplifier voices in stereo, route them between different power amps and speakers, and explore the combinations from one beautifully constructed boutique rig.

It's a fantastic setup for:

• Players who love classic American and British amp tones
• Stereo rigs and spacious effects
• Recording
• Home studios
• Players who want enormous sound without owning several separate amplifiers
• Anyone who appreciates boutique, hand-built valve amplification

And if you're a guitarist who has ever experienced a great stereo rig, you'll know how addictive it can be. The sense of width, depth and separation is completely different from running a single amp.

Condition & history

I've owned this from new and it has been very well looked after. It has cost £3,400 new and represents a serious piece of boutique amplifier craftsmanship. I just had it checked over and one of the pots was replaced with a new Dunlop pot.

The large cabinet that houses the power amps and 15" speaker has some splitting in the wood, but it is rock solid and stable. Please see the photos. The splitting is not due to impact, simply the wood moving.

I'm only selling because I no longer gig and need to reclaim some space and raise some funds.

If you're looking for something different from the usual production-line guitar amplifier that sounds insanely good, this is a very special rig.