Volt ODS-RR new UK built "D" style Amp

[Robert Rolph]

Hi All - Happy New Year,
Rob Rolph here from the UK Steely Dan Revue band 'Nearly Dan'. Ive been working with Geoff Pugh from Volt Amp Co (Aston Electronics) for 18 months on a production model ODS hand-wired replica. It's now available and ive been using mine (#2) solidly for 4 months on all my gigs - it's the best tone i've ever had. So i couldn't keep it to myself.
Check the web site photos, data specs and some quick sound clips from me, on http://www.astonelectronics.co.uk/voltamps.html

Hope you like it, let me know what you think

Cheers
Rob

[benoit]

Those clips, esp the clean are pretty fantastic.

[bluesfendermanblues]

And the price point is not too bad either.

[heisthl]

3293.32 for a 100 watt head
Rob - why did it take 18 months to develop?

[Guitarman18]

heisthl wrote;

Rob - why did it take 18 months to develop?

....and ended up with 'carbon comp' resistors.

[ChrisM]

And 715 Orange Drop Caps

[benoit]

Where's the harm? 715s or not it sounds good. If the price is too high it will either get adjusted or the business won't make. Why does every new entry to the fray get so much crap? Especially with bangin clips?

[bluesfendermanblues]

The price for an ODS 50 Head is £2000 = 3200 USD, which is an ok price point in Europe for a handmade amp. They won't sell 500 pieces, though.
The market for hand made amps is a very small niche. And it takes a long time to build a name for yourself.

I know the music equipment industry form my time at the board of directors for a large studio/guitar effects pedal maker here in Denmark. In order to really sell units, they would need an established brand and/or a lower price point. At half the price most people would still buy a Fender, Marshall or Vox, if thats what the current rock stars play.

I agree with Benoit. The market mechanisms will regulate this effectively If the price is too high, it will either get adjusted or the business won't make. Though times for tailer made stuff anyway.

[llemtt]

Those clips, esp the clean are pretty fantastic.

+1

[Robert Rolph]

Many many thanks for the positive comments guys, i'm really glad the clips went down well. It's a great amp honestly.

I wouldn't presume to know much about what components etc make a Dumble a Dumble - I will leave that to the gurus on these pages. However I've seen photos of the inside of many ODS amps and the filter caps change all the time...? what else changes?.

But i will try and answer a few points if i may-

It took 18 months mainly due to fine tuning the tone stack EQ response which was very harsh to start with, but is sweet as a nut now, and also to get the fx loop/reverb to work cleanly and noiselessly. Geoff also had to develop some production manufacturing jigs etc. and find a way to include the features that i personally wanted...output power switch, cooling fan, master vol position, along with the extra 12ax7's the chassis had to accomodate.

I'm sorry i can't comment on particular types of orange drop caps...resisitors etc. Maybe our choice of transformers might even be considered bad taste ??. I realise that a lot of members have a great deal of knowledge about the contents of these amps.

What i can say about this amp is it sounds great (in the real sense of the word). I've been listening to Carlton/Ford 25 years or more (honing my ear toward those mighty tones)and this amp delivers that sound -"For Me".
How it does that - i dunno, i don't care i suppose... i'm just stoked that it does.

We were really lucky to test this amp side by side with one of the only (if not the only) real ODS in the UK, and the amp stands up.

As to the price, i think for a hand built amp that takes weeks to contruct.. and is wired with that precision, the price is somewhat of a bargain. (Geoff also built wiring looms for racing cars, his work is very good indeed).
As to prospective sales?, Geoff's Volt amp co is a very small operation and He/we never envisaged sales of 500..... it's not that kind of thing. but if we could sell 50 that would be something indeed.

If you want your amp to have all the old-stock parts/serial numbers etc exactly that a particular Dumble amp had, then i wish you good luck. If you want an amp that has the Dumble tone, that you just plug in an play.... this is it.

that's all i wanted...

You guys have been great for replying i like to say thanks to each.

Any more questions let me know.... i'll have to ask Geoff on the really techie stuff

Play like demons

Rob

Nearly Dan

[j-po]

Very cool to dare to do some original thinking with component selection.

[paulster]

£2,000 is a pretty fair price for a hand-built boutique amp in the UK.

Converted to Dollars it doesn't seem so good, but I don't imagine that's the particular market it's pitched at.

I'm pleased to see another European maker springing up, and even better that they're British!

[exocet]

£2,000 is a pretty fair price for a hand-built boutique amp in the UK.

Converted to Dollars it doesn't seem so good, but I don't imagine that's the particular market it's pitched at.

I'm pleased to see another European maker springing up, and even better that they're British!

Being from 'old blighty' myself, the price is fair given that 17.5% of the price is VAT (Sales Tax) - I gather that sales taxes in US are somewhat lower?

That said....I can't afford one!!!

Great sound / playing by the way

[benoit]

Depends on where you are. Where I am it's definitely under 8%, maybe under 7.

[glasman]

I wonder if AF will take exception to ODS on their website. He has it trademarked in the US.