MEET OUR MAKER: AMP KITS

written by Kenny Prochazka

You can put new pickups in your electric guitar, change the strings, change the tuners, the frets and anything else that strikes your fancy. You can focus on the most beautiful, light or dense tonewoods and metals, perfectly hand-wire the circuit and set the action so that you could play in your sleep. But none of that means anything if you do not have an amplifier to plug it into.

Mojotone has spent the past 25 years providing the most period-accurate American and British style amplifier kits available for our customers, as well as introducing and building some of our own designs. Now, with so much to look back on, and so much to look forward to, we felt it only fitting to let our customers have a peek into the world of amp building, brought to us by our lead designer, John Manning.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN TUBE AMPS?

"My interest in vacuum tube electronics formed out of frustration." John tells us, and you can see that he still remembers the feeling. "Years ago, when I toured around with a band, I had a Marshall JMP that would fail every once in a while. At the time, there was no one around who could fix it for me. So, like many things in my life, I took it on myself." But there was no easy path to learning in those days. "This was back before Youtube, so I got an associates degree in electronics and started doing repair work for the community as soon as I graduated."

WHAT MAKES A GOOD TUBE AMP?

"Well, everyone has their own opinion, but after so many years in this industry I would say that a good tube amp should be inefficient, should have a distinctive character, and it should be reliable in its deficiencies.  If not, then we should all be buying solid state power blocks." Here, he gives a little chuckle. "It should be simple in its operation and its maintenance, and it should look cool." That's not too much to ask, is it?

WHAT DO TUBE AMP TECHS MEAN BY "INEFFICIENT"?

"I get that question a lot. By that we mean inefficient in a thermodynamic sense." That's a big word, John. Is there a simpler way you can explain it? "Inefficient amps and tubes convert a lot of input power to heat, rather than to signal. It sounds like a bad thing, but this 'flaw' is exactly why early tube amps sound so magical. There is a tangible push and pull between the guitar and the amp that is extremely musical, like the amp becomes its own instrument."

WHY IS BUILDING AN AMP A REWARDING EXPERIENCE?

There is a slightly distant look in John's eyes at this question, as if he is deciding which of a million answers to give. "There's plenty of risk involved with building your own tube amp -- monetarily, electrically, and timely.  It's rewarding to climb the mountain, and come out on top with something so complex that does what it's supposed to do.  You end up with something that will outlast you, as long as tubes can be purchased." He continues, as if he hears his workbench calling, "The mix of high-voltages, transformer shellac, freshly glued tolex on wood, and warm guitar tones that create a fun and sometimes addictive experience. That's why it is rewarding."

DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF BUILDER IN MIND WHEN YOU DESIGN MOJOTONE AMP KITS?

"Like who do I design kits for? I design for the most hard-headed, clumsy, dusty, old, naysaying contrarians to ever pick up a soldering iron. Those are my guys." His grin is a bit defiant at this point. "If they can get through one of my designs without needing to pick up the phone and give us the business, I know that I've done a good job."

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

"People have been predicting the demise of tube amps for decades now." He shrugs. "I'm optimistic by nature, though, and I know that they will always have their place." When asked for a more crystal-ball prediction, he says, "For tube amps, I see the industry trying to pull in new features, new ways to sell a product. Really, that's the way it has always been. Then, it will all come back around again to the basics, the beginnings. Then, the cycle will repeat. We'll probably see even smaller amps come into favor. They'll be lighter weight, and they'll integrate more seamlessly with new tech. Then they'll go back to the basics again."

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO WITH MOJOTONE?

"I like to develop kits based on amplifiers that people want, or should want," he says. "If you have never played through a vintage 5E3 circuit, a '60s JTM45 or a transition Blonde Bassman amp, you are missing out on how they feel and respond, not even mentioning how they sound." John has been hard at work on our new Mojotone 25th Anniversary amp kit, but is always looking forward to the next project. "We choose which amps to offer based on whether they have a unique voice or story to tell, and do our best to provide the highest quality components paired with sensible diagrams that you can follow to completion. Our amp kits are as close as you can get to the original, and we are extremely proud of that."