65amps is a musical equipment manufacturer, founded in 2002 (incorporated in 2004) by Dan Boul and Peter Stroud

Peter Stroud

Peter Stroud is an American lead guitarist, best known as the guitarist with Sheryl Crow, Don Henley, Pete Droge and Sarah McLachlan. He is also the co-founder of 65amps, a company that manufactures guitar amplifiers.-Biography:...

. Based in North Hollywood, CA, they manufacture hand-wired tube-powered guitar and bass amplifiers and cabinets.

Origin of the company

Advances in in-ear monitor technology and the pursuant lower stage volumes led to the need for low-powered amplification solution for guitar players that still sounded as full and rich as larger tube amps. Peter Stroud and long-time friend Dan Boul developed an amp in Boul's garage that would be robust enough for Stroud’s show with Sheryl Crow while he played it at low volume. The amp was first shown to the public at the NAMM Show

NAMM Show

The NAMM Show is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world, founded in 1901. It is held every January in Anaheim, California, USA, at the Anaheim Convention Center...

 in 2004; Boul left his employer to devote his time to 65amps full-time in 2007.

Concept and design

Boul worked to expand the vocabulary of current low watt amps. He started with an 18 Watt Marshall and a Vintage VOX AC15 as his inspirations, and after much experimentation, he evolved the circuits of his amps to be more tonally versatile.

65amps are built by hand in North Hollywood, CA, using high quality components, including optimized transformers from Mercury Magnetics. The company utilizes "mil-spec" wiring techniques that insure a consistent and reliable build for each amp.

65amps Product Line

The initial product offering, dubbed the "London," made its official debut at the 2005 Winter NAMM show. Subsequently, the company added one or more new amps each year to the product line, which now includes:

Guitar amps

• Empire - The Empire premiered at the January 2011 NAMM show. This British-inspired 22 Watt head has 3 main sounds from three distinct eras.

• London Pro - The London Pro was introduced in Los Angeles in October 2010 and has 18 watts of power and two channels that can be combined into a third.

• Tupelo - Handwired 20 watt, solid state rectifier, 2 x 6V6
  6V6
  The 6V6 is a beam-power tetrode, introduced by Radio Corporation of America RCA United States in late 1937, and still in use in niche applications.Similar to its predecessor the 6L6, the 6V6 was far more widely used...
  
   power section, head or combo; it aims to replicate the classic American circuitry of the late 1950s and early-to-mid-1960s. Released January, 2010.
• Lil' Elvis - Handwired 12 watt (2 x EL84
  EL84
  The EL84 is a vacuum tube of the power pentode type. It has a 9 pin Noval base and is found mainly in the final output stages of amplification circuits, most commonly now in guitar amplifiers, but originally in radios and many other devices of the pre-transistor era.It was developed to eliminate...
  
  ), tube rectified, 3 x 12AX7
  12AX7
  12AX7 is a miniature dual triode vacuum tube with high voltage gain. It was developed around 1946 by RCA engineers in Harrison, New Jersey, under developmental number A-4522. It was released for public sale under the 12AX7 identifier on September 15, 1947. The 12AX7 was originally intended as...
  
  , tremolo. Released January, 2009.
• London - Handwired 18 watt, tube rectified, 2 x EL84 power section, 12AX7, EF86
  EF86
  EF86 is a miniature high gain, low mu, pentode vacuum tube. It has 9 pins and connects to a B9A base.The EF86 was introduced in the late 1950s and were produced by Philips, Mullard, Telefunken, Valvo, and GEC among others...
  
  , tremolo. The London offers 2-amps-in-one. Released January, 2005.
• Stone Pony - 25 or 50 Watt (2x7591), tube rectified, EF86-12AX7 cathode follower. Employs an EF86 preamp tube feeding a 12AX7 phase inverter. Released January 2008
• SoHo - 20 watt (2 x EL84) or 35 watt (4 x 7591), Tube rectified, EF86-12AX7 cathode follower. Released January 2007.
• Monterey - 22 watt (2 x 6V6), Monterey HP: 38 Watt (4 x 6V6), EF86-12AX7 cathode follower; formerly known as the Memphis. Released January 2007.
• Royal Albert-45 Watt (2xKT77), solid state or tube rectified, dual 12AX7. Powered by two KT77 or EL34 output tubes and runs in Class A/B. Released January 2007.

Bass amps

• Apollo - 50 Watt tube bass head and 1x15 cabinet. Winner of Bass Gears Outstanding Amp for 2009 Award. Apollo features a 3-way “Pad” switch that adjusts the input levels to accommodate modern basses with active electronics. Released January, 2010

Other

The company also manufactures a Colour Boost pedal and several sizes and configurations of extension cabinets.