P1800

This is as unique as it is wacky: an amp covered in denim instead of tolex. Well, if tweed’s good enough for old Fenders, why not denim for a rocking amp? “I tried my best to get the front seam straight but it wasn’t having it!”

Here’s the same 18W amp kit in small-stack form. The cab is a 1×12 and Tim’s used the same grille cloth for the head’s front panel. This helps to create a much more modern look.

By far the simplest way to make a head cabinet is to use pine. It’s a softwood, so it’s easy to cut and work, but you won’t get the same resistance to wear and tear as tolex. Still, the world’s full of old pine furniture, so it can’t be that bad. Neil’s given the pine

As a guitar maker – see http://www.wudtone.com – Andy has access to plenty of attractive wood stock. And his PP-18 is pretty unique: beautifully grained wood in the chunkiest design I’ve ever seen. :) Check out Andy’s band here: http://www.youtube.com/user/Mojojimthemuddywulfs

“In one sentence, it’s… very ‘evy, very ‘umble; very purple, very loud.” I’ve lived in the UAE myself, and still can’t believe that Daniel managed to round up the cabinet materials out there. “The purple tolex is from a fabric shop in Abu Dhabi – it was really meant for covering bedroom furniture. The grille

I love this colour combination: wine with white piping. “I’d seen a Mesa Stiletto with that covering and I fell in love.” Luca found a local cabinet builder to do the work. Look closely and you can see a third control knob added to the PP-18’s usual two. Internally, Luca has added VVR (a circuit

Some guitarists really love the 18Wer’s tone. Dominic must be one of the biggest fans: “Have built three PP-18s now, all sounding amazing by the way! Two now live in a custom flightcase, looks nearly as good as they sound!”

“Will send some pictures, guaranteed you will be impressed,” said Harvey’s email. He wasn’t wrong: this retro cabinet is as wonderful as it is crazy. The 18W circuit was borne out of the ’50s WEM Dominator circuit, so this combo design is very appropriate. Can’t imagine how tricky that was to plan, cut and glue.

Burgundy and cream is one of those colour schemes that always looks classy, as in this rexine-covered head cabinet. Especially like the double ventilation slots at the rear. “Finished the amp end of last summer, have built a matching 2×12 cab to go with it.”

Pine is a popular choice for cabinet builders – easily available, soft to cut and easy to shape. Steve’s plank-based crate must be one of the most… er… simple to build of all.

Jonas has completed his 18W amp in both PP-18 and SL-18 forms. “The cabinet (inspired by the Marshall smallbox) was built by myself using MDF from the local shop and tolex etc mostly from Tube Amp Doctor. I also designed the logo (using the early ’60s Marshall block logo as inspiration) and ordered it from

At www.18watt.com there are several simple gain mods for the 18W circuit. Jyrki had tried one of these: “I also modified circuitry a little, now the first triode is boosting the second stage. It still cleans up with guitar’s volume control, but does Iron Maiden at heavier end.” This does change the dynamic response of

  “Really pleased with the result! Christened her the ‘Dumb Blonde’ due to her modest complement of knobs! The Cab is one of Chris’, in ivory tolex. Superb finish. I added a custom handle as I’ve never liked the Marshall-style ones. Panel text is by inkjet water-slide transfers, and the cab logo is a water-slide

“I finished my PP-18 a couple of months ago. I’ve played maybe ten gigs with it and used it for recording. It’s a great little thing, I love it! Here’s a picture, check it out. Chris made the cabs. And yes, the other guitarist and the bassist in our band have Orange amps.”

“Just a quick update… we have finished the amp tonight and tested it out. It sounds excellent through the 2×12 speaker cab I built at the same time – enough to make the letterbox rattle! It’s my first go at tolexing (and not something recommended for my unheated workshop – I have admitted to my

“I just thought I’d finally send you a couple of pics of my amp. I’ve only just got the logo plate done. The 2×12 cab was made by Chis and the head cab I had bought from Ebay before I even got the kit from you. And coincidentally I later realised that I had bought

A number of Amp Maker builders have opted for their own amp branding; Angelo went for ‘A G Electric’ on a large brass plate. “I’m attaching some piccies of my completed amp that I thought you might like to see. I’m very pleased with the result.”

Like many customers wondering about the classic Dominator/18W circuit, Martin wasn’t sure if he’d miss the Treble, Middle and Bass controls. “I tried it out last night and I am very pleased with the tone in particular. I was a bit concerned about the lack of individual bass/treble/mid adjustment, but it is all there in

I like to see attention to detail, and this amp has it in abundance: the wiring layout is text-book and the cabinet finishing is just as good. Proof, if any were needed, that with care and time, even first time amp makers can create an amp that has the build standards of a boutique builder.

Chris had previously built an SE-5a and ordered a PP-18 amp kit. Where the SE-5a combo cab he made was conventional, the PP-18 combo cabinet is anything but. It’s 100% retro styling in beautiful blonde wood looks like a fancy piece of furniture. For those guys whose other halves complain about having guitar amps in