- Specs
- Overview
- Reviews
- Sounds
- Options
• 5 Watts Single-Ended
• Single Input
• Boost Switch
• Bass
• Treble
• Volume
• Master Volume
• Power-Standby Switch
• Line-Level Out
• Headphone Out
• Built-In Attenuator
• 12AX7 (1)
• EF86 (1)
• EL84 or 6V6 (1)
• Cathode Biased
• Eminence or Celestion Speaker
• American Made Transformers
• Hand-Wired, Turret Board Construction
• Star Grounding
• Shielded Input/Grid Wiring
• DC Elevated Heater Supply
• Silver Plated Copper / TFE Teflon Wire
• Aluminum Chassis
• Dimensions: 20W x 18.75H x 9.5D
• Solid Pine Cabinet with Dovetail Joinery
• Choice of Tolex
• Choice of Grillcloth
• Made in the USA
• Manual
Note: specifications subject to change based on selected options.
The Nickel Box is single-ended amplifier that puts out 5W from either an EL84 or 6V6. It features our unique preamp design that utilizes an EF86 pentode fronted by a 12AX7 twin-triode.
The low wattage makes it a great practice or recording amp. There is a convenient line-out jack on the bottom of the chassis for plugging into a console. The speaker can safely be unplugged for late-night recording sessions. The bright and punchy output through a 12" Eminence Private Jack speaker allows the de Lisle Nickel Box to sound much larger on tape (or disc). We opted for a larger, solid pine cabinet to avoid the "boxy" sound typically associated with low wattage amps. This speaker and cabinet combination allows the amp to sound open, full and rich.
The clean tones are sparkly and complex with a good amount of level. When pushed, or when the boost switch is flipped, the overdrive can be thick and creamy or bright and edgy. But it's voiced to overdrive without getting muddy. This filtering is aided by a simplified version of our modified "James" style tone stack which allows the player to tailor a wide range of bass and treble frequencies around mids.
The Nickel Box is also a very quiet amp. Preamp grid wires are shielded to extraneous noise. We use a "galactic" star grounding scheme to keep hum and noise from entering the signal path. We also use a DC elevated heater supply in conjunction with a balance pot to eliminate filament hum.
We've added two features to an already outstanding amp: a headphone jack and build-in attenuator that drops output to 1/8W.