Reviews

I just got the amp and have spent a little time with it. Great job! Well balanced tones and nicely voiced throughout. It sounds ‘big’ without sounding loud. Warm and detailed – just what I was hoping for.

I’m not really much of a gear dude and don’t really know the jargon and intricacies of amplifier electronics, but I’ll tell you this much. Having the two de Lisles on stage has improved our sound enormously. They’re punchy and well balanced and still FUNKY! I love em! Thanks de Lisle

This amp crackles with life. Every note rings out with a serene beauty that can only be attributed to some kind of mystical force. It’s hard to imagine or accept that such a living breathing sound can come from wires and capacitors. I would be surprised if I dropped it and it didn’t bleed because tone so pure must have a heart. When you play that giant open E chord, your hair will stand at full attention. Every hair and pore will anticipate that next volume laden assault of pure unadulterated tone. I would question the sanity of any guitarist that doesn’t fall head over heels for one of these delectable masterpieces upon first exposure. Surely such an admission would be an act of musical treason; psychic vandalism if you will. If I were king, I’d mandate that everyone pay tribute to these magnificent amps with a World Wide de Lisle Amp Appreciation Day. I play country, rock, blues, and something loosely resembling jazz and I can traverse these styles with relative ease with my 35P. Get one, but be forewarned, it will not just be a commercial transaction, it will be a pivotal moment in your musical destiny. Are you ready?

I literally could NOT be happier with my [Travis County Reverb]. I drove six hours on less than an hours worth of sleep and still couldn’t help myself from plugging a Telecaster into that thang the second I got in my room! You, dear sir, have made this girl suuuuuuper happy…and I cannot wait to gig this amp in wonderful Austin, Texas on Thursday night. I love it madly…and that’s an understatement!

Well, how is the Travis County Reverb holding up ?, I’ll tell ya ……

Being the husband of Marie Luke is fun enough on any given day but when it comes to choosing a piece of gear for a session or gig, it can be murder !!! We can argue for two straight days about one set of pick ups over another and even which is the best strap (seems women have a unique problem with a guitar strap) (who would have believed ?) Though we are blessed with a big ol’ house full of amps from way back when to modern beauties our amp choice is such a lot easier these days.

Mandy’s original concept for this amp (Travis County Reverb) becomes crystal clear when you are down here in the trenches working, a lot of clubs in Austin are physically very small and as most have a more than decent house PA system installed you really do not need to be toting a big stack of boxes and road cases just to impress or annoy the bar staff.

Right off the bat – each of the 16 watts this little red beauty offer up are somehow worth at least 2 of any other manufacturers, the speaker is lusty and vibrant and this amp just plain delivers. The controls are simple to figure and just work exactly as their names suggest so dialing in a ‘tone’ is a doddle, mix in a little of that gorgeous reverb and I’m ‘good to go’ (yeah, order me a Shiner please) ‘Set up’ and ‘tear down’ are a breeze and in a day that might easily see 2 or more gigs walking into a club with this in one hand and a Tele in a gig bag over your shoulder is about as simple as it gets.

The build quality of those fantastic good looks is also top class all round, this particular amp is a true ‘workhorse’ amp with all the style and good looks of a thoroughbred — thanks !

The amp arrived and it sounds fantastic. The reverb is great, the tremolo is great and the sound is fantastic…Thanks for making the amp, it has been a pleasure dealing with you.

Absolutely stunned and gobsmacked. No other words! I can’t stop playing the amp since it arrived this morning. It’s stunningly 3 dimensional…and sounds heavenly with my pedals. It’s hard to believe that all this sound can come out of something so tiny and lightweight.

I honestly can’t believe that more people haven’t heard of you. I’m going to see if I can change that. Jer, thank you so much for building the amplifier of my dreams. After 46 years of playing professionally, I finally am hearing live what I’ve heard in my head all this time.

Well, I got the amp today and wow… totally surpassed my expectations!!

First, it looks beautiful, I couldn’t be happier with the Tolex/Grill cover combination. You’re right, with the marble effect the of the wine tolex the black grill just matches perfectly. Classy and Slick. Looked great in the pics and better in front of me. The control panel looks awesome, great choice of knobs too. This is totally gonna turn a few heads, I have no doubt.

And the sound.. Well, I plugged in my Sheraton with TV Jones pickups and I instantly fell in love. First, I had the reverb off. I just wanted to get the character off the amp unaltered. I strummed a D Minor chord (5th pos, A string) and it just sang. Great full sound, filled the room. The EQ is fantastic, so many tonal possibilities. The mids and low end are dialed in just right for this style of amp. As I said before I have played mostly Blackface RI’s of various types and the Rutgers kills them.Then I added reverb. I have to say it’s probably the most lush reverb I have heard on an amp. Tons of mojo. Usable even dimed.

Just wanted to let you know how satisfied I am with this amp. Good stuff man.

Thanks so much

OK you guy’s……I’ve had time to mess around with this amp as I’ve had it for a few days now. Throughout my 30+ years of guitar playing, I’ve owned all tube amps like Marshall, Mesa-Boogie, Vox, Fender, etc. This amp absolutely SMOKES all of them! The clean tone, dirty tone, reverb, dynamic response, the look, the quality of it’s build are all unbelievably top notch. I couldn’t be happier. Jer is a genius and a great guy to work with. Seriously, if you’re considering deLisle, and have reservations because this company is perhaps lesser known than the big cheeses I mentioned……fear not, these amps are the some of the very best hand wired, boutique amps out there.

You really have hit the ball out of the park with this amp. I cannot describe how perfect it is! It is the sound i had in my head, it’s bloody perfect. The Tremolo is pretty much the best I’ve heard, and the cleans are outta this world! You weren’t joking when you said clean all the way up! Really likes pedals in front, a clean boost or de Lisle fuzz really helps it along. But the cleans are where the magic happens.

I’ve had my 35p for about a week (not nearly enough time to completely explore all the tone possibilities) but I am blown away. Not only does it look incredibly gorgeous, it has the sound to match! Love the tone of the amp with slight breakup, love it clean, just absolutely love it! Hope to get some time in this weekb explore all the voicings possible. Thank you Jer for an absolute masterpiece!

Wow! What a beauty! – impeccable construction and workmanship and, best of all, a wonderful sonic palette. I love the clean organic tones as well as the detailed “growls” when pushed or overdriven. I have had a number of great amps over years of playing, but this one has fast become a favorite. An unexpected plus came when I plugged in a Taylor 710CE running through a TC Electronics “BodyRez”and got this great acoustic voice. This amp may well become my “go to” for both electric and acoustic playing.

I could tell the quality of the build the minute I took it out of the box. I’ve run it through a ringer with both strats, lp’s, pedals, etc, etc. I’ve been [able] to dial in great tone with all of them. I’m really surprised how versatile the nickelbox is, and I think that is it’s strong point. I’ve been able to go from Vox type chime to overdriven blues tones to Fender type cleans. It’s really a jack of all trades, and I don’t know if that’s what you were shooting for with this amp, but it’s worked out that way for me. The attenuator made the amp even more appealing to me as I can’t always crank it at home. Also, sound-wise, you can really hear the definition in playing with this amp, and like others have reviewed, it makes the guitar sound like it should. I have to admit, I took a blind leap in ordering an amp from you, and it’s probably been the best music gear choice I’ve made.

As I have played it more over the past week, I am so impressed by something I can’t explain very well. I just get this feeling that I am hearing exactly what noise the guitar is making and nothing else. There is an absolute clarity to each tone that is amazing – I find myself playing one note and just listening to it! As my son and I both get faster I think that characteristic will make for much better runs and solos, where even though the notes are fast each one is very clear. Another way I see this is in the way I can change a pot setting, which pickups I am using, or my picking attack and the difference is really noticeable. For me the change in picking attack is the most fun to play with – the jump in volume is striking and the growl jumps in too if the volume is high enough.

What I like most is that I now understand the dynamics of electric guitars through pure experience – I can really understand what is going on and the impact of something I do on the sound that comes out.

Thanks for confirming on the gain switch, too. Between trying higher volumes (I was initially keeping it low and setting my guitar pots to 10) and picking a little harder I could bring out a nice growl that itself is amazingly clear. I have been playing mostly on my classical guitar for a couple years now, but the Hamer is going to get a lot more use now that it has a chance to truly express itself.

My Nickel Box EL84 combo is beautifully made in Sea Foam Green with warm, lush tube reverb, tube rectifier, and Private Jack speaker. It has just the right amount of compression. Notes jump out and sparkle. The attack is strong and warm without being the least bit harsh and the note reproduction is amazingly pure. I hear details in guitars I have owned for years that I’ve never heard before and it pushes me to be a better player just by being able to hear those details. I play vintage 335’s, Telecasters and Rickenbackers and all of them sound great through the Nickel Box, each with its own distinctive personality. The amp has plenty of gain and sounds great clean or overdriven. I can use this amp for recording, gigging or just playing at home. I haven’t had this much fun with an amp in a long time!

I’ve only had a bit of time to play, but what I have heard makes me happy. I played my Reverend Slingshot (P90s) and my Reverend Pete Anderson (also P90s) through it and am amazed. With my previous amp, these two guitars sounded slightly different. With the de Lisle, they sound REALLY different and I am loving it. This amp really lets me hear the unique qualities and the subtleties of each guitar. So, thanks to you, I not only got a great new amp, I got two new guitars!

I want to tell you the amp is way more than expected. Plenty of punch and power, and the tones are clear and crisp, creamy and warm, bright and sparkly, and just everything that makes a great amp. Thanks for such a classy and high quality amp…

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to tell you how impressed I am with the amp. It has a great clean tone, is very touch responsive and sounds excellent driven as well. It also has plenty of volume for it’s size and does not sound small in any way, even when used at lower volumes. The reverb and tremolo both sound full and lush. The ordering process was painless, the communication during the building process was outstanding, and it was here very quickly for a custom, hand built amplifier. Thanks!

[I’ve] been playing the nickel box this afternoon. Unbelievable. Easily the best amp I’ve ever played, let alone owned…Thank you again. I couldn’t be happier I bought this.

I have to say – Thank you SO much!…It’s Magic. It was Exactly what I was looking for…I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen. Thanks Again.

I got it! It sounds wonderful;. I dialed in the sound I wanted right away. Just letting you know. Thanks, Jer.

I just got the amp and it arrived in perfect condition. It looks very nice and sounds great… The sound is amazing. [Jeff posted a video clip of his Nickel Box on Youtube.]

Got my Nickel Box this week. Very nice sound and very well built. It’s a big cabinet (a little bigger than a deluxe), but not as heavy and quite manageable. Jer was great to work with, sent several updates and photos along the way, and packed the amp for shipping better than any I’ve ever seen. Well worth the money!

The amp arrived safe and sound. It sounds great, I like the cab design, lots of space to breath. I’m plugging the Ric in this afternoon.

The Double Nickel is a phenomenal amp. Plenty of volume, adequate clean headroom, and tone controls that really work. The amp is very tweakable with the two volume controls allowing you to fine tune the amount of grit. Does well with Strats, pedals and humbuckers. The pickups are very differentiated and engaging the pickup switch on a Strat really brings out contrasting tones. I recently recorded my Strat and the guitar was very bell like with no muddiness. The amp circuitry is well matched with the British voiced Wizard speaker, and solid pine cabinet. The style leans towards British tones, but you can also hear American black face flavors. This is the most harmonically rich amp I have owned (and I have possessed a number of boutique amps). The amp is equally matched by first rate service. By that I mean Jer answers the phone, describes each amp accurately and does exactly what he says he will do. I had a damaged tube from shipping and he replaced it immediately without question. I really like the buffet style ordering where you order the features you want not the ones the company wants to sell you. If you want quick and individualized service that offers a price tag close to production style products, de Lisle is your ticket.

I just wanted to drop a line Jer and thank you for the amp. This double nickel is exactly what I was looking for. My expectations where pretty high after reading all the reviews and I am not disappointed. The reverb and the tremolo are amazing! What a quality piece, one that I will have for years and one day hand down to my son. So glad I didn’t get the [X]

I wandered into my local store last weekend, West Chester Music, and was walking in ready to buy a [X]. The owner there said to me, “Hey, you should check out this piece while you are at it.” In a nutshell, it was NO CONTEST. I’m now the proud owner of a gently used de Lisle amp. I used it already on a gig, and it was terrific. Paired up with some single coil guitars it was a dream.

[E]verything has been cherry with the amp…thx many times over for helping me with your unique products and service experience!

Just dropping you a line to give you an update on the 15P. The basic story is that I have always felt that amplifiers were something I had to put up with. It always seemed like some sort of weird battle to get what I was playing out of the speakers. Especially those silver-face Twin Reverbs that were always in the “back-line” at festivals in the 80s and 90s – really lifeless. All I can say is if I’d had this amp back in the day, I’d probably play different and probably better. For sure I’d have a lighter touch. The 15P is so responsive, it’s almost like playing a really nice classical guitar for the first time – all of a sudden you’ve got a great tone you didn’t realize you had. And you don’t have to work nearly as hard. My girlfriend could hear the difference immediately – she loves the sound of the amp. My 12 strings with the lipstick-tube pickups are a particular revelation. Very acoustic sounding. The negative feedback/presence thing is really fantastic. I’m completely sold.

One oddity – I have a Gibson GA-18 that is the only other amp I’ve ever really liked. It has this quality of almost drawing your ear towards the sound, as opposed to blasting it away. A lot of complexity, a lot to hear. And the 15P gets a sound that is dangerously close to it. Seriously. I’ve had them side by side, in stereo. It is really difficult to tell them apart. Absolutely beautiful. My clients are most impressed. The reverb is going to be getting a work-out, too!

Anyway, just wanted to let you know what’s up and to say thanks again. I’m spreading the word and may end up getting one of your fuzz pedals, so you better watch out!

I just received my 15P with expanded control panel and I am over the proverbial moon! When you order an amp from de Lisle, you set in motion a direct relationship with your builder that continues after delivery. Communication about particulars and progress was immediate and exemplary, including pictures of the build process. The amp, which arrived well within the estimated build time, is structurally and aesthetically gorgeous, a work of exemplary craftsmanship at a much more reasonable price than most comparable boutique amps. The tone palette is phenomenal. I highly recommend the expanded control panel, which includes separate controls over the 12ax7 and Ef86 Gain stages. The EF86 can be run either as a pentode or a triode. This significantly increases control over a plethora of simply gorgeous, harmonically rich clean and distorted tones. Indeed, the de Lisle circuit addresses some of the drawbacks players have found with EF86 amps over the years. The amp chimes, rings, bristles, growls and sings with alternating sweetness and guts. It will take me months, at least, to discover the full tonal range. The Master Volume control works better than any other I have used. You get a full range of tones at very low volumes for use in bedrooms, living rooms, and basements, and when opened to 10 it becomes invisible and increases head room. Volume is certainly sufficient for playing with a drummer. The (optional but affordable) line out increases utility for small gigs and recording. The experience, amp, and value seem extremely hard to beat. I finally have an amp I love as much as my guitars.

After playing the 15p for the last few days, I have liked it more each time i have played it. Such a beautiful, ringing, and organic tone. I am really digging it in triode and pentode modes with the boost off – open, pure, unadulterated tone. The boost really light it up nice for leads, too. Thanks again for the sweet amp.

I have been playing the 15P daily (to the exclusion of everything else). And loving it more and more each time. Man, it just sounds like an amp should. Like rock and roll. No amp covers it all but this comes damn close. Definite bread and butter gear. Thanks again.

I am 100% pleased with this amp. It has the clarity of clean Fender tones and yet will get the British sound going without a problem. There are some very unique controls on this amp. It has a Tri-Pent pot on the front panel that you can dial it in from Triode to Pentode or anywhere in between. An NFB toggle on the front panel that adds a no feedback in the up position and normal in the down position. The Contour pot on the front panel works as most do to dial in the bass and trebles. I play pretty much clean country and this amp does it for me yet it still has the ability to get dirty if need be.

I spoke with Jer on the phone twice today and he is a very helpful down to earth explain things to a non amp geek like myself so it could be better understood. He also made it clear his help is available with just a phone call. Now this to me is very valuable along with his lifetime warranty I just don’t know how a person could go wrong with his products. Excellent job Jer, keep up the good work and hopefully there will be others that will have an opportunity to work with your fine products. Keep on pickin.[Wayne posted a clip of his 15P on the Compton Bridges site.]

Gets my seal of approval…ran her good through the motions tonight and man…loud …..most likely one of the finest 15 watt amps out there..with a duo. and a little drive ..nails the trower tone, zep tone…just about any tone you could ask for ….easily do a small gig with this amp……..still breaking her in on my side ( getting to know her) the speaker fits the amp perfect….so any fence sitters…dont know how you could go wrong with one, now Im thinking about another to run the chorus with……

Well it has been a pleasure doing business with you…I cant think of enough good things to say about the amp… I now have 3 Komets, 2 Carrs, a Juke, 4 Fenders etc… but the [de Lisle 15P Studio] sound with great options really does it for me.

Holy smokes, it’s awesome! By far classist looking amp I’ve ever seen. The VarioDyne is perfect-exactly what I needed. I played it through a WGS Greenback clone-awesome. Then got my Celestion blue cab done. That is the bees knees! Perfect. Very happy my friend…

The pictures do not do this amp justice. You sir have out done yourself. This maybe the all time perfect working mans boutique amp. It should be featured in a movie.

I had been using high watt fenders as my main tone prior to the de Lisle custom Jer built me. The de Lisle really has improved the sound, rounded it out, made it more warm, and less harsh than the fenders. It’s the most responsive amp I’ve ever played. It really make its feel like you, the guitar and the amp are all dialed into the same power circuit. It FEELS as good as it sounds. It’s the one amp that is always on, and really the main element to my tone along with the Campbells. If my tone is a cake, the de Lisle and the Transitones are my eggs and sugar.

This amplifier is amazing…Its tone is exactly like what I had in mind. It’s so dynamic it’s hard to explain, it’s like I can actually hear nuances of the strings through the amp. You have professionally made an amp that has impressed me, sir. I know it’s built to last and built the right way. As long as you’re open for business, I’m a loyal customer.

Just got the chance to plug in the amp and give it a whirl. It works and sounds perfect Jer. I’m very happy with this amp.

Just got the amp. Sounds absolutely awesome. Thanks again.

Awesome!!! The amp arrived yesterday…It sounds killer with more power then I remember from my youth. No crackles and a smooth, warm tone. My Gretsch loves this amp. With a little tape delay it sounded like heaven. I just wanted to say thank you again with the utmost gratitude and wish you a Happy Holidays!

My new de Lisle guitar looks great and sounds great! The pentatone switch gives a wealth of tone options. I am very impressed with the build quality and will highly recommend de Lisle guitars to my guitarist friends.
Thanks again!

I have to admit that my expectations were pretty high, but this guitar has exceeded them in all areas. The neck is perfect, sounds great, plays great. And the tuners (which I picked) are probably the smoothest I’ve ever used. I’ve played it around the house (all evening) and I can’t wait til practice next week and gig next month.

I love this guitar!

The de Lisle ABC has resolved all the issues I had with other channel switching boxes. Cleaner view, colored LED’s, wider stance, stronger build, better components and NO HUM! And as with the other de Lisle stuff it looks classy and is built like a tank.

Used the pedal on Saturday night, and it worked great. It replaced numerous other boxes I was using that each provided isolated one-into-two signal splitting, but had other issues such as adapters for XLR-to-1/4″ and impedance-matching, etc. So your pedal was an excellent change to my setup: less gear, less setup time, less complexity, and easy to use during the performance, and all three signals sounded great. Thanks!

My ABC switch arrived today safe and sound by UPS. I gave it a quick demo and it works very well, no noise or popping at all, it is dead quite. This switch is built extremely well, looks like cast aluminum top and bottom with quality parts used inside. I like the indicator lights for each outlet. Good work again…

Great Pedal! Got it quick and works perfect! Thanks!

I wanted to let you know I really am loving the noch box I picked up on eBay! I saw a few other similar pedals when I started looking into finding one, and yours was about twice the size and a few bucks more, so I did have to think about it. While at first I wasn’t sure about the depth control, I was sure I’d never need an LED. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Even when just sitting at home messing around with different amps, their settings, guitars, and their settings, pedals, ect. It is really nice to be able to just look down and see “ok, I did have that on at this setting this time!” Thanks again for a great product, I’m sure it won’t be my last!

JER!!!!!!!!!!! Man this thing rocks. I’m swearing to myself to get the sound clips and stuff done this week. PERFECT FUZZ PEDAL IMO.