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Super sweet cleans or crunchy rockin' overdrive from the same amp! Sound impossible? Not so! This "little jewel" will give you tones based on a combination of the classic Matchless Hot Box preamps and VOX amps...plus a lot more!
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Model: Sweet Little 15
Model No: HBX-AC15
The FRENZEL "Sweet Little 15" was "INSPIRED" by the classic Matchless Hot Box and VOX AC15....but the amp has a lot more features that make it really unique. The amp has two channels...Clean and Boost ....that can be selected by an AB/Y footswitch. Channel 1 is the Clean channel. This channel bypasses the tone stack. There is no shaping or color to the voicing except for the tone control on your guitar. The only control is a Gain control. You can crank your guitar volume control and drive this channel hard without worry of breaking up to soon. It will produce warm smooth clean tones...just what you put into it. Channel 2 is the Boost channel. It has three stages of preamp gain that will give you soaring dynamic response with practically no compression. The tone is further shaped by a vintage style three band tone stack, Cut control, and a Master Level control. We added a pull - defeat switch to the Master for you guys that like the wide open non Master control sound....and we also added a NNFB pull switch to the Cut control to defeat the negative feedback loop. All the added features produce unbelievable high intensity clean and smooth overdrive saturation tones. The FRENZEL HBX - AC15 also comes with all of the other features FRENZEL amps are famous for as described in the features list below.
FEATURES:
Input Jacks isolated from chassis for low noise, eddy currents, and hum.
DC on preamp and driver filaments for ultra low noise and hum.
Star ground system to reduce induced current chassis noise.
Separate input jacks allow you to use an AB/Y pedal to select between or to blend channels.
Classic 60's vintage style 3-BAND TONE STACK for extended flexibility in shaping your tone.
MASTER level control so you can crank the GAIN up and overdrive the preamp and drivers without overdriving the output tubes....or you can use the pull-switch to defeat the Master for more dynamic response and gain.
CUT control to attentuate the high frequency tones combined with an NNFB pull switch to remove the negative feedback and give you soaring dynamic response with practically no compression.
Class A Cathode Biased Push-Pull EL84's for the purest reproduction of sound possible.
A Classic Hi-Fi style output transformer for extended low frequency performance with 4 - 8 - 16 ohm outputs selectable by a rotary switch.
Power Output - 15 watts
Post output transformer LINE OUT with LINE OUT LEVEL control for driving a higher power amp, or for using this amp as a tube preamp/overdrive on another amp. Has an auto switching internal load if speaker is not connected to give you loaded output distortion. Please Note: Since the output of the Line Out is post output transformer, you can crank the Master up on the amp and then by adjusting the Line Out Level control to match the level required for the amp you are driving, and then turning the Master or Volume control down on the amp you are driving, you can get loaded output tube distortion at low power levels. This eliminates the need for an attentuator. The Line Out is also great for using headphones!
Primary Power Transformer Fuse
Extra long (10') three prong grounded power cord.
Classic knobs
STANDBY switch to turn off the high voltage during warm-up.
Rock solid point-to-point hand wiring using only the best of parts...low noise tubular polypropylenes caps, metal film resistors, ceramic sockets, switchcraft jacks...etc.
Sweet vintage clean to classic overdrive tones with three different types of distortion depending on whether you are overdriving the preamp, output... or both!
Tube compliment: 3 - 12AX7, 2 - EL84, 1 - 5Y3
Chassis Dimensions: 12"W x 2"H x 8"D
Weight: 14 lbs
FRONT PANEL:
- CLEAN INPUT JACK
- BOOST INPUT JACK
- CLEAN GAIN CONTROL
- BOOST GAIN CONTROL
- BASS
- MIDDLE
- TREBLE
- MASTER WITH DEFEAT PULL SWITCH
- CUT WITH NNFB DEFEAT PULL SWITCH
- PILOT LED
- ON STANDBY OFF POWER SWITCH
REAR PANEL:
- POWER CORD
- POWER PRIMARY FUSE
- LINE SEND LEVEL
- LINE OUT JACK
- SPEAKER OUT JACK
Price: $795.00 Special Sale Price $495.00
CLICK HERE TO ORDER
UPGRADE OPTIONS
1. EFFECTS LOOP - Classic 60's style insertion type Serial Effects Loop with Return Jack (Power Amp In), Send Jack (Preamp Out), and Send Level Control. Add $50.00.
2. EF86 PREAMP - replaces 12AX7 in the CLEAN preamp with an EF86 for those classic VOX tones. ADD $50.00
3. 240 VOLT POWER TRANSFORMER - for operation outside the USA. Add $55.00
4. VINTAGE STEEL CAGE - steel perforated cage provides protection for tubes and maximum ventilation for long tube life. Includes "easy to carry" Fender style strap handle. Add $105.00
5. CUSTOM HEAD CABS - RACKMOUNT ENCLOSURES - Please see our CABINETS page for complete details
CABINETS page for more details.
CAGE UPGRADE
REVIEWS:
SOUND CLIPS & Videos - We do not post any in-house sound clips or videos of our amps. We leave that to our customers. There are lots of clips and videos on-line and an easy way to find them is to Google Frenzel followed by the amp model number. A few links are shown below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLKBZhj7ui4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AngYkHYN460
Check out Christer from Norway playing some cool jazz on his HBX-AC15!
Hi Jim,I just wanted to let you know that I’ve made a clip using the hot box 15. It’s an arrangement of a jazz standard, Blue in Green, Miles Davis.
http://christerfredriksen.com/samples.htm best regards, Christer Fredriksen
CUSTOMER REVIEWS - Please check our Customer Reviews page for reviews and links to reviews. We have listed a few below:
HBX-AC15 - Hi Jim, I just got back home from university yesterday and had my first chance to play the amp you built for me during the summer. It really does sound great, I couldn't be more pleased with the amp. I'm sure as I play it more I will fall even more in love with the sounds it is producing! Many thanks for your first class product and excellent customer service, I look forward to many happy years with this amp.God bless, Andrew H. (Scotland)
From Adrian N. in Spain - Hi Jim, Finally the amp has come! Hallelujah! I have listened it and I like very much, it is a great amp! Best regards from Spain.
Hi Jim, I am getting up to speed with this amazing "little" amp of yours. First let me say that a friend of mine that has quite a bit of amp experience was amazed by the soldering and layout of the AC-15. Very clean and impeccable were the words he used. I saw it for myself when we took the back off. As to the tone, my friend, a jazz guitarist, spent almost an hour with me exploring the tones that this amp can produce. I bought the amp thinking AC-15/30 jingle jangle Beatle's type tones with single coils, but this amp can go well beyond that. With 5751's in the gain and driver locations, this amp can produce warm almost acoustic type tones with channel 1 and a 1985 standard Gibson 335 guitar. With channel 2 and low gain and master levels there was definitely Larry Carlton type tone happening. The compression of the sound/tone was well separated and quite pleasing. Richard S. (Pennsylvania)
Hello all at the Frenzel Magic Kingdom, I have been plugged in to my HBX sweet 15 since I received it last week and it has exceeded all my expectations! What great tone at any volume on the dials. very warm responsive goodness with plenty of fang when you want it. I'm shedding pedals because of this beauty and now must consider also having a super delux plus. I was just imagining those two running together and damn near passed out. Thanks again - swooning in tone, Philb of Sparrowbox
http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomsparrowbox
Hey Mr.Frenzel! I've really been enjoyiny my 2xAC-15s since their arrivial! I've been doing some "stereo solo" guitar recording.Miked "Raezer's Edge"speaker cabs and direct out each running into a seperate Collins 212-pre.The tracking signal routes into a old four chanel"Collins 12-Z"broadcast mixer modified into a four channel stereo recording mixer which busses to a Ampex 351-2-track stereo. Pretty simple but it's working fine.Your amps are great and very tonally modular.They track great and record with real nice clarity and defination.So thanks a lot for a great product. I truly believe your products and services reside at the level of best quality and value to be found within the audio-electronic tonal production industry.This is my opinion, but it comes with many years experience. Respectfully,Frank P. (N-Cincinnati)
Hi Jim, last year you built a Sweet Little 15 amp for me. I love it. It sounds great, and is quite versatile. I'm pairing it with an ear candy sovereign cab loaded with a tone tubby alnico 12". Ps...just got out of rehearsal with my arena-hair metal cover band. The amp was sounding phenominal. Had the presence knob pulled out for NNFB, which allows the amp, in my opinion to get closer to a Marshall SS rect sound. The Sweet Little 15, thru one 12" tubby sounded like a full stack. No problems hanging with a SVT...and its tone was full and blooming. It never ceases to amaze me. Many thanks, Tony D. from New York
Jim, Every time I plug into the HBXAC-15 I am amazed at the tone. It has a chime to it all its own. The Boost channel has that classic Vox sound, but it is so much better. It is hard to describe. You guys pegged the sound on this. Do not change a thing. Mark H. (Texas)
Hello Jim and Team - Got it. And got about 2 hours to myself this weekend to work out on the new Hotbox AC15 - LOVE IT - and I haven't even scratched the surface; all I did was plug in a guitar and play this amp through my Bogner Cube for about 2 hours; no effects, no nothing.... This amp sounds so damn good, I'm not sure that I need anything else. Thanks!! I'll be sending you a more thorough report later. Suffice it to say that I CAN'T WAIT to take it out on a gig...Best regards, Kent A. - Virginia
Jim, Wow! No wonder you are swamped. Jim. I own some of the best amps in the world, and have been playing for 44 years. I just got thru running your amp thru its spectrum of tones. It was worth the wait! I discovered a few years ago that it doesn't matter whose name is on the instrument, but rather what kind of person built it, and how much of themselves they were willing to put into it. Obviously you love what you are doing, and you have put your heart and soul into the design of this amp. I hope you dont get too busy cause I'm already looking forward to trying some of your other amps. It's hard to put a price tag on an instrument with a soul, but you have the best bang for buck out there in my opinion. Carry on brother, David R.- New Mexico
Thank you Jim for building a wonderful sounding amplfier, you are a sound-craftsman and I am truly enjoying playing the heck out of it! Tony P. (California)
I really have not heard an amp with as much chime and be as thick as it is. An absolute alchemy of parts and build. I've got 2 RCA 12Ax7s, 1 Sylvania 12AX7 and Mullard EL84s thru a Red Fang and a ToneTubby Paper cone that was reconed by Weber in a 2X12 pine cab. The wiring is absolute art. Beautiful clean construction. Just beautiful. Thanks Jim for making this amp with my transformer and making it so nice. I am most grateful Rob F. (North carolina)
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