Origin Stories Vol. 1

JD Simo

In this series of Blog posts, I will talk about some of the artists I have had the pleasure of working with over the years…So there will be some name dropping in here, something I am not always keen on, but obviously, there is no way around it…only through it! So please excuse anything in here that may seem braggadocious, that is NOT my intention, well maybe a little?

Let’s start with the most current artist and then in the next “Origin Story” I will go ALL the way back to one of the first.

JD Simo and I had been following each other for a year or so on Instagram and I would chime in on his posts and content from time to time and admire/support from a distance. I have always made it a policy to not try and sell amps to people, but rather, build something for someone who wanted a Headstrong. If you have talked to me on the phone, maybe you are familiar with my approach. In the early days I had to be a bit more assertive, but the last 15 years or so, I have preferred to take a more laid back approach. SO with JD, I assumed that he was covered on the gear side of things, and I was more of a fan of his music, gear, and honestly, his prowess on the guitar and knowledge of roots and blues music (something I think may be unrivaled in the world today). There is a reason he is a “first call” guy to some of the most revered producers today. So I was fine with that, I would support indirectly rather than directly.

One day I had made a comment on a post he put up, and a few minutes later he emailed me directly asking about an amp…Turns out, he had been checking out the amps and he was looking for a change in his amp line up on the road and at home in his studio. I was thrilled to be in contact and asked what he was thinking…He said, Lil King…They almost always say that…

I didn’t realize at the time he was looking for something ASAP, but he let me know the sooner the better…I knocked out an amp and sent it away. I am a confident guy, especially when it comes to that amp and circuit…I have built close to 1000 LK and LK-S chassis combined…I am not sure any ONE man can claim that in the world today…I am proud of that one…(see above statement about me bragging a bit), but I was a tad nervous about his reaction to the amp. A few days passed and he had the amp when I received a text…

“Bro, this thing is amazing! It’s like the best I’ve heard! Except no weird noises hahahaha, GOD this is Awesome”

A few days later he said it is the only amp he had been using since getting it and it was his new favorite! Also, that he had used it on several recordings at that point…The next tour it was the Lil King and his trusty old Deluxe Reverb (btw the plate voltage on his DR is insanely high…like 470vdc on the plates @ 120v!) but the two amps worked great together and some rooms/stages were small enough to use just the LK alone. I was OVER THE MOON! We all crave validation at some point and even though I had heard similar things from customers and endorsers alike, this one really meant a lot…This guy has played everything at some point…probably dozens of vintage and replica PR’s along the way. Not to mention his killer guitar collection…His words carry some serious credibility

After a couple of runs with the amp in tow, we arranged for me to come down to a show for some hang time. I used to do these things more often, but things have obviously changed over the past few years, so there has been less and less of this scenario and I miss this part of my job. Getting a chance to hang out with musicians (at any level of success or notoriety) is something I miss about playing music on a regular basis and the years of doing it as an amp builder have helped fill that hole.

When I got to the venue, the gear was already set up on stage but the band was actually having a meal in the back. When I walked up, I was greeted with the biggest smile and handshake I can remember. This is a guy who has played with/for/on countless records and projects (Dolly Parton’s new record, the Elvis soundtrack, the list goes on) and he greeted me like a brother who he hadn’t seen in years. Over the years I have met many people, most of which have been in this category, but JD is one of the most down to earth cats I have had the pleasure of meeting. We sat and talked about blues, guitars, amps, food, life, family…everything. He has such a positive attitude about his music and career. You really see this in people that are doing EXACTLY what they want to do! Something we should all try and capture…even if it is for small portions of our week. Find that thing and commit time to it. It changes the way you see everything around you in my experience

The show was on a level I rarely see. This is a guy who has gigged so much over there years, everything about what he does is a science…Helping the sound guy get set up, how he sets up his amps, the guitars he uses for backing people up vs his own shows…It was a pleasure to see how he treats people, how he knows exactly what he wants things to sound like, and how he gets that with seemingly little to no effort. It is instinct at this point.

This was just the soundcheck. 


I had a chance to talk with the band and with Patrick Sweany as well on this gig. You can tell JD’s attitude rubs off on everyone. He makes people around him happy and he pushes them musically to new heights…Side note, three songs in to Pat’s set (JD and band backed him on this run) he looked over at JD and mouthed, I love you man…I knew what he meant…JD and the Band (Adam Abrashoff and Todd Bolden) laid down a pocket the size of the Grand Canyon and Pat was free to go where he wanted. It was a magical performance! He is one of the most unselfish players I’ve seen!

JD’s set was on another level. The control and command he has on his instrument and the stage, it is really something you need to see live. The band goes to places with instinct and confidence, pushing each other….MAN! You really need to go see this to know what I mean.

I was beat and thought I may duck out early, but two songs into JD’s set, I knew I was there for the night! After the show I said goodbye to all of them and headed out to the hotel….By noon the next day I was back in Asheville, in the shop building another Lil King. It was a 24 HOUR there and back, and I was still buzzed from the show!

We basically text or message on a weekly basis and I cannot wait for the next hang we have. There is talk of more amps, but regardless, I know I made a friend on this one and that is better than any amp, ever!

Stay tuned for the next “Origin Story” as I will go all the way back to one of the first big name guys I managed to meet and build several amps for over the years! I hope you enjoyed this story, I have a few more in store!

Wayne

The Main Differences between the Brown and Black Fender Vibroverb Amps

In this blog post, I will discuss the main differences between the different Vibroverb amps that fender offered in the mid 60s as well as the options I offer as an alternative to the originals.

Side note: If you haven’t read my first blog about why you would buy a replica or clone of a Fender vs the original, please do as it will help you understand where my thought process stems from on these matters. Yes I want to sell amps, but I don’t want to sell you an amp you don’t need or won’t do what you need for the gig.

Let’s start first with the 6G16 brown Vibroverb that was built for one year in 1963.  This amp came in at about 35 watts. I call it a soft 35 Watts due to the fact that it is not overly bright, overly stiff or in any way harsh. First introduced in 1963 and made for just over a year by all reports, it was the first Fender amp to have onboard reverb, came with 2-10 inch oxford speakers at about 25 Watts apiece, the app came in at 35 watts with 5881/6L6WGB/6L6GC power tubes it had a GZ34 rectifier and all pre-amp tubes, including the phase inverter and reverb driver were 12AX7  

The component, layout in the pre-amp circuit, while laid out differently on the fiberboard is essentially the same pre-amp as a later blackface vibroverb. Like many Blonde and Brown era amps the treble control was Tapped at 70k which drastically changes the mid structure of the amp.


The reverb circuit was unique, which was considered a coupling circuit, and was never used in any other fender amp

And one final thing that really sets this amp apart from his blackface brother is the bias vary tremolo. This, of course is when the power tube bias is modulated to create the tremolo effect. This is the same tremolo essentially found in the Princeton Reverb and my personal favorite of all the Fender tremolo circuits.

Across-the-board, the brown Vibroverb had much lower plate voltages than later, blackface Vibroverbs, which I also think changes the tone of the amp to a little bit less high-end and clean headroom

The blackface Vibroverb (AA and AB763 changed, of course to blackface cosmetics in 1964 and also sported a larger cabinet with a single 8 ohm 15 inch speaker (Usually a JBL D-130) instead of the 2X10 layout in the 6G16

Power tube plate voltage was about 25 volts higher. They both basically share the same output transformer, but of course the brown vibroverb was 4 ohms and the black  AB763 was 8 ohms 

The tremolo in the later Vibroverb is like all other blackface tremolos where they simply ground out the signal right before the phase inverter to create the tremolo effect, also known as a opto-coupler circuit. 

There are very subtle differences between the AA and AB763 Vibroverb are in the inverter plates and the bypass resistor in the tremolo. These are very minor differences, so they are essentially the same amp.

The blackface Vibroverb is the amp that most people associate with the “SRV tone”, not saying that Stevie never played a brown Vibroverb, but generally speaking, he played blackface Super Reverb and blackface Vibroverb amps

I build and love both versions, and from all reports they are really close to the few good vintage examples left out there.

If I had to chose, I would take the Brown 6G16 as it is a nice bridge between Tweed and Blackface! I started offering the “Verbrovibe” aka 6G16 in early 2007 when prices were in the $4000 range. Those prices are now, of course higher. (just saw one yesterday on reverb for $20K!!) The other issue is they only built 500 and there are large number of those in private collections from what I hear. Some are used sparingly and others not at all…i.e they are sitting in a vault or display case due to the rare nature. So you can avoid all of that and a second mortgage on your home and get a replica or “clone”. There are a few options out there, but I am confident in the abilities I have accrued in the last 20 years, that the Headstrong Verbrovibe is about as close as you can get to an old one.

I've had a chance to play one years ago, and also hear a few goods ones in person, and it was glorious.

A fun story that is kind of about that amp (kind of) is when I was in my early 20’s, rent was cheap and I was supporting myself solely on blues gigs (a tough feat then and especially now) I wanted one of the re-issues and figured I would try and find someone to tweak the amp for me. This was of course before I had any real understanding of these things…and that the re-issue, while not a bad sounding amp (they actually came close on some features) was a ways off from the original…mainly the solid state rectifier…In any case, my band leader had a friend with 2 old brown amps, he said “I think they are Vibroverbs", one is pristine and the other is beat down with an unoriginal speaker. Turns out the pristine one was once owned by a blues legend who shall remain nameless (for a future story), and he wanted to sell that one. I did not have the $300(???!!!) to spare all at once…times were and always have been tight, fortunately my rent was cheap and my roommate (and band mate) had a regular job if I ever had a bad month (hey, we guitar players have our priorities) so I was gonna get that amp!…But fortunately the band leader knew I needed a stage amp…I had a small set up then that was kind of cool (another story soon), but not what I needed for this new 4 pc Harmonica band…so he offered to buy it and let me pay him back over a few months worth of gigs. I couldn’t believe my luck! I was going to get a Vibroverb, for $300, on PAYMENTS???

Well it turned out not to be a Vibroverb, but a 1962 Fender Vibrolux (with a 12” grey/blue powder coated Jensen Vibranto speaker)…I will tell that story in another post soon, we will call those blogs:

“Headstrong Origin Stories”

I had that amp for years and it is what I based the Sultan off of…

Now, on to the AB763 version

The blackface Vibroverb version that I build is called the King Reverb and it comes as a 1X15 but also as a 2x10 (Vibrolux Reverb) a 2x12 (Pro Reverb) and of course the classic 4x10 Super reverb set up. I will dig deeper in the differences between all of the king reverb versions in another blog, but the 1X15 version, I get asked about all the time so let me explain that here in a bit more detail. The 35-45 watt AB763 circuit are essentially all the same amps when it comes to the circuit itself other than some minor capacitance and resistance changes to compensate for bass response etc. In other words, a 4X10 won’t need the same bass signal as a 1X12 or 2X10. Then of course the output transformers came in different sizes and secondaries to match with the speaker loads. The 1X15 was an 8 ohm output and the transformer itself is the same size and the Pro and Vibrolux Reverb, while the Super Reverb OT was significantly larger than those models.

Generally you would find the famous JBL D130 ceramic speaker in the amp, but some had Jensen, Utah or CTS speakers in them as well. I have had a few of all of those speakers before, and I generally use the Weber California Ceramic for the JBL sound in the King Reverb 1X15 and it is so close it is startling.

Personally, I prefer the sound of a good P15N or Weber’s equivalent.

I had a client, who I trust has the ear as he owned 2 originals, he said “if I didn’t know that your amp was a clone with a clone speaker, I don’t think I could tell the difference form my old ones.” He called me last year, probably 10 years after that comment to tell me he still has the amp, and it is really the only thing he uses to this day. This is not to say I build something anyone else can’t, but to say that if you want to get those tones, and get as close as anyone else is, but couple it with a level of customer service or experience that I stand behind, The Headstrong King Reverb is worthy of consideration.

If you are familiar with Headstrong and my attention to detail across the board, you know what I am referencing, if not, please feel free to call me ANYTIME to discuss some of the options I offer. Or if there is something I cannot help with, I will point you in the right direction. And remember, I Love Fender Amps! I made a living as a player using them, and I make a great living as a builder, copying them! Even if they have missed the mark over the years, I am a loyal guy who will always speak highly of the legacy!

Thanks for reading and my goal is to put one of these more technical blogs up with some old stories about how I got here, or how I managed to deal with some of the people you’ve seen or heard play Headstrong Amps.

And as always, thanks for your support and interest for these last 20 years!

Wayne

Why would I get a Lil King over a vintage Princeton Reverb

That is a great question!

Let’s first start with why do you want this size amp? Are you a collector or vintage enthusiast? A gigging musician who needs tone AND reliability?

First let’s make sure the Lil King or Princeton Reverb is the amp you need:

What is the primary use or need for the amp? Rehearsals and gigs? Recording and home based playing? Coffee shops or bars? All of these things need to be considered before making a large purchase like this…that is how I approach every call or email that comes in and we will cover more about my approach to making sure you’re looking for what I build in a future post. Now on to the topic at hand as we will assume this sized amp is what you’re looking for.

To the collector I say, buy the old one! While the Headstrong holds its value very well relative to other boutique amps (mainly due to VERY low production numbers and high demand), it will not appreciate in the same way as a good vintage piece of gear. So to the collector I can offer a wealth of knowledge about this particular model (as I have personally built almost 1000 LK/LK-S chassis), and will be able to possibly answer some tone, tech type issues as well as a hearty congratulations on your recent acquisition! There is nothing quite like getting that old amp and having it live up to expectations! I remember it well, this is why I wanted to build amps…knowing that it will be increasingly harder to find those pristine examples, much less affording them. The days of me getting a 1961 Brown Vibrolux (player grade) for $300 ($50 bucks at a time from gig money btw, 6 gigs later I officially owned my first vintage Fender) are LONG GONE. …Or the old Sears amp in case I found for $5 at a Goodwill in Ashland OR. Or a friend who found a ’62 Bassman Head for $6 at a yard sale in Hawaii, you get the point…

BUT, if you are in a position to afford an amp like that now…Please, call me anytime to talk about it, brag, ask questions, I share your passion and would love to hear all about it!

Opposing view points and why I build:

To the player and even the vintage enthusiast, on a budget, I can offer guidance on deciding between a players grade PR or a new or used LK. I offer the same level of customer service to you regardless of where you bought it, new or USED. Over the years I extended the warranty on the entire line for LIFE! This means that while some parts in the amp will fail over time and not be “covered” by the warranty, when you send in the amp, I will replace the majority of these parts at my cost. Also, labor charges on out of warranty work, is half of my normal hourly rate for repair work. This can be an invaluable asset to the weekly gigging musician or the home hobbyist. Generally speaking the main issue with Headstrong Amps is and will always be tube life and reliability. Over the last 20 years I have tried virtually every tube brand out there of any quality and as long as I can get them, I will always use what has worked best in these amps for so long. Occasionally a speaker will blow, and even less common is a transformer. I can count on two hands the number of power transformers I have seen blown…Not bad for well over 1000 amps out the door. To give you an example of what it would cost to replace a PT, which is basically the most catastrophic thing that can happen to the amp…Out of warranty repair on this is less than $200 on most amps! That is tough to beat on any repair, much less something that major. My point is, DO NOT panic, I have you covered…Give me a ring or email and we will get you straight on this. Remember though, about 1% or less have ever had this issue…

So BUY WITH CONFIDENCE!

To me, I prefer to have an amp that if it has any issues, I can call the guy that built it whether or not I bought it new or used…And if it was ever stolen, it is completely replaceable. Piece of mind is often overlooked in the artists tool bag. If you are able to focus only on creative variables, and not, “what is my gear going to do to me tonight?”, it more easily allows you to reach further into your creative process, letting go of mental blocks and restrictions. I know…psycho babble, but we are a finicky bunch! Guitar players are some of the most unique personalities I’ve ever had the pleasure of dealing with…Musicians in general, but we guitar players are definitely a different breed.

These are just a few thought I have on this, as every player is unique in some way, please feel free to give me a ring any time to discuss this question in more detail! I hope to connect with you this year, and in the years to come, to help you along on your tone quest!

Please like and subscribe to this if you are so inclined, I plan on having more of these gear ramblings this year!

All the best to you all,

and thanks so much for 20 years of support!

Wayne

JD Simo

JD Simo, session ace, guitar slinger and all around good dude just took possession of his first Headstrong and apparently the two are hitting it off!

Check out JD with his STOCK Lil King on tour NOW!!

NEW DEALER IN FL

Amelia Island Fine Guitars is now carrying some of the Headstrong Line!.

You can get in touch HERE or from the dealer page

Current Lead Times & Tube Supply

Updated 9/26/22

Current lead times are now anywhere from 2-8 weeks depending on the model and features. Summer months are generally a littler slower so now is always a good time to get something in the queue!

I have PLENTY of tubes on hand and more on the way; I even have a couple of new sources popping up! Fear not on supply… and the prices appear to be stable as well

I have plenty of the Eminence GA-SC64 12” speakers with more on the way! 10” and Alnicos will be Weber or Jupiter

  Contact Wayne directly for more info

GA-SC64 12" speakers ARE BACK!

Plenty here with more on the way! I am trying to stay 6 months ahead on these from here on out….

wish me luck!

Email or call for a quote on a Headstrong with one of the best sounding speakers on the market!

New Dealer in South Carolina

That’s right! Rusty’s Cool Guitars just outside of Charleston SC has already received a few amps with more on the way!

Give them a shout

NEW LA Dealer

You read that right!!!

LA Vintage Gear has already received a few amps with more on the way!

Give Clif, Sam, and the guys a ring at either of the two locations in

Burbank OR Studio City!

At Home With Mark

Check out this cool Podcast I did a couple weeks back! Great interview and really enjoyed our hang!

I have been following Headstrong Amplifiers from afar since around 2012 when I saw one in Charlie Hunter's rig; fast forward several years and now all my bud...

The Tuxedo!

Just released another Limited Edition Amp! This one is the 6G2 Tuxedo Princeton. Same circuit as last years “Mule Amp”, this time with he Black/Silver/White Knob version commonly referred to as the “Tuxedo Princeton”. A transition era amp from Fender that was only made for one year.

Check it out here!

ONLY 20 BEING MADE!!!

New Dealer Alert!

Very pleased to announce that Stefan at Nashvegas Guitars in the Nashville area is a new dealer. He has some good stuff on order so give him a ring for details! He is also opening a store in Kirkland WA, details on that to be announced soon!