The JCA Circuits “Vibe” Amplifier is the newest design from my shop. It is a very special amplifier which is based on my much beloved and very highly modified AA764 style small amp which was given to me by a friend back in the mid 1990’s. The design concept is to have increased headroom and a cleaner and clearer soundstage which showcases overdrive, delays, reverb, and other effects. It’s like having a wall of sound a mile wide scaled down. It’s been implied by one of my favorite guitar heroes that you can really “lean back into a wall of sound” with a great amplifier operating at it’s peak performance. I set out to achieve this type of experience on a smaller, more practical and useable scale. I also set out to quiet down the typical noise floor inherent in single ended designs. This allows “Vibe” to behave extremely well in wet/dry, dual mono, and/or stereo guitar rigs. It really is the ultimate small amplifier for critical recording, home studio, and low/medium volume gigs where the highest performance is required.
This amazing amplifier has capabilities which lie far outside of it’s physical dimensions.
The output stage consists of a single 6V6 or 6L6 vacuum tube deployed in Class A1. The power supply has been heavily modified and expanded to include additional stages of power filtering as well as screen grid regulation which leads to more stable power and quieter sound as well as increased headroom. The grounding system has separate leads from each stage to it’s respective star ground. Input and output jacks are isolated. The power cable is also shielded and grounded. All parts are the very best available and are deployed in the most conscientious manner. Vibe utilizes 2 Watt Ohmite signal resistors, Silver/Teflon wire for grounding, upgraded power and output transformers by Heyboer, MOJO cabinetry, and superb sounding high quality Warehouse Alnico 8″ speaker. This amplifier is designed to sound and perform perfectly using New Stock Vacuum Tubes. NOS tubes can be quoted upon request.
Beautiful, I look forward to having a little time with this amp in the not too distant future.
Thank you, John! Same here.
The best news of 2021, JCA is back and supplying the world with sonic goodness once again!
Those Vibes look fantastic, I should purchase them both but I’ve already placed my order for a ‘Dumble Killer’ (Golden Ratio).
Thank you for returning to the industry, we missed you terribly. I wish JCA all the luck and success out there, you deserve it!
I was fortunate enough to make JCA’s acquaintence, and he invited me over to the shop to have a look at his gear. I got a sneak peak of what he was building for you, the Dumble Killer. It’s not only going to sound great, it’s going to look great too. Exquisite attention to detail through and through
John, Jae & Jessica, thank you for the kind words!