Anyone here ever heard of "Chunky Amplification"?

[Turbojunkie]

Hi Guys, I was curious to do some research on the transformers in this amp, thought I'd post it here for shits and grins...

Picked this up used in the late 90's, the "Tube Cube" by Chunky Amplification. Built by a guy named Steve Mauriello out of Massachusetts, I think he went on to design or at least help with the Jackson Apogee amps..

A 50w EL34 1x12 closed back combo that came with a Celestion 85 watter. It is hands down the toughest, meanest sounding amp I've ever owned, a total badass...extremely pronounced midrange and pant leg-flapping "whack" on the low end...not what I would describe as a touch sensitive amp, but quality sound is there for sure...used to bring it to metal/hard rock jams, and even with just one speaker in the tiny cabinet, it had no problem keeping up with cranked half-stacks...

I had this one, two other 50 watt heads, and a 120 watt head (the LOUDEST amp I've ever heard) at one point in time...this combo chassis sounded the best so I kept it and sold the others...had lots of offers to buy it once people heard it, but it's just so cool and unique that I wouldn't...

1. Am I correct in assuming that the "833" on the transformers is the EIA code for American Technical Ceramics?

2. It hasn't been plugged in for 7-8 years, so definitely needs some electrolytics, pots, etc.... can I pop the tubes in it and measure the voltages accurately, or will those dead filter caps throw off the readings?

Don't have a signal generator to measure the OT primary imp, I'm assuming it's on the lower side for a pair of EL34's, judging by how aggressive sounding it is....

Have a good one,
Adam

[xtian]

I'd just put the full set of tubes in it, hook up a light bulb limiter, and see if it fires up successfully.

Let's see the inside!

[Turbojunkie]

Thanks Xtian,

I've been meaning to throw together one of those light bulb current limiters for a while, now I have a good reason to...

Camera battery is charging, I'll snap a few gutshots, it is a PCB amp...my thoughts were to one day build a clone of it for fun, leaving out the clean channel, fx loop, etc.

Being new to guitar amp construction, It'll be a while before I'm capable of deciphering the PCB traces to draw up a schematic of just the overdrive channel circuitry...I really should just get it up and running for now...

I've had contact with Steve, the builder, he still has a stash of parts for these...really nice guy.

Take Care,
Adam

[Leo_Gnardo]

Heard only very briefly of Chunky Amps maybe @ 25 years ago. I wondered then if they would get a letter from the candy company's lawyers. This is the first one I've seen. Amp looks good & your review is impressive. The review reminds me of an early 70's Traynor closed-back 15" tube combo one of my customers had. Kicks serious butt. Nice find! Keep us posted.

[Turbojunkie]

Here's the guts....beefy transformers and a thick aluminum chassis...it really needs some TLC, she's a dirty mess....I'm remembering now that it broke down on me once, a burst filter cap....the tech wasn't shy with caulking the filter caps, was he? IIRC, it was a guy who worked for Bedrock when they were around.

There was a guitar store in Newington, NH that sold these new...(I later worked at the store in the late 90's, it was a great experience, got to play some amazing gear)....I put one of these combos on layaway, but things fell through, just couldn't get the $949.00 together, I was 16 or 17 I think....

But the amp really stuck in my head, and I found this one used in the Want-Ads a few years later...$400.00 from a recording studio in Framingham, MA. The guy spray painted the black tolex maroon...

Very cool that you heard of these Leo, I think I've found only one or two very brief mentions of them on the entire web. Once in a great while one would pop up used in the Daddy's Junky Music stores...that store chain is gone now too....

Adam