Now here's a rare Aussie amp for you! It's of 1970s vintage, and was made by Manfred Bear, of MHB Amplifiers in Adelaide, South Australia for Ron Pearce Music, also in Adelaide.

What completely threw me when this amp arrived was the fact that it has two separate power amps, feeding through two separate separate A&R 2747 output transformers into two separate speaker output sockets. One channel has Reverb and Tremolo, plus a treble boost by a pull switch on the Treble control, while the other channel has straight Volume, Treble and Bass controls, but has a bass boost by a pull switch on the Bass control! Each amp runs a pair of 6L6EH valves, giving a conservative 40 watts or so per channel (I assume the name 90 T R Deluxe refers to a 90watt rating - combined - and Tremolo and Reverb)

The title of the amp shows what it can be used for - both Rhythm and Lead guitars, which then go to their own separate speakers. However, it was only after experimenting with the amp after it returned from a leading Melbourne amp tech, (where it got a new set of 6L6EH output valves - 2 pairs; one for each channel - the tremolo LDR replaced, 2 new 12AX7s, a new output valve base, screen resistors, protection diodes and bias capacitor) that I realised the potential of this amp.

This is a phenomenal sounding amp when used for one instrument, but in stereo. Each channel can be set independently, and 'mixed' to give exactly the sound you are looking for. And with the tremolo set on one channel, while the other continues 'straight', the effect is three-dimensional. very, very tasty. Same applies to the reverb (a brand new Accutronics long-spring tank has been fitted to the back of the unit - originally it was in the main speaker box, like a Goldentone!), where the fact that one channel has reverb added while the other continues dry gives a completely different and 'spacious' quality to the reverb.

The construction quality of this amp is very high - definitely a testimony to Manfred's craftsmanship! Not only is the internal point-to-point wiring of high standard, and the components of a very high standard, but attention to such details as having switched output sockets for the extension speaker outlets, which automatically switch in the 4-ohm tap of the output transformer. Therefore, you can drive one 8-ohm box from the output of each channel, two 8-ohm boxes on each channel (a total of 4 boxes), or even use a 4-ohm cab on either channel, by plugging it into the extension rather than main speaker outlet. Very well thought out, and beautifully executed.

I'm going to have a high-quality 2x12 stereo speaker box made for this amplifier, which will make a compact, sweet-sounding, and incredibly versatile setup. I also suspect this may become my main amp, which will free up one of the other vintage Aussie collectibles I'm presently holding on to.

The amp measures 51cm(W) x 24cm(H) x 27cm(D), and weighs 19kg. Shipped dimensions and weight will be slightly higher.

Click here for Australia-wide shipping quote - just add your postcode, select whether you want the security of signing for the delivery, and click the 'Calculate Postage' button!

on hold at $1795AUD (plus shipping) for Justin in NSW ($1179.50 paid)