Island Amps: Riptide

[DanteCarrer]

Hi folks,

We've decided to build four more Riptide amps for a nice round total of 10 hand-wired units. Get yours while you still can!

http://www.islandamps.com/photos/riptide_chassis.jpg
*Pictured without the cabinet (they are almost done)

The Riptide has a unique but familiar tone set that I'll try to describe: With the Girth and Color controls at 50%:

- The cleans have a tweed-style vibe with lots of sparkle (not harsh brightness) and a much more fulfilling bass response than you'd expect from an EL84 amp.

- When you crank the gain up it transforms into something most people will pigeon hole as an early Marshall vibe.
I think it's more responsive and smooth with a more defined bottom end.

- Turn the Girth control clockwise for a more modern vibe with a punchier attack. Anticlockwise will get you more warm and vintage-y flavours with a soggier bottom end.

- Turn the Color control clockwise for a brighter tone set. Anticlockwise for more full body tones. At 50% the control is pretty much flat.

- Of course there are many more options available when you experiment with different Power Scaling, Volume and Gain settings.
Overdrive the preamp, the power amp or both... and your able to do it in a club or at home without waking the baby.

- More options? Replace the first 12AX7 with a 12AT7 for more clean headroom and more mellow sounds.

- 0 to 20 Watts w/ Power Scaling.
- Two EL84 power tubes.
- Two 12AX7 preamp and splitter tubes.
- Color control is a unique and highly versatile tone control.
- Girth control lets your sound be as thick or as chime-y as you'd like.
- Completely hand wired on eyelet boards w/ Teflon insulated wire.
- Burly, full bandwidth "classic" output transformer.
- 4, 8 and 16 ohm speaker jacks.
- Housed in a "mini" head w/ a great new look.
- Full 5 Year Warranty.
- $1,150 (including shipping within continental North America)

- Shipping in June, 2008 !!!
- Order yours today. They won't last at this price.

* Sorry, this model is only compatible with 110V - 120V (North American) mains.

[pickslide]

Do you have any sound clips?

[DanteCarrer]

No, not yet. There will likely be a video clip soon though.

[littlejohn]

Any chassis pics...if it's not giving away any secrets, or maybe mail me on my regular email.

[DanteCarrer]

I only have the very first unit here to take a photo of:

http://www.islandamps.com/photos/riptide_proto_inside.jpg

The subsequent models have better fusing on the card along with slightly different wire routing for a neater look.

[littlejohn]

Wow, thanks, what would you say the circuit is based off? More Fender or Vox, Marshall, etc?

[nest]

I played it and you can hear a that there is a nod to Vox but I think it's a little wider in bandwith and it's cleaner somehow. I really loved it. I guess one could hear kind of a nod in the fender direction because it has a fullness,........ it's very difficult to put these things into words, but what I can put into words is that it's VERY flexable with that power scaling thing.

[DanteCarrer]

Thanks _nest_

It's not based on anything specific even though it has attributes that will some people will associate with a Vox or a Marshall 18W. It's much more flexible than those and can sound like an 18W, a Vox or even a tweed Fender.

When it comes to amp design it's the small changes that can make a really big difference.

[pickslide]

Really interested in ths amp, but without playing it or hearing any sound clips, I dont think that I can make the jump. Hope you get some sounds up soon. I am sure this is an awesome amp.

[DanteCarrer]

If you live near by you can bring your guitar over and have a play. Where in Canada do you live?

It's probably better to email me that info...

[pickslide]

I am in Calgary.

[DanteCarrer]

Wow, I guess you won't be popping by to check it out... Alberta isn't very close...