Up for sale, a 2000s Speedster Deluxe 25W amplifier in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with a carrying case. This rare, discontinued amp, among the finest-made boutique USA amps during its production run, was the flagship model for Speedster during the company’s brief resurrection by Joe Valosay and Cory Wilds in the early 2000s. The circuit design and chassis assembly is attributable to Michael Soldano of Soldano Amplification, and this premium tube amp delivers an extremely efficient 25 watts, with full low end, sparkling treble sweetness, and exceptional dynamics. Highly responsiven to user inputs, the cleans are very pure, with plenty of natural-sounding warmth and harmonic complexity, and adding gain results in a creamy, British-flavored sound that cascades into fat, vintage-style breakup.
The Speedster Deluxe features a dual-input (High and Low), single channel design, with simple, user-friendly controls including Volume, Tube Bias, Treble, Midrange, Bass, and Reverb. The Bias control (and meter) allows the user to set the amount of current sent back to the output tubes; the more current the tubes see, the fuller the sound and the higher the headroom. The meter also serves as a tube checker/tester.
The tube complement includes a matched pair of Electro Harmonix 6V6 power tubes, with a quartet of Electro Harmonix 12AX7s in the preamp section. The circuit is wired by Soldano Amplification for Speedster, and the heavy duty chassis is powder coated in white. The circuit includes its original pair of Mercury Magnetics transformers, and the components are strategically isolated for the lowest possible noise floor. The preamp features Sprague Orange Drop signal caps and low-noise metal film resistors.
This head features Hawaiian koa construction, sporting a gloss Jet Black finish, accented by the etched aluminum faceplate. Cosmetic wear on this amp is limited to one small finish chip on the bottom front edge of the enclosure, just beneath the faceplate, and reglued flush with the surrounding finish. The faceplate graphics are pristine, and all of the original knobs are present.
A non-original green carrying case is included.