Guitar amplifiers are strange and wonderful things: strange because guitarists are almost universally attached to valves and associated technology which have long been outdated in most other electronic fields; wonderful because while the fundamental technology hasn’t changed for decades, refinements are still being made by designers obsessed with electric guitar tone.
One such perfectionist is Cliff Brown. A highly experienced electronic engineer and guitarist, Cliff’s guitar amps are the result of many years of research, using his own amps on stage and in the studio. He recently launched 633 Engineering in order to bring these designs to market.
My association with 633 started fortuitously in January 2015 when I bumped into guitarist Stuart Dixon, at what turned out to be the first gig with his new 633 Custom 44. He sounded amazing and it was uncanny how, as the gig got louder, the amp seemed to remain right on its sweet spot without ever getting saturated. During the break, Stuart told me about the 633’s headroom control, the main reason for this flexibility. (He’s also a great player, which helps! Here he is putting his 633 through its paces.)
A couple of weeks later I met Cliff while he was hosting the Thomas A Becket jam night in Northampton. He had provided some of his prototypes for jammers, and after playing through his amps in this gig-like situation, I was soon convinced that I needed one! With my Tele and Strat at 633 headquarters, Cliff patiently guided me through the options over a cup of tea. While most of his amps are based around his proven designs, various custom tweaks are available in the preamp, effects, power supply and finish.
Fast forward a few weeks, after the build and extensive testing (see Cliff’s blog for details), I excitedly picked up my amp and matching speaker cabinet just in time for a Boogiesnakes gig in Banbury.
I’m very pleased to report that my Ruby+ exceeded my expectations: really fun to play and deliciously organic. My stock Tele sounds were better than ever, clear and solid without ever being boomy, and easy to get in that just-on-the-verge-of-break-up territory. There was less need for extra overdrive and my compressor pedal was redundant, but I still had clean headroom on tap when needed for those glassy Strat moments. The reverb is lovely, with the extra flexibility designed into its switching being put to good use more than once. The only problem I had was deciding which of the many wonderful tones in this amp to use!
With a line of effects pedals also in the pipeline, Cliff’s order book is rapidly filling up, so if you’re an electric guitarist serious about tone, do yourself a favour and check Cliff out soon. I can’t recommend him highly enough.