FS: Dr Z Carmen Ghia 25th Anniversary Head (Blonde)

samldr1984 · June 2014

Selling this amp, great condition. (Will add pics later).
It's the smaller version unit and only 50 were made. This is number 13.
Any questions please message me on 07535617945 and I can send pics straight away.
£900 delivered but collection from Harrogate.

Here's the spec etc.....

25th Anniversary Carmen Ghia

To commemorate the company’s 25th anniversary Dr Z decided to make a limited run of 50 Carmen Ghia heads that resembled the amp’s original look and size. The Carmen Ghia was the first design released by Dr Z and one that helped establish the company’s name in the boutique amp movement.

The reason for the small and compact chassis of the original design was that Dr Z had a habit of finding and repurposing tubes, parts, and transformers anywhere he could find them. While doing so, he came across a few old Hammond reverb units that had been discontinued and thought he could find use for them. He used these original chassis and transformers to build a unique tube guitar amp that had its own voice. After selling a few hundred units he realized that it was time to contact some local manufacturers to have exclusive parts made for this design. He kept some aspects of the Hammond units like the materials used for the output transformer and the use of a global negative feedback loop the same, and tweaked the rest of the circuitry, including the phase inverter and the EQ network, to give it an exclusive and distinct sound. The success of this amp allowed the company to grow and establish its core principles: making distinctive designs, with simple features, at an affordable price.

The 25th Anniversary Carmen Ghia has the exact same tonal quality as the regular Carmen Ghia but in a much smaller box. The variety of tones and sounds found in this rather modest looking amp is what leaves so many people floored from the first note. The clean notes come out with warmth, complexity, and sustain like one has never heard from such a small amp. Every note has a hugeness to it that seems far beyond an 18 watt head. All this comes before the amp really starts to sing. As you turn the Volume clockwise, the fun factor increases. The big clean notes get even BIGGER than they were before. Sustain becomes as smooth and musical as you have ever heard it. Notes seem to sing forever.

The 25th Anniversary Carmen Ghia also includes new features like 16 ohm speaker output jack and Master Volume. This Post Phase Inverter Master Volume allows more control over volume levels without sacrificing any tone as well as more usable clean headroom. Dial the Master Volume all the way up and you’ll be taking it completely out of the circuit.

Every one of these limited edition heads is signed by Dr Z and comes with a 25th anniversary badge containing a number (1, 2 ,3…of 50) which matches the serial number stamped on the chassis.

Specifications:
Power Output: 18 Watts
Output Tubes: 2 - EL84
Preamp Tubes: 1 - 5751, 1 - 12AX7
Rectifier: 1 - 5Y3
Controls: Volume, Tone, Master Volume
Configurations: Head
Colors: Black, Blonde, Red
Dimensions & Weight: Head: 13" W x 8
1/2" H x 8" D; 18 lbs