PAST BUILDS

A selection of custom amps, one-off commissions, and experiments from the Gosh workshop.

CUSTOM 100

1 0 0  W A T T S  -  ALL VACUUM TUBE  HEAD

Gosh Custom 100 amplifier head with black textured covering, white trim, GOSH badge, and front-mounted controls.
Rear of the Gosh Custom 100, showing the mesh ventilation panel, power connection, impedance selector, and speaker outputs.

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

  • Only 5 of these exist: two with wood head cases, one red, and two black. They were super fun to build, and I probably should’ve kept one.

    Inspired by Dave Reeves’ early-1970s DR103 circuit design, these amps have loads of headroom and make a fantastic pedal platform. And did I mention they’re loud? THEY’RE LOUD!

    • Fully handwired

    • Mallory & Sprague capacitors

    • Heyboer transformers

    • JJ EL34L power tubes and 12AX7 preamp tubes

    • Switchable 4, 8, and 16Ω speaker outputs

    • Rear bias test points

GS45

45  W A T T S  -  ALL VACUUM TUBE  HEAD

Gosh GS45 amplifier head with a wide black cabinet, white spiral logo, and recessed gold control panel.

  • The GS45 is my take on the JTM45, built while I was experimenting with a different cabinet design. I wanted to try a new look around a classic circuit, pairing a wide enclosure with a recessed control panel and a simple front.

    The cabinet style ultimately wasn’t the direction I wanted to pursue, so I didn’t carry it forward into later builds. Still, I’m glad I built it. Trying an idea in the workshop tells you things a sketch never can.

    • Fully handwired JTM45-style circuit

    • Turret-board construction

    • SoZo capacitors

    • ClassicTone transformers

    • 3 × 12AX7 preamp / phase-inverter tubes

    • 2 × KT66 power tubes

    • 1 × GZ34 / 5AR4 rectifier tube

    • Four-input configuration

    • Custom cabinet with recessed control panel

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

PIZZA HEAD

20  W A T T S  -  ALL VACUUM TUBE  HEAD

Gosh Homewrecker Pizza Edition amplifier head with red-and-white checkered covering, a wood front panel, pizza-slice emblem, and red control knobs.

  • A passion project I finally got to build. The Homewrecker, wrapped in a real vintage Pizza Hut vinyl tablecloth, with a pizza slice that lights up. Getting the cheese right took a few tries.

    • 20 watt all-tube head

    • Hand-wired in the USA

    • Sour Sound Custom Transformers

    • Full-wave rectifier

    • Cathode Bias

    • 2 x EL84 power tubes

    • 2 x 12AX7 preamp tubes

    • Bite switch

    • Boost Switch

    • 4, 8, and 16 ohm impedance

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

5E3 Circuit

15  W A T T S  -  ALL VACUUM TUBE  HEAD

Custom tube combo amplifier with a natural wood cabinet, exposed finger joints, brown grille cloth, and top-mounted controls.
Pink custom combo amplifier with a walnut front panel featuring the jazz club’s cutout logo over cream grille cloth.

  • Every build starts with an idea about how an amp should sound and where it will be played. I’ve built several amps around the 5E3-style circuit, with each project taking its own direction. Two of those builds show how differently that starting point can develop.

    For one, the goal was to stay true to the classic design. I wanted to preserve the character that drew me to the circuit in the first place, with a straightforward build that lets the original design speak for itself.

    The pink one-off had a different purpose. Built for a jazz club, it needed a cleaner sound and more headroom. I modified the circuit with those priorities in mind, adapting the familiar foundation to suit the setting. The pink finish gave it a personality to match the club, while a custom walnut faceplate featuring the club’s logo made it uniquely theirs.

    These builds reflect what I enjoy about making amps: working from a design I appreciate, understanding what a particular project needs, and making thoughtful choices to bring it to life.

    • Fully handwired 5E3-style circuit

    • F&T and Sprague capacitors

    • Custom Mercury transformers

    • 1 × 12AY7 preamp tube

    • 1 × 12AX7 preamp / phase-inverter tube

    • 2 × 6V6GT power tubes

    • 1 × 5Y3GT rectifier tube

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

SONGBIRD

5  W A T T S  -  ALL VACUUM TUBE  HEAD

Gosh Songbird combo amplifier with silver textured covering, black grille cloth, and a vertical control panel with ivory knobs.

S P E C I F I C A T I O N S

  • The Songbird is my take on the blackface Champ, with a few changes to make it more versatile. I’ve built a couple of these over the years, keeping the character that appealed to me while adding more control over the sound.

    A dedicated mid control and a reworked EQ give the Songbird more room for shaping the tone, with a little extra gain on tap when you want to push it further. It’s a familiar starting point, adapted to suit my own approach to building amps.

    • Fully handwired, modified blackface Champ-style circuit

    • F&T and Sprague capacitors

    • ClassicTone transformers

    • 1 × 12AX7 preamp tube

    • 1 × 6V6GT power tube

    • 1 × 5Y3GT rectifier tube

    • Reworked EQ with dedicated mid control

    • Additional gain on tap