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Where will John's work stand?

It's just my personal favorite. I think he built about a total of 6 of them and I have three of them. I also have the parallel 26/45 that he built.

John introduced me to the 26 tube, and I think I liked it more than he did. He trusted my judgement and he did concede alot to me in his direction of amp development.

John built perhaps a total of around 60 amps. Probably 55 with the webster opts. Anyone of those 55 is worth having, and I also wouldn't mind having the one he built with the bigger Electroprint opts. There are certain qualities and magic in all of the ones with the websters, and like children, each amp has its own qualities. Nearly all of them are made on the vintage chasses too, some type of superior conductive metal.

There are many gems and I'm not sure I even know all of them.

I just feel that the 6sn7/26/45 is the best or the best perhaps in a single driver application. John had modified the 26 circuit and I know he still have that schematic in his basement. Once a certain sound was achieved, I had him made a schematic so he could clone the amp.

The 6sn7/26/vt52 monos, one pair in California, are probably something quite special. The 45 amp I have with a 717a pentode driver, similar to what seems like the well regard Yammoto but with all ac, is a really good sounding amp. I like the 183 I have. Plain old fi 6sn7/300b, which started the whole thing, can just be magical and awesome. I got one paired with some great vintage JBL's, and if that is all I had, that would be enough for me. The ones with the 26 in-between the 6sn7 and 300b, a probably better, or maybe not.

I might be a little less enthused about those with idht drivers, like a 27 or 76 tube, in between. It seems to add a little more sweetness to the sound compared to a 26 or dht driver. But I would still grab them if I could. And I have a 6sn7/27/45 in one situation and it just seems like the best amp for that situation.

John has about two amps left in his home, and I don't know what will become of them. One is a pair of 6sn7/vt52 monos. I always thought that the sound had some distortion in it with those. I had suggested for him to scrape the 6sn7's out of the amp and replace it with a 26, and just make a seperate 6sn7 pre for it. He didn't get around to it. I would take it now just because it does have some qualties to it.

He also has a 5687(?)/300b amp. I don't think a top amp either but he was certainly enjoying it, and I would like to get it.

I think it is great that there is appreciation of John's amps. Time will tell where they will really fall in the scheme of things, but I believe it will be very favorable. I think something was discovered and some aspect of the best of set sound and its potential is in them. I believe there is a primevial art in the sound of those amps, and I am happy that maybe people do treasure them, or will treasure them, like I treasure them.

For those of you who may hear special qualities in say certain highly regarded vintage speakers or drivers, when you can hear the potential or qualities of sound in something vintage perhaps that you don't seem to hear anywhere else; for those interested in something like that, I would particularly recommend to you to try to seek out one of his amps.

Thanks for this thread.


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