CG-MayJun16-ISSUU

PROFILE
TODD SHARP AMPLIFIERS - A NEW DIRECTION IN TONE? Eric Dahl
Key Features
JOAT - Jack-of-All-Tones
Input 1 for Single Coil & Input 2 for
Humbuckers
Attitude Adjustment for Gain
Bite Switch for Hi-Mid
Low Cut & High Cut
Reverb & Tremolo
“After a 40+ year playing career, and 20 of those
years with my nose pretty deep into just about
every guitar amp there is, it’s just the natural
progression. It’s also another form of creative
expression for me.” Discussing why his amps
are different Todd says, “I think my experience
as a guitarist and as a confirmed amp nut
combine to bring a unique perspective and
through a five-position selector, while the Bite
switch provides first stage hi-mid frequency
edge. Low cut has 6 positions to choose from,
and a high cut with a 6-position output stage.
The Reverb unit has three controls: Drive, Tone,
and Level, while the Tremolo has two controls:
Speed and Depth.
ability. Also, my approach to the circuit design
When I asked him why he altered the amp
Todd Sharp became interested in electronics
is definitely outside of the norm. My pursuit as
controls on the JOAT, Sharp said, “Why not?
when he was a young child, but it wasn’t
a designer/builder is about what allows me to
The tone stack is a loss circuit, so you are
music gear, it was Ham Radios. He got his first
get this sound that I get with minimal struggle.”
trading touch sensitivity under your fingertips
radio operators license at age 7 and built his
for a bass and treble pot that you never touch.
first transmitter with the help of his father, jazz
His first flagship amp is named the “JOAT”
I think my EQ is more guitar friendly. Guitar
guitarist Fred Sharp. By age 11 he “lost interest
which stands for Jack-of-All-Tones. The current
players don’t want to fight their amp, they want
in electronics” and was then bit by the guitar
amplifier line will offer three amp wattages:
to play guitar!”
bug. Sharp has forty plus years under his belt
20RT (currently available), 30RT (available June
as an award winning guitarist for Rod Stewart,
1) and 45RT (due at the end of this year). The
The current configuration comes as a head
Fleetwood Mac, Bob Welch, Carlene Carter,
JOAT 20RT (20 watts with reverb & tremolo)
with a 2x12” cabinet and you have two choices
and Delbert McClinton.
deviates from typical amplifiers in numerous
of dialed-in speakers. The Todd Sharp JOAT
He launched Nashville Amplifier Service in
ways, but especially in its approach to controls
and lack of a tone stack, meaning the usual
20RT amp head sells for $3,849, and matching
2x12” cab goes for $1,449. Production levels
䨀 漀 攀 䠀 漀 琀 琀 椀 渀 最 攀 爀
1994, as he had already started repairing amps
bass, mid, and treble controls that you have on
are currently at one amplifier per week, and
for players around town a few years before
that. When asked why he started Todd Sharp
Amplifiers in February of this year, he stated,
a conventional amp. Input one is for single coil
guitars, and input two is for humbuckers. The
attitude adjustment handles gain and response
Todd maintains one full time employee and
a part staff member to help. Since he has
combined companies into one central location,
䘀 爀 漀 洀 猀 琀 甀 搀 椀 漀 琀 漀 猀 琀 愀 最 攀 Ⰰ 眀 攀 栀 愀 瘀 攀 琀 栀 攀
⌀ 瀀 漀 眀 攀 爀 猀 漀 氀 甀 琀 椀 漀 渀 昀 漀 爀 礀 漀 甀 ⸀
Nashville Amplifier Service and Todd
Sharp Amps, he has stopped touring
for the moment, but he does still gig
locally.
Major artists currently playing Todd
Sharp amps include Vince Gill,
Steve Wariner, John Oates, and
䈀 爀 漀 眀 渀 䈀 漀 砀
䈀 爀 漀 眀 渀 椀 攀
䔀 砀 瀀 漀 爀 琀 ⠀ 䨀 愀 瀀 愀 渀 ⤀
Mick Fleetwood. If you’re tired of the
traditional amplifier offerings on the
market and want to try something
that makes you rethink your
approach to guitar tone, this could
be the rig for you.
Todd Sharp Amplifiers are available
direct at ToddSharpAmps.com.
倀 䠀 伀 吀 伀 㨀 刀 伀 䈀 䘀 䔀 一 一
䈀 愀 挀 欀 氀 椀 渀 攀 刀 愀 挀 欀 洀 漀 甀 渀 琀 匀 攀 爀 椀 攀 猀
匀 唀 䴀 䴀 䔀 刀 一 䄀 䴀 䴀 䈀 伀 伀 吀 䠀 ⌀ 㘀 㐀 㜀 䠀 䄀 䰀 䰀 䐀
眀 眀 眀 ⸀ 戀 爀 漀 眀 渀 戀 漀 砀 ⸀ 挀 漀 洀 アパート ⸀ 㐀 㘀 ⸀㈀ 㔀
34 May June 2016
CollectibleGuitar.com