Here’s what musicians are saying:
"The Jimmy is just awesome. I play everyday in my studio with the Jimmy and a pedalboard. Mostly with my Crook tele and sometimes my Les Pauls. Just effortless and sweet. Everything just sounds like you hoped or wanted it to. Probably the best amp I own." John Fogerty (Jimmy Jr.)
“I honestly believe this is the best American amp I’ve ever played. Hands down.” Johnny Hiland (Jefferson 100)
"WOW Can't say enough good things about this amp, thank you!! It really sounds incredible... the reverb is unreal, this is going to record VERY well, can't wait to try it next week on a Benmont Tench album ... you're the man !!" Jonathan Wilson (Jimmy Jr.)
Excerpt from Neal Casal’s interview in “Vintage Guitar Magazine” December 2019:
“Precision, clarity, and good articulation are important. For that solo ("Some Earthly Delights", Chris Robinson Brotherhood) I had a simple rig - it was all about the amplifier. Mike Pascale in (California) makes Fat Jimmy Amplifiers, and he lent me a Jimmy James 100 to make that record. Every guitar sound on that record came from that amp or one of his small combos. On ‘Some Earthly Delights” it’s just a strat straight through the Fat Jimmy. There’s a violin-like singing quality to that solo...
… I play slide in standard tuning and my guitar tones on that record are so simple. When I wanted something cleaner, I’d have that head on about two and a half. When I played solos that needed more sustain, I’d turn the amp up to about four or five. Those amps are so sensitive and versatile that I could get a variety of sounds just by moving the volume. I’ve never experienced anything like it .”
Neal Casal
"I have to say the Fat Jimmy was used today on a guitar track on the new Benmont Tench album... the Jimmy has been winning awards around here... Incredible sounding amp…. Truly all over the new Father John Misty record. I love it, a Princeton for the new age." Jonathan Wilson (Jimmy Jr.)
"I just got back from checking out the Fat Jimmy at Smalls (Jazz Club in NYC).... great amp!!! I just played through it pretty quiet but I can tell it would be great with a group....I can't wait to try it out!! Dig! I played the Fat Jimmy at Smalls last night with a strong drummer(!) I love the amp- I'm a fan!!” Peter Bernstein (Gigmaster 40)
“I played a Gibson guitar into a Fender Twin Reverb for over thirty years, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But I never thought it could be this much better!” Camile Baudoin of the Radiators (Jimmy James 100)
"So, I’m sitting here playing the Fat Jimmy and I just had to call you and tell you what a NICE sounding amplifier it is! Very excellent. Thank you so much. Such a fabulous sounding amp!" Terry Haggerty (Jimmy James)
"Man I LOVE this amp. Instant and immediate bond. I have not been able to open it up even, yet... but the TONE, my G-d, even at low volumes on the amp and the tele dialed back, it is thick and full spectrum and beautiful. Truly something I can sit around and play and dig while other people are in the house and I have NEVER had that before, in any of those amps that supposedly did it. Even my wonderful tweed Champ, I would pick the Jr. 9/10 times. The reverb and tremolo are both super flexible and useful, on their extremes too which seems never to be the case Further to this, I’ve never played an amp with a more useful volume control. I can keep so much sound with the guitar volume knob. Never been able to do that before, really. Certainly not this way. Damn is this a great amp! Dig!!!! This is the amp that is going to jam me out of Covid and quarantine and the malaise of our times ;-) I love this amp. Thanks for building it for me. " Greg S (Jimmy Jr)
"Just a note to let you know how happy I am with my amp! Very versatile, incredible tone! No buyers remorse here! I’ve owned Fender, Kendrick, Dr Z, Red Plate, all had their attributes, but this is an amp that just feels like home! Takes pedals great, and the magic of the Jimmy knob allows you to dial in the feel you're looking for. I’m hooked! Thanks so much!" Chip C. (20 Supreme)
"Yeah, to say that I appreciate what your building would be an understatement. I'm still scratching my head wondering what hit me. All of a sudden all my other "keeper" amps sound... flat, dull... one dimensional. I'll be selling quite a few amps I thought I'd never sell to support my Fat Jimmy GAS..........and without hesitation!!! I've owned hundreds of amps, and yours are so clearly in a league of their own." Michael G. (Jimmy James)
I've got 2 of Mike's amps; I tend to use the Custom 20 more. I marvel at the tones every day. Just the most satisfying amps to play - so responsive and such sustain to every note if you want it - I can't list enough superlatives. ‘Mudster’ on The Gear Page
"Thank you so much for talking me into the Bass Odyssey over everything else! That thing is incredible. Only played it in house and can't get the gain/volume past 3 without shaking the walls of the house and my soul. Can't wait to gig with it for the full impression. I put a NOS Telefunken 12ax7 in and the tone is heavenly. All I can think of when I play through it is 'wow, what did he do to this thing?' Everything you described it as, and still exceeded all my expectations. I have never found a bright switch useful before because usually they are very extreme and harsh sounding. This one is very mellow and pleasant so I might actually leave it on all the time. The boost is very similar to the boost on an all valve Ashdown amp I had... I can foresee leaving that on all the time too to hear myself better on stage. Hard to say without playing live and pushing the volume. Very thrilled with this amp and can’t see myself ever playing anything else. Thanks for all of your help and detailed responses along the way of this new amp journey." Stu (Bass Odyssey 100)
"Hope you are well Amigo. The Bass Odyssey is already making waves. We’ve done a few sessions, and people are a little gobsmacked about the power and low end. It’s sounding beautiful and I’m loving it. The real trick is playing it in a building that doesn't rattle like it’s gonna explode! LOL!!" John (Bass Odyssey 100)
"This amp (20 Supreme) f*cking rocks. I can’t stop playing her! Lots of knobs and you want play with them all. And the more you get to know her and know what knobs to turn, the more beautiful and sexy she becomes. This amp is amazing. Thank you. She is a bit more challenging to get to know than the (5E3) tweed deluxe. But is far more sophisticated and will travel with you to many places. I absolutely love both amps, and yet they have very different personalities. The custom, is, well, custom, and you need to take the time to really understand her. And yet regardless of the knob positions, she wants me to play with her more. And show more of herself to me. The tweed (5E3) is more like, I may be simple, but no matter what you do, I will always love you and make you love me...in my simplicity. Two great choices. Thanks for sharing your mastery with me Mike. If you asked me which one I love more, the answer would be “yes”. ;)" Mark N. (20 Supreme & 'Vintage Series' 5E3)
"I just wanted to let you know how happy I am with my Fat Jimmy Amps. (Avionic and Avionic 20) These amps are exactly what I was looking for in a clean pedal platform. A rich full clean without flubby bass or ice pick treble. The addition of the adjustable negative feedback loop "Jimmy" puts these amps in a class by themselves. Head and shoulders above even my vintage Fender amp collection. As if all this wasn't enough, you came out with your Fat Jimmy Speakers! The speakers are the icing on the cake making my Fat Jimmy Amps sound ever better! Thanks for what you do, I appreciate your talent and skill in building Fat Jimmy Amplifiers." Jeff C (Avionic)
"Holy Crap! This amp is awesome. I figured out a bunch of relationships between the master volume and volume on both channels, and the cut/boost of the tone stack is so wide....Killer. Such a range of tones, sensitivity to attack, everything sounds good. I’m going to need earplugs soon. And the “Jimmy”!" Thank you!! Ed D. (20 Supreme)
"I’m certain this is the best amp ever and thank you for creating it. Really inspiring, versatile and just pure fun!" Ted P. (Jimmy Jr.)
"Holy sh!t dude. This is the first amp I have ever had where I compare perfect tones. It loves my tele and the touch response is crazy. Gonna force me to “feel” the guitar..at all times.
The knobs are so interactive and it is crazy how cool the tones are.. Who needs pedals...??
Thanks Mike!"
Mark N ('Vintage Series' 5E3)
Holy sh!t, man... absolutely astounding amp! I had pretty high expectations, but you've managed to exceed them. Absolutely the most beautiful, harmonically-coherent, sweet, blooming clean tone I've ever heard. Much more actual headroom and good bass response than I anticipated, too. Right off the bat, the most striking thing to me is the really true top end extension (almost in the tweeter range) that rounds out so nicely the harder you dig in. On-axis vs off-axis seems very consistent and sweet, too. Looking forward to having the whole day off tomorrow to really put some time in! Thank you so much! Chance (Private Reserve)
"I'm absolutely loving the Jefferson 100 I purchased a few months ago. It's become my #1 amp. I'm also really loving the pair of C1270 speakers I'm using with it. They're really perfect! The C1270 along with the WGS G12C/S and G12A/S are currently my favorite American speakers. Michael G (Jefferson 100)
"I have owned and played many amps, early on Sears, Ampeg Reverbo'rocket, several black early Princeton Reverbs, Fender Electric Deluxe (w/o reverb), that was a good one, Groove tube studio pre-amp, a tweed fender Harvard, Swart AST, and my fav, but unreliable, Gibson 1961 Falcon RVT, several bass amps along the way, Fenders Both blonde and black, currently I use, on occasion, an Ashdown Little Bastard Bass head...with 4 EL84, this sounds good. I tell you this because........I have never played an amp such as this. First of all it didn't matter where the dials were set last night....every value sounded great, I took care in installing the tubes and wrote down the positions that remained, from you guys, on the pots and switches. Played some and then started twisting, every position was wonderful. I play telecasters, largely....I have never really heard this guitar before, for that matter have never heard those Tomastic Flatwounds either. The frequencies and overtones blossom, Notes tend to bloom, and when other frequencies are combined......magic. Your amplifier does something I have never heard before, it's open, notes bloom outward, it responds to bending strings like no other amp I have played. I like, at times, to play on the verge of the thing feeding back, the amp does this beautifully. I do not use pedals, except at times something called a mini-vent, a rotary speaker pedal with two sounds, slow or fast, I only use the slow rotary setting, just to spread the sound around, just a little. Guess I am writing to say I have played some nice amps, however never really heard the guitar I was playing. This amp does this, the strings can be heard for what their function would be, the guitars pick/ups can be heard from their properties and function, and for myself the wooden guitar can played as it was intended. So.....congratulations for a job well done, the amp is truly priceless, no one can price out the magic, fun surprises and joy I will encounter as I explore hearing what these individual components are allowed to do together. A couple thoughts: it sounds really good at very low volume settings, the amp could hang with acoustic instruments nicely. Another facet of this amp is that it has become a breeze for me to tune up, you can hear the frequencies and their wobbles so plainly there is little need for a tuner other than for a reference pitch. Ain't no lie, it has never been so easy to tune, using the ears always is best. Chris (FAT JAC 15, Weir Mods, 2x8 combo)
I promise not to keep bugging you but this amp is head and shoulders above anything I have ever owned or played. I can’t put my guitar down. And the jump is killer. Each channel amazing. You have changed my musical life. You have made me want to be a better guitar player. I am beside myself with joy and pleasure... I’m thinking about storing all my other amps, getting a few more from you to have our in the music room, and renaming the room “The Fat Room” Lol Mark N (20 Supreme)
"I just wanted to let you know that I did buy the 5E3 from Bananas. What a great amp! Love that punchy bottom end and the way it howls when breaking up. Almost hate to plug in my pedalboard, it sounds so good all on its own. Also, I wanted to mention that although I haven’t played them side by side, when jumpered, and adding a good dose of input 1 with the bright channel cranked, the 5E3 actually sounded louder to me than my 22W Deluxe Reverb reissue, and the tone from the 5E3 was rock ‘n roll Nirvana! Anyway, just wanted to let you know I’m a happy customer."
Mike G ('Vintage Series' 5E3)
"Just wanted to let you know how much I like my new amp. The overtones and sustain are more than I could have expected. And I love how light it is compared to my Mesa Nomad 45. And the 20 Supreme sounds so much better. Thank you and thank you!" Stephen (20 Supreme)
Well, I've had a chance to play my beautiful new Jimmy Jr. amp. Sure is a great amp! I especially love the reverb and the awesome vibrato (tremolo?). Funny, I thought I would gravitate towards a tele thru this amp but I really like the tones and feel I'm getting with a Les Paul (humbuckers). Thanks for a great amplifier! John Fogerty
"Life is very interesting indeed. Earlier this morning, I was playing My Gerard Melancon stratocaster plugged straight into My Fat Jimmy Gigmaster 20. I am completely amazed at the incredible life on every note (incredible touch sensitivity). I have owned and played through numerous amps over many years, and it is not an overstatement to say the Fat Jimmy, is a blessing, and hands down the best amp I have ever played through." 'X' - Gigmaster 20
"Your Jefferson 100 just blew me away. Literally the best of both Fender worlds. Well done!" Jon M
"I'll write more soon but I wanted to tell you that I am over the moon with my Tone Machine. It's amazing! Thank you!!" Jeff (Tone Machine)
"It's crazy how nice the 5E5 is! As a Strat player, I haven't been able to fully bond with any of the Tweed amps I've played in the past, and pretty much gave up on them. You've completely changed my perception of the Tweed tone and feel. It sounds so amazing with the A1260! I really feel like I'm experiencing a proper Tweed amp for the first time. Truly enlightening!"
Michael G ('Vintage Series' 5E3)
"Finally, the house to myself today, and no constraints. The Jimmy James is sublime! Very, very big, bold, beautiful cleans, but then, with the “Jimmy Knob” on “7”, HAIR and EDGE, while retaining clarity and sensitivity. This is quite the amp! I had high expectations, but you’ve managed to exceed them, Mike. Today was all Les Paul humbuckers, (which have never sounded so good). Can’t wait for tomorrow and single coils, gold foils, and P-90s. Thanks again, Mike. I’ve found new inspiration!" George (Jimmy James)
What a wonderful amplifier, Mike. A different beast than the Jimmy James, but I’d be hard pressed to pick one over the other. Good news is I don’t have to. They both bring so much to the party!
I’m surprised how quiet the 5F6-A is, and love how it transitions from stellar cleans to chewy, then edgy, than hairy tones as I turn it up. But still with a clarity, definition and sensitivity over the volume range that really impresses. Haven’t yet had a chance to swap speaker cabinets (JJ is running through 4x10 FJ speakers, and the 5F6-A through 2x12 Jupiters), but I’ll play around with that this week.
Anyway, couldn’t be happier, and know the Gigmaster will bring additional dimensions. Bad news is my former “go to” amps aren’t seeing a lot of play time.
George ('Vintage Series' 5F6-A)
"I've received the amp and spent a bit of time with it yesterday.
Everything seems to work in good order and I think I'll enjoy this quite a bit. I've actually never had any Fender tweed-style amps before, but I've played enough others (Dr. Z, Carr, Two-Rock, Goodsell) to know what a good amps sounds like... It sounds great. I was getting some good feedback/sustain even at lower volume with the tone control up yesterday. I like how the stand-by / power switches don't "pop" (or or off), and the violet jewel light against the black/oxblood is even sexier in-person than I anticipated.
Also, great packing job - I knew when they brought out a crisp looking box from the holding room at the post office, it'd be good."
Peter ('Vintage Series' 5E3)
"Have I told you how amazing this amp is?- it’s a masterpiece 😃 " Jon R (Custom 20)
"Gigmaster arrived safe and sound. Already in love with this beauty. My tele sounds better than ever. Sounds amazing already, can’t imagine when the speaker’s broken in. Taking to studio tomorrow to crank it up. Thank you mike! Geoff M (Gigmaster 20)
"I’m still buzzing from last night I had so much fun!! I wish I could put it into words – It’s like the sound of a Twin without that jangly edgy thing they do but with a warm and fuzzy reaction instead – The attack seems smoother the sustain better - I laid into it pretty hard a few times and it just kicked! Didn’t do the ice pick thingy at all That little guy has some punch I absolutely love the Jimmy knob... couldn’t keep my hands off it – love the standby switch on the front as well- I could go on and on… Thank you so much for just doing this kind of work The Amp really is a work of Art. Thank you so much" Denny B
"Just writing to let you know the Avionic and cab arrived safely, looking great and sounding even better, thanks! I only got to fire it up for a short test run today, but the clarity and responsiveness are stunning, really impressed with the amount of power in that light head. It may be premature to say this after just a couple of hours, but it seems like it's everything I'd hoped it would be, and I'm looking forward to dialing it in over the next few weeks. Thanks again!" Shaugn (Avionic)
"Finally had some quality time to really get to know the Custom 20 this morning. LOVE IT! Both channels are so great I may do some switching mid gig. Love the reverb and trem, the interaction of all the controls, the whole deal. Now I really can’t wait to play it at full gig volume with a six piece (including two drummers) band!" Dylan (Custom 20)
"This is a special creation. I can’t thank you enough for building this song generator for me. I love the Jr. so sweet. So fine. Very different guitars all love this amp." Dr. Craig C. (Jimmy Jr.)
"I recently purchased a Custom 20 through Destroy All Guitars; among the best if not the best sounding amps I’ve ever played!" Finn J. (Custom 20)
"As you may know, I went ahead and purchased that Jefferson 100. Wow!!!! You've definitely created a very special amp! I haven't had too much time with it yet, but I'm already in love! That tone!.......that Feel!!!!!! Just perfect! It's just soooo sweet in both tone and feel............and that goes for both channels! The word that instantly came to mind regarding the feel of the amp is "supple". It's just so addicting! Sweet and soft, yet at the same time articulate with plenty of snap, presence and punch. A perfected recipe with just the right balance of everything!I've owned somewhere around 200 amps from the cream of the crop builders, and it's instantly obvious that your amps are very special. I now have a "Fat Jimmy" short list that I plan on attacking as soon as I can scrape together some more cash. I'll also be ordering a pair of your speakers, or one of your loaded cabs. Are your cabs on your website? Is the 2x12 a normal horizontal configuration, or is it offset/diagonal? Also, what would the price be on a loaded 2x12? Thank you sooooo much for the absolutely amazing amp! I consider myself lucky to have it! I'll get back to you as soon as I grab the next one lol!" Mike G. (Jefferson 100)
"Hi Mike!!! Great news on all fronts. I’m really excited to get to the amp back! I miss it very much! My Divided By 13 TBL 200 does not compare in fact I’ll probably sell the Divided By 13 and buy another amp from you." Paul ILL (Bass Odyssey 100)
"Here is a more detailed version of my experience with the Tone Machine. On Thursday, when I first got the tubes installed and plugged in, my initial reaction was "Good Lord, this thing is crazy LOUD!!! I'll never be able to even hear what it sounds like overdriven. It's too loud for practice unless I keep it under 2. I have bought more amp than I needed, and I should have gone with the Tone Box." But then I noticed that, even at really low volume, it sounded great. The 12-inch speaker has a roundness and bass response that my low-wattage amps with 8-inch speakers can't match. It blows my Carr Raleigh out of the water, and I really like the Raleigh. Yesterday, my wife fooled around with the Tone Machine while I was at work, and she was thrilled. She was playing with her guitar volume rolled off and loved the clean tone for her jazzy style. She told me, "You didn't buy too much amp. It's amazing. You just need to experiment with it a bit more." Late last night I finally got a chance to mess around with both inputs and with different combinations of settings between volume, tone, and "Jimmy", and it was wonderful. Then I hooked up my favorite overdrive pedal, an obscure one from Dr. Scientist called the Heisenberg. I used just a tiny bit of gain and set the pedal volume level at 12:00, so it may have added a bit of boost. The first tone that came out blew my mind. I had not set anything up with a specific tone in mind; I just set some initial levels and turned it on. What came out sounded to me like my Holy Grail, tone wise, which is the way Albert Collins's Tele sounds in the studio version of "Frosty." I don't know the term for that tone in guitar parlance, but I am very attuned to hearing it when it crops up. And it was coming out of my amp!!! Two other things that I want to share: First, at one point, I was playing away, experimenting with really low gain setting -- just enough to thicken things up a bit -- and really enjoying the tone. I looked down to see how I'd set the pedal's levels -- and it turned out that I'd toggled the pedal off! I was simply digging the sound of the amp. Second: I ended up playing for 2.5 hours straight last night, until 1:30 a.m. This NEVER happens. I either get frustrated when trying to learn something new, or I get tired of playing my tiny repertoire. But neither of those things happened last night. I ended up losing myself in experimenting with different sounds and in trying to learn some new licks. Something about how great the amp sounded when I managed to play things right kept me wanting to play. And when I screwed up, which I did over and over, I just kept at it because the payoff was so satisfying when I'd get it right. Last night was the most fun I have ever had playing the guitar! And since I was playing the same guitar I always play, it was the amp that made the difference. I have ordered a 6V6 power tube to swap with the 6L6. I want to see if dropping the output a few watts will allow me to get some breakup at a lower volume. But if not, I don't care. If I want crunch or dirt, I can get amazing tone with my pedal. And the clean tones are amazing. I'm in love with this amp, more motivated to play than I ever have been before, and very grateful to you." Jeff (Tone Machine)
"Wow Mike, you really outdid yourself! This is as good as an amp gets! There is a 3D quality to it. It has that evenness that I associate with the Blonde Bassman era combined with the warm presence of the Tweeds. I like the voicing a LOT. Both channels sound really good - I haven't tried jumping them, but I am not sure there is much to be gained there. I don't know how much your speakers need break-in, but this one is sounding better every hour. Hearing this makes me want to send you my custom 20 chassis and have you do an NOS makeover to it - do you do that sort of thing? Hard to imagine that amp sounding any better than it does though. I think it has the most sustain of the three (Jimmy Jr., new one, custom 20) by a hair. So very pleased with the amp - it is freaking amazing and I can't wait to take it out and see what it's like live. It's perfect for what I got it for, which is a blues thing I'm hoping to pull together once this current band up and running. I think it will work well for that project too - nice compact size but all the amp you'd ever need. Classic sounds but fuller. Sounds great with a strat or Les Paul. I have to tweak a bit for my extra-bright tele. I've been playing mostly straight in, but it loves pedals too (although I keep things pretty simple). Thanks again Mike, this amp is unreal. Honestly I don't know if I'll even keep the Jimmy Jr. because this amp can do that volume range or compete with the Custom 20 and it sounds amazing. The Custom 20, to which I'm addicted, can basically do anything the Jr. will do, so I'm not sure when I'd use it going forward. I totally dig it, but I'm just not sure I'll need it. Maybe I should just hang onto it for when these amps are like Dumbles or Jim Kelley's LOL. Anyway, let me know if you upgrade existing amps, because the NOS thing is subtle, but I think it's what is putting this over the top with that elusive 3D magic fairy dust thang." John B. (5F6V6-A)
"The Jimmy James is truly a work of art!!!! Your amps are so good that I'm definitely worried about you eventually getting totally swamped with orders and your lead times taking off lol! I need to get them all before it's too late!!!!!!! I was hoping you could give me some more guidance on the next two amps I'm considering... Wow!!!!! The chime and complexity is just incredible!!!! The feel is also amazing! I still have to get more familiar with it, but it's instantly obvious that this is a very special amp. It's probably the most harmonically complex, touch sensitive amp I've played. I also really love the midrange of this amp. I found myself just playing some chords and staring in disbelief at the kaleidoscope of tone pouring out of that C1270 2x12 cab............with a big fat smile on my face!!!!!! This thing is just ridiculous!!!! There's not much more to say, other than that I can re-confirm the fact that it's definitely the most complex, organic, and chimey amp I've played! It really sings! That pretty much sums it up. This amp is definitely a "must have"! This is one of those amps that you don't need reverb with......though I do use it. This is usually a characteristic I associate with various EL84 amps, or a JTM45. It also has a chime to it that I also typically associate with EL84 amps. But when you do add some verb, things just open up into a flowing world of harmonic glory!" Michael G (Jimmy James)