Name: Dave Sparks

Message: Pete, You will be happy to know that one show in to the tour, I have had heaps of feedback about the amp. We had 350 at the Annandale last night which was a nice number for that room. After the gig about a dozen people came to ask what the amp was and comment on how great it sounded. Our Front of house guy who does most of the scene bands at the moment said it was probably the best guitar sound he has worked with.

Dave

Name: Dave Peck

Message: Dear Reynolds Valveart, After swearing only to use fruity coloured guitar amps with minimal knobs and maximum watts, i must now say that after my gig last night at the annandale, my new 'sledgehammer' by reynolds valveart has to be the BEST guitar head on the planet bar none.
Yours rockingly
Dave - Bob Sledge

PLAYERS (some of the people who use an amp or who have used one to record with)

Haydon Benfield - Ibanez Drew Bolton - Maton Mastersound Rob Bozic - Grubisa Merlin, Grubisa Strat Scott Brady - Les Paul Standard DC Colin Brown - Strat, Firebird, SG Matt Campbell Adam Carlisle Anthony Charleton - Les Paul Dean Cochran - '59 Gretsch Russell Crowe - Fenders, Gretcsh and others Shane Curl - SG, Adam Philips Custom Guitars Pat Davern - SG, Maton Mastersound Peter Doughman - Godin Daniel Duque - Les Paul Todd Duffy - Kunkell, Ibanez Lee Foxall - Custom Tele, Maton Carve Top Laurie Fraser - Strat Miles Fraser - Telecaster Matthew "Snag" Goulburn - Strat, SG Ben Grounds - Jazzmaster Sean Heazlewood - Ibanez Shaun Helps - PRS, Strat Peter Hinton - Strat Kinnon Holt - Telecaster Chris Kamzelas - Strat Cameron Knorre - PRS, Les Paul, Telecaster Dave Leslie - Grubisa Merlin, Strat, Suze's Tele, Grubisa Junior Dave Longo - ES335, Grubisa Strat Sam McNicol - Maton Mastersound, BC Rich Stephen Mikulic - Jackson Kelly, Fender Malmsteen Strat Kieran Murphy - Maton, RKS Custom Dave Peck - SG, Guild Dave Reynolds - Les Paul, Epi Casino Jason Rooke - Telecaster Adrian Ross Rob Russo - Les Paul Custom Tim Sims - Strat, Flying Vee Dave Sparks - Flying Vee, Explorer, Les Paul Shane Sponberg - Ibanez Luke Steele David Storey - Strat, Ibanez Cath Synnerdahl - Telecaster Robert Valerio Nic Walker - Strat Mark Watson - Strat Dave Wilkins - Les Paul Jrs, Gretsch BANDS Atomica Australian Idol Big Smack The Captains Package Craig Naughton Project Jimmy Barnes band Richard Clapton band Daryl Aberhart Quartet The Golden Age Grinspoon Bob Sledge Hoof Hearted (Bob Montgomery Band) Le Cruz Alex Lloyd band Lime Lime Spiders Dave Longo Band Lycanthia Men With Sheds Outhouse Party Boys Popstars Shapeshifter The Sleepy Jackson Natasha Stewart Band The Tenants Thirty Odd Foot Of Grunts Tina Arena band The Bravados Tongues Ultranoise Utopian Babies Velveteen The Dave Wilkins Band

David Storey from Tasmania and his custom made APR501. You can read Dave's opinions of his amp at Harmony Central

Cameron Knorre from Queensland with his pair of custom APR500s and assorted 6 string exotica. The amp on the right is a 501C, on the left is a 501VR with aluminium chassis.

(There are lots more pictures to follow from various people... check out www.harmony-central.com for some user comments)

From The Australian Guitar Magazine - Volume 19- Christmas 2000

I'm sure that more than a few of our readers took a long hard look at the Reynolds "doll house' shaped heads which we featured fleetingly in issue seventeen. I was as fascinated as the next man by their cool retro style reminiscent of an old radio, while the accompanying story promised an all valve, point to point hand-wired construction, so as to circumventany modern considerations of emulation and its attendant problems, simply by creating classic valve tone the same old way it was always created. This issue, we get to take a much closer look at those very same devices. The custom nature of the Reynolds business to this point has seen the original 50 watt amplifier develop along two distinct lines (responding to input from clients), so that we have a pair of unique models to consider, largely delineated by the nature of their respective B channels. And further to the archetypal 501 and 502 models, Reynolds have been kind enough to let us also take a peek at a custom variation they have produced for Sydney guitarist Miles Fraser, a design that has proved so successful Peter Reynolds hints that it may well become the 503.

IT'S JUST A PHASE
The Reynolds 500 series amplifiers are designed around two totally independent preamp channels - channel A is based on classic American amplifiers, channel B on British devices, and I am sure that if you think about it, you could probably guess the brands involved.
By starting with a preference for particular vintage models, Peter Reynolds developed his original prototype, and with the assistance of brother Dave, began honing the design based on their own observations and the input of selected guitarists who had access to the earliest prototypes.
The original design featured three gain stages on the B channel, which necessitated a unitygain stage on the A channel (that is, a third gain stage that simply inverts the signal to keep it in phase with Channel B, without increasing the signal
level). When a test pilot suggested that the second channel need not be so gamy, it was back to the drawing board and a reduced gain B channel emerged, allowing the unity gain on channel A to be shelved. When trying to decide which B channel they preferred, the Reynolds brothers hit upon the idea of a boost switch, which would engage the third gain stage on channel B, however this would require that the unity gain stage on channel A could likewise be switched in and out.
This lead to the development of one of the Reynolds' most interesting features, the pair of switches that are responsible for engaging and disengaging these extra gain stages. When they are set in the same direction, everything is in phase and sounds luscious, however when they are set differently, so that one or the other gain is engaged alone, some very odd sounds eventuate. And rather than be all precious about it, insisting that you use these switches only for the purpose they were originally intended, Peter Reynolds actually suggests that people try the out of phase settings.

CHANNELLING
This basic design constitutes the 501 model. Responding to further advice that channel B could actually be a little more gamy, Peter redesigned the channel, increasing the gain stages and adjusting the boost to compensate for some minor instability that Resulted. The result was well received and became the beefier 502. To my mind, the 501 covers all the classic vintage tube amp territory,with its boost switch providing a delineation roughly along the lines of British hard rock rhythm/lead, while the 502 is reminiscent of a more modern, subtly hotrodded device (remembering that both models essentially share an A channel).
All the 500 series Reynolds amps feature separate inputs for each channel, and channel switching is achieved via an A/B box, though a channel linking switch allows you to plug straight into the A input, with the resulting output being a blend of both channels. Each channel features three band EQ and bright switch, channel B adds master volume and there is a global presence control. On the back panel, in addition to the phase switches and all the usual stuff, these amps also feature a negative feedback switch (high/low impedance feedback loop) and an output power switch (pentode/triode, with triode resulting in half power, as well as a subtle variation in tone).

TURN IT UP! These amplifiers are true all tube devices, constructed faithfully in the manner that great models were back in the day, and as such, they really come out to play at high volume. The common A channel is a perfectly realized American combo tone, without any of the Inappropriate sharpness that many that some such amps suffer, and being an incredibly soulful rendering of this classic sound, you can confidently wind out the volume on this channel without any fear of exposing lurking flaws. The evolution of channel B (and the general acceptance of a generically American A channel) speaks volumes about the deeply personal relationship guitarists feel with their overdriven tone. The 501 should please anyone who digs that British crunch, the unboosted mode particularly captures the classic overdrive favored by late sixties Brits like The Small Faces' Steve Marriott, while the boost provides the perfectly complimentary lead tone. The 502 is my favorite, with the B channel Introducing a little more grunt - which makes it the perfect canvas for stompbox generated buzz-saw overdrive. It Is Peter Reynolds' estimation that these amplifiers perform best when wound out, with distortion effects employed for colouring rather than volume/gain manipulations, and after using these amps in several high volume situations, this is unquestionably the case. If you are looking for a partner in crime for your Les Paul and Big Muff, the 502 would take a lot of beating.

THE BOTTOM DUE
As with Miles Fraser's potentially prototypical 503, which features subtle modifications such as an extra gain stage in parallel and treble enhanced boost circuit, Peter Reynolds is happy to work with clients tweaking an amplifier to their perfect specs. The advantages to be enjoyed in dealing with a local boutique manufacturer cannot be overstated. This style of amplifier is potentially problematic and it is re-assuring to know that you can contact the actual builder rather than a warranty department should anything go askew, yet rarely do you get the promise of such service without paying a hefty premium. Happily, the Reynolds amp is priced as if it were any old mass-produced import rather than the handcrafted local wonder that it is - and for the consumer at least, that's the best of both worlds.