SONICTONE AMPLIFICATION Vintage Series User manual

Vintage Series
50-Watt Fixed-Biased
Tube Amplifier
Head or 1x12 Combo
Owner’s Manual
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA

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Table of Contents
Introduction
Safety Instructions
Features
Front Panel
Rear Panel
Warranty
Specifications
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SonicTone Amplification, LLC
P.O. Box 24456
New Orleans, LA 70184
[e-mail]
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA

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Introduction
I’d like to personally thank you for purchasing the SonicTone ‘67 Special tube amplifier. I know
how important every player’s tone is to them and that consideration goes into every amp.
Carefully designed and hand-built here in the U.S., the ‘67 Special is an homage to that classic
British rock sound from the late 1960’s. From early break-up crunches to rich overdrive, this
amp will deliver some fantastic tones for you to use when playing live or in the studio. Good
luck and enjoy the amp!
Sincerely,
Nick Sagona
Always use the correct types of tubes for this amplifier.
Always match the impedance to correct value of the speaker load.
Do not attempt to bypass the fuses or use different fuse values.
Please only use the provided SonicTone footswitch, which is compatible with this amplifier.
Please only use an active 5-pin DIN cable to connect the footswitch to the amplifier.
Please operate the amplifier in dry and safe conditions.
Please store the amplifier in a reasonable, climate-controlled environment.
If you are experiencing issues with the amplifier, please have it worked on by a qualified
service technician only. Do not attempt to open the amp and work on it yourself.
WARNING!
Dangerous and potentially lethal voltages may be present in the amplifier even after it has
been turned off and unplugged. Do not open the amp yourself or touch the inside of it.
Only have a qualified service technician open up and work on the amplifier.
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Safety Instructions

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Features
The ‘67 Special is a 50-watt fixed-biased tube amplifier that uses three (3) 12AX7 preamp tubes, two (2) EL34
power tubes and one (1) GZ34 rectifier tube. The features include:
Independent Parallel Gain Structure:
The independent parallel gain structure between channels 1 and 2 offers a unique voicing between the channels.
It is fashioned after the design of vintage multi-channel amplifiers with multiple input jacks. In those designs, the
channels could be run separately, or they could be “linked” together with a patch cable which that would produce
more gain. The ‘67 Special’s design eliminates the need for multiple input jacks and patch cables and allows you to
control the mixing of the 2 channels via the footswitch or front panel switches.
Tube/Solid-State Rectifier Switch:
The tube/solid-state rectifier switch is another interesting feature that can give you a subtle tonal option. When set
to the tube rectifier, the amp will produce a slightly more vintage sound, where there is a little more compression
and sag with the sound. Some players prefer this, saying that it gives the amp a more vocal and spongy sound and
that the notes have a nice “touch” or “bloom” to them. However, if that’s not your preference, switching to the solid-
state rectifier will give the amp a slightly more aggressive sound with a more firm and immediate response.
Footswitch Operation:
The footswitch requires the active 5-pin DIN cable to be inserted into the footswitch jack on the rear panel as well
as the jack on the footswitch. In order for the footswitch to operate correctly, the switches on amp must be set to
the OFF position. The orange LED button engages channel 1. The red LED button engages channel 2. Both can be
engaged at the same time for a blend of gain from both channels. Both can be turned off at the same time which
will mute the amplifier.
2 channels with independent parallel gain control (footswitchable)
Shared 3-band EQ with presence
Master volume
A bright switch on channel 1
Buffered FX loop, bypassable
Tube/solid-state rectifier switch
Negative feedback selector switch
Half-power pentode/triode switch
3-way output impedance switch (16, 8 or 4 ohm)
2-button footswitch
12” Celestion 65-watt 16 ohm Creamback speaker (stock combo only)
Birch plywood cabinet with finger-jointed construction

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Front Panel
Pilot Light – illuminates when the amp is turned on.
Power Switch – turns the amp on.
Standby Switch – allows the amp to be played. When the standby is off, the tubes are kept warm,
but the amp will not make any sound.
Presence – active tonal control that can be used to brighten up the amp’s overall sound.
Bass, Middle and Treble – passive equalization controls to adjust the tone of the amp.
Master – the overall master volume of the amp.
Gain 2 – control to adjust the amount of gain on channel 2.
Bright Switch – switch to engage a slightly brighter tone for channel 1.
Gain 1 – control to adjust the amount of gain on channel 1.
CH 2 Switch & LED – switch to engage channel 2 in the mix. The LED illuminates when channel 2 is
engaged. (The switch must be set to OFF for the footswitch to operate.)
CH 1 Switch & LED – switch to engage channel 1 in the mix. The LED illuminates when channel 1 is
engaged. (The switch must be set to OFF for the footswitch to operate.)
Input Jack – mono input jack to plug your guitar into.
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Rear Panel
Footswitch Jack – 5-pin DIN jack to plug the provided footswitch cable into.
FX Loop Return Jack – mono input jack for the FX loop return signal.
FX Loop Bypass Switch – switch to fully bypass the FX loop circuit.
FX Loop Send Jack – mono input jack for the FX loop send signal.
Bias Probes – test jacks to check the bias values of the power tubes.*
Parallel Speaker Jacks – mono input jacks to plug the speaker(s) into. PLEASE NOTE: The jacks are in parallel, so if you
plug two equal impedance speaker loads into them, you must set the impedance switch to half their impedance. For
example, with two 16 ohm speaker loads plugged in, the impedance switch should be set to 8 ohms.
Impedance Selector Switch – switch to select the correct impedance of the speaker load hooked up to the amp.
Punchy/Smooth Switch – switch to change the amount of negative feedback injected into the amp. The “punchy” setting
has less NFB and is more aggressive sounding. The “smooth” setting has more NFB and is less aggressive sounding.
Full/Half Power Switch – switch to change the power setting between half and full power. This feature changes the
operation of the power tubes between pentode (full) and triode (half.) The amount of power reduction in wattage is
approximate.**
Solid State/Tube Rectifier Switch – switch to change between using the tube rectifier or the solid state rectifier. Using the
tube rectifier will produce more of a vintage sound which is more compressed and spongy. Using the solid-state rectifier,
the sound will be more firm and aggressive.
Fuse Holder – receptacle for the amp’s main fuse. There’s an additional the high voltage fuse located inside the amp.
AC Jack – jack to plug the provided AC cord into.
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The bias pot is located on the top of the amp chassis
near the power tubes. Please only have the bias
adjusted by a qualified technician.
Please note, the power reduction in wattage does not
equate to a 50% reduction in overall loudness (dB.)
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A note about the FX Loop – When the FX loop is off (bypassed), the entire signal will bypass the FX loop circuit
altogether. However, the send and return jacks are switched jacks that are connected together when nothing is
plugged into them. Therefore, when the circuit is on, signal will be allowed to pass through the FX loop if nothing is
plugged into it. Once a cable is inserted into either one of the jacks, that connection is broken and will the signal will
go out through the send jack and have to be returned through the return jack.

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2-Year Limited Warranty
This amplifier is protected with a limited, 2-year warranty for any and all defective issues with the build
workmanship and parts, excluding tubes, transformers and speakers. The warranty does not cover general wear
and tear, neglect, misuse or abuse, damage from liquids (water, alcohol, etc.), disasters, acts of God or unauthorized
modifications. Any modifications made to the amp by the owner or a technician will void the warranty. The owner
is responsible for all warranty shipping costs. Once the warranty work is completed, the customer will be notified
and sent a final shipping invoice. The owner then is required to pay the shipping invoice to have the repaired amp
shipped back to them. Returned warranty shipping will be insured and will require a signature.

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Specifications
Product Series:
Product Model:
Vintage Series
‘67 Special Head or 1x12 Combo
www.sonictoneamps.com
Made in the USA
AC Input & Fuses:
Tubes:
Dimensions:
Footswitch:
Power Output:
U.S. Standard IEC jack rated for 120V @ 60Hz
3A slo-blo mains fuse
0.5A slo-blo high voltage (B+) fuse
Three (3) 12AX7 preamp tubes
Two (2) EL34 power tubes
One (1) GZ34 rectifier tube
2-button SonicTone footswitch
5-pin active DIN cable required for proper operation
50W @ 16, 8 or 4 ohms
1x12 ComboHead
Width: 24 in
Height: 20.75 in
Depth: 10 in
Weight: 42.0 lbs
Width: 24 in
Height: 10.75 in
Depth: 9 in
Weight: 31 lbs
Speaker:
One (1) 12-inch 65W 16 ohm Celestion Creamback (stock combo only)