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Gries Amplification

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Check out the J. Kelley Band's new video "Shake You".  J. Kelley owned Gries 35 serial #1 and has since traded it in for a new Gries 15, seen in the video.  Click on the link below.

J. Kelley Band "Shake You"

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The 35 has rejoined the rest of the team.  New look, same circuit, same tone.  The only change is the addition of a second input jack.

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1x12 combo with an Eminence Red White & Blues...$1499.   Or as a head for $1349.


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After being missing from the lineup for over a year, the 5 has returned with a new look and several new features.  The basic circuit and tone has not changed, but the new 5 now has two inputs (high & low sensitivity), a pull Bright switch, Midrange control, footswitchable Gain setting, and the ability to use a 6V6GT or 6L6GC power tube. 

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Available with a 12" Eminence Red, White, & Blues for $879.




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The newest menber of the family, the 12.  Based on the classic blackface AA1164 Princeton Reverb.  As with all Gries amps, the 12 is built with a .125" fiberglass turret board instead of the traditional fiber board.  Other than historical accuracy, there is really no reason to use fiberboard circuit boards.  Anyone who has repaired Fender amps knows that fiberboard absorbs moisture & warps and is the main cause of failures in older amps.  The 12 also has adjustable fixed bias with current sensing resistors and test points on the bottom of the chassis. 

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Tube driven reverb, bias vary tremolo (vibrato), solid pine cabinet with birch ply baffle, two inputs, 12 watts.  Available with a 12" Emi Red, White, & Blues.  Only $1299.

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The Gries 15.  The idea for this amp came from Joe Montalto, guitarist in "Don't Tell Muddy".  He was borrowing a 5 and suggested adding a second 6V6 for more power.  A few months later, two prototypes built, rebuilt, rebuilt some more, testing and feedback from Joe and Tom...  The preamp is based on the Marshall JTM45/5F6A Bassman.  Two cathode biased 6V6s for about 15 watts.  Master Volume.  Mercury Magnetics transformers.  Only $1199 with Eminence Red, White, &  Blues.  Upgrade to a Celestion Blue for $1349 (highly recommended).  Also available as a head for $1029.

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Here is our biggest departure yet, the JW45.  Based on the classic JTM45 of the early 60's, certainly one of the best-sounding and most sought-after amps ever.  Three 12AX7s, a pair of 6L6 power tubes, and a 5AR4 rectifier.  Four inputs, Normal & Bright Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, and Presence controls.  4, 8, & 16 ohm speaker outs.  Hand wired turret board construction with chassis-mounted switches, jacks, & tube sockets.  $1099. shipped to the CONUS.

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The Minnow. We went back a few years to the simple yet extremely desirable single-ended circuits of the late "tweed" years. Those old amps were prized for their uncolored tone & highly touch-sensitive response. The Minnow is based on the 5F1 with the addition of better filtering, a little more gain, a much larger output transformer, and a Master Volume control. Head only.

Gries Amplifiers (pronounced "Grice") are based on the classic tube amps built from the late 50's to the mid 60's. All amps feature modern circuit enhancements and improved construction methods and components.

Construction.

All Gries handmade amplifiers feature point-to-point wiring on G10 turret boards; chassis-mounted pots, switches, jacks, and tube sockets; aluminum or steel chassis; and Tolex-covered solid pine or Baltic birch plywood cabinets with 1/2" birch plywood baffles.


Components.


We use Heyboer & Mercury Magnetics transformers, Eminence & Celestion speakers, Carling switches, Sprague Atom, F&T, M150, JJ, and Orange Drop capacitors, Switchcraft and Cliff jacks, and Sovtek, JJ, TAD, and Electro-Harmonix tubes.