The "64" The Nitro Mean Street Classic Cabinets Bio Builder's Corner Contact Us Gallery Home 7-4-2007 Today’s guitarists happen to be living in an age where the number of amplifier models and manufacturer choices is staggering! I know this first hand because I have spent most of my life and my life savings acquiring tube guitar amplifiers from the great old builders and innovators from “back in the day” to the modern Boutique and clone builders of today. One thing I’ve noticed over the years is how similar each persons approach to building a boutique amplifier actually is. Even Fender started from prints generated by old radio and tube companies like Western Electric and others. Later, Marshall, starting with a basic Fender design placed his twist on a Fender derived circuit and Marshall was born. The AC30 for example, is a “genius” in electronic design for guitar amplification, love them or hate them, an AC30 is definitely original.  Later, designers like Ken Fisher and Howard Dumble placed their twist on Fender and Marshall Circuits, creating an entirely new type of amplifier tone and response. What does each one of these designer/builders have in common? They’ve created what is called “the million dollar guitar tone”. The million dollar guitar tone is defined as a tone that has not only been heard on countless hit records but has been used by countless “great” and well knows guitarists all over the world and is immediately recognized.  Although I am not so arrogant to view myself anywhere near the great designers I have mentioned above, I do aspire to create original designs with a “new twist” on familiar tone and feel, which sets my amplifiers apart from the others…I refuse to clone exact circuits or attempt to “nail” any existing amplifiers character.  One of the comments by a great player who owns, records and performs with a “64” model amplifier, said the following, “I can’t put my finger on what makes this amplifier speak to me the way it does…it is familiar but unique and original in its own way. The “64” has enabled me to get closer to my signature voice than I have ever been able to come, using any other guitar amplifier, any other time in my career”. To me, comments like that are the only reason I build amps for anyone else but myself! For a creative person, this is what I live for…it brings me satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment when I hear about players who feel this way. After I put together the pieces (or stumble upon) of a circuit that makes magic, and believe me, this can take years to accomplish, then there’s the painstaking task of reproducing that magic consistently on the production scale and thank God I have so much help in this regard! Thanks to Sergio at Mercury Magnetics, Steve Gifford my cabinet builder and the inspiration and direction from guys like Ben Fargen and the Tele Master Mr. Jim Weider…the chassis guys, speaker designers like Anthony at Eminence and so on. Frankly, none of this would be possible without the help, friendship and support by each everyone I rely on from day to day! The Nitro and the Injected Nitro model amplifiers have been released to production and I expect that the first ones will roll off the assembly line in about 4 weeks or so. With the Nitro, I had deemed it complete on 3 different occasions, only to go back to the drawing board when I played it for some time and just thought it fell short of achieving the “really special amplifier” status that I had hoped to create. The final iteration of the Nitro is an amplifier that does just that and everyone who plugs into one are just amazed at how this amplifier feels, sounds and records. The Nitro is now an amplifier that will set itself apart from the others, just like the “64” has and I think I’m in for a bit of a “long hall” producing these amps!  Thanks for taking the time to read this! Mark. Pure Sixty Four Amps             © 2006 Pure Sixty Four    All Right Reserved