Hand-Built Tweed & Blackface Guitar Amplifiers, Repairs and Maintenance
Mike's Amp Shop proudly presents:
New Guitar Amplifiers and Guitar Amplifier
Repairs, Maintenance and Restorations
586-996-0757
Welcome to Mike's Amps LLC. home of MORNINGWOOD AMPS
Pursuit of Tone
I bought my first electric guitar at age 11 in 1967 and my first amplifier was a record player that my dad converted. His love of tinkering and electronics stayed with me and I have been in pursuit of better tone through better guitars and amps for over 50 years.
The Reason for Mike's Amp Shop
I love amps. I really LOVE amplifiers and would be the person with one guitar and 10 amps, instead of the other way around. I love my guitars, but they are useless without a great amp and the better amp you have, the better your sound. As I became able to afford better guitars (much better than my playing ability could justify) better amps became necessary. I'm also practical about it and would not spend the money on original '50's and "60's amps if there was a good alternative.
Original amps continue to grow in cost. To me, the reissues are lacking in tone, reliability and serviceability, mostly by the company's objective of getting down to a lower cost point using inexpensive components, offshore labor and mass production processes. In between the original amps and reissues are the good clones.
My solution is to find quality components that are true to the original specifications, superior quality cabinets and hand-wire the circuits like the originals, providing a formula to give the amp the best chance at sounding and feeling like the original. My solution also includes minor improvements to known deficiencies that have been identified in the 50-60+ years since these amps were first introduced; no 2-prong power cords, no selenium rectifiers, no death caps, fewer carbon composition resistors, better grounding, quieter balanced filament wiring and generally better components.
I can build your amp 100% to the original design or include some improvements under-the-hood, it's all up to you! Always happy to discuss the content and available options.
Mission Statement – Help guitar players get the tone, feel, dynamics and character of amps from the golden era in a high-quality, cost-effective, attractive, reliable and serviceable package.
Warranty – My amps are warranted for 2 years to the original purchaser, other than speakers and tubes. Contact me directly for details.
Repair and Maintenance: All labor and parts used in your repair and maintenance are warranted for 1 year after the date of the repair.
The Shop
This is a one person operation, building, repairing and restoring amps one at a time, working out of my home. This strategy allows me to keep 100% control over the quality of my products and keeps overhead (and sell prices) lower.
Make an appointment to stop by!
Morningwood Amps
Filling the Gap between Originals and Reissues
Building amplifiers one at a time, for the musician who wants the rich complex tone, character, dynamics and quality of the best tweed and blackface amps and:
- wants an alternative to subjecting collectible originals to the gigging environment
- might not justify the high cost of an original for occasional use
- finds the reissues lacking in tone, dynamics, quality, reliability and serviceability
My focus is narrow, specializing in tweed and blackface era designs from the mid-'50's to the mid-'60's.
The Foundation of Tone
Tweed and Blackface era amplifiers were the foundation of electric guitar blues, rockabilly, surf, rock and more.
Using premium components in hand-wired circuits, premium transformers, solid pine cabinets, original designs / specifications and exacting workmanship, my amps provide the best possible formula for recreating the glorious sounds of that exciting era.
In-Stock and Custom Orders
I almost always have one of every amp shown on my website in stock. Seeing, feeling and hearing are most important when buying an amplifier. Custom orders are always welcome. Have your dream tweed or blackface amplifier in mind? Want a guitar amplifier that Leo did not build?
Many options and variations of the original designs and configurations are available.
Contact me directly to begin a discussion!