ChromeDomeAudio, LLC

Tae, South Korea"

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"Did some research on what I wanted before I blew my tax return. And decide I'd take a chance on the Tone Philosopher 40VG.

Haven't regretted it yet. A lot of different sounds can come out of this thing. Depending on the what you hear in your head and what you want to come out of the Amp, you should be able to get what you want out of this thing. I've only had it a bit more then a month, and I am just now getting to understand this thing a bit better. A lot of knobs and a lot of combinations to try out. Fun to play...

My amp that I brought in for servicing is now my backup amp :-) 

Peter"

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"I love the amp bud! Getting killer tones out of it and turning heads! Keep up the great work!

Sean Lehe"

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"I am the owner of a Tone Philosopher 40, courtesy of the TGP giveaway!

It has a real plexi-vibe about it. Kind of like a crunchier, lower wattage Heritage Colonial. I can actually get a reasonable lead sound at very low volume. I just hit it with a sparkle drive and viola...sounds & feels wound up. This might be an answer for plexi fans that aren't able to turn up, (the 20w version would be PERFECT).

Up against my other studio amps (Fender, Vox, Mesa, Matchless, Budda, etc.), it has it's own thing going on. I used it on a track the other day with a Heritage 2x12 (V30 @ 16ohms). Nice midrange crunch that cut right through the track (think plexi/orange/colonial).

Kudos to Adam for bringing another worthy contender into this world! I am proud to own one! "

---Chris Graff, TGP giveaway winner, Nashville. 

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 "Guys this amp is Amazing! 

It took me about a half hour to figure out how to control the tones this thing has. It is unbelievable. I've never had an amp this unique before. It would suit a player 3 times my skill set. It's great in the studio and live. The low end is so controlled I still can't believe it. It's great. Simply put. It's great.

Thanks again, 

Phil."

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 "Adam,
I was in a recording session yesterday and used your amp.  Wow! what a sound.  I love that amp.  It was nice not having to use an effect pedal to overdrive the amp.  The sound I got was thick and rich, full of tone.  The only thing I had to do was to have the sound guy dial in some reverb from the computer."

---Mark Bubash,  the Tempted Souls  Band

Go to: Review from THE GEAR PAGE

Chrome Dome: Tone Philosopher 40

By Scott Auld

Tweed Tone Philosopher For TGP Giveaway

I had the pleasure recently of getting some quality time with a new amp, the Tone Philosopher 40, made by Adam White, owner and Chief Engineer at Chrome Dome Audio in Cincinnati, Ohio.

I had been starting to wonder if anyone was ever going to try to release a well-made, high-quality, American-made guitar amplifier for under $1000. Turns out, that’s almost the mission statement at Chrome Dome. Adam set out to design and build a series of handmade combo amps using top-shelf parts that could be priced under that thousand-dollar-benchmark. The Tone Philosopher line of amps is the result. This review is of the 40 watt version.

First Impressions

This is a punchy, clear, responsive EL-34-based amp that is a real joy to play. It doesn’t fight you, rather it works with you and almost becomes an extension of the guitar. And when I threw a couple of my favorite pedals in front of it, well - let’s say time got away from me a few times while I was playing guitar. Which is kind of the point, right?

First glance at the amplifier immediately alerts the user to how versatile this combo is. There are 6 front-mounted toggle switches that swap part values in the circuit. You can mod this amp on the fly, without ever cracking open the chassis!

If you take a close look at these toggles, the first one you see on the left-hand side of the front panel is labeled “Hi-Gain." This switch controls how hard the 1st preamp stage drives the second. When you flip this toggle up, you get more front end power.

Next to the “Hi-Gain” switch, the "C-Cap" switch changes cathode bypass capacitor values. One way to easily relate to how these capacitor values affect your sound is to imagine this switch as a “Fender/Marshall” switch. Although this is an oversimplification to some degree, it does help remember the general point of this control. With the switch down, the preamp will have more gain and less input headroom, and the mids are accentuated. The amp gets smoother and has a little less low-end. With the switch in the middle (Off) position, no cathode bypass cap value is in place and the gain stage has more headroom. With the switch up, the cap value is higher and the amp has that sought-after bloom in the low end and mid-bass range.

The T-Cap switch switches treble capacitor values in the tone stack between 250PF or 500PF. I have found this to act as what I think of as a “grind” switch. That’s the best way I can describe it. If you want a little built-in dirt to your tone, this switch does it. The M-Cap switch is another 3-way toggle. Each one of these positions controls how much low frequency is removed from the signal path. (Regardless of where this switch is set, the bass knob still acts normally.)

With Pedals

You have probably often heard that an amp “works well with pedals” or “takes certain pedals well.” Adam made sure that the Tone Philosopher would always fit this bill. The last two switches on the front panel are “Slope” and “-FB”. The 3-position "Slope" switch is associated with the tone stack. It adds another degree of versatility to the tone controls of the amp. This switch set in the middle position will allow the tone stack driver to be driven harder with less saturation. My experience was that the C-Cap and Slope controls were extremely helpful in making the amp cooperate with a variety of pedals. They both allow you to set how much gain and strength in certain frequency bands you have from stage to stage, which means no matter what pedals you like - overdrive, delay, tremolo, whatever - the amp is prepared to respond well to it.

I probably don’t have to tell you that the "-FB" switch controls the negative feedback. This 3-way toggle changes the values of the capacitors associated with negative feedback, and also controls the behavior of the Presence control. With the switch up, you'll notice that the presence control acts like a mid control. With the switch in the middle the presence control is more subdued. With the switch down, the presence control really accentuates the high end. Adam told me several people have told him the "-FB" switch should be called the Sparkle Switch.

Tone Philosopher 40

Tone Control

Chicken head-style knobs across the front of the amp are arranged Gain, Volume, Treble, Bass and Presence. If you are familiar with how a classic Fender amp’s volume relates interactively with the tone controls, you will be very at home with the Tone Philosopher. The gain control provides additional command over the degree of gain that the tone stack driver sees as input.

Treble and bass are obvious. However, it’s important to remember that the "T-Cap" and "M-Cap" toggles change the degree of function and frequency centers of the two controls.

Speaker Choice, Fit and Finish

The amp provides 4, 8 and 16 ohm outputs. Adam picked the Jensen MOD 70 because of its low end capability and it's clean capability. That being said, the speaker does handle the edge and distortion the amp is capable of creating (albeit at a pretty loud volume!). The speaker sounded great when I got it, and I can only assume it will sound even better when broken in. Adam usually runs speakers on a break-in jig before shipping, but he got me this speaker before he had a chance to do that. The Tone Philosopher I received was in a nice tweed cabinet with a white silk screened chassis. A variety of coverings are available. The amp is easy to transport and comes in a very convenient size - not too fat, not too wide, etc. This review combo was made for a giveaway 0n TGP and is, according to the company, the only combo that will be done in a tweed cabinet.

Final Thoughts

I had the Tone Philosopher at a local jam down here in Florida, and the guys politely admired it up until they heard it - then they kept trying to buy it from me! I had to keep telling them it wasn’t for sale. I don’t think I ever fully convinced my buddy, Miami Mike, to give up trying.

If you’re looking for a solid amp that is a pleasure to play and offers way more versatility than most amps, the Tone Philosopher is a great choice. The only negative experience I’ve had while it was here with me was knowing I’d eventually have to send it back to its home. This combo will be given to a lucky member of TGP in a giveaway.

(This one-off Tweed amp was a giveaway on The Gear Page)

"Hey, I just wanted to take the time and say THANK YOU SO MUCH!  I recently sent in my Crate Blue Voodoo to get worked on.  I had no idea what was wrong with it.  I sent it in on Tuesday.  It was done Wednesday morning.  I mean...this is UNHEARD of for shops around here!  The old shop I would go to for repairs quoted me over a week and a half which is more or less what I was expecting from any place.  The guy who I talked to was incredibly knowledgeable and very honest with me.  The price was EXTREMELY fair...I mean c'mon $208.00 to re-tube an amp, bias it, burn the tubes in, AND fix the resister?  I must say, I'm in a band in northern Kentucky but work in Cincinnati and I will definitely be sending more business your way.  Thank you again so much for your expertise, skill, and promptness.  Because of you guys, I can now play in front of 80,000 people in Knoxville this Sunday!
--
Brandon Rubinoff, Cincinnati"

 "FYI...Tone Philosopher sounds like GOD through a Mesa 2X12! My ears are ringin'!

          It has allot more gain then I was expecting. Excellent work!"

-----Keith Spangler, Detroit Mi.---

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 "Hey guys my amp came yesterday and it kicks serious ass! The cleans are gorgeous and drive tones are to die for. I've never had anything like this.  Amps 3 times this price don't compare!"

---Casey "Jones" Miller,  Phoenix AZ.---

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"Adam thanks for taking special care of me. The 12AY7 you added in the amp really does the job. This is the best "low" volume still loud though, amp i ever had for pedal steel. We're getting the most gorgeous cleans out of her at the volume we need.  So rich and full and my back thanks you. My Twin was just too big anymore. I'm very happy with your "Philosophy" about tone. Keep up the great work!"

 ----Jerry Dyche, Austin---

"These amps are wonderful. Thank you so much for offering something in a price range average people can afford"

---Donnie---

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"To everyone at ChromeDome

This is the most touch sensitive and generally responsive tube amp I've ever bought. It's got it, what ever it is. It has it in spades. It's so warm and articulate and it doesn't bat an eye at my FX board. Keep up the good work."

 ----Alex from Atlanta---

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" I got my amp today and I love it. I think I might order a 20 watt amp next. My tube screamer drives this to 11 !

Thanks guys!"

---Eric Fletcher, Music City USA---

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"Hello again from Miami! The night club capital of the world.. Guys I used to switch between a 1987 plexi and a deluxe reverb. With the foot switching mods you did for me i only need your tp40. It works great better then i was expecting and the price is unbelievable. Glad I got one when they were affordable. Killer tone. Thanks."

 --Rob English, Miami of course--