Rajani Amplifiers - Made in London

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ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
edited March 2020 in Made in the UK tFB Trader
Hi everyone. I'm a new amp maker (and repair tech) based in North London. I recently released my first commercial design with these features:
- 100 % analogue circuit
- Real Spring Reverb
- All-valve overdrive
- Two channels: Clean and Lead
- Switchable boost on each channel
- Serial effects loop
- Mains voltage selector switch
- Custom designed, loud, class AB solid state 50 W power amp
- Just 14 kg (1x12 combo) or 10 kg (head)
- Jensen Tornado 12" speaker (combo)
- Handmade dovetail-jointed solid pine cabinet
- Heavy duty two-button foot switch and cover

I'm not aware of another amp like it on the market. It's a lightweight, loud, and versatile amp, with a beautiful-sounding real spring reverb. Tonally, it has more low-mid presence than classic Fender/Marshall/Vox amps, but still has a lot of clarity to the sound. You can watch a demo video as well as comparison videos to well-known amps on my YouTube channel.

Here's a quote from a review article by Dave Hunter of Guitar Player magazine:

Where some other players may well complain of the “coldness” or “hardness” of solid-state guitar amps, I found nothing but great touch sensitivity and a truly inspiring playing feel, and really enjoyed the experience.

Even so, to refresh my memory of what great all-tube rock tone sounds and feels like, I fired up my Friedman Small Box 50-watt head (a benchmark for the contemporary interpretation of classic British-rock guitar tones) and A/B’d it with the VOD-50 first through the 1x12 Rajani combo cab, and then with both amps through a 2x12 Celestion-loaded extension cab. The VOD-50 acquitted itself so well that I found it difficult to objectively voice a preference for the lead tone of either after a solid hour of playing between them.

When the social distancing measures are over, I'll be accepting customers at my workshop to try out the amp. It's already been gigged in and around London (including Ronnie Scott's) over the last 8 months and I'm very happy with how the amp is performing.







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Comments

  • hollywoodroxhollywoodrox Frets: 4085
    Wow looks like a cool new amp ,congrats on making it
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  • DrCorneliusDrCornelius Frets: 7069
    Yeah, colour me interested !

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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    Wow looks like a cool new amp ,congrats on making it
    Yeah, colour me interested !

    Thanks! It's been a lot of hard work  =) 
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3132
    Sounds really good, I like it, I’d be very interested to try one when this is done. Welcome to the fretboard.
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  • lukedlblukedlb Frets: 488
    Great stuff. More photos, please! 
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  • KalimnaKalimna Frets: 1534
    I saw these amps at the Birmingham show, but Im afraid to say I didnt get to try one :(
    Good luck with them :)

    Adam
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    Sounds really good, I like it, I’d be very interested to try one when this is done. Welcome to the fretboard.
    I'll be very happy to show it to you!
    Kalimna said:
    I saw these amps at the Birmingham show, but Im afraid to say I didnt get to try one :(
    Good luck with them :)
    Ah, shame! And thank you.
    lukedlb said:
    Great stuff. More photos, please! 
    This is a back view of the combo:


    And this is what the head looks like:


    The cover:



    And footswitch:

    image
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    edited March 2020
    I’m sure it’s really good certainly sounds good from those videos.looks pretty cool too .

    Good luck with it :)
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    I’m sure it’s really good certainly sounds good from those videos.looks pretty cool too .

    Good luck with it :)
    Thank you!
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  • telehacktelehack Frets: 93
    Sorry if I'm being dense, but is this a valve preamp/sold state power amp arrangement?
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    telehack said:
    Sorry if I'm being dense, but is this a valve preamp/sold state power amp arrangement?
    Yes it is.
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  • Sham61Sham61 Frets: 26
    Just noticed a Rajani amp in the background of Crimson Guitars latest youtube P bass build
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    Sham61 said:
    Just noticed a Rajani amp in the background of Crimson Guitars latest youtube P bass build
    Yes, Ben has one.
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    There's a review of the VOD-50 Combo in this month's issue of Guitarist magazine.

    The VOD-50 flatters our ’72 Les Paul Custom’s humbuckers and the Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro single coils of our Strat-alike, and its excellent low-noise performance makes it a great tool for the studio as well as the stage, where there’s volume to spare for live gigs. The reverb is excellent, too, with a warm, smooth decay and none of the crashiness that often affects spring circuits.
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  • Man, this looks really cool. I like that it's not a focused on being a re-creation of a vintage amp.

    I'm on a foolish mission to make my whole rig British made, and I've spent a long time looking around for an amp that I can get good sounds out of at home and also take to a gig or practice. How does the VOD50 combo sound at home levels? 

    @ravirajani I'd be really interested to come and take a look and have a try when your studio opens again. I'm based in Bethnal Green. You're North London right?

    One other question (which I often feel gets overlooked): I'm not a particularly accomplished guitarist (just getting back into playing after a long break). I'm lucky enough to now be able to buy nice things like hand built amps, but many of the hand wired, all valve numbers, like my Bad Cat Cub III Handwired are quite 'unforgiving'. Would you say the VOD50 is similar in that it's clarity will expose and highlight my inevitably sometimes sloppy playing? Finding it hard to find an amp that'll make me sound better.... (yes, I know, practice more......).

    Cheers. 
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    edited June 2020 tFB Trader
    Man, this looks really cool. I like that it's not a focused on being a re-creation of a vintage amp.

    Thanks!
    How does the VOD50 combo sound at home levels?
    It sounds great both at home and gig levels. This was one of my design requirements. With the VOD-50 power amp being so transparent, you can get all the juicy cranked tones at low volume courtesy of the all-valve preamp which has a virtual power stage built into it. Having said that, most people think a louder guitar sounds better, so for them an amp will always sound best when it's moving a lot of air.
    I'm based in Bethnal Green. You're North London right?
    That's right, Wood Green. You're not far. Now that non-essential shops are reopening I'm thinking of ways I can accept customers again safely. I'm hoping that will be fairly soon.
    Would you say the VOD50 is similar in that it's clarity will expose and highlight my inevitably sometimes sloppy playing?
    Difficult question to answer. You'll find the answer when you try it. My studio is quite a dead space with very little ambience, and that in itself can be quite unforgiving. It might be best to try my amp next to an amp you consider to be unforgiving so you can compare them in the same room... So you could bring your Bad Cat with you, or since you're quite close, I could perhaps bring an amp to you, so you can hear it next to your amp in a room you're familiar with.
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  • @ravirajani

    Thanks for the detailed response, it's really appreciated. 

    I'm keen to try an amp out, and I'd be happy to come to you. 

    I have a guitar being built for me currently, so if you don't mind, I'll wait until I can try that guitar with one of your amps. 

    I'll get on touch via the website when I have an eta on the guitar. 

    Thanks again. 
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader

    I'll get on touch via the website when I have an eta on the guitar. 

    Thanks again. 
    That's great, look forward to hearing from you when your guitar is ready. By then, I should be up and running again.
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  • AntonHunterAntonHunter Frets: 916
    Hi Ravi! Nice to see you on here, still looking forward to trying one of these when this is all over.

    For anyone else, I can vouch for Ravi being a great player.
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  • ravirajaniravirajani Frets: 42
    tFB Trader
    Hi Ravi! Nice to see you on here, still looking forward to trying one of these when this is all over.

    For anyone else, I can vouch for Ravi being a great player.
    Thanks mate! Let's keep in touch.
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