You want your amp to not only sound great, but to last a lifetime. Texas Tone® Amps are built for tone, and built to last, using the high-quality components and military-grade built techniques. Components are selected for low noise, tight tolerance, high temperature, and long life. Because of this, we shy away from low cost, high noise, and any components known to be troublesome.
Your Tone Matters, and so does the longevity of your amp.
Resistors: We use low-noise carbon film, metal film, metal oxide, and/or MIL-Spec resistors, depending upon their function in the circuit. These are typically 1% or 2% tolerance, don't add noise to you amp, and hold their ratings over time and temperature better than commonly used carbon composition resistors, which are noisy, 10% tolerance, and drift over time. Leo Fender used carbon comp, because that's what he could get in the 1950s and early 1960s. Resistor technology has improved since then. We also make generous use of 1-Watt resistors, rather than the common 1/2-Watt resistors in most amps, for longevity and less noise.
Capacitors: We use specify high quality capacitors from F&T, JJ Electonic, Sprague, Vishay, and shy away from generic or no-name capacitors. They're not worth the lower price due to being of low quality.
Tubes: All new JJ Electronic tubes installed in Texas Tone amps are tested and graded by Eurotubes for low noise and microphonics. 6V6 and 6L6 tubes installed in combo amps have double mica spacers for ruggedness, and we make use of silicone dampers to eliminate rattle and ringing. The first preamp tube in combo amps is shock mounted. We prefer JJ Electonic tubes, and these are standard equipment. New Sensor corporation also makes good Electo-Harmonix and new production Tung-Sol and Mullard tubes. The Texas Tone 12 makes use of New Old Stock (NOS) GE Electron Tubes for the low frequency oscillator (LFO) and phase splitter.
Tube Sockets: We have found Belton to be the only tube socket worthy of a Texas Tone amp, and this is what we use.
Controls: Texas Tone amps feature CTS potentionmeters. We use Alpha pots for the Hypnotic Slam Effect in the Texas Tone 12, due to a lack of availabilty of the required values in CTS.
Transformers: Due to availability, and the fact that Magnetic Components/Classic Tone Transformers are no longer available, Texas Tone amps feature USA-made Heyboer, Musical Power Supplies, and/or Canada-made Hammond transformers.
Speakers: Texas Tone Amps is an authorized OEM (original equiment manufacturer) of Jensen speakers, and we feature a variety of Jensens as standard equipment. We also feature speakers by ToneSpeak, and also have available Eminence, Celestion, and Mojotone speakers on some amplifiers.
Options: Other products are available upon request. Inquire to the email address listed above.
I didn’t set out to build amps for everyone — just the right ones for players like me.
I’m Bruce — a lifelong musician, engineer, and relentless tone chaser. Texas Tone Amps started as a personal pursuit: I wanted the sound I heard in my head tocome alive in the room. Big. Honest. Musical. And completely mine.
But most amps on the market — even the expensive ones — felt like compromises. Too much circuitry, too many knobs, too little soul. So I started building my own, combining a musician’s ear with an engineer’s precision. One amp turned into a few. A few turned into several more. Pretty soon, players started asking, “What is that tone?”
Today, Texas Tone Amps is still just me, hands-on with every build. Every amp is designed, wired, tested, and fine-tuned right here in Austin, Texas. No assemblylines. No outsourced quality. Just hand-wired craftsmanship, premium parts, and a sound that speaks with clarity, character, and bite.
I build amps that are made to be played. Made to be heard. And made to be yours.
Because in the end, your tone is your voice. And your tone matters.
— Bruce Blumentritt
More Info: Bold Journey Insights, history, and advice.