Deacy Amp
Encyclopedia
The Deacy Amp is a small, one-watt, roughly 5 inches (12.7 cm) amplifier
created by and named after Queen
bassist
John Deacon
and used by guitarist
Brian May
. The amplifier produces a trumpet-like or orchestral sound when plugged into a guitar.
It was created in the early 1970s using an amplifier found in a skip
by Deacon and a treble booster, constructed by May. Also used was an amplifier circuit board stationed into a Hi-Fi
speaker cabinet, powered by a 9-volt battery. The amp was used along with May's Red Special guitar
and his treble-booster.
KAT Deacy Amp Replica
In 1998, Greg Fryer with the help of UK amp guru Dave Petersen undertook the job of trying to make 3 copies of the Deacy Amp with May's full backing. These amps produced a similar compressed and saturated sound but lacked the tonal characteristics that were so crucial to the unique Deacy sound. In 2003, Nigel Knight became involved in the amp's development. Several prototype amps were built that were continually edging ever closer to the sound of the original but all fell short of the mark when compared side by side with the real amp. It was only in 2008 when Knight was given permission to take the original Deacy Amp apart and test and analyse each individual component that he finally began to understand the intricate workings.
With this new information in hand, Knight called on the vast experience of speaker manufacturers Celestion, who developed and produced nearly 30 prototypes for testing and analysis over a two year period. Custom transformers were produced to exact winding and laminate specs, obsolete components were sourced and made RoHS compliant and bespoke cabinets were constructed at great expense from Sapele
veneered chipboard, exactly as the original.
In 2010, some 12 years after the project commenced, the Brian May Deacy Amp Replica was given the official approval and blessing of both Brian May and John Deacon.
The first production run of KAT Deacy Amp replicas were shipped in March 2011 and sold out within one month.
Amplifier
Generally, an amplifier or simply amp, is a device for increasing the power of a signal.In popular use, the term usually describes an electronic amplifier, in which the input "signal" is usually a voltage or a current. In audio applications, amplifiers drive the loudspeakers used in PA systems to...
created by and named after Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
and used by guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
. The amplifier produces a trumpet-like or orchestral sound when plugged into a guitar.
It was created in the early 1970s using an amplifier found in a skip
Skip (container)
A rubbish skip is usually called merely a skip or waste bin. A skip is a large open-topped container designed for loading onto a special type of lorry. Differing from dumpster, instead of being emptied into a waste vehicle onsite, a skip is replaced by an empty skip and then tipped at a landfill...
by Deacon and a treble booster, constructed by May. Also used was an amplifier circuit board stationed into a Hi-Fi
High fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
speaker cabinet, powered by a 9-volt battery. The amp was used along with May's Red Special guitar
Red Special
The Red Special is an electric guitar owned by Queen guitarist Brian May and custom-built by May and his father. The Red Special is also sometimes named in reviews as the Fireplace or the Old Lady, both nicknames used by May when referring to the guitar. A guitar that would define May's signature...
and his treble-booster.
KAT Deacy Amp Replica
In 1998, Greg Fryer with the help of UK amp guru Dave Petersen undertook the job of trying to make 3 copies of the Deacy Amp with May's full backing. These amps produced a similar compressed and saturated sound but lacked the tonal characteristics that were so crucial to the unique Deacy sound. In 2003, Nigel Knight became involved in the amp's development. Several prototype amps were built that were continually edging ever closer to the sound of the original but all fell short of the mark when compared side by side with the real amp. It was only in 2008 when Knight was given permission to take the original Deacy Amp apart and test and analyse each individual component that he finally began to understand the intricate workings.
With this new information in hand, Knight called on the vast experience of speaker manufacturers Celestion, who developed and produced nearly 30 prototypes for testing and analysis over a two year period. Custom transformers were produced to exact winding and laminate specs, obsolete components were sourced and made RoHS compliant and bespoke cabinets were constructed at great expense from Sapele
Sapele
Sapele , also known as Sapelli or Aboudikro, is a large tree, Entandrophragma cylindricum, up to 45 m high and native to tropical Africa. The leaves are deciduous in the dry season, alternately arranged, pinnate, with 5-9 pairs of leaflets, each leaflet about 10 cm long...
veneered chipboard, exactly as the original.
In 2010, some 12 years after the project commenced, the Brian May Deacy Amp Replica was given the official approval and blessing of both Brian May and John Deacon.
The first production run of KAT Deacy Amp replicas were shipped in March 2011 and sold out within one month.
External links
- Greg Fryer: History and background of the Legendary Deacy Amp (brianmay.com)
- A Strings: KAT Deacy Amp product page (astrings.co.uk)