Frost Amplifiers is the project of talented Tasmanian electrical engineer Tim Krushka. Tim has been repairing amps and selling parts for many years, working solo from his workshop twenty minutes from downtown Hobart. The Clapp15 is Tim's long-awaited brainchild, delivering a truly original Class A circuit with some unique touches. The power amp is driven by a pair of EL84s and is switchable between 9w Class A and 15W Class AB. Class A mode adds richness and weight through the midrange, so I like it with a single coil pickup as it balances out the natural brightness in a friendly way. Class AB mode offers a little extra zing in the top end and a punchier attack, so it works really nicely with humbuckers. The pre-amp stage uses an unusual cascode design, which offers a similar harmonic richness to a pentode setup but without some of the reliability issues. The unique preamp offers plenty of gain at low volumes, with a rich, wide midrange and a singing natural compression. It's not strictly a 'clean amp', but with the gain at 1 or 2 and the volume up high, there's plenty of clean headroom to fill a small venue or get over a drummer without breaking up. On moderate gain settings, you're served up a gorgeous crunchy, touch sensitive overdrive... dig in hard for effortless sustain and a gritty growl, or ease off for a rounded, rich voice with excellent clarity and dynamics.  If you dime the gain, there's a lot of fun to be had: there's no shortage of creamy drive on board and heaps of volume on tap, so you can really get the windows shaking. The EQ is switchable, so for a hairy, louder and more open sound with sparklier highs and more punch, you can just dial the 'bass' control past zero and the soft click switch bypasses the three band system. The tube-driven tremolo is a really nice addition too, offering a lovely vintage wobble that adds that certain 'something' in a subtle and elegant way. There's a lot to love here, and at a whisker under 16kg, it's significantly lighter than a Deluxe Reverb or an AC15. Top marks, Tim!

Model: Frost Amplifiers Clapp15 
Made: Hobart Australia, 2021 (serial 210801)
Output: 15 Watts (Class AB), 9w (Class A)
Speaker: 1 x 12" Eminance Red Coat neodymium
Valves: 2x 12AX7, 1x12AU7, 2x EL84 
Channels: 1
Mods: none
Cabinet: ply
Weight: 15.6kg
Finish: black tolex, charcoal grill cloth, Tasmanian myrtle panel
Extras included: manual, warranty docs, footswitch

Condition notes: brand new with manufacturer's warranty