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.
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