Quality is always in fashion, and at English Valve Amps we believe that we have a product that has the edge when it comes down to quality and craftsmanship. We are proud to say that our amplifiers are made in Britain, by British craftsmen, using quality UK made parts (as far as is humanly possible... and that’s the way we intend to keep it. We may not be able to stop the mass exodus of manufacturing to Asia, but we will keep flying the flag for Great British Quality amplifiers made here in the UK.

EVA amps are made near Fakenham in Norfolk, UK in a factory that overlooks a disused US airbase. EVA Owner and chief designer Chris Uff oversees all production and is closely involved with final testing before a unit is packed for shipping. Production is usually running at around 2 weeks lead-time, such is the demand for EVA amps.

The woodworking and assembly is all done in house by hand, metalwork for the chassis is sub-contracted to an engineering company 200 yards away from EVA’s factory. You will not find a PCB (printed circuit board) in any of our amps, it’s not that we don’t like them; they have their place ... just not in our amps! It’s just that point-to-point turret board is so much better for our amplifiers. They are easier to work on, easier to modify and so much prettier to look at! (See FAQ for all the reasons)

Distribution and Sales are handled by Steve Ayers at Ampguy in Norwich.

Steve is responsible for the EVA account and is the first port of call for any potential EVA pilots. Steve is a musician himself and will be only too happy to help with any enquiries you may have and arrange demos, call 01603418419 or 07770413836. or contact him via the 'contact' page.

Our amplifiers are based on some of the most sought after classic guitar amps in history; we tip a hat to the classic and very rare Marshall 18 and 20-Watt models and also to Charlie Watkins’s superb Dominator. That said we have added some useful variations of our own, and options include standby switches (never a feature on the originals), to help valve longevity and master volume with gain control on some models to give you some raunch at lower volumes. We also give you a choice of output valves in the same model range.

Our customers are discerning musicians who know great tone the moment they hear it, they want an amp that delivers that sound and is reliable. Many of our customers already own a classic amp that is either too fragile or too valuable to take out on the road; EVA gives them that tone in a reliable and great looking package. Some are tired of the bland sound their modern valve amp is kicking out and they want something that is a little bit special.

Owning an EVA gives you membership to a very elite club, a club with members who are musicians that care about their sound and don’t want to compromise it, they know that it really matters to have a good tone coming from their speakers and they want the best.

And great tone doesn’t have to be expensive. Sure you won’t get an EVA for the price of a mass produced Far Eastern modelling amp, but you won’t get the sh*tt# processed sound that goes with it either!

That said our prices are extremely competitive for amplifiers that are hand built in the UK with an aluminium chassis using top-notch components and proven designs. They are works of art that will last a lifetime, and we believe that you will want to keep it a lifetime.

But 18 Watts? That’s not loud enough!

Perceived volume has more to do with SPL (sound pressure level) than power (Watts), an efficient amplifier and loudspeaker will sound louder than one that is not.

Watts are the same for solid-state as they are for valves, valve engineers do not have magical powers to make 20 W valve amps louder than 20 W solid-state amps, however our ears and brains like the sound of even harmonics more than they do odd harmonics and we tend to perceive valves as sounding louder when comparing like for like.

Remember Jimmy allegedly played the solo to Stairway on a 15-Watt Supro amp.

It has long been known by professional guitarists that you don’t necessarily need 100 Watts behind you to do the gig, and often, lower powered amps will do a much better job because a lower powered amplifier can be cranked to get that beautiful distortion which is only achieved by being able to push the output stage into overdrive. Sure you can get it with a 100 W amp, but someone’s going to be yelling at you to “turn that damn thing down” before you finish the first song in your set!

Steve Ayers says, “One thing I just love doing is getting a player to try a high gain TMB combo and then ask him / her how many watts do you think the amp you just played through is?

Most times the answer ranges from 60 down to 30.  And I just love the surprise on their faces when I tell them that it’s actually 18 Watts! “

You really don’t need 100 Watts for a pub gig!

The recent move away from high-powered amplifiers has also been prompted by an awareness amongst guitarists of the potential hearing damage that these types of amplifier can cause, smaller amplifiers can reduce the chances of losing your hearing, and that has to be a good thing for us all.

Please note that any mentions of other manufacturers registered trade names are for reference only and do not infer any connection with that company or their products.