Testimonials

Fargen Amps Reviewed in Guitar Magazines and Other Major Publications:

Customer Testimonials: See what Fargen customers have to say about Fargen Amps:

From Jim Cullen:

Hi Ben; Just though I’d touch base, As much as I LOVED my 1×12 Blackbird…. the combination of your upgrades combined with the 2×10 cabinet is really unbelievable! I was getting compliments & questions from peeps in the crowd w/the original amp – but now, even non-players are making comments. We played Wed, Fri & Sat this week & every night had positive comments from people. Without me having to solicit comments from the other band members they all said almost the exact same thing – “man that amp sounds great – HUGE!”. I’ve had Deluxe Reverbs w/2×10 baffles – this thing KILLS that. And I’ve had a few Vibrolux amps as well, Black Silver & Re-Issue – and I’d say this 20w Blackbird is challenging those in terms of output and KILLS them in terms of tone & flexibility! KILLS!! BTW – I’m using Telefunken @V1, Philips 12AT7 @ V2, Mullard CV004 @ V3 & Philips AT7 @ inverter. Honestly… the stock JJs sound fine but since I have a stash of NOS stuff – I gotta use em! ;^) On the other hand – I have to say I prefer the old-school 6V6 to the JJ, in terms of classic 6v6 characteristics. The JJ is fine current production tube…. but it’s hard to beat the RCAs I’ve been playing bands on & off for 40+ years – your amp is among the best $$ I’ve ever spent on gear! Thanks again!

From Art Smith:

“I’ve never written a product testimonial. I’ve been playing guitar for over 40 years and have been addicted to gear – and tone – the entire time. I have owned just about every guitar, amp and pedal worth having. I still own over 20 guitars and I continue to search for a better one. But I now own only 2 amps – a Fargen Custom Dual Classic and a Fargen Custom Plexi. They are that good. There is no need for anything else – except the 3rd Fargen amp that I have on order. Benjamin is a true artist and his brother makes beautiful cabinets. There is nothing else that needs be said. A Fargen amp IS the Best of the Best!”

From Dave:

“Mate the olde 800 is the greatest amp i have ever played today, from the moment i took it out the box and turned the baby on it was perfect, For years i have been really frustrated with my rigs being badcats, mesa’s, fuchs, Bogners, custom audio, you name it i have owned them but was always sick and tired of that high end buzz pregain you get with most amps today, The sound is full, loud and very organic i just love it, i really cannot get enough, My uncle has a 71 marshall plexi and that has nothing over the olde 800, there’s no comparison, I was a little worried that maybe i might need a loop but it dosen’t need one , the tone is fantastic so clear and defined, and what a clean sound it’s sound very bell like 3-d sounding, mate i can wright for hours on what i think about it,in short it’s the greatest rock amp in the world, i laugh when i talk to guys who are after these vintage marshall heads and pay an arm and leg for them when all the really need is an olde 800 , I will definatley be buying another head within the following weeks.”

From Dale:

“You mean these amps can sound better. Lets see I have been playing guitar since the seventies so no I am not a young man. Lets see I have owned every British style tube amp on the planet including this one I am looking at right now (a British Hiwatt) and my Ole 800 smokes all of them. Son you better keep on doing what your doing cause it’s YOU. You have found your talent on this earth cause you build the most wonderful sounding British style amp I have ever heard. Let me tell you a little story Mr. Fargen. I purchased a thd bivalve amp from musictoyz.com. It was supposed to be this killer sounding class A 30 watt amp and all so I bought it. Well I received it and PLEASE. This amp was a joke to say the least. I searched through the amps there at MT and I come across Fargen amps and I thought hell I am Irish so I ‘ll check this out. Well I read up on the Ole 800 and with the white Tolex (Randy Rhoads style) and all, I had to check it out. I sent the THD back and payed the difference and thank god I did. Now I own a real hand built beyond vintage amp that is the sweetest sounding I have ever heard. Man you keep on rockin cause God knows I will thanks to you.”

From Teddy:

“I have been doing this for 16 yrs…GODS HONEST TRUTH I have NEVER taken an amp home…. Ben is building me a Bordeux….kid you not…LOVE HIS STUFF!”

From Pete:

“Ben built quite a few amps for me, so it`s no surprise he came out with another killer! The VOS almost wet my pants for that better than Bogner Marshall tone, and now this? Great job Ben, keep it going Bro!”

From Bruce:

“I’ve been giging the Bordeaux a lot lately. Always get comps on the tone. You build great amps my friend! I couldn’t be happier.”

From Pete:

“Hehehe…that was me a few weeks a go. I recently received a Dual Classic and the thing kills! Problem was the cab arrived a day before the head!! All I could do was stare at it!!”

From Jon:

“I want one of each of Ben’s amps. I’m still rolling in the scent of the Bastage he sent me last week. Classic rock heaven.”

From Miles:

“Ben’s Blackbird circuit just has that extended bass definition that my Deluxe doesn’t have. With a master on the Tweed side, it gives up some awesome raunch without knocking out your fillings. Takes pedals like a champ.And I’ve never had any NOS glass in mine, only some mediocre EH tubes, it still is beautiful sounding.”

From John:

“My customized Soloway Classic is my only amp to speak of (besides a cheap SS practice amp). To echo Mountain Blues, it’s a lifetime rig. Kudos also to Ben’s brother Jeff for the J Design cabinetry.”

From Brian:

“Some thoughts on my dual classic:

  • The cleans on Channel 1 are luscious with deep extended bass and a great 3D quality
  • The killer feature of channel 2 is the master volume – it goes to 0!
  • What I mean by this is that this is now my nightime amp – as you turn down the mv all the tone is preserved all the way down until that very last fizzy splutter when it’s gone for good.
  • I prefer less overdriven tones and put a 5751 into the second tube of channel 2 (I tried all the permutations from the standard 12AX7s down to 12AY7s).
  • Ben has been outstanding to deal with throughout.
  • I had Ben build me a combo and a head chassis so that I can keep changing my mind – at the moment, the Emi Wizard sounds so good that I’m inclined to stick with the combo format.
  • I believe this is the ultimate, Fender based, bedroom to large club amp.”

From Shane:

“Congrats on the Blackbird . I have a 40 combo and personally I think it sound much better than the clips on the website. The 40 is more fat and warm than what you hear on the clips. I think it sounds a bit like a Pro Reverb personally, it has a good bit of that buttery tone. And mine has taken overdrive pedals very well, the Tim and Zendrive specifically.”

From Keith:

“I’m a lowly Nashville side/session man with a couple of artists but I played one of your Blackbird 20′s at Boutique Guitar Exchange to demo a Suhr guitar and heard ” The Thing” from your art man. Michelle said she didn’t have a 40 watt version, (that’s what I’d need for live work), but I wanted to tell you that I was really moved by the quality of your art. I hope you continue to provide the means for guitarplayers to sound better for years to come.”