Durham, NC

TopHat Amplifiers

Brian Gerhard has been building Vox and Marshall-inspired amps for decades, amassing a legion of A-List users and industry-wide accolades in the process. Incredible tones, incredible attention to detail, relentless devotion to quality, and an unwavering excitement for the craft are hallmarks of Brian's work.

Meet The Models

Mini Junior | 15 Watts

The new TopHat Mini Jr takes their brilliant 50 watt Emplexador Jr. head and houses it in a Princeton Reverb-sized cabinet loaded with a Celestion Greenback speaker, GZ34 rectifier, and two 6V6 power tubes putting out 15 watts. This is the perfect way to get your Marshall on - we cannot stress enough how much fun this amp is. Just a blast and all at very reasonable volumes.

Puretone 18 | 18 Watts

A remarkably great sounding, touch sensitive Princeton Reverb sized 1x12 combo, the Puretone features two identical channels based on a 12AX7 driven AC15 circuit. Each channel features a volume and a fat-off-bright switch with a global tone control for final tone shaping. With the aid of a simple A/B box (not included), you can 'preset' your clean and overdriven sound which would makes this the perfect grab-and-go combo with no need for an overdrive pedal.

Supreme 16 | 16 Watts

The Supreme 16 is TopHat's endeavor to produce the most outstanding Vox AC-15 style amp on the market.

"Part of the magic of this design is the far less common use of a large choke. Simply put, this coil affects the way the amp compresses and breathes. It causes a feel unlike any other. It is very hands and ear friendly. It also matches up with the Aluminum chassis and papery clarity of the Celestion Alnico Cream speaker."

Super Deluxe | 33 Watts

TopHat Amplifiers has brought together aspects of some of the most revered amps in history with their Super Deluxe amp. It features a preamp based on a Vox Top Boost, Fender Tweed Bassman, and Marshall Plexi mixed with a Vox AC30 type phase inverter and no-negative feedback, cathode biased output section. 

Simply put, this is a 33 watt combo that's perfect for recording, gigs, home playing or any place you want to indulge in some incredibly dynamic, touch sensitive, rich clean or overdriven tones.

Emplexador Jr | 50 Watts

The Emplexador Jr. is TopHat's take on the beloved Marshall amp.

"The Emplexador Jr. is so versatile, it's perfect for the vintage Marshall enthusiast who loves everything that they used to make, but can't decide which model to buy - and - for the live performer or studio player who needs to be able to get those classic "Plexi" sounds and a modern overdrive all in one amplifier. The Emplexador Jr. has it all!"