2016 Austen Hooks Modded Bell & Howell "Space Heater" Tube Amp & 1x15" Cabinet

Mr. Austen Hooks is a famed amp guru from way out west. Blake Mills has used a very similar amp to this one (also modded by Austen) and that's where the severe interest in these guys has come-up over the net and brimmed-over into fever. He modifies old Bell & Howell-made, military-issued projector amplifiers into pieces of kit like this one. They've become known as a "space heater" amp because of the look and because, on some of them, he moved the speaker off-center and replaced it with a light that would glow orange like an old space heater.

This one comes with a Hooks 1x15" extension cabinet that the owner fit with a nice, vintage, reconed, JBL  D130F. Does it sound amazing paired with the amp? Well, of course!

The amp itself is very interesting and can be used in three ways -- first, as an amp using the internal 5" speaker -- second, as a silent preamp feeding your board, DI, or another amp -- and third, with an extension cabinet (as seen here).

It has simple volume and tone controls on one side and various outputs on the other. The tone control has "steps" and, a couple times in the video, you can see me move through them. The "normal" setting is the most musical  to my ears but the brighter settings are great for putting buckers and dark guitars through it or when you want to bite with more of a country-twang sound. The darker/fatter-bass settings will get you a decent bass or jazz guitar thing going on. I find that tone control is perfect for the internal speaker because it lets you key-in your fullness from it instead of being limited by the size of the speaker.

Anyhow, this thing is ready to go, comes with spare tubes tucked behind the grill in back, and sounds killer.

Note that I have a new 5" speaker on order because the one in there needs a recone and so do all of the other 5" speakers on hand over here (the owner brought two in -- same problem -- and I have half a dozen more hanging-out).