When it comes to hardcore
authenticity in vintage gear
replicas, no one tops Kyle Chase—
a lone-ranger builder who says
he can hear the difference
between stranded and
solid-core wire in his Marshall-,
Vox-, and Fender-inspired
amps and pedals.
BY JOE CHARUPAKORN
There’s certainly no shortage of bou- tique manufacturers and DIYers
offering their take on the iconic gear of
guitardom. Marshall plexis from the ’60s,
vintage Fender Bassmans and Strats, old
Electro-Harmonix Big Muffs, and finicky
Echoplexes, among many others, have
served as inspiration for countless new
builds and reissues. However, exact replicas
are virtually impossible to produce because
most of the parts that went into these
instruments are now virtually impossible to
source in reliably replenishable quantities.
Sure, you could cannibalize a vintage workhorse if you had one lying around—and,
of course, there’s the burgeoning new-old-stock (NOS) tube market for your glass
fix—but generally speaking, you’re out of
luck if you’re after 100 percent authenticity. That’s why you have to be prepared to
shell out the big bucks when you seek out
vintage classics on eBay or Craigslist. And
even if you do manage to snag a vintage
gem, unless it’s an über-rare, kept-in-the-attic-for-decades prize, it will likely have or
need replacement components.
Enter Kyle Chase of Chase Audio, an
ultra-obsessive tone freak who builds replica
amps, effects, and even guitars using only
NOS parts—or, when those are impossible
to come by, using custom parts
made to period-correct specs. Yes,
NOS is Chase’s MO. In fact, he’s
so intent on building authentic,
museum-quality replicas that he
spends exorbitant amounts of time
sourcing parts that are seemingly mundane
and interchangeable—like wire and fuse
holders—from around the world. He’s so
fastidious that it took nearly eight years to
complete his first Marshall JTM45/100
replica. His other builds include replicas
of Fender Champs and Strats, Vox Clyde
McCoy and Grey wahs, vintage Cry Baby
wahs, Dallas-Arbiter Fuzz Faces, and
Echoplex preamps, among many others.
Because of the difficulty of finding the
stuff Chase works with, he’s an underground phenomenon—you’re not likely
to find information about him on forums,
because only the absolute geekiest of gear
freaks know of him … well, until now. His
creations are finally starting to circulate.
For example, his McCoy wah replica will
be featured in an upcoming guitar-tone
instructional DVD by Favored Nations artist Doug Doppler.
For the most part, Chase’s outfit is a
one-man operation. His shop is located on
his family’s property, 13 acres of isolated
forest on the highest part of a mountain
near Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The
advantage of this remote locale is that
Chase can crank his creations to Madison
Square Garden levels without getting visits
from the cops. Although he’s already quite
accomplished as a builder, Chase continues
to channel his energies into the pursuit of
sonic nirvana, and to that end he’s currently
pursuing a bachelor’s in electrical engineer-
ing with an emphasis in electronics.
Builder Kyle
Chase with a
replica 1966
Marshall stack and
a late-1960s-era
Fender Stratocaster
repro with reverse neck,
reverse pickups, and
reverse-angle bridge
pickup. Notice the replica
gold slim vents on top of
the amplifier head.
Photo-by-Andy.com
