Reviews

“This new amp is just tearing it up for me. I wanted to relate my experience with Jelle Welagen and the new 50 watt Overdrive Special I received. Personally, I have gotten to know Jelle as an expert in delivering to me an incredible musical instrument.

I also own a 100 watt Overdrive Special that I purchased in 1986. My new Welagen is based on it, but is really beyond that. Jelle and I had many conversations about what I was looking for, and he came up with several great ideas for the amp which are making it great right now as I get to know this new animal. The result is an amp that is delivering classic warm, smooth cleans, and complex overdrive sounds. I’ve been trying different settings, and have found it impossible to get a bad sound. It may sound a bit over the top, but I’m experiencing an amp that is even more touch sensitive and more vibrant. It’s also dead quiet. I ordered the head version, 70’s style with a 1×12 cab I made for it.

Well, if anyone out there is considering a new amp, I would whole heartedly recommend getting in touch with Jelle. He is an absolute gentleman who knows of what he is doing, great experience, great amp.”

Chuck, USA – Welagen Overdrive Special

“Awesome tones! The cleans are so tight and percussive. SRV territory! Who needs reverb! I don’t even notice its not there. Excellent work! I must thank you again for your work on the amp.

I’m not even a week in and still feel as tho I haven’t scratched the surface. I have been playing pretty much non stop since I got it. I have not found an unusable tone. It truly is an instrument not just an amp. It’s accompanies the guitar not just amplifies it. Can’t quite believe it, have never had an amp close to this. Keep up the great work!

Overdrive is great. Gritty and mean. Its 3 dimensional.. which I have heard described before but have never really experienced. Still haven’t and don’t think I will touch it with reverb. Just doesn’t need it. Humbuckers = Woah!! Got some serious Beano tones in that thing! Woman tone for days. My bone stock 04′ tele kills it with the amp as well. Straight up rock and roll! By the way the amp is really starting to open up. Like a fine wine, it’s getting better with time! Still as happy to turn it on as I was the first time. Thanks again!”

Greg, USA – Welagen Overdrive Special

“With a Strat, you get the sweetest clean tones I’ve ever heard in an amp. Huge bell-like chime with a fast responsive attack. Kick in the FET boost and you’ll be in SRV territory. The reverb is so lush that it’s criminal! It’s like your tone is swimming in a beautiful shimmering glow…by far the most usable reverb I’ve ever experienced.

With my 335 or Les Paul you get this beautiful clean feedback tone that is just wild! The gain channel takes off where the clean leaves off… very open and natural. Your guitar sounds like it should; a Strat sounds like a Strat, a Les Paul like a Les Paul etc.

My amp is definately NOT a fusion mush box, this puppy is a gut-punching harmonically-rich monster! Sounds to me like a great old Twin Reverb that has been hit by harmonic lightning bolt, then doused in gasoline! Hats off to you Jelle, you delivered what you promised me!”

Justin, USA – Welagen Overdrive Reverb

“Jelle, the amp arrived safely and I put it thru its paces tonight. I am very impressed with your ability to capture exactly what I was looking for out of the amp. It has exceeded my expectations thus far and I can envision the amp getting even better as it breaks in. For having played it only 4 hours tonight, it just might be the best amp I have played right out of the box. I am amazed with the sonic quality of both the clean and dirty even at bedroom levels. I’ve never had both clean and dirty sound this great. Its usually one or the other. Thanks for a great experience all the way around!”

Mike, USA – Welagen Overdrive Special

“Ok so I’ve been living with this little gem for almost two weeks now and have to say: Jelle you have cracked the code on Mr. D’s infamous tone. 50 watts set up with NOS 6L6 WGB JAN spec from Phillips. I tried several speakers EVM 12L, Celestions and settled on Austin Speaker Works KTS 70 rated at 80 watts. Wow, Clean tone is 3 dimensional with lots of glass. Note separation is incredible. There’s this thing with the mid range which is hard to explain. A hollow open right to the center of the note. Stunning. Every control is so responsive to a small adjustment. Lightening fast response, touch sensitivity second to none and I’ve tried a lot of the amps that claim the closest yet to Alexanders’ throne. Good but not like this. I’m just scratching the surface. Kudos to you my friend you really are on to something here. Already plotting on the next one. Thank you for being available to discuss what I wanted out of every tone in this work of art.”

Ron, USA – Welagen Overdrive Special

“The amp was packed bullet proof,thank you for going to the extra trouble of using 2 boxes. The amp looks awesome. Im really happy with the final cosmetics and the extra green plastic sleeves on the switches are extra “tres-cool”. Everything exudes an air of high quality and the amp looks very “pro” without going overboard. Im a big fan of stylishness through simplicity. I can honestly say that I have not heard anything like it. The clean tone is amazing and the way it responds dynamically is incredible. The overdrive is very organic and I love how both channels respond when rolling back the volume knob on the guitar.

Let me start by saying that this amp is like nothing I’ve ever encountered before.

The clean channel (with single coils) sounds almost like a piano, so articulate and rich in harmonics. I was always looking for a tone which would bring me the sustain of an overdriven amp with the ability to play complex chord voicings at the same time. The clean channel on this amp does just that. BTW, Im running through a Dumble style open back 1×12 cab with an EVm 12l (reissue) or an Austin Speaker Works 2×12 (closed back) with KTS-70’s.

Overdriven channel (I have my overdrive set just past edge of break-up) almost has a horn like quality and very dynamic. Your picking determines how aggressive you want the tone to be, and this is without even touching the volume on the guitar. Also the thing that I love about this amp is that every position on my Suhr C1 is usable (even middle pickup). Notes are articulate, have “girth” and no setting is harsh or thin sounding. The master volume is very effective making this amp sound great even at bedroom levels. It does however start to sing as you turn it up.Today I put a reverb and delay pedal (both from Wampler) into the effects loop and the tone (clean with a strat) is incredible !!! I think now I I know exactly what people mean when they say 3D when discussing tonal qualities of an amp. Also the way this amp reacts to guitars volume knob is great. Still harmonically rich at lower volumes and still retains a lot of its “girth” Wow !!!

Overall, a killer amp with an amazing tone. Even after a couple of months of owning this thing I am still finding new settings and tones.

Jelle, thank you once again. The whole process was a new experience for me and one which I enjoyed very much. Im really happy how it turned out”

Jakec, Australia – Welagen Overdrive Special

“The Welagen Overdrive Reverb Special really lends itself to the different sounds of each individual type of guitar. Nice creamy overdrive that’s really feeding the tone on any volume. The overdrive has a smoothness that I’ve never heard before, but it is also crystal clear at the same time. You can hear every note in the chord that you are playing.
As for the versatility of the amp, I think that it will cover the gambit of any music style that you like to play. Most amps display their signature tone at only one target volume, this one maintains its character at every volume level.”

Eric, the Netherlands – Welagen Overdrive Reverb

“My New Welagen: Excuse the preamble, but I have only played for 18 years (now 35 y/o). My knowledge of amps is limited, but I do know what I like tone wise. I love my Diaz CD-30, and I love my new Welagen. This is an amp that gives me that ah-ha satisfaction. The kind that has brought me into a new world of tones, some of which I have strived for, but never could achieve.

Besides Jelle being one of the kindest and most humbling individuals you will meet, he is also one of the smartest and most informative when it comes to building custom amps. His amps are definitely instruments unto themselves. The group of amps that I tried would attract fans of Blackface, D-style, Marshall and then some, while keeping things minimalist, but can achieve the wide spectrum of tones. Interestingly, I wasn’t really looking for a D-style amp per say. Having experienced Jelle’s tech work on my original Diaz combo, I was curious about what he had to offer. Props already given to Jelle for improving the work of the amp doctor himself, no disrespect intended to the late/great Cesar.

There were 6 different versions of Welagen ODS amps that I tested. Yes, there were the legit D-inspired amps for the LC/RF, SRV and Santana thing, but I bonded with something different. I tried everything from the classic smooth thing to raw, but ended up connecting with an EL-34 model (it can take other tubes as well) based on an early 80’s inspired ODS low plate that can do everything. In the end, it really does achieve many of the tones from the other amps that I tried. It sounds big, watery cleans, very tasteful OD, and proper boost. Cleans can be watery, glassy to horn like, to whatever you desire. Drive and PAB is an oasis of sustain. The amp is really tweakable on both ends, and messing with compression is fun. It is the J Water that kills as a buffered effects loop. Guitar into amp alone is just amazing. I thought I settled on a particular sound with the amp…yeah right, I keep finding new tones with different settings. It is a no lose situation. Again, it is so minimalist but covers much ground. Organic overdrive! FET channel is sick. I can keep going, but people should/are starting to take note of these outstanding amps.

Here is a list of bottom lines about my amp.

• 1. Cleans up really, really well with od and od with boost.
• 2. The amp sustains like no other (clean, low gain and high gain)…crying/singing bends.
• 3. Very dynamic, responsive, controllable and 3D. The feedback is musical.
• 4. Defines plug in and play, no need for reverb (never thought I’d see that day).
• 5. Genuinely achieves outstanding bedroom level tones.
• 6. Brings out the best qualities and characteristics of my guitars and excellent note separation.
• 7. Loves all of the pedals I have tried in front and in the loop
• 8. Very quiet/not noisy even when set to very high gain
• 9. Not just a D-thang. 60’s rock, 70’s, 80’s…(Old Garcia/Allman, Krieger, ZZ TOP, Kimock cleans, W. Haynes, Angus, F/C, Hendrix etc.) I cannot emphasize enough how many tones I can get that epitomize the best examples of them, yet still original.
• 10. The cleans are really adjustable and cut nicely (try the FET channel too).
• 11. A renaissance amp that just does a bit of everything really well.

I’ve played Jelle’s strat into my ODS and its sounds ridiculous. I have been playing hollow bodies, mostly ones that are true hollow, but it loves all my guitars and pedals (if need be) too. It loves people playing it. Add dirt to your clean, or clean to your dirt, it is achievable with the amps controls and/or your hands due to its touch sensitivity. I sound like me with some great isms (fender, marshall, D) but it is all organic and is its own thing. Get one!”

Nick, USA – Welagen Overdrive Special