SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby Texican65 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 6:24 pm

Wow....that is amazing! Post a little clip of how that thing sounds some time! Bill put me in contact with his brother awhile back and Bud also built me a battery-box for my Baldwin.....it works/looks/sounds/ KILLER!!! Thanks to both Bill and Bud for being stand-up men always.

Dow
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby MitchC » Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:03 pm

Thanks Dow. Incredible amp.

"I'm not worthy.... I'm not worthy".... Seriously. I AM a committed Chet-nut and can do OK with of a lot his material, but not up to par with most other guys I hear out there doing Chet stuff. But it's my love and passion.

Woke up this morning and thanked God for the opportunities He's put in my path. I just stared at the amp, and nearly teared up with overwhelming joy and gratitude. I'm a blessed man for sure.

I am dedicating the rest of my playing days to nothing but Chet's arrangements, and other's variations of them. Going to sqeeze every last drop of my given talent to becoming the very best I can within my skill limits.

In trying to figure out the 'magic' sound of this amp, it's like there are different or NO overtones...or different harmonic emphasis or .. 'something'. I don't know amp tech talk so maybe someone can explain why this amp design is so darn appealing ? Can only say, it's not like ANY other amp I've ever played through. Bad thing is, it seems to magnify my mistakes due to the purity of tone I guess ?

Dunno... I DO know I LOVE it dearly and thank Richard for putting me in touch with Bud, and Bud for a tremendous labor of love and talent. He's a genius in my book! ...not to mention He could probably write detailed re-entry procedures for the Shuttle.... and better packed box(s) I've never received. WOW... service WAY above and beyond the call of duty for sure !

Sound clips to come as soon as possible. I can already tell, this amp is going to be wonderful for recording.

Thanks guys for the congrats !

BTW: Wife is softening on the 'put it under the tree' thing.. YEA !

EDIT: This was actually MY idea to put it under the tree. Here's the scoop:

As for my wife, I probably should clear up on my post about that. Long story, but I did not tell her about the Parkel until a few days before it’s arrival. With Christmas coming up, she’d ask frequently what I wanted. I’d day ‘nothing’ I have Christmas all year long, buying / selling stuff LOL. So finally she asked “Did you buy yourself something ?”, I fessed up, and told her yes, but we can put it under the tree from you to me. She liked that idea.

Then when it came and she saw me struggling with putting it together, getting it working (1 tube not seated properly, and remember ,I'm the guy who can barely change a light bulb! ;-) ) and then me playing it half the night, she could see how stressed, then overjoyed I was. I told her I could not put it back in the box as the way it was made, and full of packing stuff. She said , oh honey, just put it where you want it in your room and I’ll put a bow on top on Christmas morning.

Wanted to clear up the 'witchy wife' thing. She's a sweetheart and the love and joy of my life and has always been extremely supportive of this crazy passion. :D
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby bill park » Sat Dec 08, 2012 6:23 pm

Mitch, congrats on getting Bud's last one...there's eight others of us out here that know your feeling (seven of the nine have made ChetBoard posts at one time or another). I couldn't be more proud of brother Bud in what he can accomplish electronically. I'm sure he gets frustrated trying to explain capacitors and diodes to me - I don't know what he's talking about. My only consolation is that I can play circles around him on the guitar... :lol: But then, he plays a right-handed guitar upside down and backwards (he's left-handed but learned on a right-handed guitar), so I can't expect him to nail the Chet licks...!
Not only do you now have a great amp, Mitch, but it sounds as if you have a wonderful (and understanding) wife as well. Glad she relented on the "put it away until Dec.25" idea...A great Christmas for you, indeed - Merry!
Best wishes, Bill
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby MitchC » Sat Dec 15, 2012 4:40 pm

Thanks Bill ! Still marveling over this beauty :D and the fact that this may be the last one Bud builds.

AND...today, just for grins, plugged in my Godin Duet Ambiance Nylon and MAN, it sounded GREAT ! Guess I'll be selling my Fishman Loudbox along with the Gretsch Executive also !

LOVE THIS AMP ! Thanks BUD !
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby ParkelCEO » Sat Dec 15, 2012 11:50 pm

Hello ChetBoard!

I thought it time that I chimed in here and thanked everyone for their comments but set the record straight on a few things.

Six years ago, my brother Bill asked “Could you copy the design of an amplifier if you had the schematic?” I replied that, no, it wouldn't be possible unless you had a lot more information than a wiring diagram – or a real one to copy. A friend of Bill’s had an original 1954 Standel 25L15 and was gracious enough to loan it to me so that I could attempt to build an identical clone amp. Long story short, I was successful. Bill and I A-B’d the finished clone to the original Standel and were delighted with the results. Then when they learned what we were doing, a few of Bill's guitar-playing friends and acquaintances came forward with, “I gotta have one of those!” So I made a few more... I thought the project was finally finished last year with Richard's. Then I decided the spare set of chassis I had built might as well be in a cabinet, and Mitch's came to life. So now the 6-year project has finally run its course and wound down.

Guys, I appreciate all the lavish praise; it makes me feel great that everyone is so happy with their amps. But I also feel like a lot of this praise is misdirected. I didn't design these things, I simply built the design crafted by Bob Crooks more than 60 years ago. The sound coming out of the Parkel clones isn't my doing – anyone with electronics building skill who had either the schematics and drawings or an original amp could have done the same. In fact, several others – Chuck S., Brian I., Tim M., Lorenz S., and a few others that I know of have built 25L15 clones.

So, fellows, keep Mr. Crooks in mind when you rave about the sound coming from your Parkels - HE's the genius behind them, not me. And Bill has to take a lot of the credit, too - for getting me started on this project in the first place!

I didn't put “Standel” labels on my clones for a couple reasons – first, they'd be counterfeits, and second, Standel is back in business building their own “Vintage Plus” reissues (which aren't exact copies of the original 1950's 25L15, by the way – they're significantly modernized internally).

When deciding on a name to put on our clones, Bill’s wife came up with “Parkel”, (pronounced “Par-KEL”, rhymes with “Standel”). We joked of it as being a fictitious “company” with me as the only employee...who is now going to enjoy his retirement!

Thanks again, everyone, and merry Christmas and happy new year to all!

Bud Park
Parkel CEO, Electronics Technician, Carpenter, & Janitor
Berryton, Kansas
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby MitchC » Fri Apr 19, 2013 7:01 pm

Bud. LOVE the amp and thanks for selling it to me !

Just finished 3 tunes with it. First 3 on the soundcloud site here:

https://soundcloud.com/mitchc-1
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Re: SO giddy I can't stand it ! - PARKEL #9

Postby rhudson » Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:34 pm

Mitch, your playing is fine, and I do mean fine. That Parkel amp just brings out the good quality of your most excellent playing. I am convinced, if I may say so without sounding haughty or boastful, that you and I and the very few others that own one of these amps that Bud has made, have absolutely the best possible amp that anyone could have for playing the Chet style. As I stated before, barring a calamity of some sort, this wonderful amp will be among the few possessions I leave behind when you guys march respectfully by and think to yourself that at least you don't have to listen to my noise anymore.

Bud Park is a Gentleman of the highest order, and his workmanship and electronic skills are unbelievable. His attention to the very smallest detail is very hard to find in today's hurry up world. Recently Doyle Dykes and his son, Caleb, were in Chickasha, OK for a concert. Lynn Walker asked me to come over and play in his Cowboy Church band as a warm up before Doyle came on. Caleb didn't have an amp to play through, so I volunteered my Parkel. He punched a note as soon as he plugged in and said, "Wow!" Needless to say he was a happy kid. Doyle noticed the beautiful sound coming from the amp also and even commented about it. Well, about 2 weeks ago, Doyle came by my home church in Ardmore for the Sunday evening service. He said, "Hey, do you have an amp I can play through?" He was winking as he said it, so I knew exactly what he meant. He just went on and on about the amp and told me how lucky I was to have it, and I wish you could have seen the disappointment on his face when I told him the last one had already been built. I brought the amp to the CAAS last summer, and a couple of the other guys besides me played through it at the Thursday nite concert that was a tribute to our friend, Paul Yandell. That was my one new toy that I wish I could have showed to Paul. I know he would have liked it. Everyone played great that night, but it seemed empty at the last for Paul not to be there to share in the good times. I wish we could have done it earlier when he was feeling good and could have played a couple of tunes at the last to show us all how it's supposed to be done. Time has made it a little easier, but I still miss Paul. A lot.

Bud, you have done something for the few of us that are enjoying your handiwork, that is a true treasure. Speaking for myself, I want to publicly thank you for building #7 specifically for me. I will always treasure it and hopefully it will help me to become a better guitar player.

Thanks,
Richard
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