Tone King Galaxy User Manual
Tone King
Tone King
Tone King Tone King
“Galaxy”
“Galaxy”
“Galaxy”“Galaxy”
User’s Manual
User’s Manual
User’s Manual User’s Manual
1.0 7/26/2013
Tone King Amplifiers
A division of Premier Builders Guild LLC
4401 Eastern Avenue, Bldg 46-3G, Box 38
Baltimore, Maryland 21224
www.toneking.com
mail@toneking.com
Note from the Builder
Note from the Builder
Note from the BuilderNote from the Builder
Thank you for choosing Tone King’s “Galaxy” model guitar amplifier. I designed the
original Galaxy in 1995, as a higher powered follow-on to the 40W Continental model.
It was introduced at the 1996 NAMM show (see photo below) as a head with matching
4x12 cabinet. The speaker cabinet was derived from the Continental design, a
trapezoid shaped open back cabinet which rested on 4 tapered wooden legs. This
Galaxy amp had a sparkling clean tone with
tons of headroom, and a searing crunch
tone that was unbelievably loud for a 60W.
I only built about 2 dozen of these monsters
before I discontinued the model and
radically changed the product line in 1997.
Then, in 2010, I went back to the bench to
design a new 60W amp. The idea was to
feature that big, thick, chimey 6L6 sound
with tons of headroom, almost like a bit
more manageable version of a Dual
Showman. I did a lot of work with the
output stage, output transformer, and power supply to get the tone and feel just right. I
ended up with a cathode biased 4x6L6 design, with no negative feedback, that does
some pretty amazing things. For one, the clean tone has a nice thickness to the mids,
with a real weight to each note, and a sweetness to the top end that gives it plenty of
'air' on top without sounding too bright.
When you crank it up, you get that growl and
"kerrang!" of an old Bassman or early JTM45.
You can even if you crank it up a bit more for
a nice thick singing crunch, and still turn
back your guitar's volume control to get a
sparkly clean without a hint of grit.
Although this new design is quite different
and more refined than the old Galaxy of
1995, it does have roughly the same features
and layout. The main difference between the
two is that this new Galaxy is paired with a
more practical and manageable 2x12 cabinet,
instead of the original 4x12. As always, I
put a fair amount of effort into voicing this
new 2x12 for the optimum combination of
big-iron blackface cleans and punchy Bassman growl.
I thank you for your purchase of the Galaxy amplifier, and I hope you enjoy playing it
as much as I do.
Best Regards,
Mark Bartel
Tone King Amplifiers, a division of Premier Builders Guild LLC
1
Safety Instructions (Impor
Safety Instructions (Important !)
Safety Instructions (ImporSafety Instructions (Impor
1. Please read these instructions, and keep them for reference.
2. Please follow all instructions described here.
3. Do not use this apparatus near water.
4. Clean only with a dry cloth.
5. Do not block any ventilation openings.
6. Do not operate near any heat sources such as radiators or heat registers.
7. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at the plugs
and at the point where they exit from the apparatus.
8. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
9. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
10. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the
apparatus has been damaged in any way. For example, if the power supply cord or
plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the
apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has
been dropped.
11. CAUTION: To disconnect the unit completely from the MAINS, unplug the unit.
Turning the power switch off does not disconnect the unit completely from the MAINS.
tant !)
tant !)tant !)
2
Contents
Contents
ContentsContents
1. Front Panel Controls 4
Two Preamp Channels – Lead and Rhythm 4
Rhythm Channel 4
Lead Channel 5
Reverb 6
Tremolo (Rate & Depth) 6
2. Back Panel Controls 7
AC Power 7
Fuse 7
Power Switch, Standby Switch 7
Footswitch 7
Speaker Jacks, Impedance Switch 8
Bypass Jack 8
3. Tube Installation and Replacement 9
Choice of Tube Types and Brands 9
Rectifier Tube V10 9
Notes on Currently Available Tubes 10
Alternate Tube Choices 10
Installing Tubes 11
Replacing Output Tubes 11
Tube Quality 11
4. Warranty 12
3
1. Front Panel Controls
1. Front Panel Controls
1. Front Panel Controls1. Front Panel Controls
Two Preamp Channels
Two Preamp Channels ———— Lead and Rhythm
Two Preamp Channels Two Preamp Channels
The Galaxy has two separate preamplifier channels, each with its own unique voicing.
You can switch between the channels with either the “Lead/Rhythm” switch (on the
front panel) or with the “Channel” switch on the footswitch. When using the footswitch,
you should set the front panel switch to the “Rhythm” position. You’ll notice that the
LED on the footswitch indicates the channel selected. When the LED is lit, the Lead
channel is selected. When the LED is not lit, the Rhythm channel is selected.
Rhythm Channel
Rhythm Channel
Rhythm ChannelRhythm Channel
Lead and Rhythm
Lead and Rhythm Lead and Rhythm
The Rhythm channel includes controls for Volume, Treble, and Bass. This channel is
designed to deliver a “vintage 1960’s clean tone” – the type of tone you might associate
with a well known brand of amplifier made in California during that period. This tone
is characterized by a crisp, present top end, a slightly “scooped” midrange, and a full
bottom end.
The Bass and Treble controls act much like they would on a genuine vintage amp of
this type. The Galaxy is a bit unique in that you’ll find a wide range of usable tones at
just about any setting of the Bass and Treble controls, but here are a few sample
settings to get you started:
1960s Clean Tone
1960s Clean Tone
1960s Clean Tone 1960s Clean Tone
Volume Treble Bass
“Pushed” Clean Tone
“Pushed” Clean Tone
“Pushed” Clean Tone “Pushed” Clean Tone
3 4
Volume Treble Bass
6 3
6
3
4
Loading...