The Dual Tone Booster has been discontinued as of May, 2024
dual tone booster, dtb50 & dtb100
The ultimate no compromise, hand-wired, dual channel amps
dual means…
dual channels, each with its own tone controls (Treble, Mid, Bass)
dual tone shift switches
dual bright switches
dual boosts
Two channels with independent tone controls so you can dial in your sound for each channel
Separate tone shift switches for each channel
Separate bright switches for each channel
Two foot switchable boosts on channel 2 (full range and mid emphasis – or two full range boosts)
Foot switchable boost on channel 1
Tube buffered FX loop with Send and Return level controls (Voiced specifically for the amp so that your effects work perfectly with no compromise to your tone)
Three way footswitch, with detachable and easily replaceable cables, control Channel selection, Boost 1 and Boost 2 for five gig-ready tones
Front panel LEDs so you always know which channel is selected
Clean channel is full bodied and chimey and works perfectly with pedals
OD channel goes from a bold, full bodied clean to articulate and focused gain, to sustained overdrive
Two speaker outputs with 4 and 8 ohm selectable impedance (4, 8 and 16 available by request)
Available with two (dtb50) or four (dtb100) 6L6GC output tubes depending on your requirements and preferences
The dtb50 is available in combo format with one Celestion Heritage G12-65 speaker
Back panel bias jacks and trim control so you can easily keep the output tubes biased at the optimum setting as your tubes age
Custom power transformer, output transformers, choke and reinforced aluminum chassis
Most of the signal components hard to find New Old Stock parts carefully selected for the ultimate tone and feel
Description
With its pure tube and no compromise signal path the dtb, dual tone booster (in both the two and four output tube configurations, dtb50 and dtb100) could just be the ultimate hand wired, dual channel amps. Adjectives that people use to describe the amps like sparkle, fullness, compression, body, focused gain, smooth feel, and touch sensitivity. Integral to the design is careful selection of components including resistors, capacitors, transformers, chassis and tubes.
The two versions of the dtb (two and four output tubes) are meticulously voiced and took over two years of tonal development before they were finalized. The amps were built in collaboration with Jim Weider, Tele player extraordinaire and known obsessive tone maven. The main goals were to build hand-wired, tone to the bone channel switching amps with two great souding channels, each with its own dedicated EQ (Treble, Mid and Bass) that sounds and has the right feel for any playing situation whether for recording, live or at-home playing. These amps were put through their paces by Jim in both live and recording situations and the development went on until he was more than satisfied. Jim’s involvement was so deep that his signature is on the back panel.
Colby amps are built to the absolute highest quality standards and are 100% hand-built with care. “My designs tend to have a lot of controls but a few things were of paramount importance to the outcome; the control panel had to be easy to understand and operate; nothing was done if it would compromise tone in any way; and every feature had to be useful.”
For more details on the features and function, please download the owner’s manual.
Update May 2014
Due to their unending search for tonal nirvanna, one and a half years after the dtb was introduced, Jim and Mitch have finally finished developing and perfecting the amp! Here is a list of “improvements” made over the last 18 months:
1) The Clean channel when pushed into overdrive holds tight yet the basic sound is still full and lush. The bright and shift modes have been finely tuned.
2) The OD channel has been refined with slight modification of certain component values and other changes. Improved shift and bright modes. The addition of a “Master/Master” control (unlabeled control in the pic above) allows the user to fine tune the OD channel for the original aggressive, clearly defined feel and tone to a more compressed and sweeter overall tonality.
3) New output transformer on dtb50, slight change to FX loop tonality, finely tuned parts selection.
4) The dtb50 is available as a 1×12″ combo with a Celestion Heritage G12-65 speaker.
5) NOS parts in crucial parts of the signal path.
Update March 2015!
A new, extremely useful feature has been added to the “dual tone booster“. It’s a full-range boost on the clean channel. It is controlled by the Boost 2 foot and front panel switches. This is an often requested feature that can be used to increase volume when playing at low levels, push the clean channel into mild overdrive when playing a mid levels or to provide crunch when already pushing the clean channel into power amp distortion.
Update 2019
A second bass boost has been added to channel 2 using a push-pull pot on channel 2’s Treble control.
dtb50
Dimensions: (W) 21 1/2″, (D) 9 1/2″, (H) 12″ (head shell is 10″, add 1″ for feet and 1″ for handle in down position)
Weight: 34 lbs.
Power: 50 Watts
Tubes: five 12ax7, two 6L6GC
Front panel controls and switches:
Clean channel: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Bright, Mid Shift
OD channel: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Gain, Master, “Master-Master” (unlabeled), Bright, Mid Shift, Bass Boost, Gain Boost 1, Gain Boost 2
Common: Channel Switch, Presence
Back panel controls and switches: On/Off, Standby, Bias jacks, Bias trim pot, Impedance selector, two speaker outputs, optional half power switch, FX send and Return level controls , FX Send and Return jacks, Foot switch jacks (as of March 2015 a 5 pin DIN connector will replace the two 1/4″ jacks for connecting the foot switch)
Price: $4,500
The dtb50 is available in a combo with one 12″ Celestion Heritage G12-65 speaker. Price for the combo is $4,500
dtb100
Dimensions: (W) 21 1/2″, (D) 9 1/2″, (H) 12″ (head shell is 10″, add 1″ for feet and 1″ for handle in down position)
Weight: 36 lbs.
Power: 85 Watts
Tubes: five 12ax7, four 6L6GC
Front panel controls and switches:
Clean channel: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Bright, Mid Shift
OD channel: Volume, Treble, Mid, Bass, Gain, Master, “Master-Master” (unlabeled), Bright, Mid Shift, Bass Boost, Gain Boost 1, Gain Boost 2
Common: Channel Switch, Presence
Back panel controls and switches: On/Off, Standby, Bias jacks, Bias trim pot, Impedance selector, two speaker outputs, optional half power switch, FX send and Return level controls , FX Send and Return jacks, Foot switch jacks (as of March 2015 a 5 pin DIN connector will replace the two 1/4″ jacks for connecting the foot switch)
Price: $4,800
Dual Tone Booster Cabinets
The companion 1×12 and 2×12 speaker cabinets were developed at the same time as the dtb heads so that they work together to produce the ultimate tone (according to Mitch and Jim!). The Celestion Heritage G12-65 speakers were chosen specifically for the sound the amps produce. The 1×12 is appropriate for the dtb50 and the 2×12 will work with both the dtb50 and dtb100. We chose sizes that are easy to transport, but big enough to produce big tones. The 2×12 can be used horizontally or vertically (please specify when you order so I can place the logo correctly).
1×12 Speaker Cabinet
Speaker: Celestion G12-65, 8 ohm
Dimensions: (W) 21 5/8″, (D) 10 1/5″, (H) 19″
Weight: 34 lbs.
Wood: ¾” pine
Back Panel: ½” birch ply
Baffle: ½” birch ply
Recommended For: dtb50
Price: $725
2×12 Speaker Cabinet
Speaker: Two Celestion G12-65s, 16 ohm, wired in parallel for a total of 8 ohms
Dimensions (Horizontal): (W) 26 1/2″, (D) 11″, (H) 21 5/8″
Dimensions (Vertical): (W) 21 5/8″, (D) 11″, (H) 26 1/2″
Weight: 45 lbs.
Wood: ¾” pine
Back Panel: ½” birch ply
Baffle: ½” birch ply
Recommended For: dtb50 or dtb100
Price: $900
