BW 1969

The BW 1969 was designed around a simple but uncommon idea: two complete power sections, each with its own voice, built to run independently or together. Developed in close collaboration with Butch Walker, the BW 1969 reflects a working musician’s reality. It moves easily between sounds without losing its identity. An amplifier that responds to decisions and translates them directly to the speaker and the artist.

At its core, the BW 1969 features two independent tube power supplies, each fully realized and intentionally different. A pair of EL84s running cathode bias delivers speed, harmonic complexity, and immediacy at 16 watts, while a pair of 6L6s in fixed bias adds authority, control, and low-end stability at 39 watts. Each power section can be used on its own or combined, delivering a total output of 55 watts when run together. When blended, the amp retains the harmonic detail and responsiveness of the EL84s while gaining the weight and firmness of the 6L6 power section. The result is not compromise. It is interaction.

A six-position input gain selector reshapes the front end of the amplifier, changing feel and response rather than simply adding gain. Each position is deliberate, moving from raw, edge-of-breakup tones to thicker drive with strong string separation and harmonic depth. The Treble control includes a push-pull Bright switch, offering additional lift without overcomplicating the signal path.

The BW 1969 includes a fully tube-buffered effects loop, designed to integrate time-based effects while preserving immediacy and feel. A push-pull defeat and Bright option allow the loop to be tailored or removed entirely from the circuit.

The amp is paired with a Divided by Thirteen 2×12F cabinet, loaded with the new Divided by Thirteen 454 speaker, a 40-watt Celestion Greenback built in Celestion’s UK factory. Known for its familiar midrange response and musical breakup, the 454 delivers clarity, compression, and headroom that complement the BW 1969’s dual power design without softening its character.

Every amplifier is handbuilt and point-to-point wired in our California factory, using traditional construction methods and carefully selected components. There are no shortcuts, no automation, and no unnecessary complexity. Each amplifier is built one at a time with intent.

Butch Walker’s work spans genres, roles, and decades, but it has always been rooted in commitment to the song. The BW 1969 was built to support that approach, an amplifier capable of moving between worlds without losing its identity. This is a signature built around how the amp is meant to be used.