DreamAmp

Last month a Butler Swamp 50 amp went up for sale here on eBay, and I saw it after the auction expired (it didn’t sell). I contacted the seller, but he had already sold it. Now the same amp has reappeared on eBay, and the seller is asking $9,995 for it.

If you’ve seen that (or other auctions), just make sure you do your homework. Swamp amps are rare and hard to find, but new Max never sold a Swamp 50 head for more than $995.00. These are hand wired point to point amps – don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to find a P2P boutique amp from a good builder for less than a few thousand nowadays. Anyone who buys that amp should not be unhappy with it. However, if it sells – it should be on the merits of the amp itself, and not any false claims.

Because not many people know what a Butler amp is, I’ve seen sellers try and compare it with other amps (Dumble). I’ve also seen them list famous guitar players that play it, and those are usually semi-false claims as well.

Here are some things you should know:

• Max sold Butler Swamp 50 heads for $995.00
• They are based on his improvement of the Fender Bassman circuit (and nothing like a Dumble in my opinion)
• These are absolutely stunning awesome amps, but nowhere near worth $10,000.00. Compare it with other hand wired amps or even high end amps (Z, Two Rock) – asking that much is just outrageous.

In addition – Eric Johnson never owned or played a Swamp (or any Butler amp). Max built him a Silver Hammer 100 watt head (based on the Marshall Plexi circuit) and mailed him one in the 80’s. As the amp made it’s way across the country Guitar Player came out with a cover story and Eric was made famous. His manager told him to stick with his original sound and rig – and not use new amps. Eric played the Silver Hammer one time, then boxed it up and mailed it back to Max with a nice letter.

Also Billy Gibbons never owned or played any Butler amp. Max built Billy one by request (of Washburn), and was supposed to deliver it to him in Chicago. Max bought a brand new cargo van and picked it up from the dealership the same day he had to deliver the amp. He started out on the road about an hour before dark, and when night fell he couldn’t get the lights on the van to come on. He ended up having to turn around and drive home in the dark (with no headlights). He never got to deliver that amp, and Billy never played it (or saw it for that matter). That amp was also a Silver Hammer.

So it’s only true to say that Max “built amps” for both Eric Johnson and Billy Gibbons. As far as the one for C.C. Deville – he did purchase and accept that amp. Sources close to him have said it stayed in his Hollywood apartment a few years, and then got sold (we know who has it now). It was never played in public or on tour or record (that we know of).

The image above is Andy Brenner’s Sledge amp head, which he recently acquired. Somehow, over the year this Max Butler amp found it’s way over to Germany. Andy said he believed the amp was from an American soldier, who had lived in Germany. Inside the amp it says it was built in 1982, and the serial number is #028065808.

Andy first emailed about obtaining the Butler Sledge (Plexi style) amp in January of this year, and he’s been playing it as his gigging amp since he received it. I asked him for a brief review of what he thinks so far, and this is what he had to say:

“First of all “Killer Amp”. From clean, to rock ‘n roll, Zeppelin, ZZ Top – Eaaaaaaaaaasy to do. The Best Amp Ive ever played, And I’ve had many. I’ve got a Youtube link where you can watch it. I am The Singer with the Blond Gibson ES347.
Behind me is the Butler with a 4×12 Marshall cab(Loaded with Vintage 30’s).

Right now I play a 2×12 Cab with Tone Tubbys (incredible speakers). Mr. Butler makes real “Kick Ass” amps, and maybe his amps will receive the same status as a Dumble. I am Looking for a second “Sledge” (as a spare for mine).

I Highly recommended Mr Butlers Products”

Here are 3 videos of Andy Brenner playing his Butler Sledge with “The Blues Pilots” in Germany (he’s in the middle with his Butler Sledge and 4×12 behind him):

Here’s another amp that Max Built early on (that we don’t have many pictures of….just yet) called the “Sledge”. This is a 50 watt sledge stack. The cabinets contain EVM-12 speakers, and the head is 50 watt (Marshall Plexi style).

This amp is dated being built 5/1/1978 and has serial #00665.

In the last video you saw a Telecaster plugged straight into the Butler Swamp amp with no effects at all. The Swamp amp is Max Butler’s modded version of the classic Fender Bassman circuit, and you can hear the incredible tone of the amp in that video. If you are into classic rock or blues, this is definitely an incredible sounding tube guitar amp you have to see in person to believe.

But one thing we sometimes forget to point out is how versatile the amp really is. Sure you can get the classic “plugged straight in” sound, but the Swamp amp is incredibly pedal friendly as well. You can add guitar effects to your input signal directly (like I do), or through the effects loop input on the back of the amp.

My name is John, and I maintain the website for Max – and I play in a cover band that does rock, country, blues, dance music, alternative, 80’s songs, just about everything. I use my Butler Swamp amp live on gigs with my pedal board to sound like everything from Van Halen to modern country. I use a Route 66 distortion for both classic and modern rock, and I use an OCD for more JCM like sounds. The Swamp is great with both Tube Screamer and Echoplex type preamp boosts (like Xotic pedals) for leads.

Where some guitar players need both a Marshall and Fender amp, I get everything I need from my Butler Swamp amp and it’s only one channel. It has sustain, definition, and clarity you just don’t see in other amps.

Here’s a video of my band with the Swamp:

If you want to see other songs and video with various pedal combinations on the Swamp you can view everything from ZZ Top to Honky Tonk Woman and Poison here.

Do you have a video of you playing a Butler amp live on stage? If the video clearly shows the amp and you playing, we’d love to post it here on the website. Please let us know where to find it.

Here’s a great video of Rudy Wijaya in the City of Industry, California – playing his Telecaster straight into a Max Butler “Swamp 50” amp. I’m sorry, if you play guitar and don’t think that this is tone straight from heaven – I don’t know what to tell ya! Good job Rudy, we hope that you enjoy your Swamp amp as much as it looks like you do!

We don’t often come across Butler amps that are for sale, but every now and again we see one for sale in a forum or on eBay. Max has built nearly 400 amps in the last 30+ years, and many variations of his amps exist, such as a few combos, some 2×12’s, some heads with 4×12 bottoms, and then a lot of heads with 1×12 cabs.

Here’s a couple pics we found recently of one of Max Butler’s Swamp 50 amp heads:

To see more Butler amps, please visit our photos page.

Back in August of 1990 Max Butler built a Silver Hammer amp head for C.C. Deville of Poison. A couple of years back it was for sale first in Hollywood, and then I believe on eBay, and now Chuck Mohelsky in Texas owns it.

The other day we were lucky enough to come across some additional pics online of this amp when it was for sale back in 2008 in Hollywood in a guitar forum, take a look!

This is the inside of the amp head where Max signed it and noted the date and who he built it for:

If you have pics of a butler amp, please submit them for our photo gallery of Butler amps, by using the contact Max form on the about page.

In this interview Max talks about his recent discovery with the Swamp amp – which he’s been building for about 15 years now. If you own one of his Swamp amps – you’ll definitely want to watch this video interview!

Over the years Max has built guitar amps for some very famous people, and he’s had some pretty cool brushes with fame. Some of these have turned out to be what he calls “his greatest disappointments”.

Max talks about the Butler amp he built for Eric Johnson back in the 80’s, the amp he built for Billy Gibbons in ZZ Top, and the Box Car Willie band.

We recently got an email submission from Tyler Ross – who owns in fact two Swamp amps built by Max Butler. He was kind enough to send a nice testimonial as well – and this is what he had to say:

Unlike most the players that have a Butler amp I myself did not have these two made for me, they were built for a family member. from the first time i heard these amps I fell in love with them, and when they were for sale I bought them. there has been multiple time where my family member has tried to by them back (good luck).

I too have had the pleasure of meeting Max, he is one of the nicest guys in this business. he will never say no to an idea, and he is always wanting to hear what you want done. I have owned these amps for five years, and I dont ever plan on selling them. The first time I went to meet Max I had him give me an autograph it still hangs above my amps to this day.

This is Tyler Ross’ submitted pic of his Swam amp stacks:

(click image above to see full size)

This is the autograph Max gave Tyler:

(click image above to see full size)