Jens Ritter Encore: a $40,000 Deluxe Amp
As the price tag mentioned in the title suggests, the Encore guitar amplifier, complete with a stylish 2x12 cabinet, is one of the Rolls-Royces of this product category. In addition to the truly extravagant look and purist tube concept, the workshops of German boutique company Jens Ritter Instruments relied on premium components, hand-soldered using the point-to-point method, and last but not least, exclusive materials.
The gold-coated control knobs of this two-channel head are set with blue sapphires, the tubes sit in 18k white gold tubular covers, and the names of famous guitarists are engraved into the polished stainless steel chassis. Above all, the instrument offers clean vintage registers and is sonically inspired by Jens Ritter's popular Fender Bassman and Dumble Classic versions. The Encore is part of a limited edition run of just three units per year, as it takes approximately six to seven months to build a single unit.
In addition to the 50s and 60s style visuals, flawless workmanship and superior sound quality with plenty of harmonic components, the Encore has 58 watts of RMS output, the two channels can be mixed together, a switchable serial effects loop processes the signal with absolute sound neutrality and the amplifier's mains voltage can be switched between 120V and 240V.
The cabinet has two different 12-inch speakers: a Jensen model with an open back for a warmer and more resonant sound, and an Electro-Voice speaker housed in a bass-reflex system that delivers punchy and dense low frequencies. The two-speaker setup allows for individual or combined operation. Each unit is supplied in a custom-made air case and with high-end speaker cables, and the brand states that it is able to accommodate a variety of modifications at the customer's request, without increasing the base price.
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