TopHat

TopHat

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Also known as: Top Hat, Top Hat Amps, TopHat Amplifiers, Top Hat Amplifiers, TopHat Amplification

Unclaimed

TopHat Amps is a boutique guitar amplifier maker founded in 1994 by Brian Gerhard, originally based in Anaheim, California before relocating to North Carolina in 2005. Every amp is hand-built to order using all-tube, point-to-point wired construction, with circuits rooted in classic British and American designs but re-voiced with Gerhard's own tweaks to tolerances and tone shaping.

The lineu...

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TopHat Amps is a boutique guitar amplifier maker founded in 1994 by Brian Gerhard, originally based in Anaheim, California before relocating to North Carolina in 2005. Every amp is hand-built to order using all-tube, point-to-point wired construction, with circuits rooted in classic British and American designs but re-voiced with Gerhard's own tweaks to tolerances and tone shaping.

The lineup spans the Club Series — the brand's best-known line, available in various wattages and combo or head formats — along with the Club Royale, King Royale, Super Deluxe, Emplexador (a Marshall-inspired Plexi-style amp), and Vanderbilt models, plus matching speaker cabinets and Custom Shop builds. TopHat also offers extensive custom options, letting buyers specify cosmetics and spec-level details on most orders.

The amps have earned a reputation in boutique circles for EL84- and EL34-driven chime and crunch, and are frequently discussed on forums like The Gear Page and the Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue. TopHat competes in a similar space to Matchless, Bad Cat, and Dr. Z — small-shop, hand-wired amps aimed at players seeking vintage-flavored tones with modern build quality.

TopHat has 5 products cataloged on Equipboard, including Combo Guitar Amplifiers and Guitar Amplifier Heads. Their gear is featured by 10 artists, with the strongest followings in Rock and Pop. Notable users include Taylor York, Shane Moran, and Kerry McCoy.

Artists Who Use TopHat

Taylor York uses 1 TopHat product

Taylor York

Guitarist · Paramore

Shane Moran uses 1 TopHat product

Shane Moran

Guitarist · Title Fight

Kerry McCoy uses 1 TopHat product

Kerry McCoy

Guitarist · Deafheaven

Justin Beck uses 1 TopHat product

Justin Beck

Guitarist · Glassjaw

Walter Schreifels uses 1 TopHat product

Walter Schreifels

Singer, Guitarist · Gorilla Biscuits

Drew Shirley uses 1 TopHat product

Drew Shirley

Guitarist · Switchfoot

Michael Ward uses 1 TopHat product

Michael Ward

Guitarist · The Wallflowers

Erik Petersen uses 1 TopHat product

Erik Petersen

Guitarist · Balance and Composure

Rick Maguire uses 1 TopHat product

Rick Maguire

Singer, Guitarist

Nick Steinborn uses 1 TopHat product

Nick Steinborn

Guitarist, Drummer · The Wonder Years

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