One thing you might want to consider is looking at all of the
existing tube amp offerings from the various manufacturers and finding out what they are lacking from model to model. There has to be something other than brand loyalty that makes someone get a Mesa 400+ over an SVT for instance, and then there are amps like the Trace V8 on the used market that are coveted over the stuff that can be had new.
My dream tube amp feature set is found in the Peavey Classic 400. If I were designing a tube amp, that would be my starting point because a lot of the others seem to be one trick rock ponies. I appreciate the simplicity of something like the Orange AD200, but at two grand I really want more than just "that is such great tone". I'd hype the versatility to make it easier to stomach the purchase, which would result in changes in the following areas:
Form factor: The first thing I'd do is offer lighter weight 200 and/or 300 watt versions to go with the 400. I would for sure make a version in its own case and a version that's rackable because you'll never satisfy everyone by picking one over the other and it's easy to offer both. For the "case" version I would put real handles on, none of this spring loaded side handle junk. The "case" version would come with endcaps of some sort like the SWR Electric Blue. I would definitely make the tubes visible from the front.
Preamp features: I might make the clean channel EQ be full parametric. I would either go nuts and add a multiband compressor similar to Trace Elliot's SMX circuit, or go simple and do something similar to the Thunderfunk defeatable limiter attached to the gain control. The pre/post EQ effects loops might be cool as well.
Interface: DI would for sure go on the front. There would be no cheezy plastic in/out toggle buttons, everything would be a solid switch or a switch knob. At least one jewel light. And either black or chrome.. none of this awful SWR chrome on black stuff. All EQ/volume/gain/etc knobs would either be large in diameter or use detented pots. I would make it possible to have an SWR IOD-style pedal that would allow gradual blending between clean and dirty.
Cooling: I would look at the technology offered in the computer world when thinking about cooling, because there's so much really quiet/effective hardware and schemes that people are developing nowadays that there's no reason to have a single loud fan in a head anymore. The Powermac G5 is a great example of this with its multiple zone cooling and several fans running at slow speed. Installing three fans running at half speed would offer quietness and redundancy.
Output: I know it's only a couple hundred watts, but a speakon jack would be really nice. I hate seeing only a 1/4" jack on something because nobody thinks the watts are high enough to justify a speakon. Having those lock is great peace of mind.
That's all I can think of offhand. Hope it helps.
Time flys sitting in front of the comp practicing and checkin' TB. (you have a PM from me!)
