FAQ

Why only 3 Monkeys?

It just came up while kicking around names, since there were three of us (Greg, Ossie, and Brad), and we all liked the three wise monkeys iconography. When creating our logo we changed the context of the three monkeys to "Don't See, Don't Speak, Hear the Tone". In other words, don't judge the tone by the specs or the looks (even though we try to make them look as cool as possible), use your EARS.

Why the funny shape?

Anybody can build an amp in a rectangular black box, we didn't want to be those guys. We strive for both a unique look and a unique sound, why look like everyone else?

Why did an amp company design a DC Solderless connector for pedals and pedalboards?

The easy answer is we saw a need for such a connector from our experience in building and wiring pedalboards (we're pedal guys). Also, we've been engineers/makers/designers/inventors our whole lives.

What colors can I get my amp in?

We have a wide range of candy-coated colors to choose from. Check them out here.

You guys have a fancy website, you must be a big corporation?

Actually no, we're a small company focused on making the most professional handmade amps we can. Wiring is done by Ossie (the designer), cabs are designed and built by Greg, and sales and support by either of us. Brad is our touring test monkey and frequent collaborator on amp design ideas.

There are tons of boutique amp builders on the web. What makes 3 Monkeys different?

While there are a few amp builders out there who are also pro players, as far as we know 3 Monkeys is the only company with a R&R Hall of Fame guitar player, a seasoned guitar tech, AND a world-class amp designer. We're all players and gear heads too. We're 'ate up with it' as they say...

Are your amps hand-wired, point to point, or PCB?

These are terms that get thrown around a lot, and are misused quite often. All our amps are indeed hand-wired, usually by one person, Ossie (the designer). Most of our amps use what we call a 'hybrid' PCB, in other words, it's a machine made board (1/8" thick), but it has minimal traces and is laid out like an eyelet board. We use this type of board for reliability and ease of repair. All external components, like pots and tube sockets are NOT PCB mounted.

 Are your amps made in the U.S.A.?

Yes, we make every amp here in our shop in Raleigh, NC. We use as many U.S.A. made components as we can get. Our custom transformers and 3 Monkeys branded speakers are made in the U.S.A. We also source a lot of our parts locally, our chassis and panels, even our T-shirts are all made within a one mile radius of our shop. All our cabinets are made in NC by us or Mojotone (they build for more boutique companies than you realize), which is less than 2 hours down the road.

Why don't you use XYZ transformers, or Y2K capacitors?

Again, it's about listening with your EARS, not buying a certain manufacturers transformer or capacitor because they have better advertising. We custom designed our transformers and had prototypes made by all the name manufacturers, we then listened to each and picked the one that sounded best to us. We routinely have to replace certain components (capacitors and resistors) due to them being discontinued by the manufacturer. We choose the closest sounding component and keep building. This was done by all the classic amp manufacturers, most notably Fender and Marshall.

What is the recommended bias for your amps?

We encourage the end user to take their amp to a qualified amp tech to be biased. Biasing requires measurement of the amplifiers reaction to the particular tubes installed, there are no hard and fast numbers to go by, they must be found on a case by case basis.  Generally it is wise to bias an amp to no more than 70% of max dissapation for the particular tube at idle.  Any good tech should be able to arrive at this point and bias the amp with a multimeter and a little math.  If you're confused about any of the above, then please take your amp to a reputable tech and have them do it for you. Messing around with the lethal voltages inside a tube amp is not recommended.

What is your warranty?

Basically we warranty tubes for 30 days and everything else for 90 days to the original purchaser. Our speakers are warrantied by WGS or Celestion. We haven't had many problems besides a few tubes and reverb tanks (stuff we obviously don't manufacture ourselves). We stand behind our amps and will do our best to make you happy as an owner of a 3 Monkeys amp anytime during the life of the amp.

What is your return policy?

All direct sales on amplifiers are subject to a 15% return fee. Honestly, we don’t like charging for returns. But we also don’t think that it’s right to sell an amplifier that someone had on trial for the same price as one that’s brand new. We use this return fee to cover the cost of making the amp ready for resale and for the discount we give on it when we sell it as a “demo.”

You may return most new/unused items within 7 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

To be eligible for a return, must be in their original condition with no signs of wear, damage, dinging or scraping and include the original box with the original foam (very important).

To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase from this website. You must contact us first before returning any items. Please do not send your purchase back to us unless you purchased the amp directly from this site. If you purchased from one of our dealers, then you must return the item to them.

Can you get my band's demo to one of your artists or a record company?

Sadly no. Do record companies even exist any more? Put your music on YouTube like everyone else, or better yet go out and play some live shows!! Put us on the guest list and we'll at least bring you a T-shirt!

Can I get an endorsement?

We don't really do endorsements, but we have a generous Artist Program for professional musicians. Send an email to artist@3monkeysamps.com