Carol-Ann Tucana 3R Combo + custom road case (2015)

This is MINT condition Carol-Ann Tucana 3R combo. It uses KT-88 tubes (cathode biased) and has the Celestion Creamback 65, which is an amazing speaker as you probably know. This amp comes with a custom road case (sorry, I won't separate the two) and a set of spare JJ KT-88 matched power tubes (never even opened). Of course the footswitch and cable are included as well.

This amp is guaranteed to be 100% perfect, both functionally and aesthetically. It has never left the cozy confines of its road case, and I babied this amp. The only modification made was that I added Velcro to the bottom of the footswtich.

I had this amp custom-masde for me by Alan Phillips in mid-2015. I am the original owner. If you notice, the faceplate on the amp says "Tucana 3," but it is, in fact, a 3R. I had waited quite a long time to get this amp, and when it was almost complete, Alan informed me that he was out of Tucana 3R faceplates. We decided just to use the Tucana 3 faceplate instead. Alan can verify this.

I was set to get the regular Tucana 3, but Alan convinced me to go with the 3R, and I'm glad I did. The lower power output makes it easier to get full tone at regular volume (and this amp will get loud. Alan told me this is actually his personal favorite amp design. Incidentally, this is the amp that Cliff Chase of Fractal Audio called his favorite amp of all time.

The overdrive channels are worth the cost of admission. There is gain in spades if you want it. Not to sound cliche, but this amp is so articulate and defined. It's like a refined hot-rodded Marshall IMO. The mids are voiced perfectly. You will definitely cut through in a mix.

Then there's the clean channel: the best I've ever heard. It is percussive, full, BIG, and just plain gorgeous. It sustains without being harsh. And if you want, you can drive it into mild overdrive, as the clean channel has an independent input gain control.

The road case was custom-made for the amp. It's 1/4" plywood with all recessed hardware, with top-of-the-line 4" casters. Two of them lock, so your amp won't roll around on stage. Even in the case, I have no trouble carrying this up the stairs.

I did make one modification to the case, which I think you'll love: on the bottom, I attached a small metal sleeve. Then I made an assembly with a piece of aluminum and a mini gooseneck mic clip. The assembly slides into the metal sleeve, allowing you to mic the amp without a stand. I have it positioned where I think the sweet spot of the speaker is, but you can easily move it (or remove it all together). With this setup, the mic moves with the cabinet, and there's no danger of knowing a mic stand over or moving the mic even slightly. This assembly is included. After testing six mice, I found the old standby Shure 57 sounds best to my ears. If you'd like, I can include one for an extra $50.

So why am I selling? To fund another Carol-Ann, of course! I recently purchased a Torpedo cab sim and load box, and I have decided to go in the direction of not having any speakers on stage (we're running all in-ear monitors). So I really have no need for a combo any more. I have other amps that I use for practice, so I'm getting a Tucana 3R head to replace this.
This is one of only a few Tucana 3R combos in existence. New retail is $3695. The case runs $350, and the matched tubes are $80, for a total of $4125. My price reflects $1000 off the total cost, which I believe is WAY more than fair. :)

This isn't cheap so I'm happy to answer any and all concerns.

Thanks for looking!