Cornford Harlequin MK 1 - Boutique UK Handbuilt Recording Amp

Killer / Hard to find amp from England. The Harlequin MK1 is the amp that started the Cornford story. 

HARLEQUIN OVERVIEW:

Amplifier type: Combo

Wattage: 6 Watts

Speaker: Celestion Vintage 30  

This 6 Watt combo sports all that's necessary to deliver your sound, without all the bells and whistles which are superfluous in the studio.   Be it rock, blues, funk, jazz - clean, dirty, or somewhere in between - it's all a flick-of-the-switch away in the Cornford Harlequin.

 

With a build quality of the highest order, this is a Class A point-to-point hand wired boutique amp to be proud of.  Whether it's that unique Cornford sound, or it's unique stylish good looks, the Harlequin is a real head-turner. 

Hi and lo inputs cater for all guitar pickup preferences. 

From there on, it's delightful simplicity all the way. A preamp volume pot takes care of drive, whilst a master volume pot takes the output volume from whisper quiet, neighbour-friendly level to a roar that belies this combo's 6 Watt rating. 

Tone shaping is powerful, but well controlled, with treble and bass pots taking care of their respective functions, whilst a two-position toggle switch sweeps the midrange focus. The myriad of tones available with different combinations of these three controls is quite staggering. 

A single Celestion Vintage 30 speaker takes care of output duties, though this can be unplugged should you wish to feed an alternative 8 Ohm load.  

UK publication Guitarist Magazine awarded the Harlequin with the title "Amp of the Year up to £500" when it was launched in 1999.  

Guitar Player USA also gave the Harlequin its "Best in Class" Award.  

Harlequin - The Story  

The idea behind this amp is to produce something that captures the rich, classic tones of amps from the past, whilst having the flexibility demanded by the modern player. All this without the incredibly high price tag normally associated with products of this quality. 

The amplifiers are hand built and will last a lifetime by employing traditional construction methods and using only the highest quality components. No PCBs of any sort are used and all the amps are totally hand wired throughout.  

The Harlequin was designed to be used in the studio, where it records superbly, and for home use, allowing you to produce a proper tone in your living room without being too loud.  Everyone involved in the Cornford company are guitarists and their amps are designed by ear, not oscilloscopes.  They have always thought that guitarists have a better ear for great sounds than the archetypical electronics engineer. This approach has given us what we feel is a benchmark tone. And at just 6 Watts you can drive the output stage really hard. 

CONDITION: One owner, purchased new. Excellent original condition.