3 Monkeys

Proud to be the #1 Dealer for 3 Monkeys Amplifiers!

Utilizing unique circuits that have shades of The Classics from both sides of The Pond and innovative features and design aesthetics, 3 Monkeys have created some of the finest sounding, most impressive and eye-catching amps on the market today.

Truly among the best of the best sonically, structurally and cosmetically with unique aesthetics including crushed glass face plates sandwiched between clear Plexiglass, beautiful hand-wiring, trapezoidal shapes and top notch feel and tone.

Fat Sound Guitars offers a wide range of color choices from good old black for the hard-core working musician to the full color range of early 60's Custom Colors.

We at Fat Sound are kind of partial to the Sonic Blue and Surf Green!

Meet The Monkeys:

Greg Howard - Touring guitar tech for the last 12 years has worked with such artists as Aerosmith, Green Day, Linkin Park, Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes, Daryl Hall & John Oates, The Verve Pipe, Cry of Love, and many others. Fat Sound and Greg Howard have been friends for many years and can vouch for the fact that Greg is as hardcore a gearhead and tone seeker as you will ever encounter..

Ossie Ahsen - Experienced amp tech, designer, and builder for over 15 years. Oz has designed and built amps under the Blockhead brand name for bands such as Goo Goo Dolls, Blind Melon, Aerosmith, Green Day, etc.

Brad Whitford - If you were born before 1980 Brad needs no introduction, but in case you've been living in a cave, Brad has been the guitarist for Aerosmith since 1971.

3 Monkeys Sock Monkey 1x110" \| Regency Blue \| SIlver
FAT PRICE: $1379.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Expected to Arrive Between Feb 23rd and March 1st


[Status 1-31-2012] 3 Monkeys target ship date is between February 23rd and March 1st. Fortunately we'll have the very first 3 to actually become available due to our 15 mile proximity to the 3 Monkeys shop. I'll actually be driving over to pick our first batch up the morning they ship out to ther dealers. The $1379.00 price is considered introductory, with a near certain price increase before the second batc ships. Click the Add-to-Cart button above to reserve your first edition Sock Monkey with a full refundable deposit! Pre-Sold, First Run Amps Ship Free! From 3 Monkeys This little guy has been in the works for sometime, but we wanted to get him just right. Here’s what we came up with: Small cabinet that will holds a 10″ speaker, 2x EL84 output tubes for about 10-12W, 3x 12AX7 preamp tubes, VOLUME, TREBLE, BASS, and MASTER controls, as well as a pull BOOST on the volume control. We are using a 10″ Celestion Greenback in the proto, and we think it sounds mighty fine. Decidedly British sounding, it’s tone is in between a AC-15 and an 18 watter with more gain. We are estimating the price at around $1300 street. Note: Features and cosmetics on this amp are not finalized. Production amps may differ. Features and Specifications 10-12 Watts Output with Master Volume Two EL84 Output Tubes Three 12AX7 Preamp Tubes Volume (Pull Boost) Treble Bass Master Volume 10" Celestion Greenback Regency Blue Tolex with Silver Racing Stripe Inlayed Piping Early 60's Suitcase Handle Signature Crushed Glass between Plexi Control Panel 27 Pounds!!
Email Fat Sound Guitars

3 Monkeys Orangutan 1x12" \| Black \| Previously Owned
FAT PRICE: $2089.00	AVAILABILITY: In Stock

Video of the 3 Monkeys Orangutan 1x12" \| Black \| Previously Owned
Vital Stat's Year of Production: 2010 Condition: Mint Current Selling Price: $2499.00 Warranty: 90 days on tubes and speaker Absolutely As New. Retubed for resale with original spec' tube set. Original 'Bass Lift' footswitch included. Fat Sound's Take "They had me with the crushed glass under Plexi faceplate and logo and trapezoid cabinetry.....and then I plugged in!" Stu Carter - owner, Fat Sound Guitars Fat Sound's Take We gush about a lot of the products that we sell, but you have to understand that we really only carry products that we really dig; it's an advantage to being a small shop owned by a guitar enthusiast who gets to choose what the shop sells. Inevitably though there are standouts that from a purely subjective, personal preference standpoint just really, truly strike a chord deep within us as musicians. The 3 Monkeys Orangutan, for us at Fat Sound, is one of those pieces. There is such a tremendous range of simply incredible feeling and sounding tones in this amp that, when combined with gorgeous construction and an aesthetic that rings our personal bells, we once again find ourselves wondering how many levels of awards we need in order to be able to differentiate amps that are such huge standouts that we find them truly inspirational to play and that, when demonstrated, consistently leave our local client's jaws hanging slack. So many of our reviews include the word "morph". We use this word on a regular basis because so many of today's best amplifiers will transition from cleans to in-betweens (pushed cleans or crunch tones) to higher gain tones simply based on how softly or how hard you attack the guitar, the pickup setting you choose and/or the setting of the volume control on your guitar. So, we feel the term may be getting a bit overused, but it is also fitting when describing many of the amps, especially the cathode biased amps, that we carry. The Orangutan is an amp that is so incredibly capable of morphing from Fat, Chewy, Lush, Swirly, clean tones with just the right amount of Mild, Smooth breakup when you address your guitar's strings with a touch more aggression through to Classic Rock Crunch as well as Flawless Texas Strat style Blues that this combo would be the photograph next to the definition of the word "morph" in the dictionary if we had Webster's ear. The controls are pretty straight forward without the highly-interactive nature of many of the amps we sell i.e. if you want to brighten the amp a bit you simply spin the Treble control, which acts as a reverse "Cut" control, a bit higher. If you have a tad too much low end you just turn down the Bass control. This makes dialing this amp in very straightforward. Want more gain? Just turn the Volume control higher.......perhaps take the Voice control one click higher. Want even more gain? Just pull the bass control pot out or step on the footswitch to activate the "Bass Lift" feature to deactivate the bass control and remove, or "lift", its circuitry from the signal path thereby boosting the amps' straight-through signal strength which not only gives you more gain, but increased clarity as well. There's more going on with the Treble and Bass controls than meets the eye, but the bottom line is that when you spin them they do exactly what you expect which makes the amp a breeze to dial in. And then there's the "Room" control which is 3 Monkeys' name for their Reverb circuit. We LOVE (!!) this reverb. It essentially has zero or, at least, very minimal effect on the signal to noise ratio even when turned all the way up, never gets quite into "surf" territory, but comes close, but most importantly it is a beautiful, ambiance adding effect that will properly lay behind your tone when you dig in on big, hard attack, overdriven rhythm, but as soon as you decrease your attack to create a clean or pushed clean tone the reverb is there.....behind the notes creating a fuller, more dimensional sound. When you are playing gently you hear the reverb as you would expect and desire, but when you hit the amp hard the reverb all but disappears. Perfect! This is truly one of the most amazing amplifiers we've experienced and there are a lot of other amp designers that have attempted something similar that should take note and learn from what this amplifier is capable of. From 3 Monkeys' Website The Orangutan is a dynamic four 6V6 amp with a unique six position rotary VOICE switch that changes both the gain structure and the tone as you rotate it clockwise. The VOLUME control interacts with the VOICE switch to produce shimmering cleans and smooth overdriven tones. The BASS is more like a global low frequency control, while the TREBLE acts as a cut. The LIFT switch disables the BASS control to provide boost and clarity. ROOM is a focused reverb, no surf wash here. While this amp is no high-gain monster, it is rooted in the classic tones of 70’s rock. Not trying to specifically mimic any one amp, the Orangutan has it’s own distinctive voice, suited for both stage and studio. Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approximately 30-35 Watts Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom-wound Transformers designed by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp/Poweramp/Sockets/Pots/Jacks Capacitor Input Power Supply - designed to provide best balance between stiffness/sag. Cathodyne Phase Inverter Mil Spec Components for Robust Construction .090 Aircraft Aluminum Powder-coated Chassis Highest Quality Chassis Mount Tube Sockets G-10 FR-4 Circuit Boards Accutronics Reverb Tank Uniquely Shaped Solid Birch Ply Cabinet (No rectangles here) Crushed Glass Faceplates with Industrial Silkscreen Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC Customer Comments "The Orangutan is absolutely fantastic. I can't believe how many tones I'm getting just by changing the Voice switch and everyone of them is great...with any guitar. Thanks again for turning on me on to this amp. Regards," Tim C. Mebane, NC Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence!
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Virgil Head \| Black
FAT PRICE: $2699.00	AVAILABILITY: In Stock
ADDITIONAL INFO: We Pay the Shipping to any Destination within the Continental US.

From 3 Monkeys VIRGIL is a master volume 30 watt amp based on the BW119 amp made for Brad Whitford (Aerosmith) in 2006. Think of VIRGIL as a two-channel amp with a shared EQ section. The footswitchable variable BOOST knob, allows the player to go from fat cleans (BOOST off) to searing leads (BOOST on). The overall BOOST volume is governed via the BOOST LEVEL knob, allowing the two channel levels to be evened out before the MASTER volume. A UK / USA switch provides a shift in the EQ of the amp for either the scooped midrange of 60’s California or the more pronounced mid-range of British amps. The first 25 Virgil models will be a numbered Limited Edition run with Black Plexi panels and logos. Features and Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approx. 30-35W Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom Transformers by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp / Poweramp / Sockets / Pots / Jacks BOOST LEVEL - Overall Volume of Boost MASTER - Overall Volume of Amp BASS - Low End Response MIDDLE - Mid Response TREBLE - High End Response BOOST - Gain of 2nd Channel VOLUME - Gain of 1st Channel UK / USA - Shifts EQ for British / Cali tones Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC USA Black Tolex Covering standard, Custom Colors and Suede available Weight: Approx 34LBS Head Box Dimensions: 21.75”x9”x8.25” Matching 212 Cabinet also Available - $999.00 Guitar Aficionado Review
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Grease Monkey Head and 212 Cab \| Black
FAT PRICE: $3598.00	AVAILABILITY: On Order
ADDITIONAL INFO: Temporarily Sold Out. Back in stock soon.


[2011 Update] The Grease Monkey is now shipping with an excellent Master Volume!! Fat Sound's Take The Grease Monkey is one incredible tone generator. Landing somewhere between the sonic glory of a Top Boost AC30 on the verge of melting down (always a top 3 tone in our book) and the dynamics, complexity and sweetness of one of Ken Fischer's designs, the Grease Monkey is one of the coolest looking, best sounding and most incredible feeling amplifiers we've have ever had the pleasure of playing. And how innovative and plain old cool is that crushed glass under Plexi faceplate and logo?! Features and Specifications 30 watts output- non master volume Zero negative feedback Selectable Preamp Gain Response, High and low gain settings at the flip of a switch. 4x el84 output tubes in cathode bias 3x 12ax7 preamp tubes Custom wound transformers Powder coated aluminum chassis Maple-ply head box Tolex covering( Black is standard, other colors available by request, upcharge may apply for unusual coverings i.e. suede) Braided silver piping standard Hand Built in Raleigh NC Weight approx 34 lbs Controls- Front Panel Cut: Power amp high end attenuation, can be switched out of circuit by turning knob fully counter clockwise. Bass: Low end response Treble: High end response Volume: Loudness/ gain of the preamp Shape: 3 position rotary control for selecting bright input, normal input, low input. Master Volume - A very effective leash to keep your Monkey under control Controls- Rear Panel AC input: 120vac (240vac models available) Fuse Speaker Outputs: 1 x16ohm, 2 x8ohm Gain Select: Toggle switch, selects from high and low gain 2x12" Trapezoidal cabinet Unique shape not only looks ultra-cool, but has been specifically tuned to sound amazing with 3 Monkey's amps. (We've found them to improve the sonic qualities of many other amps as well!) Loaded with specially designed Guitar Warehouse Speakers. These, 3 Monkeys branded, speakers were modeled after the Vintage 30, but with the upper midrange tweaked for a less fatiguing effect and to eliminate an upper mid spike common to the V30. Celestions available upon request, but we recommend the stock speakers as they have been very carefully engineered to work in conjunction with the Grease Monkey. There aren't many non-Celestion speakers that we rave about, but these really do sound amazing and complement the amp perfectly! In fact, I've been using this cabinet withe a couple of my other amps as well with some pretty amazing results. Head and Cab Also Available Separately: Cabinet - $999.00 Head - $2599.00 Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence! Customer Comments "Stu- Played the Grease Monkey today...this version for production is fantastic. I heard proto versions mainly, and not through their own cab. Very cool....very touch sensitive and great tone." Dewey M. Chapel Hill, NC
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Grease Monkey Head and 212 Cab \| Sonic Blue
FAT PRICE: $3595.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Special Order Item - Price includes $100.00 up charge per piece for custom covering.

[2011 Update] The Grease Monkey is now shipping with an excellent Master Volume!! Fat Sound's Take The Grease Monkey is one incredible tone generator. Landing somewhere between the sonic glory of a Top Boost AC30 on the verge of melting down (always a top 3 tone in our book) and the dynamics, complexity and sweetness of one of Ken Fischer's designs, the Grease Monkey is one of the coolest looking, best sounding and most incredible feeling amplifiers we've have ever had the pleasure of playing. And how innovative and plain old cool is that crushed glass under Plexi faceplate and logo?! Features and Specifications 30 watts output- non master volume Zero negative feedback Selectable Preamp Gain Response, High and low gain settings at the flip of a switch. 4x el84 output tubes in cathode bias 3x 12ax7 preamp tubes Custom wound transformers Powder coated aluminum chassis Maple-ply head box Tolex covering( Black is standard, other colors available by request, upcharge may apply for unusual coverings i.e. suede) Braided silver piping standard Hand Built in Raleigh NC Weight approx 34 lbs Controls- Front Panel Cut: Power amp high end attenuation, can be switched out of circuit by turning knob fully counter clockwise. Bass: Low end response Treble: High end response Volume: Loudness/ gain of the preamp Shape: 3 position rotary control for selecting bright input, normal input, low input. Master Volume - A very effective leash to keep your Monkey under control Controls- Rear Panel AC input: 120vac (240vac models available) Fuse Speaker Outputs: 1 x16ohm, 2 x8ohm Gain Select: Toggle switch, selects from high and low gain 2x12" Trapezoidal cabinet Unique shape not only looks ultra-cool, but has been specifically tuned to sound amazing with 3 Monkey's amps. (We've found them to improve the sonic qualities of many other amps as well!) Loaded with specially designed Guitar Warehouse Speakers. These, 3 Monkeys branded, speakers were modeled after the Vintage 30, but with the upper midrange tweaked for a less fatiguing effect and to eliminate an upper mid spike common to the V30. Celestions available upon request, but we recommend the stock speakers as they have been very carefully engineered to work in conjunction with the Grease Monkey. There aren't many non-Celestion speakers that we rave about, but these really do sound amazing and complement the amp perfectly! In fact, I've been using this cabinet withe a couple of my other amps as well with some pretty amazing results. Head and Cab Also Available Separately: Cabinet - $1099.00 (includes custom color upcharge) Head - $2699.00 (includes custom color upcharge) Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence! Customer Comments "Stu- Played the Grease Monkey today...this version for production is fantastic. I heard proto versions mainly, and not through their own cab. Very cool....very touch sensitive and great tone." Dewey M. Chapel Hill, NC
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Orangutan 1x12" \| 60's Blond
FAT PRICE: $2599.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Special Order Item - Price includes $100.00 up charge for custom covering.

See Black Orangutan listing at top of the page for more details. From 3 Monkeys' Website The Orangutan is a dynamic four 6V6 amp with a unique six position rotary VOICE switch that changes both the gain structure and the tone as you rotate it clockwise. The VOLUME control interacts with the VOICE switch to produce shimmering cleans and smooth overdriven tones. The BASS is more like a global low frequency control, while the TREBLE acts as a cut. The LIFT switch disables the BASS control to provide boost and clarity. ROOM is a focused reverb, no surf wash here. While this amp is no high-gain monster, it is rooted in the classic tones of 70’s rock. Not trying to specifically mimic any one amp, the Orangutan has it’s own distinctive voice, suited for both stage and studio. Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approximately 30-35 Watts Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom-wound Transformers designed by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp/Poweramp/Sockets/Pots/Jacks Capacitor Input Power Supply - designed to provide best balance between stiffness/sag. Cathodyne Phase Inverter Mil Spec Components for Robust Construction .090 Aircraft Aluminum Powder-coated Chassis Highest Quality Chassis Mount Tube Sockets G-10 FR-4 Circuit Boards Accutronics Reverb Tank Uniquely Shaped Solid Birch Ply Cabinet (No rectangles here) Crushed Glass Faceplates with Industrial Silkscreen Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence!
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Orangutan 1x12" \| Sonic Blue
FAT PRICE: $2599.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Special Order Item - Price includes $100.00 up charge for custom covering.


Video of the Orangutan 1x12" \| Sonic Blue
See Black Orangutan listing at top of the page for more details. Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approximately 30-35 Watts Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom-wound Transformers designed by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp/Poweramp/Sockets/Pots/Jacks Capacitor Input Power Supply - designed to provide best balance between stiffness/sag. Cathodyne Phase Inverter Mil Spec Components for Robust Construction .090 Aircraft Aluminum Powder-coated Chassis Highest Quality Chassis Mount Tube Sockets G-10 FR-4 Circuit Boards Accutronics Reverb Tank Uniquely Shaped Solid Birch Ply Cabinet (No rectangles here) Crushed Glass Faceplates with Industrial Silkscreen Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence!
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Orangutan 1x12" \| Red Suede
FAT PRICE: $2649.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Special Order Item - Price includes $150.00 up charge for Suede covering.

Fat Sound's Take See listing for Black Orangutan at top of page for more details. Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approximately 30-35 Watts Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom-wound Transformers designed by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp/Poweramp/Sockets/Pots/Jacks Capacitor Input Power Supply - designed to provide best balance between stiffness/sag. Cathodyne Phase Inverter Mil Spec Components for Robust Construction .090 Aircraft Aluminum Powder-coated Chassis Highest Quality Chassis Mount Tube Sockets G-10 FR-4 Circuit Boards Accutronics Reverb Tank Uniquely Shaped Solid Birch Ply Cabinet (No rectangles here) Crushed Glass Faceplates with Industrial Silkscreen Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence!
Email Fat Sound Guitars

Orangutan 1x12" \| Seafoam Green
FAT PRICE: $2599.00	AVAILABILITY: Reservations Required
ADDITIONAL INFO: Special Order Item - Price includes $100.00 up charge for custom covering.

Video of the Orangutan 1x12" \| Seafoam Green
Fat Sound's Take See Black Orangutan listing at top of the page for more details. Specifications Four 6V6 Power Tubes for approximately 30-35 Watts Three ECC83 Preamp Tubes Custom-wound Transformers designed by 3 Monkeys Hand-wired Preamp/Poweramp/Sockets/Pots/Jacks Capacitor Input Power Supply - designed to provide best balance between stiffness/sag. Cathodyne Phase Inverter Mil Spec Components for Robust Construction .090 Aircraft Aluminum Powder-coated Chassis Highest Quality Chassis Mount Tube Sockets G-10 FR-4 Circuit Boards Accutronics Reverb Tank Uniquely Shaped Solid Birch Ply Cabinet (No rectangles here) Crushed Glass Faceplates with Industrial Silkscreen Made by Hand in Raleigh, NC Fat Sound Award for Sonic and Design Excellence!
Email Fat Sound Guitars