Clear Evening Sky
An open voice with room to breathe.
Clear Evening Sky is the first completed amplifier in The Veils of York series, a collection inspired by the changing colours and atmosphere of North Yorkshire.
Individually designed and built in my workshop near York, it brings together English sweet chestnut, Yorkshire sycamore, blue vintage-style speaker cloth and clean analogue Vox Nutube technology.
It’s an amplifier that provides a clear, responsive foundation for your guitar and pedals. Understated when played clean, but with plenty of character and possibilities when you introduce your favourite effects.
The first of four planned Veils of York designs, Clear Evening Sky is the only fully clean version intended for the collection.
Individually designed and built in my workshop near York, it brings together English sweet chestnut, Yorkshire sycamore, blue vintage-style speaker cloth and clean analogue Vox Nutube technology.
It’s an amplifier that provides a clear, responsive foundation for your guitar and pedals. Understated when played clean, but with plenty of character and possibilities when you introduce your favourite effects.
The first of four planned Veils of York designs, Clear Evening Sky is the only fully clean version intended for the collection.
£950
01 / THE SOUND
A home for your pedals
I designed Clear Evening Sky primarily as a pedal platform.
At its heart is an analogue Vox Nutube Clean amplifier platform, selected for its clean character, immediate response and ability to work well with external effects.
There are no digital amp models, menus or presets. Just a straightforward analogue signal path, simple controls and the sound of your guitar, shaped by whatever pedals you choose to put in front of it.
On its own, Clear Evening Sky allows the natural character of different guitars and pickups to come through, without imposing a heavily coloured sound.
Add an overdrive, fuzz or distortion pedal, and there’s room for those effects to establish their own character. Delays, reverbs and modulation effects benefit from the same clean foundation.
Rather than trying to be every type of amplifier, Clear Evening Sky has been designed to do one particular job well.
At its heart is an analogue Vox Nutube Clean amplifier platform, selected for its clean character, immediate response and ability to work well with external effects.
There are no digital amp models, menus or presets. Just a straightforward analogue signal path, simple controls and the sound of your guitar, shaped by whatever pedals you choose to put in front of it.
On its own, Clear Evening Sky allows the natural character of different guitars and pickups to come through, without imposing a heavily coloured sound.
Add an overdrive, fuzz or distortion pedal, and there’s room for those effects to establish their own character. Delays, reverbs and modulation effects benefit from the same clean foundation.
Rather than trying to be every type of amplifier, Clear Evening Sky has been designed to do one particular job well.
02 / THE CABINET
Yorkshire character
I’ve made the cabinet from solid English sweet chestnut and Yorkshire sycamore, selected for their complementary colours and natural grain.
Blue heritage-style speaker cloth completes the design, giving Clear Evening Sky its name and individual appearance.
Every part of the cabinet has been shaped, assembled, sanded and finished by hand in my workshop. There is no MDF, and no mass-produced enclosure beneath the hardwood.
The distinctive sloping front is a practical feature as well as a design choice. It directs more of the sound upwards towards the player, rather than projecting it straight across the floor.
The recessed top-mounted controls are easy to reach, while the cabinet’s proportions and detailing give the amplifier a character quite different from a conventional rectangular combo.
Blue heritage-style speaker cloth completes the design, giving Clear Evening Sky its name and individual appearance.
Every part of the cabinet has been shaped, assembled, sanded and finished by hand in my workshop. There is no MDF, and no mass-produced enclosure beneath the hardwood.
The distinctive sloping front is a practical feature as well as a design choice. It directs more of the sound upwards towards the player, rather than projecting it straight across the floor.
The recessed top-mounted controls are easy to reach, while the cabinet’s proportions and detailing give the amplifier a character quite different from a conventional rectangular combo.
03 / THE SPEAKER
A familiar British voice
Clear Evening Sky features an 8-ohm Celestion G12M Greenback loudspeaker, rated at 25 watts.
The Greenback is known for its warm midrange, smooth upper frequencies and distinctive character. It’s a speaker with a long association with British guitar amplification, and one that I felt would complement the clean analogue circuitry particularly well.
In Clear Evening Sky, the combination provides a full, rounded sound.
The result is a clean foundation with warmth and presence, allowing the amplifier to work as an instrument in its own right or as the starting point for a much wider range of sounds through pedals.
The Greenback is known for its warm midrange, smooth upper frequencies and distinctive character. It’s a speaker with a long association with British guitar amplification, and one that I felt would complement the clean analogue circuitry particularly well.
In Clear Evening Sky, the combination provides a full, rounded sound.
The result is a clean foundation with warmth and presence, allowing the amplifier to work as an instrument in its own right or as the starting point for a much wider range of sounds through pedals.
04 / THE CONTROLS
Created for simplicity
Clear Evening Sky keeps things simple, with just three main controls.
Bass: adjusts low-frequency depth and fullness.
Treble: adjusts brightness and upper-frequency detail.
Volume: controls the amplifier’s output level.
There are no complicated menus or settings to navigate. Plug in your guitar, make a few adjustments and play.
Bass: adjusts low-frequency depth and fullness.
Treble: adjusts brightness and upper-frequency detail.
Volume: controls the amplifier’s output level.
There are no complicated menus or settings to navigate. Plug in your guitar, make a few adjustments and play.
05 / THE DETAILS
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Collection | The Veils of York |
| Model | Clear Evening Sky |
| Build number | C07-005 |
| Amplification | Vox analogue Nutube Clean platform |
| Rated amplifier output | 25W |
| Loudspeaker | Celestion G12M Greenback |
| Speaker impedance | 8 ohms |
| Cabinet | English sweet chestnut and Yorkshire sycamore |
| Speaker cloth | Blue vintage-style fabric |
| Controls | Bass, treble, volume and power |
| Control position | Recessed, top-mounted |
| Cabinet design | Upward-angled speaker |
| Dimensions | 49cm (w) x 49cm (h) x 35cm (d) |
| Weight | 12kg |
| Construction | Individually handmade near York, England |
| Availability | One amplifier available |
| Price | £950 |
Clear Evening Sky is a Colson of York creation using an established Vox analogue amplification platform. It is not manufactured, endorsed or affiliated with Vox.
06 / MADE BY DREW COLSON
One of a kind
Clear Evening Sky was designed and built entirely by me, Drew Colson, in my workshop on the outskirts of York.
From choosing and working the hardwoods to constructing the cabinet, fitting the electronics, assembling the finished amplifier and testing it, every stage has been carried out by me personally.
There’s no production line or team behind Colson of York. I make everything individually, taking the time to work with the character of the materials and make decisions as the build develops.
Clear Evening Sky is a finished, tested amplifier, ready and waiting to begin its life with another musician.
From choosing and working the hardwoods to constructing the cabinet, fitting the electronics, assembling the finished amplifier and testing it, every stage has been carried out by me personally.
There’s no production line or team behind Colson of York. I make everything individually, taking the time to work with the character of the materials and make decisions as the build develops.
Clear Evening Sky is a finished, tested amplifier, ready and waiting to begin its life with another musician.
07 / OWN CLEAR EVENING SKY
Ready for a lifetime of music
Clear Evening Sky is a one-off creation. There will be other amplifiers in The Veils of York, but this particular combination of timber, design and clean voicing will not be repeated as an identical build.
£950
Included with the amplifier:
£950
Included with the amplifier:
- Power supply
- Owner’s notes
- Record of origin
- Individual build details
Collection is welcome from near York, and UK-wide courier delivery can also be arranged.