Maria
The eldest of three, and the sole survivor.
Maria is the eldest of The Three Sisters of Ainsty, the first official Colson of York guitar amplifier collection. Three individual amplifiers made from the same boards of Yorkshire sycamore and sapele, each with its own appearance, character and musical voice.
Individually designed and built in my workshop near York, Maria combines beautifully figured hardwoods, fully analogue Hughes & Kettner Spirit Tone technology and a British-made Celestion loudspeaker dating from 1998.
There’s something particularly special about Maria’s cabinet. Alongside the sycamore and sapele shared with her sisters, she incorporates reclaimed timber from my 1815 Georgian home, bringing a little of the building’s history into the amplifier itself.
Charlotte and Emily have already found their new homes. Maria is the last available amplifier from this exclusive three-piece collection, which will never be repeated.
Individually designed and built in my workshop near York, Maria combines beautifully figured hardwoods, fully analogue Hughes & Kettner Spirit Tone technology and a British-made Celestion loudspeaker dating from 1998.
There’s something particularly special about Maria’s cabinet. Alongside the sycamore and sapele shared with her sisters, she incorporates reclaimed timber from my 1815 Georgian home, bringing a little of the building’s history into the amplifier itself.
Charlotte and Emily have already found their new homes. Maria is the last available amplifier from this exclusive three-piece collection, which will never be repeated.
£875
01 / THE SOUND
A voice with character
Maria is built around Hughes & Kettner’s fully analogue Spirit Tone technology, chosen for its versatility, playing response and ability to work well with pedals.
Unlike a digital modelling amplifier, there’s no software processing, impulse responses or menu-driven simulation. And unlike a valve amplifier, there are no valves to replace, service or bias.
The analogue circuitry offers a range of sounds, from cleaner, more open tones through to increasingly driven and compressed responses. The controls offer plenty of scope to shape not only the sound, but how the amplifier feels beneath your fingers.
Maria has a distinct character, with clarity, a firm low end and a lively response to changes in playing dynamics.
There’s also a built-in FX loop, allowing delays, reverbs and modulation effects to sit after the amplifier’s main gain section when required.
Maria is an amplifier designed to be played, explored and adjusted to suit your guitar, your music and your playing style.
02 / THE CABINET
A shared beginning
The Three Sisters of Ainsty began with just one piece of Yorkshire sycamore and one of sapele.
There was just enough timber to make three cabinets. And when Maria, Charlotte and Emily are placed side by side, the grain continues from one amplifier to the next.
Maria’s sycamore came from near Ripon. It was naturally spalted, air-dried and seasoned for more than fifteen years, almost ten of them in my own care.
Her cabinet also has a story of its own. It incorporates old timber reclaimed from my Georgian house, built in 1815, including a piece I believe to be oak. The base is made from slatted pine repurposed from the house’s former rear door.
Maria also uses more sapele across the front than her sisters, giving her a darker, richer appearance and a substantial, furniture-like presence.
I shaped, assembled, sanded and finished the entire cabinet by hand. There’s no MDF, no mass-produced enclosure and no attempt to disguise the grain, age or natural character of the wood.
There was just enough timber to make three cabinets. And when Maria, Charlotte and Emily are placed side by side, the grain continues from one amplifier to the next.
Maria’s sycamore came from near Ripon. It was naturally spalted, air-dried and seasoned for more than fifteen years, almost ten of them in my own care.
Her cabinet also has a story of its own. It incorporates old timber reclaimed from my Georgian house, built in 1815, including a piece I believe to be oak. The base is made from slatted pine repurposed from the house’s former rear door.
Maria also uses more sapele across the front than her sisters, giving her a darker, richer appearance and a substantial, furniture-like presence.
I shaped, assembled, sanded and finished the entire cabinet by hand. There’s no MDF, no mass-produced enclosure and no attempt to disguise the grain, age or natural character of the wood.
03 / THE SPEAKER
A small slice of 1998
Maria features a 12-inch, 8-ohm Celestion G12F-60 loudspeaker, also known as the RockDriver Junior.
It was manufactured in Ipswich, England, on 23 June 1998, and comes from a batch of speakers I acquired for The Three Sisters of Ainsty. All three were made on the same day.
I chose these speakers for their clear upper frequencies, firm bass response and balanced character, which I felt complemented the Sisters’ deep, semi-open hardwood cabinets.
It’s a connection to an earlier period of British speaker design, before manufacturing was relocated overseas, and one that gives all three sisters another part of their shared identity.
Together with Maria’s analogue circuitry and cabinet design, the speaker contributes to an amplifier with clarity, presence and plenty of character.
04 / THE CONTROLS
Shape the response
Maria has six controls, giving plenty of scope to explore her tonal range and playing response.
Shape: changes the overall tonal character, moving between a thicker, mid-forward sound and a wider, more open voice.
Weight: adjusts the depth and firmness of the low frequencies.
Air: controls upper-frequency presence, clarity and openness.
Gain: adjusts how hard the amplifier’s front end is driven, from cleaner sounds to increasingly overdriven tones.
Give: changes the way the amplifier responds when pushed, from a firmer feel to a softer, more compressed response.
Volume: sets the final output level.
The FX loop provides an additional option for positioning time-based and modulation effects after the main amplifier voice.
There’s also a rear microphone cable access hole, allowing a cable to be looped through the cabinet and over the top, to hang your mic across the front grille for convenient sound capture during live performances.
Shape: changes the overall tonal character, moving between a thicker, mid-forward sound and a wider, more open voice.
Weight: adjusts the depth and firmness of the low frequencies.
Air: controls upper-frequency presence, clarity and openness.
Gain: adjusts how hard the amplifier’s front end is driven, from cleaner sounds to increasingly overdriven tones.
Give: changes the way the amplifier responds when pushed, from a firmer feel to a softer, more compressed response.
Volume: sets the final output level.
The FX loop provides an additional option for positioning time-based and modulation effects after the main amplifier voice.
There’s also a rear microphone cable access hole, allowing a cable to be looped through the cabinet and over the top, to hang your mic across the front grille for convenient sound capture during live performances.
05 / THE DETAILS
| Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Collection | The Three Sisters of Ainsty |
| Model | Maria: The Eldest Sister |
| Build number | C05-002 |
| Amplification | Hughes & Kettner Spirit Tone technology |
| Rated amplifier output | 25W at 8 ohms |
| Loudspeaker | Celestion G12F-60 / RockDriver Junior |
| Speaker impedance | 8 ohms |
| Cabinet | Yorkshire sycamore, sapele and reclaimed timber |
| Reclaimed materials | Timber and pine from an 1815 Georgian house |
| Controls | Shape, Weight, Air, Gain, Give, Volume |
| Effects | FX loop |
| Cabinet design | Upward-angled speaker |
| Dimensions | 61cm W × 48cm H × 34cm D |
| Weight | 14kg |
| Construction | Individually handmade near York, England |
| Availability | One amplifier available |
| Price | £875 |
Maria is a Colson of York creation incorporating established Hughes & Kettner analogue amplifier technology. She is not manufactured, endorsed by or affiliated with Hughes & Kettner.
06 / MADE BY DREW COLSON
One of three and one of a kind
Maria was designed and built entirely by me, Drew Colson, in my small workshop near York.
I selected and worked the timber, designed and constructed the cabinet, assembled the amplifier and carried out the finishing, testing and final adjustments myself.
There’s no production line or team behind Colson of York. Each amplifier is individually made, with decisions guided by the materials, the design and the musical character I’m looking to achieve.
Maria has a particularly personal connection to my home and to the Yorkshire timber I’ve worked with for many years.
She belongs to a collection of three amplifiers that share a common origin, but no two are alike.
Charlotte and Emily have already gone to their new owners, leaving Maria as the final available sister.
I selected and worked the timber, designed and constructed the cabinet, assembled the amplifier and carried out the finishing, testing and final adjustments myself.
There’s no production line or team behind Colson of York. Each amplifier is individually made, with decisions guided by the materials, the design and the musical character I’m looking to achieve.
Maria has a particularly personal connection to my home and to the Yorkshire timber I’ve worked with for many years.
She belongs to a collection of three amplifiers that share a common origin, but no two are alike.
Charlotte and Emily have already gone to their new owners, leaving Maria as the final available sister.
07 / OWN MARIA
The eldest sister awaits
Maria is one of just three amplifiers in The Three Sisters of Ainsty. The collection is complete, and there will be no further identical builds.
Her combination of shared Yorkshire timber, reclaimed materials from my Georgian home, analogue amplification and a 1998 English Celestion speaker makes her a particularly individual creation
£875
Included with the amplifier:
Her combination of shared Yorkshire timber, reclaimed materials from my Georgian home, analogue amplification and a 1998 English Celestion speaker makes her a particularly individual creation
£875
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.