When we first encountered this amp/case in South Australia, we had no idea who its maker was. The case has no ID, but the metal-cased valve amp unit has UK-Australian components of 1940s vintage. Then a photo of a similar amp /case online led us to an excellent article about a pioneering Aussie amp maker: Maxim Amplifiers – Peter McCarthy – RickVeneer We can now attribute this piece to Peter McCarthy, who was active in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond in the period post WW2 up to the mid 1970s. If you have more info about Maxim please let us know, as we’re keen to share info on vintage Aussie gear. Meanwhile. with a recent full service and safety check plus new 6″speaker, the amp works well and sounds great, reminiscent of a Fender Champ in volume and tone. We’d love to pair it with a Peter McCarthy lap steel (yes he made these too). In the mean time the case will fit most typical lap steel shapes, please get in touch for internal dimensions.
