NAD, a North Carolina gem

Swart, 3 Monkeys, Megatone, Carr, Evans, Splawn, TopHat.... seems to be an improbably high number of "boo-teek" amp builders with roots in North Carolina these days.  I have been on the amp hunt for a while, after selling my '80s Mesa Mark IIB (finally...) and '79 Deluxe Reverb, followed by a couple of years of detour through modeling "solutions" (Avid Eleven Rack, Amplitube 3 and Zoom G3X).  I enjoy the modelers but I thought it was time for the "real thing" again.  As usual a few items slipped through my net, including a great Fryette Memphis 30, a Carr Sportsman (for only $999, aaaarggghhh!), a cheap George Benson Hot Rod deluxe, and most recently a Marshall JVM 215c.  I also actually pulled the trigger on a Mesa 5:50 Express (returned, not quite "it") and another HRD special edition (DOA??? No sound - another return).  So, all in all very frustrating and discouraging.  Another net slip was a TopHat Super deluxe Mk.2 that appeared on consignment at one of my local haunts.  Very rare on the used market up here but I've had TopHat on my radar since reading a Builder Profile on Brian Gerhard in Premier Guitar some time back and was very impressed with his philosophy and attitude.  See:

http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/Builder_Profile_Top_Hat_Amps

Annoyingly it was gone before I got around to checking it out, but in a freakish coincidence a month or so later another one appeared on the Guitars Canada sell/buy forum and as it turned out the seller lived just a few minutes from me, and I pulled the trigger.  Basically brand new, in a lovely blue tolex/white sparkle.  I was hesitant about an amp with no reverb but it at least gave me an excuse to buy a Strymon Flint!  Still in early days with it, but it has a throaty, clean, Vox-ish jangle - not overly loud at 30W (though, the rest of the family would surely debate me on that point!); sounds tremendous with the Timmy-Flint combination into the front end.  Reminds me of a really fine two-seater car - I may still need to get an SUV for daily business but it's a pleasure having such a refined example of hand-built craftsmanship.  Maybe I should work on a NC amp collection - back to the Splawn website for more research.....