The Reinhardt The Storm 33 is a Reinhardt amplifier. Close alternatives include the Friedman IR-D and the Strymon Iridium. It pairs well with the Catalinbread RAH and the Xotic BB Preamp.
Reinhardt The Storm 33
Reinhardt · amplifier
The Reinhardt Storm 33 is a boutique 33-watt Class A all-tube amplifier built by Bob Reinhardt, using high-grade components including Heyboer transformers, Sozo Vintage capacitors, Mallory 150 caps, one-percent tolerance resistors, and Teflon wiring throughout for a low-noise, highly articulate signal path. Mark Knopfler has toured with dual Storm 33 units on multiple recent tours including the Kill to Get Crimson and Get Lucky cycles, drawn to its touch-sensitive, warm, and full tonal character well suited to his clean-to-edge-of-breakup playing style. Reinhardt stopped building amplifiers around 2008, making surviving Storm 33 units increasingly scarce and sought after among players specifically chasing this boutique circuit's character.
What stands out
“the reinhardt storm 33 is a boutique 33-watt class a all-tube amplifier built by bob reinhardt”
— from the listing
“The standout strength is exceptional touch sensitivity from premium components in a relatively low-wattage, articulate package”
— from the community notes
“Its use case centers on clean and lightly overdriven tones where touch sensitivity really matters, letting subtle changes in attack translate clearly through the amp”
— from the community notes
“Boutique amp specialists rate the Storm 33's component choices as genuinely premium, citing the Heyboer transformers and Teflon wiring as details typically found in only the most serious small-shop builds”
— from the reviews
“highly articulate signal path”
— from the listing
Trade-offs
“its class a design trades raw power for touch sensitivity and harmonic complexity”
— from the reviews
- class a
- touch sensitivity
- transformer
- articulate
- presence
- headroom
- exact tonal character
- stereo
Good for
- Live
- Studio
Genres the Reinhardt The Storm 33 is commonly used in
- Rock
- Alternative Rock
- Classic Rock
Pedals that stack with the Reinhardt The Storm 33
Catalinbread RAH
Catalinbread
23% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Reinhardt The Storm 33 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform Catalinbread RAH wants
Goes in front of the amp
Xotic BB Preamp
Xotic
22% matchfills a frequency gapFills in a frequency range the other side doesn't cover, instead of piling more onto what's already there. (bright → smooth)
Xotic BB Preamp's smooth balances out the bright tone
Goes in front of the amp
Analog Man King of Tone
Analog Man
21% matchpushes an amp at the edge of breakupPushes an amp already sitting at the edge of breakup over the line. (edge of breakup → clean boost)
Reinhardt The Storm 33 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform Analog Man King of Tone wants
Goes in front of the amp
Pigtronix Philosopher King
Pigtronix
18% matchshapes the dynamic responseShapes how the tone responds to picking dynamics rather than its frequency or gain. (dynamic → compressed)
Both lean toward dynamic and compressed respectively — close enough in character that they complement instead of clashing
Goes in front of the amp
EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter
EarthQuaker Devices
11% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Keep EarthQuaker Devices Grand Orbiter after Reinhardt The Storm 33 in the signal chain, clear of Reinhardt The Storm 33's own gain stage
Goes in front of the amp
Echoplex EP-3
Echoplex
8% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Put Echoplex EP-3 in Reinhardt The Storm 33's effects loop, clear of Reinhardt The Storm 33's own gain stage — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte
Caroline Guitar Company
7% matchsits in the right chain slotPlaced for where it does its job cleanly in the chain, not for a tonal interaction with the anchor.
Caroline Guitar Company Kilobyte's pristine voice goes in Reinhardt The Storm 33's effects loop — it's not there to compete with Reinhardt The Storm 33's own dynamic character — goes in the amp's FX loop (or last, into a clean amp)
Sits in the amp's effects loop
Dunlop MXR Randy Rhoads Concorde Distortion, model RR104C
Dunlop
tonal matchGoes in front of the amp
Reinhardt The Storm 33 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform Dunlop MXR Randy Rhoads Concorde Distortion, model RR104C wants
Alternativessee all similar tone character →
Friedman IR-D
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-D recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Strymon Iridium
Strymon
72% similarityStrymon Iridium recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp
Friedman
72% similarityFriedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Soldano SLO
Soldano
72% similaritySoldano SLO recreates this amp's tone in pedal form
Bludotone Universal Tone
Bludotone
54% similarityShared character: attack, touch, stage
Mesa Boogie Lone Star Head
amplifier
53% similarityShared character: touch, full, stage
Bad Cat Cub
Bad Cat
53% similarityShared character: design, presence, touch
Mesa/Boogie 2:90 Power Amp
Mesa Boogie
50% similarityShared character: stereo, presence, touch
Blackstar DA100 Doug Aldrich Signature 100W Tube
Blackstar
50% similarityShared character: presence, touch, stage
Dumble Overdrive Special Amp Head
Dumble
49% similarityShared character: internal transformer
Carvin Legacy 1 VL100 100W Amp Head
Carvin
47% similarityShared character: headroom, touch
Orange Rockerverb MKIII 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amp Head
Orange
47% similarityShared character: headroom, stage
See all alternatives to the Reinhardt The Storm 33 (cheaper + boutique) →
Questions people ask
What are good alternatives to the Reinhardt The Storm 33?+
The closest matches in character are the Friedman IR-D, the Strymon Iridium, the Friedman IR-J Jake E. Lee Preamp.
What pairs well with the Reinhardt The Storm 33?+
Strong matches from rig and tone-complementarity evidence: Catalinbread RAH, Xotic BB Preamp, Analog Man King of Tone — Reinhardt The Storm 33 leans into Marshall-style amps, precisely the platform Catalinbread RAH wants.