Refurbishing a 1964 Ampeg Gemini II 

Am not a musician, couldno play a note to save life, but even so, there’s something so satisfying and educational about watching this serene old gentleman do these restorations. Kudos to a master pro, glad to have stumbled across this channel.

At the end as soon as the amp was turned on, I could instantly hear that BB King tone to a tee! Man I love the sound of those Ampex amps. I played a smaller one a few times and it sounded incredible too.

Took me a while to figure out how often a new video is added to this channel...but now I look forward to those couple of times each month. Awesome stuff here, as usual!

it's a thrill to me as an old pal to see you doing such a fine job of teaching; you remind me of the pros on "ask this old house," tho you probably have even more expertise. and good to know you don't JUST teach, but still take on projects (the secret of happiness).

I have a 1964 Ampeg J-12 D. This video is a huge help for maintenance. Thanks for all you do Dan.

A well known trick for those who spend all day on their poor old knees; no I am not talking about praying. After placing the patch to line up the pattern over the area to be patched, tape it down tight. use a fresh blade, cut through both the patching material and the area to be patched at the same time. This will result in a perfect patch, no visible seams. Oh, those who install flooring goods have done this for ages when lapping joints or seams.

I don't really play guitar but if I did, I'd break mine just so I could get Dan Erlewine to fix it. This man is such a craftsman. Amazing to watch him work, it seems like everything he works on ends up better than it was before it was broken!

I used a Gemini II in the 60's and early 70's. It was a fantastic amp. Unfortunately I lost it when the club where we were the house band burned down to the ground, with my amp in it. I really miss that amp .

That's a fantastic amp. I played one. It's cumbersome with that 15 inch speaker though. Sounds great! There's nothing quite like a vintage Ampeg. The tremolo and the reverb are unique. I may even prefer the Ampeg's built in effects over a Fender's. Sacrilegious I know! But it's that good!

HEEEy!!! I wanted to see it all polished :(

That was my first amp! I bought it at Chuck Levin's, Washington Music Center, at their old location in Washington DC. -Very nice amp. I was just learning how to play and loved that amp! Thanks for the memories.

I have two Gemini II amps. Got one for $150 back in the late 90s. The other I found on 25th street in Manhattan around 2004. Saw maintenance workers for a luxury residential building putting it out with the trash.

These are horribly underrated. For what they go for these days ($500-700) There is not a better amp out there, new or vintage. It's unbelievable that these aren't collectible today, their sound quality is on par with fender amps and countless musicians from Dylan to Dan Auerbach have recorded/gigged with them

The Gemini cleans rival Fender Blackface circuits, if I'm being honest. The Ampeg Gemini II G-12 is an amazing amp. Made in the USA, in NJ in the late '60's and early '70s, completely point-to-point, hand-wired tube amps. Ampeg sold a ton, so the used market is oversupplied. They are easily the most underrated, and hence undervalued clean pedal-platform amps out there. They were made to last. The reverb is incredible on the original tanks, and the original Jensen speaker is outstanding (though I swapped it for a modern equivalent, and saved the original). The tremolo is an optical circuit IIRC. Not the greatest, but very good. Just an outstanding Jazz amp, very clean headroom and very loud. Most come in ~22W. It does do breakup, and it is lovely, but it has to get LOUD. It does sing though. The best part is the sparkling cleans, and the Jazz mojo it brings. Perfect pedal platform, but it is quite heavy. The cabinet is rock solid. Find one from a good owner and you are set if you like Jazzy cleans.

Dan you are awesome! I could watch these videos all day. Keep up the great work!

Fantastic job as always! I do appreciate it even more as a proud Ampeg owner.

I have one of those! Just a working chassis. Sounds great, I'd love to get the switched pots working and it protected in a head cabinet.

Live at the Regal tone right there.

Even after that cool tape stretching technique, I noticed the darker edges of the tolex patch still stood out. If he had cut across the darker squires instead of the lighter grey colored pattern, I think it would have helped hide the edges a bit more. Another great video...thanks.

Great repair and man does that tone sound awesome!

my dad won one just like it in a poker game in atlanta when i was 8 years old (1968) along with an epiphone cortez with a dearmand pickup installed in it, had to sell the amp and my class ring when i was 18 going through some rough financial times in tampa, and the guitar was destroyed in a fire a few years later in land o lakes, i use to love trying to play bad company's burning sky and kicking it to make the thunder sound, good times. i wish i had not sold mine as well,

Nice sounding Ampeg. Very clean voice. Great few tips there. A pleasure to watch.

My #1 amp is a ‘65, I use it any time it’s feasible. What a great sound & it loves fuzz!

What a master this guys is. Makes me buy stuff from the site everytime.

Always a pleasure to see a master at his craft.

2:11 _"... and a straight edge to keep my cuts straight"_ ... As the straight edge moves... Lol

I love your videos! I think i have a tip for the tolex repair. Put the new tolex over the damaged one and cut both layers together. Then the insert matches 100% to the taken out piece. Sorry for my basic english :) Best wishes from Germany El

I wish I was your apprentice. I could learn so much from you.

I saw a video today where a guy used Maguires Vinyl top cleaner to clean his black tolex and it came out really nice

I would like to see more about this or an updated on how it looks after it's all done.

I've got the same Gemini II in my storage unit (bought it for $35 at a garage sale)... needs new caps (leaky, hums like crazy). Gorgeous sounding amp when its tuned up. Oh, and WHERE did you find the tolex?!? I've been searching for years, they stopped making it, and whomever owned the amp before me covered it in black nagahyde.

Get a pick up truck that has a solid cover over the box. Strap that amp on top near the tail gate and take it thru a car wash. As far as the visible seam goes. Let this old tech teach you a trick we all used when we used to go out & service tv's. Kids wax coloring crayons.

Oh yeah...that says it all.

Dan I've known Greg Hopkins from vintage amps for close to 30 years and yes he does exceptional work.....

That tolex is still around. I would have just recovered. But good job.

I clean mine with a Dremel tool with a rotary brush attachment and simple green took me less than an hour

Hi Stewart, I have the same amp, in roughly the same condition, collecting dust in my attic. I've been considering having it refurbished, out of curiosity, if you don't mind saying, about how much would it cost to have that done?

I've also repaired real old tolex like that but used a milky looking tolex glue that you apply to both pieces, the bare wood and bottom of tolex then put them together and use a roller if you have one to smooth them tightly together and that is it, have an over head fan going so the glue will dry in a minute or so.....this glue does not have to dry over night, it is ready to go and is how the big companies glue tolex on. I works great.

Anyone know if he's just playing a riff, or playing a particular tune on the outro? Sounds like something I should learn, gorgeous.

Great looking and sounding amp! I used to have a Reverb Rocket.

“Oh, yeah...”

Dan the man!! Excellent tutorial,as always!!! Thank you!!!

Wow! Those few notes sang!

Dan!! You are Magical 🪄

I bet you have ten thousand odd little tools. I know ive never seen em anywhere else.

People forget that Ampeg used to make Guitar amps too and that they were really good ones at that

The best way that I found the clean tolex as with Meguiars super shine and a toothbrush just barely spread on rub it in a circle with a toothbrush and wipe it off

Nothing sounds better than a Ampeg in my belief...

There is an easier and more precise way. Put the "new" piece over the damaged area and then cut both layers at the same time. So you get a 100% fit of the patch. That's the way i repair car seats.

Question. Why Athens Ohio? Don't get me wrong, I grew up in small town USA. Ohio, in fact. I've just always wondered why Stewart MacDonald is located in Athens as opposed to a larger place.

Love Ampeg guitar amps.

I really enjoyed this episode a lot!

I use the exact same stuff to clean amps in my shop!

Rename this "how to do tolex repair". I was looking for how to remove the chassis. I have a Gemini 1966 G15 blowing fuses.

I have an ampeg cab that is very rare . ampeg told me that I have the only one. it was a Xcab that was supposed to be returned an destroyed, but I talked one of the dealers employees into selling it to me. all the others were destroyed. I could find any info on there web page so I called to ask about it. the man was gruff that ampeg does not an has not made the cab I described. I told him the serial number an his tone changed an ask where I got an he said :ya Tucson . an that I have the only cab in the world like this. I know I was rambling on I just wanted you to know the importance of it to us ampeg nuts. I toured with it an the tolex took a beating about half if gone the wood is good. should I replace it or leave as is?? thanks

I got one of these for $150 when I was in high school. I completely ruined it because I was a moron. I tried doing some modifications, didn't know what I was doing.

what is Preservation Polish?

Just put a StewMac sticker over it.

Nicely done Dan.

aside from a Debbie Harry namecheck there really isn't all that much to recommend these....nice ones are bringing a grand now and up.Everett Hull didn't want to build rock and roll amps, and it shows here. With so many small maker tweed and blackface clones and diy kits out there why invest in an accordion amp?

The sharpie step is genius.

excellent repair

Beautiful

that sounds really good

Hey I just happen to live in st. Louis Missouri

Paul needs to change those electrolytic capacitors. They have long expired.

Oh yeah

Very skilled man!

Oh yeah! Well done!

he layed the patch the wrong way. if he did with the grain right direction it b more invisible :0

Good job

Clever guy

These videos are frustrating. Why not show the polishing of the chrome and the completed project. All this does is irritate because I've wasted my time not getting to see the finished project. I don't want your trade secrets, I just want to see what you've done.

Oh Yeah all is said

Bel ampli pour l'époque!

oh! yeah!!!!

Woooow that baby sounds incredible!

The tolex hole repair was very poor. I would do it better. The pattern did not match good enough...

Patch looks worse than missing tolex

My 50 watt Reverberocket sounds better when it's filthy