A customer brought me this puzzler the other day. It was sounding nasty. Very crackly, very sick. We'll investigate what's wrong with it and also try to figure out exactly what it is in the process.
Geeez, i love these repair and demo vids, man. Thanx, Brad. Another 'one that got away' was a Gibson amp that went with a lap steel i borrowed for about 6 months from a guy i grew up with when i first started playing as a 15 year old in 'late '72. It was his his uncles and i couldn't buy it without the lap steel. This was before i knew of David Lindley ;( Sprayed on white finish with a bar across the speaker opening with a gold G in the middle. Student model like with just a tome and vol but hit that with an LPB-1 and you got a screamer!! In nearly 30 years of looking, i haven't seen this amp again anywhere.
Great video Rob. That Amplifier sounds great! Keep the vids coming, I'm learning a huge amount from them. I have a 1978 fender twin with the dreaded ultra linear output, which I'm going to try modding soon. Tony, in the UK.
Just discovered your channel and LOVE it! Is there a particular Gibson amp that you prefer? I'd like to buy a used Gibson combo because old Supros and Magnatones are so expensive now they started to make them again.
Awsome video, thanks for sharing your expertise. The covering on my GA18 looks like tweed; the stuff in the handle matches the covering on my amp. I think you're right that yours was recovered.
Nice repair job on the amp sounds great, l have a 57 Gibson 95 watts two tone combo amp model 65790 GA55V that l'm selling on Kijiji been sitting in my warm storage room for 25 yrs l was shocked when l plug it in it still seems to works okay, l wish i could afford someone with your knowledge to make sure it's functioning properly.
I appears to be a GA6 "Lancer", which used push-pull 6V6s - a cross between the 5D3/5E3 Tweed Deluxe circuits (got that info from "garage amps).. It's supposedly almost identical to the GA15 "Titan", except using a 12" speaker instead of the Titan's 10" speaker. I have a few 6V6 tweed Gibson amps, but not the GA6 and GA15. I want both, but they are rare, and therefore expensive. Then too, after watching another video by the Guitologist, a GA-19 Falcon is on my list too...
I have a mysterious tube amp problem that maybe you can look into regarding the SUPRO 1650RT ROYAL REVERB (reissue). I am having tube Rectifier issues that is making me very frustrated and costing me money. FIRSTLY you should know there are two (2) models within the 1650RT line. A 35/45/60 rectifier config knob, and a 35/60 toggle switch line. I have the 35/60 watt toggle switch version. Bought mine USED and out of warranty. Both versions have DUAL RECTIFIERS. the 60 watt (AB) mode uses a digital rectifier that I have to crank up to 3/4 and I do get some gain, but the 35 watt (A) mode uses a tube rectifier - The CLEANS sound angelic - really nice but absolutely no gain in the 35 watt mode. I bought TWO new rectifier tube and both tubes did Not fire up, just dead in the water which lead me to believe the TUBE RECTIFIER section of this amp is down. Any way for me to test it? Maybe something simple in the amp is unplugged or unjacked? I really could use your input OR ANYONE READING THIS feel free to chime-in. Thanks in advance - I looked everywhere for any forums on the subject - but nothing. HELP !!
I was torn at first on whether the cover was original or not. The crackling under the handle would have been due to compression on that rough tolex. However, the amp cabinet appears to me to be an early 50s style brown amp. It's just not right. The cream tolex reminds me too much of Fender rough blonde.
Thanks for the interesting videos. I love seeing the old stuff work. I have a question. my voxvt40x fell over backwards and now it won't power up. where do I start to figure this out. I don't have the 100 bucks the local guy wants so I guess I'm hoping it's something I can handle. thanks again for the vids.Daniel
Weber speaker made in Kokomo, IN. Company still owned by the son, TA Weber. Endorsed by Clapton (for his Fender combo), and everyone from Pete Townsend to Gaslight Anthem. Made 20 miles from me, and yes, he's online.
+Ben Prevo That is the way these things are wired originally. One side goes to switch, the other goes to fuse. You're right though, ideally they need to go hot wire (black) to fuse, then in series to switch, then PT, which the white goes to other side of PT.
+The Guitologist When I rewire -- I send the hot to the fuse tip then tip collar to switch to xfrmer -- neutral straight to other side of xfrmer -- take out 'death' cap and ground the green to chassis
The key a lot for times with these old amps is to get the tired 60 year old speaker out of there and replace it with a new one. Save the original for the collectors. But for playing a lot of times they're just tired.
I completely disagree. Old speakers can be like old guitar tops, they are broken in from decades of reproducing the frequencies the amp is capable of producing, the cones tend to have less doping and are far less stiff. Nothing beats a vintage Jensen Concert Series AlNiCo speaker for these types of amps.
The Guitologist My favorite speakers tend to be ceramics like a Jensen C12N. For some reason I like ceramics for speakers and alnico for pickups. Anyway I find a lot of old amps improve a lot with a speaker upgrade. A lot of older companies put inefficient cheap speakers in amps to save money. I've also reconed Jensens and they seen livelier louder and more alive than original ones. I've assumed the paper just loses stiffness and strength over time.
I guess it would depend on what style of guitar playing you're into. It's all a matter of taste, but generally, the problem with some speakers is they can tend not to break up at all and they're not nearly as responsive to dynamics. There's no roll off at low volumes. But it's a case by case basis. I'm always open to being wrong.
With Gibson during that time period there were always times where covering and cosmetics lapped over from one period to the other.. I have a nice tweed 1960 GA-20 "Crest" that's in great shape, probably 8.5-9 out of 10. I've worked on a number of old late 50's/early Sixties Gibson amps.. As I'm sure you have as well..
