bluzlvr
495 posts
Nov 13, 2012
2:30 PM
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I have a friend who is a great harp player who uses an Ampeg Reverberocket reissue amp with 2 12" speakers in it.
Every time I hear it I'm more and more impressed with the way it sounds.
I've gotten to play through it several times now including a couple of nights ago and I've gotten to the point of thinking about trying to pick one up.
Has anybody else out there used or heard one of these?
I used to be of the opinion that speakers bigger than 10" were no good for harp. No longer.
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clyde
295 posts
Nov 13, 2012
3:29 PM
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i had a 1958 ampeg jet(one speaker)that mother bought father for his birthday ... it was great but i lost it in a flood a few years ago.
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Willspear
224 posts
Nov 13, 2012
3:30 PM
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The reissue ampegs are not at all lke the vintage stuff. They sound ok. I seem to remember serious audible tube rattle with the 212 that used to sit in the rehearsal spot I used for a while.
The thing is a good score on a vintage ampeg of most any type is not really anymore money than the reissues.
As for speaker size for harp 8s 10s 12s and sometimes 15s all work quite well. The gibson ga40 with its 12 sounds pretty awesome for example.
I play through a 63 ampeg m15 some and it sounds killer with its 15 inch.
Most of the guys around here that have great tone roll ampegs for guitar because for 500 bucks or so you can get a lot of tone. And they don't sound like fenders at all. The only pain is getting tubes for a couple models. Many however use octal preamp and 6l6 power tubes. Some 6v6.
Last Edited by on Nov 13, 2012 3:30 PM
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kudzurunner
3634 posts
Nov 13, 2012
3:48 PM
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The first real harp amp that I had--the first one that deserved to be called a harp amp--was an Ampeg Rocket. It's the model on the bottom right hand side of the following page:
http://www.fjamods.com/Ampeg.html
I don't remember any reverb. I do remember that it didn't have the stock 12" speaker, but intstead had a 15" speaker. It had the same grill, though; the excess three inches of the speaker cone just.....sucked it up, I guess.
The amp was pretty bright, trebly, but definitely had some tone. Not an amp to fall in love with, but definitely something worth checking out.
Here's a great looking one.
http://www.dougstubes.com/ampeg-rocket-2.html
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Willspear
225 posts
Nov 13, 2012
4:06 PM
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I am in the northeast. Ampegs litter Craigslist in big streaks in New England probably 40 or so in the past year of the early 60s combos that I've noticed. They pop up a lot here in Maine and in mass. There are dry spells too.
The diamond cloth covered ones are much more common than the earlier bluish pebble looking tolex. I have only ever seen one of the mercurys from before the pebble tolex. Gemini 1s and 2s pop up the most. Followed by jets and reverberockets.
I am surprised they haven't become impossible to find due to great tone.
They rival pretty much anything for guitar. Ampeg trem and verb are also pretty awesome
Last Edited by on Nov 13, 2012 4:09 PM
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MP
2554 posts
Nov 14, 2012
11:47 AM
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i owned one briefly in 98. scored it cuz i worked in a music store buy-n-sell on the east coast.
like Willspear kind/sorta said, it is not really a re-issue of anything because of the 2/12s and some other features.
mine was a first batch '90s model and had problems with tube rattle so therefore oscillating feedback.
the next batch had a tube cage and stuff. i liked the tone and big volume but these amps are heavy and long rather than tall. i was big on the shiny blue tolex and the chicken head knobs and stuff though.
i let the amp go. too sensitive and in a live situ.
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LittleBubba
253 posts
Nov 14, 2012
12:26 PM
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I tried out an old 60's era ReverbRocket with the accordian jack. Blowin' thru that jack, the amp was awesome. I shoulda bought it at the time... $475, but I didn't know what a good deal it was before it sold.
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