Seems like a lot of boutique amp builders like to copy those old low watt Supro amps. Found one locally at a fair price. Before I demo it, anyone have any experience with these? This one looks like the one Vintage 47 copied, I think it is a Comet, 1X10 two tone amp, great physical condition.
Ronnie Shellist played a '57 Supro at the blues harp seminar he did for us and it sounded really good. Sorry, I don't have any personal ownership experience with the amp but I'd surely like to!
I have owned a couple of old Supro's, Nationals with 2-6V6's and various octal preamp/rectifier tubes (6SL7, 6SJ7, 6SQ7) and field coil speakers. They can give you some raunchy harp tones, but it depends on the tube gain setup. Fun to play with, but may need tech work that can get expensive.
I currently own a Vintage47 Chicago Triple with two 8" tone tubby hempcones and one 10" Weber Sig10. I like having the extra speaker area (= 15") and ability to use 6V6, 5881, or 6L6, 5Y3, 5U4, or GZ34, 6SL7 or 6SN7.
Give me Valco or give me death! Love Valco amps. Mostly the mid to late 50's all octal ones. Got two Valco's and three of David's builds. I think I prefer his builds to my vintage ones. He is the only builder that I have come across to is most true to from with some of his builds. If it is one of David's Comets it will most likely be a Spectator 5 Watt Class "A" SE with 10" ceramic speaker. I think that is his typical set up with the Comet. You might like it, you might not...
I've got one of the Chicago Triple and a Chicago Triple chassis in a Oahu Suitcase. Slick, sick, greasy, thick and dark. They are things of true beauty!
Last Edited by shbamac on Mar 16, 2013 7:57 AM
Valco's are some of my favorite!! The best find I ever had in my whole life was at a Flea Market in Knoxville. This guy I know was finding old amps mascos and strombergs and holding them for me and selling them cheap. I came in one day and he had a supro 1624t. A rare version with dual 6v6 instead of the other power tubes they used. 1958. Amp was mint and I paid nothing for it. After $150 in repair to bring it to stock it is one of the loudest and best harp amps I have ever had and it is small. Have used many other supros, dwight, airline etc.. A friend of mine in Asheville bought a single ended airline from me with an 8in jensen and I will swear all day it is louder than a tweed deluxe. I mean some of those amps are just insane!! Do not hesitate this is the reason they have climbed in price so high because they are worth it.
Great sound on that vid Kingley thanks. That's like a west coast/bay area generational jam with 3 generations represented up there. Grandpa Smith. his son David , and David's son Aki. Does anybody know if that's a Piccolo harp that David whips out and starts tearin it up with at about 6:00 min in ? Love it !
I'd love to have an old Oahu or National. One Valco I've played through rather extensively is my buddy's Gretsch 6149 that I did some restoration work on. Heavy little sucker, but those 6973 power tubes create some of the coolest harp tone I've ever heard. ----------
You can't go wrong with a Valco. The cheaper amps for Mongomory Wards etc. have pressboard cabs -- I think the Supro's have wood cabs. Everyone of them I've tried has been a good little harp amp. My 'Bonedog's harp amdp basement #2' is with a little valco. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTkQjU_iNVg ----------
Ronnie Shellist is playing a Supro Spectator in Ricks link. The Supro Comet is the same as the Spectator except with a larger cab and 10" speaker. Early cabs were 3/8" plywood and around '56/'57 they switched to 3/4" pine.
I've got a Valco made National 1622TR. Paid a bit too much for it but it is in absolute mint condition.
Uses 2x8" Jensen alnicos. One 6V6. Stock, it is a great recording amp for guitar. The reverb sucks but the tremelo is very sweet. For harp I swapped out the 12ax7 V1 preamp tube for a 12AT7. Then, as an experiment, I pulled the reverb/trem tube. Really started to get somewhere then. It benefited as well from a Kinder AFB+ in front for a touch more volume.
Need some more time with it but I suspect it's going to turn out great. If so I'll use it on the new record in April. ---------- LSC
I finally got around to running up to the music store to check out the Valco, harp, cords and mic in car. It wasn't in the room where I saw it previously, wasn't with the used amps, so I figured I waited too late. Asked the guitar sales guy and he says, I think there 2 over there, look again. So I check a different place and sure enough, there is a Supro Spectator w/8" speaker, priced higher than the Comet, but no sign of the Comet. Sales guy starts looking all over, can't find it. I'm pretty sure I want the bigger Comet so I decline trying out the Spectator. As I'm leaving I see it locked in a glass case with Wah pedals. ? So, I get my harps. Lot of noise and activity on the floor so guy puts off me in the corner facing the warehouse double doors. Amp sounded great, pretty much what I expected, so tried all of the inputs, adjusted the tone back and forth and turned around to see a small crowd gathered. One of the ladies asked if I took requests! 2 of the sales guys want to know what brand I'm playing and where did I get that mic? Talk about sales pressure! Warehouse guys come out and ask me to turn the amp around, it's echo'ing through the warehouse and the practice rooms. I made an offer and brought it home. Yeah, nice amp, haven't compared it to anything else yet, but I'd say it was a little darker sounding than my Champ (I find most Fenders to be a little chimey) Sure don't need another amp but this was priced right, think I'm going to like it! Thanks for all of the input!
Last Edited by rbeetsme on Mar 20, 2013 12:35 PM
I didn't have time to really play today, but I snuck on a jam track and had to blow to about 5 tunes. Sounded terrific with my LW delay and Boss reverb. I'll try it with my spring reverb later. Yeah, it just sounds right!
I didn't have time to really play today, but I snuck on a jam track and had to blow to about 5 tunes. Sounded terrific with my LW delay and Boss reverb. I'll try it with my spring reverb later. Yeah, it just sounds right!
You said you have "one of the Chicago Triple and a Chicago Triple chassis in a Oahu Suitcase".
The Suitcase Triple is not one of David's standard models, is it? Does it have the ToneTubby hempcone 10" speaker?
How does the 3-speaker Triple (with Weber 10") compare with the single speaker ToneTubby 10" ???
I'd also appreciate your input regarding the 2 inputs. I think the instrument input has a 1meg resistor and the mic input has no resistor. Instrument input is much louder, also has more hum/buzz. Do you play any dynamic vocal mics ??? which input do you like for that?
EDIT: SORRY, BOTH ARE LABELED INSTRUMENTS. LEFT INPUT HAS NO RESISTOR. RIGHT INPUT HAS 100K RESISTOR !!!!!!!
Thanks---- Dave
Last Edited by dted on Mar 24, 2013 8:26 AM
No, the Triple chassis that ended up in the Suitcase was a mistake and he sold it as it was. All of his Suitcases have 8" speakers. The 3 speaker pushes more air and is a tad darker than the suitcase. But it's hard to remember what the exact sound differences are. I have never A/B them and I lent the 3 speaker Triple to a friend a while ago and haven't play in a long time. I don't know about the inputs resistors as to what if any he uses. I never have spoken to him about that. I can't remember if there is much difference on the 3 speaker. On the suitcase they are very similar with no difference in the hum/buzz. One of them is slightly brighter it seems. So I would assume there is a resistor on at least one. I have never pulled the chassis on either of them. Hope that helps you.
I have several dynamic mics all vintage EV, Astatic and Shure. I have a Fireball but don't use it. I use either input on the Suitcase...
So what mic are you using?
You should email him if you have any questions. He usually answers emails fairly quickly.
I am going to have to get the Triple back from my friend. He's had it long enough. This is making me want to play it.
Here is a picture of the Triple chassis in the suitcase. Both inputs are labeled instrument. Is yours different?
My chassis is same as yours. I never noticed that they are both labeled "instruments".
I spoke with David on phone when I bought my Triple. he said the inner input (on left) has the resistor. He called the outer (right) one the mic input.
EDIT: SORRY, LEFT INPUT HAS NO RESISTOR. RIGHT INPUT HAS 100K RESISTOR !!!!!!! I WILL CONTACT DAVID @ V47 TO CLARIFY WHICH IS "MIC" INPUT.
The left input is alot louder with all my mics. It adds bass to crystal/ceramic mics. It makes CM/CR and dynamic mics louder and raunchier, but maybe reduces bass.
Wierdly enough, I used to have a V47 Tremotone with 3-inputs and they all sounded the same.
I am using a new EV PL35 mic, with impedance matching transformer to convert to Hi-Z. It is intended for snare & toms. I think it sounds MUCH better than SM57 or 58 for harp.
Last Edited by dted on Mar 24, 2013 8:31 AM
No the reverb works perfectly, it just doesn't have a pleasing tone. I think it's simply the nature of the design. The amp itself is in absolute mint condition with strong NOS tubes all round. The trem is sweet as anything.
I put a Vans-Amp Sole-Mate reverb unit in front of it and the amp sounds really very nice indeed. ---------- LSC
I use it with harp primarily but also with acoustic and electric ukulele. I still have a couple of reverb pedals around but usually just use the Van Amp pedal. The Van Amp also has an auxiliary pedal built in so I can use it as a footswitch for the tremelo on my Commando.
Last Edited by rbeetsme on Mar 24, 2013 4:40 AM
BTW: the Van Amp reverb seems to boost the signal a little, at least it seems the volume/presence drops when I click off. I did a quick comparison today of the Valco with one of my longtime keepers, a Kendrick Champ clone. I use the LW Harp Break pedal to add some bass boost to the Champ, not needed on the Supro. Both are terrific amps for harp, but I think I prefer the tone of the Supro. LW delay is all I want with the Comet, but I'll use reverb, delay and the Harp Break with the Champ.
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