Think my search for a mid-size amp is over. Picked up this 1961 Gibson GA-6 Lancer this afternoon.
The guy I bought it from inherited it from his grandfather who was an electronic repair guy and didn't play an instrument of any sort. He figured granddad took it in trade or a customer never picked it up. It's been sitting in his parents storage locker for the last 10 years.
With the exception of the tubes and power cord it appears to be original. The speaker has been reconed and the magnet realigned a couple of months ago at a respected shop.
When I tried it out in the guys apartment it had great tone and was pretty damn loud. Thinking I may have to reduce the gain with a tube swap or maybe my Kinder will take care of that. It's a little sensitive but not bad.
I'm reducing the price on the vintage Shure 520 and I'll be putting up another 520 and a Maxi-Mouse to raise some cash to off set the purchase. Email me if interested in either.
---------- LSC
Last Edited by LSC on Jun 21, 2013 3:07 PM
SCORE ! - Congrats, you've got one of the great vintage harp amps .
I have the older pre-Lancer version with almost identical circuit. I have a bunch of amps including a harp-tweaked Bassman {which I do love} - and this is currently my favorite to play through.
It just bites and sings with compression and sustain at the slightest breath through the harp with a hot mic. It is a very 'primitive' circuit {see grid leak bias and para-phase inverter} that is also very close to the early Fender tweed 'TV Front' Deluxe.
I asked Harpsucker of the Harmonic Amps youtube series what his favourite Gibon amp was and he said this one " Noam Cohen 1 year ago HI Harpsucker, thanks for this series . Would you rate the Gibson's you've used in order of preference for harp. ? - thanks.? Reply ·
"Harpsucker 1 year ago the GA-6 is the best by far, its like a? Fender Deluxe from the schematic Reply · in reply to Noam Cohen"
Enjoy - I know you will
I'll do my one video on this amp in the not too distant future ----------
Not everyone likes the Gibson amps, tone is too dark for them. I'm not one of them, I prefer the Gibson over many of the Fender amps, which I find too chimey. But finding a nice unmolested vintage Gibson is indeed a find. I was looking for a nice GA-6 myself last year to compliment my GA-20. Stumbled onto a couple of Valcos so I guess it's time to stop looking and start playing. Have fun with it!
I LOVE mid 50's era Gibson amps. This later 59-61? tweed GA-6 is an entirely different animal to the mid-later 50's Gibson GA-6 amp with octals... and yes indeed, the octal versions are much darker sounder.
Last Edited by Tweedaddict on Jun 22, 2013 6:49 AM
I love Gibson amps too. One of the coolest ones I've heard to date is Deak's old Falcon. I myself have had my feelers out for a Medalist 4/10 for a while now. I think those are some of the most bitchin beasts ever built, and I'd prolly take one over a Bassman depending on what condition it was in. ----------
From what little knowledge I have the GA-6 and later GA-6 Lancer are very similar but nonetheless different. The Lancer uses the usual 12ax7 preamp tubes with the circuit being described as a combination of the 5d3 and 5e3 circuits. I confess I have no ideas what that means. What I do know is from what little I've heard so far the amp certainly is not "dark". It cuts like a mofo.
I took the back off last night and it appears the caps have been replaced at some point. There is a very shiny bit of solder which looks relatively new. The amp is incredibly quiet.
One thing that maybe someone could advise, with the way the chassis is mounted you can see the bottom of the tube sockets. I have some NOS RCA tubes I was thinking of swapping for the JJ and Russian E-H that are in there now. When I wiggled the tubes a bit I noticed that the lugs moved around and appeared to be loose. I've never had this view of tube sockets before so I don't know if this is normal or not. ---------- LSC
I'd guess the tube sockets are rivetted in place. The rivets should be tight with no play, likewise if the sockets have been replaced and are now bolted in.
I'm assuming that you mean the socket pins, where the circuitry wiring attaches to the socket, is where you are seeing some play when wiggling the tube? If so, this is normal. ---------- www.myspace.com/markburness
DARK? MIne Cuts like a knife. With harp it's the least dark sounding 12"-amp I know of. Interesting Rbeet- And I have the older ocatl ga-6. I did re-build the it to speck with Marks generous assistance - so it's no longer truly vintage - but I believe the sound is pretty damn close. I also have a BR-9 and used to have a pair of them. Plays pretty full sounding for a single 8" - but still not what I'd call dark.
It's gorgous {the GA-6} with twangy guitar by the way. Got someone around who plays a Tele? - Get them on it with a touch of reverb. It's crunchy warm and lush, especially on lower ocatve playing. Never heard a better combination. -now with guitar, we are closer to 'dark' - but I wouldn't exactly call it that.
I'd love to score a GA-20, and 40 fior that matter. I'd be surprised if they where 'dark' to my ear - but I'm guessing I'll like whatever surprise they give me. old Gibsons RULE.
@LSC re sockets: -The tube sockets in mine where mounted in rubber grommet cushioned holes held at the edges of thier little frame's with a rivet. So - as tmf saiz - it's NORMAL for them to wiggle. I ended up replacing with bolted in sockets when I rewired. I don't k now if anywone carries the grommeted ones anymore.
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Last Edited by bonedog569 on Jun 22, 2013 11:54 PM
bone, Perhaps dark isn't the 'correct' ? term.. I've owned about every Gibson amp made from 1950-60's. the ga6 (use harp suckers YouTube demo of the speckled model) from the mid 50's went thru 3-4 circuit changes, all slight changes... However the tweed 59-61 versions are a very different circuit and are a much sparklier, brighter sounding amp...IMHO.
That would be me. I use a '65 Deluxe non-reverb with that. What am I to do if I like the Gibson better? I know! Find another one! Actually, if that really did turn out with the way these Gibsons are undervalued I could sell my Deluxe, cover the cost of two Gibsons and have change left over. ---------- LSC ---------- LSC
LSC- I don't think you'll be selling your Deluxe - two different classic beautiful guitar tones. I also have a blackface deluxe reverb. It's the sweetest clean tone going. Plug into the ga6 and crank it. You'll get a dirtier tone without bleeding your ears. - maybe not classic 'twang' - a little more toward the rock side, but still sweet and rich with a warm grind. Tell me what you think after you plug in.
@tweedadict (& rbeetsme) - not trying to make anyone 'wrong' - I take your point about the latter having more sparkle. The 12ax vs the octal will make a difference. These are all subjective descriptors that are tough to nail down - It's all good.
I know where both a ga20 and ga40 are sitting unused - and I've been slowly trying to charm them into my coral.
@bonedog- I can't see me selling the Deluxe either. I'm primarily an original music Americana singer-songwriter but I cover a wide range genre within that label but with one foot firmly in the blues. The Deluxe with a Tele gives me that clean jangle tone but some crunch from time to time is well useful. I've always been a bit envious of the Keith Richards of this world with an array of different amps on stage to select from and a bunch of young dudes to haul them around and stack 'em up. Brings new meaning to the phrase "plug and play". ---------- LSC
Bone, I was just tryin to offer my opinion based on my experiences, I didn't take any offense or nuttin!... huge differences in ga40s from say '54 scroll front and a 61 tweed version. both great amps imho, and both entirely different from each-other.
hanging on every word here. I'm a new Gibson owner, having snagged the 1953 GA-20 Bigtone offered a while back, and I'm loving it so far. Would love to hear from other Gibby owners.
I have a 54 GA-20, identical to the one you bought. Nice. Good tone, but not as bright as some amps. Tends to feedback at higher volumes but plenty loud. Try plugging into the center instrument input and then, using a short patch cord, plug into the left and right instrument input. This is known as bridging the channel. Pretty nasty, but harp players love it!
Last Edited by rbeetsme on Jun 24, 2013 1:08 PM
rbeets, thanks for the tip, I'll try that. I've been using the mic channel, as it seems to have more complex tone (even with the higher gain.) I tried bridging the mic and instrument channels by plugging the mic into one of the inst. channels, and patching from another ins.t channel into the mic jack...interesting, but not what I was looking for.
