geordiebluesman
479 posts
Oct 27, 2011
6:05 AM
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Hi guys i just thought i would tell you about a bit of good luck i had today.
I was working in a customers house this morning and i ended up in the loft as i often do and i spotted a little abandoned and forgotten amp called a Kustom KGA10, the thing that intrigued me about it was a button on top marked Overdrive and a dial marked Voice.
I asked if i could fetch it home to try it with some harp and the woman said just take it and keep it if it's any use to you my son has a much better amp now and never uses that one.
So i got it home pluged in my Bottle Of Blues Mic and let rip and bugger me if it did'nt sound great, but then i pushed in the Overdrive button and the bloody thing just took off! it has the most excellent broken up sound you could imagine, so if you want a Very cheap amp with a great tone get yerself a Kustom KGA10 they are BITCHIN!
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jimbo-G
32 posts
Oct 27, 2011
6:28 AM
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Is it tube or ss, I really need a cheap tube amp.
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HawkeyeKane
335 posts
Oct 27, 2011
6:30 AM
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Just looked this thing up. Looks like it has all the same features as another small amp that I have, a Marshall MG10CD. It breaks up pretty well. But the overdrive on it feeds back horribly, so I usually keep it on clean, and then dirty it all the way up with the contour control. I haven't used it in a long while, mainly because it's so small and underpowered. (Let's face it, you can't get a whole lot of gigging power out of a 6.5" speaker without micing or emulating it.) They're no longer in production, but you can find these on eBay, and similar MG models new on music retailer sites. I'll try hunting up a Kustom Geordie. If it sounds as good as you say, I may have just found a new practice amp!
@jimbo
It's SS. What kind of output are you looking for in a tuber? Because if it's anything over 5W, it isn't going to be cheap in most cases. What I might recommend if you're looking for higher output, but tube amp sound, is the Peavey Rage 258. It's SS, but it uses Peavey's so-called "TransTube" technology. I personally don't know how it's possible to get SS to emulate tubes so well, but my Peavey Vypyr 15 also uses it, and it's pretty damn close.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on Oct 27, 2011 6:57 AM
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al
62 posts
Oct 27, 2011
6:44 AM
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You lucky lucky ba......!! Nice when that happens though eh.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/#!/alprice
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jimbo-G
33 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:05 AM
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Small enough to use in the house but loud enough to use at small jams. It doesn't really matter about the small speakers iv got a twin 8" cab that I use with my 10 watt ss amp, its good for clean but I cant get dirty without feedback. I don't know either about the peavey system it doesn't make sence the waveforms are so different from valve to ss if you watch it through an occiliscope the valve has a smooth clipping but ss is harsh cut off the top.
Last Edited by on Oct 27, 2011 7:15 AM
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HawkeyeKane
337 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:18 AM
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Well...a couple little tube amps you might consider are the Fender Champion 600 and the Vox AC4TV. I've played through both, and I prefer the Fender for its better breakup, warmer tone, and slightly higher output. The Vox DOES have a bigger speaker, but that leads to a higher price. They both have external output jacks, so you could plug either of them into something bigger.
Modeling amps like my Vypyr CAN have a really good tube-like sound for harp depending on what kind of mic you use too. My JT30RH has incredibly good tone and breakup through the Vypyr, as does my Akai DM13.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on Oct 27, 2011 7:22 AM
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HarpNinja
1814 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:21 AM
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A VHT Special 6 can be had for under $200 used...and it is a tube amp...
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
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HawkeyeKane
338 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:23 AM
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Mike, I can't believe I forgot the Special 6 after the long thread we had on it not too long ago! Good call!
One more suggestion though, jimbo. I use a vintage Kalamazoo Model Two. Greg Heumann here on MBH rebuilds these so they're like new for decent price considering the work he puts into them, but you can also find them on eBay. I love mine. It's got great tone control on it too, so it'd be great for lower volumes around the house like you're saying.
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on Oct 27, 2011 7:26 AM
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jimbo-G
34 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:31 AM
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There are so many to choose from I think il head down to the music shop and try some, has anyone tryed a blackheart iv heard they were good.
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HarpNinja
1815 posts
Oct 27, 2011
7:57 AM
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I like the fact that you can flip tube types in the VHT - 6v6, 6l6, etc.
The EL type tube amps, like the Zoo, Pro Jr, and Blackheart have a different tone. That isn't a bad thing, I just prefer 6v6 tubes.
I also prefer a 10" speaker like the Zoo or VHT.
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Mike
Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas
VHT Special 6 Mods
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tookatooka
2549 posts
Oct 27, 2011
9:36 AM
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Nice one Geordiebluesman. There is often gold in them lofts.
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