Rick Davis
543 posts
Jul 21, 2012
5:13 PM
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My modest collection of harp amps (as of today, anyway). Clockwise from lower left: 1970 Fender Champ, 6 watts; 1953 Masco ME-18, 20 watts; 1991 Fender Bassman Reissue, 45 watts, Mission Chicago 32-20, 32 watts (in fixed bias mode). I think I have all the bases covered.
What is currently in your amp herd?
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-Rick Davis
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 5:14 PM
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Rick Davis
544 posts
Jul 21, 2012
5:41 PM
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CarlA, great amps.
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-Rick Davis
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Harp2swing
47 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:05 PM
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1. HG50 4X10
2. Sonny Junior 2 6x8
3. Fender Champ 12inch speaker
4. HG2
5. Kalamazoo 2 (from Greg H)
6. Rock Amp petros 1 with 10inch speaker (a great little harp amp)(as are all of the above)
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Joe_L
1946 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:05 PM
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Let's try this...
Super Sonny, Harpgear Double Trouble, Fender Tweed Champ clone.
A very rare pre-WWII Valco.
I've had these for a while now. I'm thinking that it might be time for something new.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 6:13 PM
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Rick Davis
545 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:14 PM
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Joe- Tweed! nice...
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-Rick Davis
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S-harp
54 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:15 PM
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Fender Excelsior
Fender Deville 410
Dynacord Bass King
Harptone
Epiphone Valve Jr
Roland Street Cube
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The tone, the tone ... and the Tone
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 6:17 PM
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Rick Davis
546 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:23 PM
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S-harp, how do you like the Excelsior?
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-Rick Davis
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bigd
365 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:28 PM
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Magnatone Model M-197-3-Varsity (1955-1 8'' speaker and my favorite of all), Premier twin-8 chasis with an original 12'' speaker instead of 2 8''s and reverb (all original too) Premier b-160 with a 15'' , Magnatone, A Magnatone 415 Clio bass amp (1963) with a 15'' speaker and big volume (here's the harpsucker youtube review of my amp (not one like my amp but my exact amp), and a blonde 2 10'' Kinder made "Soulful" (mini- harpking) which is loud a big sounding and one of the last he made (my performance amp). The Premier b-160 with 7591 tubes and a C15N speaker and the harp sucker reviewed big Magy are for sale or trade......My best. d
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bigd
366 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:31 PM
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Oops: the harpsucker (Mark Grandfield) youtube review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdDNYk_sJZo
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Noodles
136 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:42 PM
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You guys make me feel inadequate with my 1964 Blackface Champ. Love those tweeds.
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2012 11:52 AM
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528hemi
278 posts
Jul 21, 2012
7:00 PM
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VHT special 6 alnico mod and weber speaker
60's Multivox Combo bass amp with 12" Jensen (love this amp)
Sonny Jr. Super Cruncher
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 7:01 PM
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nacoran
5999 posts
Jul 21, 2012
7:17 PM
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I've got a Park and a Spectra Series 110A. (I got them together for $30 at a garage sale). The Spectra is junk but the Park works well. I don't have the model number on it right now because it's over at a friends house.
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Nate
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rbeetsme
798 posts
Jul 21, 2012
7:26 PM
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Kendrick Champ clone w/8 inch speaker, snakeskin tolex
Kendrick Roughneck w/10 inch speaker, tweed tolex
Univox U-75 2X10 Jensen ceramics
Gibson GA-20 1X12 Jensen alnico
Danelectro Commando 8X8 mostly Rola speakers
My gigging amp:
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 7:41 PM
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shbamac
205 posts
Jul 21, 2012
8:23 PM
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That's a sweet gig'n amp...
2 Valco's - Supro Spectator and a National 1215
2 Silvertone 1432
2 Danelectro's - 1950's Montgomery Ward label and a Dirty Thirty
2 Stromberg Carlson PA heads (one's dead, one rocks)
3 Voice of Music 8810
Mission Chicago 32-20
3 From Vintage47amps
Custom Kraft "Electra Bass Amp" model 600 same amp as the Lectrolab model R700C:
Fender Champion 600 reissue
Another Fender something... Just a cheap amp
Carvin x60
Bogen CHB-35A
2 Masco's MA-25P and a MU-5
Magnatone Troubadour
Some old German PA head
And a Epiphone Valve Junior JR Hot Rod
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 8:26 PM
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Rick Davis
547 posts
Jul 21, 2012
8:38 PM
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Impressive array of hardware in this thread...
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-Rick Davis
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Willspear
184 posts
Jul 21, 2012
8:39 PM
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Princeton reissue
Princeton blackface
Ampeg m15
Early 90s bassman
Silvertone 1432
Masco ma18
Gibson ga40
Some old dano 5w
Vht special 6
Kalamazoo model 2
Ampeg j12
Roland cube street
I think I want a custom or boutique amp as my next
Though I may snag a blackface super reverb that a friend is selling
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 8:45 PM
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SuperBee
437 posts
Jul 21, 2012
8:40 PM
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wow, some cool amps in those lists. my herd is somewhat less exciting, but gets the job done. a couple of nice ones in there:
Modified '97 HotRod deVille (410), Ashton Viper 30 (112),
'78 Princeton Reverb, VibroChamp XD (8"), homebrew 5w "kalamazoo/5F1"
The viper has seen quite a few gigs, superseded by the deville, but still gets some use. It's a 2 x EL34 thing, master volume. Suspect it would sound better with a different speaker. What's a good 12"?
and this one is still in the works...'48 Filmosound
it'll look different; i couldn't get the aluminium cowl to line up and look good so i'm building a wooden cab for it. sounds badass when its running...which isnt often.
i reckon that Vibro Champ XD is one of the least-rated harp amps. i used to play it a lot as practice amp, then switched to the PR for a while. came back to VCXD today...i really dig it. does anyone else here play one of these?
oh i forgot my little pignose busking amp...but you all know what they look like right? i mainly use it as a practice aid, to plug the iphone into.
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Last Edited by on Jul 25, 2012 3:13 AM
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HawkeyeKane
1082 posts
Jul 21, 2012
9:27 PM
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Rebuilt Heumannized Kalamazoo Model Two with hardwood cabinet
Modified Peavey Vypyr 15 with 12" speaker
I've decided to chop the Vypyr into a head/cab for dual use with the 12" and my Univox UB250 15" bass cabinet.
And my little busking unit, a Western Safety 5W handheld megaphone
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Hawkeye Kane
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bonedog569
575 posts
Jul 21, 2012
10:00 PM
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Gibson BR9 (had two till last week - sold one)
Wards Airline 8512 (single ended octal)
Sano 30WR - (big ass ugly sleepers - great amps)
Lone Wolf SE 6L6 suitcase amp I built from online plans
Fender blackface deluxe reverb
Rivera era Fender Concert 210 (for sale)
VHT Special 6
59 Bassman RI
on long term loan
Gibson GA-6
on the bench:
Fenbder sf "super six" (twin equivalent) chassi
Fender sf Bassman-ten chassi
(both modded to cathode bias)
"they are INVESTMENTS honey"
ok ok - I swear - - -
I will not look at Craigslist I will not look at Craigslist I will not look at Craigslist I will not look at Craigslist "
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Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 10:04 PM
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Littoral
567 posts
Jul 21, 2012
10:15 PM
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Many, I need to line up a pic. About 25, all pre 64.
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Libertad
107 posts
Jul 22, 2012
2:04 AM
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I started small and am building up, I have only been playing for a short time.
In twelve months I have gone from 2" to 10", so by my reckoning in 10 years time I am going to need a freight truck!
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2012 2:14 AM
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SuperBee
439 posts
Jul 22, 2012
3:08 AM
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What did you think of the little vox, libertad?
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colman
184 posts
Jul 22, 2012
3:30 AM
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a 1969 champ,2 silvertone twin twelves,1967 twin reverb fender and 1976 2x10music man 30/65 ,12 in. amps used mostly for guitar the music man set at 30 kicks with harp
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Libertad
109 posts
Jul 22, 2012
3:33 AM
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Hi SuperBee it's an AC4TVMini. I really like it, but I have confess I am no expert. It's a valve amp, and with a Superlux D112 bullet mike I can get a nice 'crunch'. It seems different mics work better with different amps. With the VHT I prefer my SM57.
The Vox only has a small speaker but I particularly like the power reduction, which is great for practicing at home.
Here are the specs:
Vox AC4TV Mini - valve guitar combo with original 1x 6.5" Vox speaker, 4W/16 Ohms (adjustable - 1/10W, 1W, 4W), 1x 12 AX7 and 1x EL84 valves, controls for tone and volume, OP switch, external speaker out. Dimensions: 260 x 280 x 170mm (WxHxD). Weight: 6.1kg
Cheers
Martin
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sonvolt13
111 posts
Jul 22, 2012
4:19 AM
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Harpgear 2 (gigging amp using the line out)
Premier model 50 (always breaking)
Spirit Harp Pro
Guild Thunder 1 Bass amp
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KingBiscuit
189 posts
Jul 22, 2012
6:12 AM
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Sony Jr. Avenger
Kalamazoo 2 (Heumanized with line out)
Crate V5 (Weber Alnico speaker)
DanElectro Honeytone
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2012 6:13 AM
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S-harp
55 posts
Jul 22, 2012
6:44 AM
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@Rick Davis ... What I think of the Excelsior?
I am surprised I must say ... It's all there. Already with stock tubes and speaker it got tone. It's à bit high gain and at around 30 % volume depending on microphone of choice it can start to feedback some. But by then it's loud enough I would be confidient to bring it to smaller gigs with the stock setup I'll try to swap tubes and se what happens. But I like the tone and it got some serious mojo.
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The tone, the tone ... and the Tone
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Blues13
191 posts
Jul 22, 2012
8:20 AM
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-Kalamazoo 2 (Heumanized with line out)
-Danelectro Honeytone,if I get the ball to do it gonna convert it to a head and build a cab for my Weber sig 10f
Martin
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Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
Isaac Asimov
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garry
245 posts
Jul 22, 2012
8:25 AM
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my main gigging amp is a vox vt-30, usually played with an AC30HH model and a little delay or chorus effect. i have a fender mustang 2 as backup amp, and a vht special 6 for messing around.
recently i tried getting a splitter cable and feeding both the vox and the vht from it. this sounds *great*.
i highly recommend trying this out. aside from the sound resulting from mixing two different amps, it may be a good way to get more volume when needed from smallish amps.
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pharpo
699 posts
Jul 22, 2012
9:27 AM
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I'm Jealous............
1 Yamaha 10W - 10 in speaker -
1 modded Crate V18 - 15 in speaker
1 Airline 62-9015A 2 x 12 (in the process of being refurbished)
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Procrastinator Emeritus
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HarveyHarp
361 posts
Jul 22, 2012
10:01 AM
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Super Sonny
Kalamazoo Model 1 from Greg Heumann
Blues Jr.
Bogen CH-14 with Randy Landry Modified Tone Stack
Bogen CH-50
Pighose 7-100
Pignose Hog 20
Kalamazoo Reverb 12
Pignose 40
Peavey VT100
Western Safety 5W handheld megaphone
Peavey Basic 50
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HarveyHarp
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av1901
1 post
Jul 22, 2012
10:08 AM
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Sonny Jr. 410
Kendrick Texas Crude harp amp
Fender Tweed Vibrolux (1960)
English Tonemaster (Valco) 1959
Hurricane V-8
I test drove the Fender Excelsior and for the money ($279 at Guitar Center) it sounded pretty nice - I'd be interested in hearing it in a band setting.
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HawkeyeKane
1083 posts
Jul 22, 2012
11:24 AM
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@Harvey
I need to knock heads with you on your Reverb 12. I wanna build a clone head of it and need part info that's all but vanished from anywhere on the web.
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Hawkeye Kane
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LSC
254 posts
Jul 22, 2012
11:54 AM
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Sonny Jr. Avenger
Kalamazoo Model 1 (mint closet find - original vinyl dust cover)
Kalamazoo Model 1 (Weber 10A100 - refinished in black lizard skin Tolex)
'63 RI Vibroverb (2 Weber 10A125-O and NOS RCA tubes)
Maxi Mouse
2 AER Combo 60
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LSC
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HawkeyeKane
1084 posts
Jul 22, 2012
1:20 PM
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Interesting that 10 folks who've posted here are Zoo owners. Woot!
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Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on Dec 20, 2012 7:13 AM
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chromaticblues
1277 posts
Jul 22, 2012
3:52 PM
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@ Noodles
Thats a nice amp MAN!
48' Filmosound That is cool!
I had a 40's RCA theater amp with 4 6v6's and sold it about 18 years ago. Stupid!
I remember it had the old loctal tubes that had the heaters on top of the tubes. Man that thang was nice!
I don't have a favorite amp, but when ever I play out with my 58' Gibson GA 20T people always comment on how they have never heard anyone play like that before. Oddly enough I never get that when using any other amp?
Kalamazoo 2 with the tremalo removed and an old 1951 Gaya?
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TahoeMike00
177 posts
Jul 22, 2012
4:57 PM
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"It's not how big it is, it's how you use it."
A 'Zoo Model 1 and a Kay 703!
Not pictured, a Pignose Hog 20. It's holding a door open.
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The more I learn about harmonica, the more I learn how much more there is to learn.
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2012 5:00 PM
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bonedog569
576 posts
Jul 22, 2012
10:16 PM
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@ Rick - Nice collection - Could you say a word or two comparing the bassman, the Chicago and the masco - obviously they have power differences and it's easier to crank the masco and champ, - How about tonal quality, bass, crunch and sustain , The Chicago with the 12/8 configuratin is on my fantasy list - if I ever sell off some of the existing heard.
Joe_L We should get together and play with each others toys sometime. We could even swap amps for a while if we felt like it.
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isaacullah
2085 posts
Jul 22, 2012
10:38 PM
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Right now. I've got:
Heavily modded Epi VJ (5 watts, sounds great!)
Pyp PB-1 (10 watt, "stealth" battery amp. This is my main busking amp. It lacks a little in the low end, but IMO sounded way better than my old Pignose 100, or the Microcube I tried.)
Realistic MPA20 (decent discrete component solid-state PA, 20 watts. Sounds pretty good for what it is. I need a better cabinet, but at the moment I've got 1x8" cab set up from salvaged components.)
Conrad Stereophonic all tube reel-to-reel tape deck, modified to work as an amp (This thing is from the '60's, I believe. I simply re-routed the jack so that it feeds into the tape head lead, and it voila! Instant amp! It's decent for harp, bus waaaay better with my CBG).
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=========== I S A A C ===========
View my videos on YouTube!
Check out my songs on Soundcloud!
Visit my reverb nation page!
Last Edited by on Jul 22, 2012 10:38 PM
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Rick Davis
550 posts
Jul 22, 2012
10:48 PM
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Bonedog, well....
The Masco has the deepest tone of any amp I have ever played. Massive, thundering bass. I play it through a stock Epi Valve Jr Half Stack cab with the 16-ohm Lady Luck speaker. The amp is far from stock, having been tweaked by Jim Rossen and then Bruce Collins. Much of its circuit was used as a model for the design of the Mission Chicago 32-20 amp.
The Mission 32-20 is a very loud muscular amp in a small 1x12 Tweed Deluxe cab. The way I have it set up (Fixed bias, Deep switch ON) it is crunchy and textured. Lots of overtones.
The Bassman is also not stock, and I could not get the tone I wanted without using a few pedals. The stock Bassman was no louder than the Mission amp, but now it is much bigger sounding (as you would expect).
All three amps sound great, but the Mission sounds perfect right out of the box. The others took some considerable coaxing to get "that" tone. The Bassman has become my main gigging amp for now.
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-Rick Davis
Last Edited by on Jul 23, 2012 8:37 AM
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The Gloth
671 posts
Jul 23, 2012
7:28 AM
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I have a Fanon-Masco, with a 18 inch speaker in a french hand-made cabin ; and a Roland Microcube I bought for very little money.
The Fanon-Masco is this model, love its sound :
Last Edited by on Jul 23, 2012 7:33 AM
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HawkeyeKane
1086 posts
Jul 23, 2012
8:22 AM
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I don't own this one...BUT I REALLY WANT TO!
Knight Model 93SZ682
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Hawkeye Kane
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bonedog569
577 posts
Jul 23, 2012
9:01 AM
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thanks Rick - great job sussing out the differences. Cool that your Masco's tweaked DNA is in the Chicago.
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wolfkristiansen
121 posts
Jul 24, 2012
2:24 PM
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Can't resist responding.
1. A '62 Fender Concert bought from Tom Lavin for $400 in 1975 and regularly played on stage since. Still my favorite amp, but too heavy for my old back and too loud for the small bars I now play in.
2. A '93 Fender Blues Deluxe. The Blues Deluxe came with a 12 inch speaker. It sounds much better with the vintage (1960s) 10 inch speakers I installed.
I had a '93 Blues Deville, but got rid of it in a deal with my wife to let me get the Blues Deluxe.
No photos, sorry, but my amps are well used, and look it. The tweed on the '93 Deluxe has been shredded by a cat with sharp claws.
As always, I'll repeat the mantra you hear from old timers: Good tone comes first and foremost from your acoustic technique. That said-- good gear helps.
Cheers,
wolf kristiansen
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lumpy wafflesquirt
598 posts
Jul 24, 2012
2:31 PM
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Roland Street Cube
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"Come on Brackett let's get changed"
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RyanMortos
1326 posts
Jul 24, 2012
3:02 PM
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Harp Gear Rock Bottom (6V6GT power tube,12AY7 preamp tube, & Solid State Rectifier . Generates between 5-7 watts of power. 10" Alnico Speaker.). Which is mint and spent 99% of its life packaged in a corner unfortunately.
Something like this:
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~Ryan
Advanced Intermediate: based on Adam's What Level Are You? guide.
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Steven Wright
See My Profile for contact info, etc.
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thorvaldsen76
149 posts
Jul 25, 2012
2:36 AM
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1. Silverface Fender Super Reverb
2. Silverface Fender Champ (modded)
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FreeWilly
295 posts
Jul 26, 2012
3:22 AM
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Last Edited by on Aug 26, 2012 8:57 AM
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Steamrollin Stan
494 posts
Jul 26, 2012
3:55 AM
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Large empty beer glass.
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HawkeyeKane
1094 posts
Jul 26, 2012
6:46 AM
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I've never seen anyone post about these here on MBH, but has anyone ever seen or heard the amps built by Larry David Cohen, "Bulletproof Amp"? He only has sites set up on facebook and myspace.
BULLETPROOF AMP on Facebook
BULLETPROOF AMP on Myspace
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Hawkeye Kane
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