"New" Gibson Amps?

[marshman]

So I stopped into a less-than-local music shop today that I rarely get to (had dropped SWMBO at a mall) and the had these Gibsons in Stock...

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Division...ibson/GA40RVT/

They look pretty sharp, and the price was very tempting ($850 & $900, if memory serves), but it was creepin' up on closin' time and I didn't feel like messin' with gettin' 'em to drag something down to give 'em a proper tryout. Anyone got any experience?

[tiktok]

I'd always wondered how closely related that amp was to those Epiphone Blues Custom 30's and such.

[tazzboy]

They've been around since last year. If go to http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspxand click on the amp section there are some reviews there.

[marshman]

I haven't had time to read up on it yet, and I also wondered if it was Blues Custom derived, but the specs say it's hand-wired, which I'm pretty sure the BC is not. In fact, I had to switch back & forth between the two spec sheets quite a few times before I figgered out what the difference between the two amps actually was--one is a 1x12, the other a 2x12--aside from that, I think they're identical.

As if I needed more GAS...

[EFK1]

I've had a GA42RVT for a year now. Very neat amp. These amps had some QC issues early on but the most recent of them (last 1-1.5 years) seem fairly reliable. They have a HUGE sound with a monster bass response - almost too much, although my brit speakers and 66 tubes aren't helping that -, very tweed meets marshall but with the added benefit of very warm and wonderful clean. They are not high gain - mostly like a tweed or JTM45. In fact, I've converted mine to a pseudo-JTM45 combo with greenbacks and KT66 (as opposed to the stock 6L6GC). They run and are biased HOT, I've got @ 492 B+ on mine right now and they come stock biased at something like 80-90% of dis (hence the 6L6GC use). They are true handwired on a turret board very neatly, seem to have pretty tough transformers and are built very well w/ birch ply save that the back design keeps too much heat cooped up around the tubes (I modified mine). DC heaters, multiple 4/8/16 OT taps. The stock eminence speakers are modeling speakers which do this amp absolutely no justice so plan on speaker replacement. Circuit design is by Pyotr Belov. In short, the amp is built like a tank, weighs about as much, and has a lot of potential if you can get a good deal and are willing to put in a little extra for new speakers and new tubes as well as some 'fiddling' inside to tweak it (but don't we all do that?). Reverb is pretty good, I don't like very much if any so I'm not a great judge of reverb but there is more there than I'll ever use. Bias-vary tremolo works very nicely also. Be prepared for either an attenuator or a MV addition (I added a Fischer-derived PPIMV which is perfect) as they are LOUD, certainly the 42RVT (I haven't tried a 40). There are some cheap chinese internal caps which I plan to replace but it all works well at the moment so I haven't gotten to it yet. All in all, a very familiar sounding combo with a classic sound. You can push it more towards heavy bluesy type tweedish/marshall tone as I did, or it sounds great with TAD or winged C 6L6GCSTR with Tung sol 12ax7 and I'll bet some great jensen type speakers would push it towards blackface territory, or at least true old Gibson amp territory. BTW, it works well w/ 12ay7 and 12at7 with no issues so you have those options also. 12at7 in PI slot is really great in this amp.

[marshman]

Well, thanks, EFK1--souds like an amp I can sink my teeth into. Sadly, the B-day just passed and the coffers are pretty empty these days, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. They do look the business, and I'm havin' a real hard time imaging anything but P90s through there.

How's the triode setting? Is it nicely lo-fi, or just fuzzy?

[metropolis74]

Where are these Gibson amps made? The price is very good for a US made "hand-wired" amp with all of its features. $849 from MF for the 1x12.

Why are Gison's amps so cheap while their guitars are so overpriced?

[EFK1]

I'm pretty much a humbucker guy but I suspect given the big bass response in these amps they would be even better with single coils. I'll bet a strat or tele would sound spectacular. I wanted to clarify - they are technically a 2 channel amp, the first channel being more Marshall voiced to my ear and the second more tweed or actually brown Fender. There is a 3rd input which combines the channels. All the ads say reverb and trem on channel two only but I think in subsequent versions they changed that as mine has reverb/trem on both. Where made? As I understand it, the boards are assembled and handwired somewhere in asia then shipped here and the amp is assembled here. I have to say again - wherever the wiring is done - it's a great job and excellent soldering. I think that's where they save the $$$. Proportionately, definitely a much better value on these amps than their guitars!!! (and I say that being a Gibson guy although I always buy used)

[metropolis74]

Originally Posted by EFK1

I'm pretty much a humbucker guy but I suspect given the big bass response in these amps they would be even better with single coils. I'll bet a strat or tele would sound spectacular...

Given Gibson's heritage of humbuckers, it's odd they design an amp that responds better to single coils

Seriously though, thanks for the great info on this amp. Very helpful.

[Professorbx]

When the Gibson amps came out they were selling for about double-I think it is basically a stealth "blowout" more than Gibson actually pricing things correctly.

[marshman]

I'm incined to agree with the perfesser...Gibson amps do not carry the weight, particularly on the new market, so after a short time spent trying to hawk those amps at the price they wanted, they're looking to clear 'em out...can anyone say GA-5?

I wonder where I can find $800 real quick???