Ahh, gotta love New Amp Day!!!

[backalleyblues]

Yes, now I get to post one of these... This little beauty was only played on Sundays (really, it's true! More in a minute) and really hasn't been out much at all over the last 20 or so years... Gibson GA-15RVT, totally mint and original, occasionally called a "poor man's princeton" (and yes, I'm not rich). Found it on Craigslist, drove 3 towns over to get it... paid $200... not a "super" deal (like the GA-8 I scored at a yard sale for $4) but a decent price for a piece like this, in the shape it's in...

Now, the rest of the story: Turns out the guy I bought this from inherited this amp from his father, who had passed away a little while ago. Father was a pastor, and used the amp in church on Sundays (hence the joke above-it's really true!). The guy also got his dad's guitars... which he brought out, after sseing that I really liked the amp, and that I appeared to be a decent guy (imagine that!!!)

First guitar was a (I'm guessing) late 40's-early 50's Montgomery Ward archtop (probably made by Kay), really nice shape, huge v-neck... real good player... then he brings out the guitar his dad bought with the amp new in '65... a '64-65 Gibson ES-125TDC in Cherry Sunburst, completely original, but needing a neck reset. SWEET!!!! Needless to say, he's not selling the guitars (they mean too much to him) but oh so nice!!!

I'll pull the amp apart tomorrow for inspection, gut shots, etc. but everything on the amp is in good working order-original 2-prong cord, reverb-trem pedal is intact and works, all original USA tubes (6EU7, I think a 12AX7, 12AU7A, 2x6BQ5/EL84), hey even the handle is in good shape! Only thing wrong is the missing knob for the tremolo speed. Original CTS speaker in there coded 137 546 (November '65, so this amp could be an early '66), some other codes on it as well (probably model #'s, etc.) I'll post those tomorrow too. Sound is better than I thought it would be-still pretty bright like these amps are known for, but more body than everyone says they have... maybe I ran into a good one...

Franc Robert

[mistermullens]

Wow! That looks great! Bet it sounds cool too.

[CrowePhil]

Very nice. Great story behind that amp too. Enjoy it.

[backalleyblues]

An update: played this amp finally on the gig last night, and while I couldn't quite pull off "La Grange" with it, it really nailed all the old-school blues we played-in fact, I didn't even hook up my pedalboard, went straight into the amp all night long! Dimed it, rode the volume knob (a little) and just played... Volume was perfect, tone was to die for, it just flat worked...

now, about my guitar playing...

I probably really need to put a better speaker in there, something that will round out the highs a little bit (the amp got a little reedy on the top end)-maybe an Emi Little Buddy?

Franc Robert

[sonserve]

That's just cool. Thanks!

[castpolymer]

I think new amp day is actually better than new guitar day ( especially with that little gem you bought ). Scoooooooooore!

[rangercaster]

i have the same amp but it is an Epiphone (Comet EA32RVT) it is not very loud and may need some work ... if i run a boost or a compressor it is better ... i read that the preamp tube is shared with the trem and reverb, so you need to crank the effects ...