The "What? There's no Standel Club?" Club

[Fearnot]

Looked high and low, I could swear there was a Standel Club here somewhere... but no. Oh well, here's mine:



Frankly, I think it's been pretty thoroughly reworked with 2 6V6s and 3 12AX7s... but with that 15" Eminence, it doesn't do anything but sound great. (And yes, I'll probably have to rethink the groovy grillecloth before I gig again. )

Next!

[Fearnot]

Well, I'm feeling pretty darned special...

[DaveG]

Fearnot, Fearnot... there are others like you!

I have one of the '60s solid state Standels, the ones with the circuit "modules". It's a Model C15R I Custom XV. I got it for $30 at a garage sale! Yeah!

Manufactured 1968 50 watts Solid State
Two Channels
Channel 1: Volume Treble Bass Contour
Channel 2: Volume Treble Bass Reverb Speed Intensity
Two button footswitch for reverb and tremelo
Speaker: Standel SS15 System Designed Transducer 15" 8 Ohm with 4 lb alnico magnet

Here's part of my old review on Harmony Central. All still true...:
This amp is incredibly clean sounding: in fact I could not get it to distort noticeably at all, even when turned up to the max with a humbucker-equipped Gibson plugged in. It would be excellent for country guitar or pedal steel.

I've used it with a '66 Tele set up for country, '66 Jaguar with flatwounds, '82 Strat, new Flying V, Dano 6 string bass, and an ancient Guild hollowbody jazz box with the same result: you only hear the sound of the guitar. This amp is from another era; in a sense it has no tone, which is great if you've got a great sounding guitar: the Tele and the Guild sound amazing, for example. The Flying V pretty much has one sound: it's just a roar from the high output pickups, and well, that's what you hear!

The reverb is very deep and surfy, kind of like an old Ampeg or an outboard Fender or Premier reverb unit. The tremelo is also deep and weird: you can play in rhythm with it, and it can sound like a backwards guitar effect, again kind of like an old Ampeg or Thomas Organ Vox. Very cool.

I've used it for bass and the 15" speaker makes it great for that, though maybe a little under-powered: 50 solid state watts is or course not like 50 tube watts...

[BigDaddyLH]

I don't know if many people know that the Standel name has been relaunched: http://www.standelamps.com/

Their two flagship products are the 25L15 "Vintage Plus":



... a point-to-point tube amp using a pair of 807 power tubes for 25W. My favourite part of the Vintage Plus series is that they use the legendary JBL D-130 (15") speakers. This amp lists for over $3,000. Can you say boutique?

It's big brother:



The 100UL15 gets 100W from four 6L6WC power tubes.

[bo]

The groovy grill cloth is the icing on the cake!

[wstrnswingster]

Not bragging but here's one to drool over. It's the only picture I have loaded at the moment.
#1034 built for Lee Buck in Nov. 54
Rarest amp I ever owned. Not the best sounding though. Sold it in 03. Sure wish i still had it they sell for a years wages now.
I've had a couple of the early 60's models. A 1x12 Artist with a P12Q which sounded Ok and a 1x15 Custom that was just too glassy sounding to my ears.

[tombob]

I've been looking for years for an old (early to mid 50's) Standel, have yet to find one in my price range, they are the "holy grail" for fingerstyle players.

[zook]

This in a '68 Atrist. It is about to be upgraded to Imperial specs. two 12's great clean sound and reverb.

Winnie

[drf64]

I'm fixin' to build a 25L15 type of one based on the schematic that Ted Weber was planning to release as a kit.

[Fearnot]

Y'know, I've been out searching for information on my Standel (up top there) and still can't find any. In fact, the only picture Google can find of that model on the whole darned internet is mine.

Weeeeird...?

[Bill Ashton]

Yo, Winnie!



Did you ever mod your Standel? I have the same thing, however the reverb is WAY over the top most of the time...the little micro-pot on the circuitboard doesn't do much, and there is no tremolo. Find a way around the little potted jewel-boxes?

Take care,

Bill

[Donelson]

I wish I had a picture to post of my first "big & impressive looking" amp, which was a transistor Standel. Bought used around 1972. Loud & piercing, lacking in bass bigtime. One speaker, I guess it was a 12". Large & heavy. Used it for about three years as a teen.

I afterwards always thought that this was a crap brand based on my experience, until I saw a Wes Montgomery BBC video where he uses a Standel. Superb sound by Wes with it. Obviously some of them were good.

[Bob_H]

Originally Posted by Fearnot

(And yes, I'll probably have to rethink the groovy grillecloth before I gig again. )

Next!

Serious envy here.

A little bit of groovy never hurt nobody

[customxke]

Mine:

[Fearnot]

Nice... is that a 12" in there? Tubes or SS?

[strat_tone]

My baby. So loud, so clean. Pair of eminence 12's. I think it's 120 watts, and it means it!

[jmiles]

BTW,
Module replacements are available. Can't remember from who though. Maybe the new Standel Co.?

[Bill Ashton]

...if not the modules themselves, at least the 'secret' circuit diagram. I have heard tell the new company is very friendly, although I personally have not had direct contact with them...

[strat_tone]

Yup, plus there are at least two guys who know them very well, former employees? That are still servicing them. I was not going to buy mine if it couldn't be repaired, but one is in nashville and one in Cali. Finally as I heard the new company will offer all they have as far as schematics.

Just saying.... I'm a tube amp guy through and through. This one gets that sound. I turned up the verb a little and cranked the tremolo and play a few CCR licks... I knew I was going to be mine. It has these gain switches and and contour switches for each channel, they're both very subtle but nice. Takes pedals lovely. If you find one of these solid state models on the cheap... Buy buy buy. It came with stock with caster feet and weighs less than 45 lbs and is louder than a twin reverb. It's open backed too. I want to plug in a lap steel but I'm scared I'll like it too much. I plugged my baritone ukulele into it with a Dearmond pickup, quite a lot of character. These eminence speakers are schwing.

[customxke]

Another one for me.....25L15: