Gibson Amps what to look for and what to stay away from?

OK I have heard on this Forum some Gibson amps are Jewels and some Dogs so what models are desirable and what models do you stay away from? (Unless some one gives ya one LOL ) Please give model number do not just say any amp from the 50's ect and keep aways from the 60's ect as I am sure some of the 60's amps had to be good????????? Include the Gibson brands that did not have the Gibson label too please.

this one is a 12 watt with reverb and trem pushing a 10 inch alncico jensen. i'm really enjoying this one. nice tube tone and a fairly lush reberb.
heard good things about the kalamazoo model 1 and 2's also. if they are anything like this you can't really go wrong with any of them.
i had to put a new reverb pan in this one when i got it so i guess i have about $300 all told in it.

There was a magazine article on this very subject, I think within the last twelve months. Too bad I can't remember whether it was in VG or Guitar & Bass. If I remember, I'll re-post.

You might try just Googling "Gibson amps" to see if it comes up.

Too many models to list. So, even though you asked not to do this....
anything form the mid'50's through 1962....any of these will be a good amp.
If you are looking for something small with reverb and trem, the GA-19RVT Falcon is a great one.
The amps from '63 and early '64 with the single slant front control cabs are good. Once again, the Falcon from this line is good....and so is any other model in this cab. The '64-'66 double slant cab amps are not up to par with the earlier Gibson/Epiphone amps, imho; but occassionally one of those surprises me as well.
Gibson amps also came in Epiphone, Maestro, and eve Bell logos. I had a Bell GA-78 Stereo amp. No difference from the Maestro or Gibson model.
Kalamazoo....definitely down market models. Fiberboard cabs and boards...inexpensive construction. I have only had exposure to the MD 1 and Md 2. They use single El-84/6BQ5 power tube and are killer little amps. The md. 2 has tremolo.
The creme de la creme? GA-40 from the mid-'50's through the very early '60's. The Stereo amps..GA-78, GA-77, Ga-79RVT. I have a GA-100 bass amp that is one of the most distinctive and wonderful sounding amps I have had.
My GA-18T from 1960 is a monster. I have a GA-20 and a GA-30 from the mid-'50's. Fine amps. My BR-4 from earlier days is sweet but underpowered.

As Wally said too many models to list but I'd add any gibson covered in tweed is a pretty safe bet as well as the models with maroon buffalo hide on top and speckled fabric on bottom. Check out the links below to get a better idea of specific models.

http://hem.passagen.se/ekabjan/Amps/Two-tone_1st.htm

http://hem.passagen.se/ekabjan/Amps/Two-tone_2nd.htm

http://hem.passagen.se/ekabjan/Amps/Tweed.htm

There was a magazine article on this very subject, I think within the last twelve months. Too bad I can't remember whether it was in VG or Guitar & Bass. If I remember, I'll re-post.

You might try just Googling "Gibson amps" to see if it comes up.

Vintage Guitar had a nice piece on the Gibson GA-40 in the June 2007 issue (with Rich Robinson from the Black Crowes on the cover). That's probably the article you were thinking of.

my reverb 12 is an all wood cabinet. have no idea what kind of wood. but you can clearly see when you look inside its not fiberboard, the sides and bottom at least are wood.

I think Vintage Guitar has been running a series on hidden gems of the vintage amp market. I remember one article on Gibson amps and one on Ampeg. I can vouch for the blonde (late 50s to 1960) GA-5 Skylark as a great take on a tweed Champ, and the tweed GA-18T from the same period as a great take on a tweed Vibrolux or Brown Princeton.
The link below has a comparison of Gibson and Fender models:

http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Gibson/gfmap.html

I usually prefer the ones with at least a 12" speaker from the late 50s-62. IIRC, the guts didn't change much in '63 (into '64?), but I've just found that the older ones have "it". I've broken away from the 12" only rule and found in the past year that some of the smaller ones with 8" spkrs sound pretty fine in their own right.

Serialsteve, don't try a ga-18 with a P10R or you will have to expand your rules again. (:^)

Serialsteve, don't try a ga-18 with a P10R or you will have to expand your rules again. (:^)

It's true!

Mid-50's GA-20 is a monster!!!!!

I haven't taken my new '63 GA-19RVT Falcon in for it's check up with the tech yet, but I like what I'm hearing so far. A little bright, but the potential is there.

I think Vintage Guitar has been running a series on hidden gems of the vintage amp market. I remember one article on Gibson amps and one on Ampeg. I can vouch for the blonde (late 50s to 1960) GA-5 Skylark as a great take on a tweed Champ, and the tweed GA-18T from the same period as a great take on a tweed Vibrolux or Brown Princeton.
The link below has a comparison of Gibson and Fender models:

http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Gibson/gfmap.html


In the Gibson one, the guy mentioned particular models as being good and bad and also mentioned particular years to avoid. I used to save them but don't any more....

If you stay in the late '50s with Gibson amps you will do no wrong. Whatever engineer was assigned to these projects had the spot-on ear for the killin' 'lectric 'geetar tone... maybe it was Les Paul?