Do You Supro?

[Old Deaf Roadie]

For you Supro amp owners:

1. What genre of music do you play?
2. Which Supro model?
3. Does the amp fill your needs, or not?

I am shopping amps. I am giving serious consideration to saying goodbye to my larger amps in favor of something smaller and the Supros have really impressed me. The amps on the chopping block include a 1968 Dual Showman Reverb (100 Fender watts of neighbor enraging tube goodness) and an acoustic G-120DSP (120 watts twin that my neighbors could also do without...) Part of me says the Showman is a good bass amp and that I should keep it, but my 2-15 cabinet is no fun to move, and my neighbors will likely gripe about that, too, just at a lower frequency lol.

 

[KC]

I play blues & R&B, had a Supro Statesman for a while, got if for cheap & sold it to a bandmate for the same $$$. Good-sounding amp if you could run it out but way loud by the time you got any breakup. If you're used to running non-master 2x6L6 amps, this may work for you. It's a compact (but not lightweight) package, two distinct channels, tube-driven reverb & FX loop. But it was more amp than I could really use in 99% of the playing situations I found myself in.

 

[ruger9]

I have a reissue Tremoverb, great amp, I play blues and jazzy stuff with it. To me, the Supro "sound" is "old school", not modern. The highs are fat due to the high bass content of the amps, they have a high-mids spike. They don't sound like tweeds or brownface, and certainly not blackface. To my ears, they are more in the GA-50/EH-185 camp... they sound like those old amps (except they hold together much better when cranked... and Supros crank most excellently, actually diming a Supro is more pleasing than diming any NMV Fender, IMO.

But they are LOUD. The Tremoverb, without an attenuator, can only be played clean, or in a live situation large enough to warrant it. I run mine at home with a Weber Mini-Mass when I want drive from it.

 

[ScottTunes]

I've had many Valco amps over the last 35 years. At least one Airline (could've been a Dano), and one Harmony, and a few Gretsch and Supro amps (which aren't very different)...

Too many to recount at this point.

My favorite to look at were definitely Gretsch.

Unfortunately, I lost my storage space and had to eliminate the majority of my HUGE amp collection. I'm embarrassed to say how many amps I'd amassed at one point, a few years ago. I'm FAR more comfortable now, with only a "few" Fenders and Traynors, and a Quilter I45.

Please ask me which amp I like best, and why!!! Hahaha!!! Although, I did like my Gretsch and Supro amps.

 

[CalebAaron666]

I had a reissue Tremoverb that I sold and regretted selling immediately.
I am now lusting after the new Amulet.

I still Supro though, but with this reissue Coronado II guitar.
I bought it used in September.
It was cheap, it was made in China, and it’s incredible!
It’s the least expensive guitar I own, but it’s the most inspiring piece of gear I’ve acquired in a long time. Go figure!

 

[uriah1]

Love my Supro supreme. Not sure they make any more.
More of Keith Richards tone, but does a lot in between.
Kept up with a drummer too. Just good all round tone.

 

[stormsedge]

I have a Statesman 1699RH, 1799(?) 2x12 cabinet, and a BK10. If you run across a used Statesman, you might look up the owner's manual as it is an interesting amp with many features (that I may shortchange in a post). Nutshell...two selectable preamps (separate or combined) for their red Thunderbolt or blue Comet circuit, which is 25-30W depending on what you read...combined 50. The red side is the cleaner (if that is possible) higher head room...the blue has a bit more gain with EQ, a very flexible fx loop, and a nice spring reverb. The preamps drive two 6L6 tubes. The head also has the ability to run as a Class A or A/B. It takes pedals well and...it gets LOUD quick with both red and blue selected. It is a fairly heavy rig.



The BK10 is a nice amp too, and while I don't use mine much, it hits a niche. And I practically stole it based on today's prices...so I'll keep it.

As a previous poster (or two) noted...the Supros (at least the ones I have) sound more old school which doesn't fit the ear of some. They work for me.

 

[gitold]

Not to get off subject but I Supro Town and Country!

 

[JIMMY JAZZMAN]

Waiting on that Harmony amp 6120 to come out. Taking forever.

 

[Beebe]

Never had one, but if I was going to build a custom bridge, I would definitely consider carving a Rosewood one like on some of these.

 

[stormsedge]

1. What genre of music do you play?
2. Which Supro model?
3. Does the amp fill your needs, or not?

LOL...I failed the quiz not having RTFQs.

1. A little of everything leaning towards a country or southern rock sound.
2. Noted above.
3. Yes. I would be perfectly fine with either my Statesman or BK10, alone...but I chased more amps after them just because I could.

 

[brookdalebill]

Never have, but there’s still time!

 

[BackwaterJunction]

I've got a Delta King 8, one of the current line.

It's got a little 8" speaker, 12AX7 preamp and 12AU7 as the power section delivering a massive 1W. It has a boost setting which gives a bit more of a grunt in the mids I really like.

Not sure it's really the Supro sound, but it's a fantastic amp for home use. I just crank it, and get a good retro vibe playing Keith Richards-type Open G stuff.

Has a line out too, which can be run into another amp's preamp for even bigger sounds.

 

[Chud]

I have the Saturn Reverb 25w single channel/input that also has tremolo. It's a long discontinued model, but thought I'd chime in anyway. Very simple amp with no master volume. Tons of headroom, but very dynamic response to guitar volume/pick attack to push it into subtle warm breakup. Sounds best loud and pushing the preamp and power amp tube stages, and for a long time I ran it with an attenuator to be able to run it at normal volume levels.

It's an amp I don't think I'll ever sell just because it perfectly scratches the itch it's meant to - unique warm clean tones that lend themselves to blues/rock very confidently. If I want more drive on the front end, a clean boost is all that is needed to push it over the edge into a bit more crunch.

 

[Wildcard_35]

I have an old 5 watt one that's awesome, and a newer reissue one that's 20 watts, the Tremoverb. I like it a lot. It's nice and light, and easy to take to a gig, and sounds great. What's not to like?

 

[Sacdubro]

Just picked up my first Supro a used Delta King 10. It checks a lot boxes with its features and makes a great practice/bedroom amp. Has a good blues, southern and classic rock tone. It's a keeper!

 

[drmordo]

I have a Black Magick, and it is simply amazing. It sounds good no matter what guitar I plug into it, which IMO most amps cannot claim.

This is a Tele into the BM. I'm the second soloist on the first song, on the left side throughout the recording:

 

[GrimSlim]

I've had two vintage Supro amps and a new one. The Supro Comet (new one) was a 1x10 combo and was probably one of the best amps I've ever used. It was easy to tote around and very versatile, it was also loud enough I never really needed anything bigger for a gig.

I had a mid-60's Supro Thunderbolt for a while, but kept having reliability issues with it, so it's been sold off. I currently have a '62 Royal Reverb which has a lot of character and sounds great cranked up, its not very versatile, but its too cool to let go of.

All-in-all I would say the Comet was the best of the bunch, I hope I can buy another some day.

 

[Dismalhead]

Picked this guy up about two years ago and played it all through the lockdown about 20 hours a week. Supro 1606 Super. 5-watts, Class-A, one 6V6, just hi and lo inputs, a volume knob, and a standby switch. The 8" speaker was custom designed with Eminence just for this model. Stupid simple amp.

I play classic rock from mellow clean to metal with my friends, at home I play '70s and '80s metal. I set the Supro to just past the point of breakup and then use my Revv when I want to take it into metal land, so I do use it somewhat as a pedal platform.

As an amp it is like a classic Fender Champ on steroids. Breakup is nice - very American with some warmth but not as much as a Fender. It's got a big in-your-face mid-range punch, tons of presence, and is capable of getting very loud. Play it at big jams with a drummer and it holds up just fine. Mine doesn't have reverb but there is a version with it if you want to pay a couple hundred more for it. It was designed based on a '64 1606 that Joe Perry lent them.

My friends have complimented me on the tone multiple times, and it's probably one of my favorite amps of all time. While it's no longer my main amp at home, it's still my grab and go. I'd say it fills my needs for a small tube amp perfectly.

 

[jas5269]

I have the Saturn Reverb 25w single channel/input that also has tremolo. It's a long discontinued model, but thought I'd chime in anyway. Very simple amp with no master volume. Tons of headroom, but very dynamic response to guitar volume/pick attack to push it into subtle warm breakup. Sounds best loud and pushing the preamp and power amp tube stages, and for a long time I ran it with an attenuator to be able to run it at normal volume levels.

It's an amp I don't think I'll ever sell just because it perfectly scratches the itch it's meant to - unique warm clean tones that lend themselves to blues/rock very confidently. If I want more drive on the front end, a clean boost is all that is needed to push it over the edge into a bit more crunch.

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I've the Supro Saturn Reverb (1648RT) as well. I play a DIY telecaster (vintage single coils) through it. I'm trying to keep away from pedals at the moment and keep the setup as simple as possible.

It seems to me that although it's a relatively simple amp in terms of controls a small amount of adjustment of the bass or treble dials has a disproportionately large effect on the sound. Also, one reviewer commented increasing the treble or bass past 12 will drive the amp harder?

At the moment my favourite spot is the bass and treble almost off (I suppose the mids on maximum), volume on half way, for a growly but twangy country rock sound.

I'm interested in the settings and sounds other users use?