Vintage Gibson Amps?

[Awkirk]

Thanks for posting that. I have one of these sitting in my basement. It is in the basement because my wife complained that it smells when on. My father found it at a tag sale for $35 in 1988. I've been meaning to get it overhauled for a few years now. Yours sounds better than what I recall mine sounding like. It also looks a bit better. I'm guessing it probably smells a bit better too!

Nice playing too, BTW.

There is a really great thread that I found that a guy wrote on a forum about overhauling GA 19's and converting crestlines (not so good) into tweed (muy bueno) Ga 19 rvt's. I sure found this helpful in my tinkering. I have two vintage amps that sound really nice for about $1000 all said and done with parts, etc.

 

[8trackmind]

I have a 67 epiphone galaxy. Whofully under powered and clean clean clean.
It's definitely voiced for Gibson style guitars as mentioned. The EQ is so flat it actaully sounds good as an acoustic amp.
The reverb and the tremolo are incredible though.

 

[powerwagonjohn]

I have been eyeing a early 50's GA-75. It has a replaced output transformer but other wise orig. and serviced along with a Jensen P15N. Sounds great!
Thanks John

 

[ScottJPatrick]

I was lucky to buy my '61 GA19RVT sometime in the late 80's/early 90's, fantastic sounding amp.

 

[Booman]

Thread resurrection. I love my '52 GA20. Agree it's slightly darker than a Fender tweed and if you want sparkly clean look elsewhere. But for thick and chewy these are ideal for me.

 

[jackleg]

i see several ga20s for sale, but very few ga 20ts?? is it because they are scarce
or because they are not very good sounding?

 

[dkevin]

According to Superior Music, Gibson amp production from 56-61 showed 2,230 GA-20 units produced and 4,224 GA-20T units produced. I selected 56 as the beginning date...it may have been 55 or 57...According to these figures, the GA-20T should be easier to find. I have both and they both sound great. I think the 20T (and possibly the 20 too) are a pain to repair due to the dual-sided component boards. But the tone is worth the struggle!

 

[Mowgli]

I usually put a small reverb pedal in front of this '53 GA-40 and, to my ears, it sounds like an Oscar Moore tone machine (Nat King Cole trio guitarist). I love the octal preamp tube sound in this and early Ampegs.

Beside it is a small Firestone tweed battery tube AM "barn" radio that is non-functional but "cool looking."

Old Gibson and Ampeg amps are underrated, IMO.

 

[jackleg]

According to Superior Music, Gibson amp production from 56-61 showed 2,230 GA-20 units produced and 4,224 GA-20T units produced. I selected 56 as the beginning date...it may have been 55 or 57...According to these figures, the GA-20T should be easier to find. I have both and they both sound great. I think the 20T (and possibly the 20 too) are a pain to repair due to the dual-sided component boards. But the tone is worth the struggle!

hard to find on ebay and reverb... maybe, they are so good, nobody wants to sell.....

 

[zook]

Here's a Scout that belongs to a friend of mine.

tucson.craigslist.org/msg/d/benson-1964-gibson-scout-amp/7421480717.html

 

[68silverw/black]

I have several. I think that having the original Jensen Alnico speakers really make them sound great. I have two (1960 and a 1961) GA-5s; they are the ones I use most because I like the distortion to come on early. I also have a 1962 Crestline GA-5T with tremolo (see ). All three of these are five watt amps. I have a 1961 GA-8T (8 watt) that has tremolo with an intensity as well as speed control that makes it much better than the GA-5T. My favorite is the 1958 GA-6 Lancer which is very similar to the Fender Tweed Deluxe (11-14 watts) with no reverb or tremolo. I also have a GA-19RVT with great reverb and tremolo, but it only plays clean; one can modify it to distort, but I have not done that.

 

[68silverw/black]

I have several. I think that having the original Jensen Alnico speakers really make them sound great. I have two (1960 and a 1961) GA-5s; they are the ones I use most because I like the distortion to come on early. I also have a 1962 Crestline GA-5T with tremolo (see ). All three of these are five watt amps. I have a 1961 GA-8T (8 watt) that has tremolo with an intensity as well as speed control that makes it much better than the GA-5T. My favorite is the 1958 GA-6 Lancer which is very similar to the Fender Tweed Deluxe (11-14 watts) with no reverb or tremolo. I also have a GA-19RVT with great reverb and tremolo, but it only plays clean; one can modify it to distort, but I have not done that.

 

[destroyerrock]

I own one, sort of. I have an old maestro amp, but it was made in the gibson factory, its a 1962 m-2rvt. found it for 400 bucks a couple months back, looked like it was left in a humid closet for the past 60 years (rusty, minor marks on the tolex, some white paint drops, was 100% stock, even the old rca tubes). with a little bit of work done, its easily my best amp i own. Doesnt stay clean very long though. Mines an oddball, has a factory 15 inch speaker, i put an eminence legend 1518 in it, tightened everything up and made it plenty loud to gig. not sure i would want to gig it though, ive had to take apart the spring tank a few times after moving it in and out of places. also just sounds so good that i dont want to break it. no shrill harshness, even with a tele, probably bc of the new speaker. you can hear it here

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[radiocaster]

Old Gibson and Ampeg amps are underrated, IMO. View attachment 936465

Were underrated. Unfortunately not anymore, prices have gone up.