Noel Redding amp

jpatt2 · #1 01-07-2011, 01:56 AM

Hey everyone, I walked into a local Guitar Center, and was suprised to see a Sound City L120 with matching 4x12 cab. Noel Redding's name is stamped on the back of the amp, which has certainly been on tour, and still sounds nice. The vintage guy said it was Redding's, but didn't have any documentation for it. Anyway...I'm having a hard time finding out any information on whether he even used these amps. I know he used Sunn pretty extensively with Hendrix, so I'm not sure. Any info would be much appreciated. Thanks for your help!

father of fires · #2 01-07-2011, 05:22 AM

Did you buy it?

chadds · #3 01-07-2011, 05:23 AM

He used them very early in the Experience. This might be bogus. However if it's for a decent price your are in the Marshall tone area. I'd buy it for it's own merits only.

schmig · #4 01-07-2011, 05:26 AM

I'm going to very reluctantly mention that Redding lived nearby me during the 90s, until his death. I heard on several occasions that a lot of gear was passing through his hands as his ownership would automatically add quite some value (for some folks).

I can't confirm this, just saying I did hear of it..

jpatt2 · #5 01-07-2011, 05:32 AM

It's only $1550, so I might go for it at that price. Regardless of whether it was Redding's or not, I dig the tone. Does anyone know of any pictures of him using Sound City's?

Schmig, that really is a bummer to hear...

MAMMOTHvolume · #6 01-07-2011, 05:34 AM

1550? for a soundcity jeez thats expensive, they go for like 300quid over here tops

jpatt2 · #7 01-07-2011, 05:37 AM

300 quid for both the head and cab or just one or the other?

chadds · #8 01-07-2011, 05:38 AM

There are some pics of in one of the Hendrix biographies.
With cab that's a good price but offer them less. Who knows what service it may need.
In fact buy it and take it right to a tech. Tube amps need checkups recaps etc.
Speakers could be Goodmans.
Hey quit writing about it here and go get it.

godofthunder59 · #9 01-07-2011, 05:40 AM

Whether Noel owned it or not get the darn thing ! I have a SC 200 plus that I love ! You wont regret it !

chadds · #10 01-07-2011, 05:40 AM

Hendrix not Noel. There are other photos elsewhere.

http://www.soundcitysite.com/sc_webp...to_page_17.htm

Floyd Eye · #11 01-07-2011, 06:00 AM

Do not buy it because Noel Redding MAY have owned it, because he probably didn't, but if it's a good deal and you want it, go for it.

billfitzmaurice · #12 01-07-2011, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floyd Eye

Do not buy it because Noel Redding MAY have owned it, because he probably didn't, but if it's a good deal and you want it, go for it.

+1. Would you buy a Chrysler LeBaron just because Jon Voight had owned it?

kobass · #13 01-07-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

+1. Would you buy a Chrysler LeBaron just because Jon Voight had owned it?

The actor Jon Voight?

billfitzmaurice · #14 01-07-2011, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kobass

The actor Jon Voight?

No, the dentist.

dmrogers · #15 01-07-2011, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

+1. Would you buy a Chrysler LeBaron just because Jon Voight had owned it?

Yes I would, but only if it was the actor Jon Voight
AND
It had a pencil in the glovebox with his teeth marks on it!

chadds · #16 01-07-2011, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

+1. Would you buy a Chrysler LeBaron just because Jon Voight had owned it?

That is SO funny!!!

Jim C · #17 01-07-2011, 07:24 AM

What about Ricardo Mantalban?

Years ago a local vintage dealer had Mick Ralph's burst, Les Paul, with documentation, that was used on the mega hit "Feel Like Making Love"; back then, it was a hard sell at $75K and the celebrity ownership did not make any difference; chances are the Sound City is bogus and good point about just ownership vs. daily use

Colonel Monk · #18 01-07-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billfitzmaurice

+1. Would you buy a Chrysler LeBaron just because Jon Voight had owned it?

That Depends. Is it the the convertible model with the fake wire wheel hubcaps? White interior?

Then no.

Vanceman · #19 01-07-2011, 10:25 AM

It's got Corinthian leather...

AwkwardLoudness · #20 01-07-2011, 11:02 AM

A Sound City L120 would be a Mark 4 era amp built between 1970 and 1975 approximately. Sound City did not have any 120 watt amps prior to that. These amps have the active preamp circuit, worse build quality (messy wires and solder joints) compared to earlier SC amps, and they are typically noisy. Well some are better than others as there was much variation in the Mark 4 amps in terms of wiring quality. It seems that no two Mark 4 amps are exactly alike in my experience and many of them have been modified at some point in the past 35 to 40 years. It's best to gut them and re-wire like a Hiwatt since they used many of the same components...that's what I did to mine. I have a converted B120 and an L120 that's a work in progress. An L120 amp is not worth more than $400 to $500 unless some great vintage glass is loaded in there.

The Sound City stores did sell some very nice amps. The 'Mark 1' era late 1966 to 1967 amps that were built by Hiwatt are considered to be the best and are quite rare. Hendrix obtained at least one of these amps in addition to Marshalls other rigs when he first went to England with Chas Chandler in 1966. Ivor Arbiter (owner of the Sound City stores in London) merged with Dallas Music around the time that the Hiwatt supplier contract had ended...and the company became Dallas-Arbiter. The Mark 2 and Mark 3 amps have passive and are similar to Hiwatt amps but were not built by Hiwatt like the earlier ones. The Mark 4 amps have a very different circuit with the weird active EQ. Maybe Noel Redding owned that amps, but it certainly was not during his time with the Jimi Hendrix Experience as the Mark 4 amps were built after the band broke up (in 1968 I think).

$1500 for Mark 4 Sound City L120 half stack? That's a ridiculously high price even with the undocumented hearsay of Noel Redding owning it.