Where are the '70s Kustom Kollectors?

Gries Amps · #1 03-24-2011, 08:48 AM

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread or if it sounds too much like an auction. A woman I work with has some Kustom equipment from the early '70s: a black 250 watt bass head (didn't they call it a brain back then?), matching 3x15 black cab, and a blue 2x15 cab.

It's been sitting in a finished basement since the '80s. I haven't seen it but she says it all works. She'd like to sell it all but has no idea where to start or what it's worth. Shipping may be difficult - it's located in south eastern MA. I thought there might be someone around here who collects these amps.

coreyfyfe · #2 03-24-2011, 09:19 AM

Since you said eastern MA, check out these guys in providence, they have a tooooooooooooon of kustom stuff for sale - take about 30% off the prices they list and you've got what you could probably expect. They had a pretty big collection the last few times I was there...

Sav'nBass · #3 03-24-2011, 10:48 AM

Maybe laid up in traction somewhere..?

(I couldn't resist..

)

77PBass · #4 03-24-2011, 11:13 AM

Oh...I wish the 2x15 was in gold sparkle to match my K200B head...I would drive and get it.

You can try craigslist and ebay...kollectors are constantly trolling those sites. Or sell it to Daddy's Junky Music up in that part of the world.

KramerBassFan · #5 03-24-2011, 01:19 PM

I'd get it if i wasn't so far from MA.

thumpbass1 · #6 03-24-2011, 01:49 PM

Last time I seen a Kustom amp collector they were hanging out at the local custom auto upholstery shop.

Actually
I have a soft spot for those tuck and roll beauties. I once was in a band that had the p.a. version of the 3-15 cabs. We used them for p.a.,
could have been guitar cabs, who knows? Those had a police style horn at the top and two 15's. In white sparkle, they were quite the 70's
fashion pieces to say the least.

Jeff Scott · #7 03-24-2011, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coreyfyfe

Since you said eastern MA, check out these guys in providence, they have a tooooooooooooon of kustom stuff for sale - take about 30% off the prices they list and you've got what you could probably expect. They had a pretty big collection the last few times I was there...

A late friend of mine had a room full of Kustom amps, I wonder if some of the amps in this photo was from Barry's collection.

VanillaThundah · #8 03-24-2011, 09:33 PM

I have a Kasino 2x15's that I THOUGHT was a Kustom cab lol...its great, awesome tone for oldschool stuff =)

BurningSkies · #9 03-24-2011, 09:34 PM

I had one of those big black 3x15's back about 20ish years ago. My back hurts just looking at the pictures...as do my hands when I think of the handles with the broken out plastic, so that they were just implements of slicing and stigmata.

I had a Kustom 200 head in sparkle blue, and I used to carry it up 3 floors to practice. Sometimes alone.

nysbob · #10 03-25-2011, 06:15 AM

The first time I saw Bruce Springsteen back in the early '70s Gary Talent was rocking a dano longhorn through one of those 3x15 kustom rigs. Nothing wrong with that!

chadds · #11 03-25-2011, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

I had one of those big black 3x15's back about 20ish years ago. My back hurts just looking at the pictures...as do my hands when I think of the handles with the broken out plastic, so that they were just implements of slicing and stigmata.

I had a Kustom 200 head in sparkle blue, and I used to carry it up 3 floors to practice. Sometimes alone.

I thought no one would remember the handles! When the inside back plastic broke off you had this slice & dice kitchen implement that was an anathema for anyone actually planning to play bass after getting the cabinet to the gig.

THUNDERGODX · #12 03-25-2011, 06:24 AM

I have to put my 2c in this thread.

I had a Kustom 400 watt head on two fo those 3x15 cabs.

It took everything I could throw at it.

Including a Jazz Bass screaming through a Fender Blender distortion pedal.

Wish I had never sold it.

chadds · #13 03-25-2011, 06:26 AM

Okay, and I tread lightly here, but folks would blow smoke into the ports to see it come back out when you hit a note.

**xed** · #14 03-25-2011, 06:38 AM

Almost all my "band days" were spent playing thought a Kustom 200 and matching 2x15 in black tuck-n-roll. I don't think anyone ever offered to help me carry the damn thing but I loved it. A good friend of mine still owns the 2x15 but the head went toes up and I didn't bother to try and get it fixed and instead traded it.

spike42 · #15 03-25-2011, 07:14 AM

Speaking of Daddy's, they have a blue head for sale, set it
right on that 2x15 cab:

Daddys.com - Amps - Bass Heads - Kustom 150

GaryLC · #16 03-25-2011, 07:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadds

Okay, and I tread lightly here, but folks would blow smoke into the ports to see it come back out when you hit a note.

Yes, we used to do that! I also loved the big "thump" of moving air you got when you turned one on! I loved those amps, played through a red sparkle 200 w/3-12" cabinet for years! It was just a little more manageable than the 3-15" cabs. What a nice warm sound for an early solid-state amp....

Flabass · #17 03-25-2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xed

Almost all my "band days" were spent playing thought a Kustom 200 and matching 2x15 in black tuck-n-roll. I don't think anyone ever offered to help me carry the damn thing but I loved it. A good friend of mine still owns the 2x15 but the head went toes up and I didn't bother to try and get it fixed and instead traded it.

I had the same but a Kustom 300 (same that Johnny Cash used). No one ever helped me either. I had a Bassman with 2x15 also and I lugged it around myself also.

Thing about the PA is I am not a singer. Bought it for "the band." Still no help loading and unloading, setting up etc..

chadds · #18 03-25-2011, 08:56 AM

There was a set at Chuck's in the '70s that was Red Sparkle 200w with two 2x15 cabs. Substituted for the top 15" was a big horn. That 15" horn looked like a polished angel food cake pan. Hey, maybe it was!

greenboy · #19 03-25-2011, 08:59 AM

In spite of their weight, I think Kustoms are really great platforms for retrofitting with modern drivers. Like many, I've been around them back in the day and still occasionally end up using Kustom PA columns at a jam.

BurningSkies · #20 03-25-2011, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by THUNDERGODX

I have to put my 2c in this thread.

I had a Kustom 400 watt head on two fo those 3x15 cabs.

It took everything I could throw at it.

Including a Jazz Bass screaming through a Fender Blender distortion pedal.

Wish I had never sold it.

Could you actually tell when the distortion was on or off? the 3x15 and 200 head I used sounded like a DC-10 landing at its cleanest. It worked for a project or two I was involved with at that point (mostly punk and industrial bands), but the minute I needed something resembling clean, it was a no-go.