Kustom TnR - vintage only?

[apollo bass]

With all the searching I've done here and elsewhere on the web it seems that Kustom tuck and roll amps are a thing of the past - that only vintage 60-70 models exist. Why then do I continue to see them in recent concerts and yes (be gentle) on tonight's episode of Glee - a few shots of their band gear clearly shows red metal flake tuck and roll Kustom amps and PA towers.

So is Kustom Tuck and Roll only a thing of the past??

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Crap. I missed Glee.

 

[Oren Hudson]

Kustom T&R was reintroduced around 12-15 years ago. They may still be going, but I'm not sure about that. Between this, and the fact that the originals were, and still are, great amps, is probably why you've spotted them. And let's face it, they are very cool looking rigs.

 

[BurningSkies]

Having owned some, I'm of the opinion that you're seeing them on TV because they're pretty and different rather than because they're viable in a competitive sense with most modern (and some vintage) gear.

 

[KramerBassFan]

They look good.

And Kustom didn't really make them much after the mid 70's, and then did some in the 90's.

A company called KROSSROADS, which looked exactly like 60's and 70's KUSTOM, made TnR amplifiers for a while.

Competitive with modern amplifiers? Oh hell no.

But cool, kitsch, solid state amplifiers? You bet your glee on that.

 

[jumbosilverette]

Nothing screams mid-70's Whisky a Go Go more than a Kustom T&R; I dig 'em.

 

[will33]

They look good.

That's why. I'd love to do some modernish cabs with all the advantages we have now in the bass world.....in a tuck-n-roll finish. Complete with the chrome rings outlining the ports. And a badass amp to match. That would be cool.

 

[Stanley Pugh]

I haven't found anything that transports and sounds as good yet.

 

[BurningSkies]

I haven't found anything that transports and sounds as good yet.

Really?

My TnR 3x15 and my blue sparkle 200 head are some of the few pieces of gear I have absolutely no regrets over selling. Big, heavy, low wattage, low headroom, low clarity...these were not selling points for me.

 

[Mike19]

I saw somebody perform on TV recently, I think it was Sheryl Crow, whose entrie band was using what looked like white Kustom TnR amp/cabs (with the circular vents and JBLs and eveything). I'm talking like 5 heads and 10 cabs.

However, I don't think they were real Kustoms because:

> I don't ever remember seeing white Kustoms

> the vintage Kustom amps are like 35 years obsolete. I think Ms Crow can afford better gear.

> the original company that made Kustom TnR went out of business years ago. There is a current company that bought the Kustom name, but they don't make TnR gear.

I suspect the gear was custom made for her by someone like Carvin.

 

[Oren Hudson]

I saw somebody perform on TV recently, I think it was Sheryl Crow, whose entrie band was using what looked like white Kustom TnR amp/cabs (with the circular vents and JBLs and eveything). I'm talking like 5 heads and 10 cabs.

However, I don't think they were real Kustoms because:

> I don't ever remember seeing white Kustoms

> the vintage Kustom amps are like 35 years obsolete. I think Ms Crow can afford better gear.

> the original company that made Kustom TnR went out of business years ago. There is a current company that bought the Kustom name, but they don't make TnR gear.

I suspect the gear was custom made for her by someone like Carvin.

60s and 70s Kustoms were available in white (actually a sparkle white) and I have seen some in person.

 

[jumbosilverette]

Yeah, I remember the white cabs too.

 

[jazzblade]

I sorta kinda remember blue, red and white sparklies, but then again, i don't remember much of the early 70's for some reason

 

[Stanley Pugh]

Really?

My TnR 3x15 and my blue sparkle 200 head are some of the few pieces of gear I have absolutely no regrets over selling. Big, heavy, low wattage, low headroom, low clarity...these were not selling points for me.[/QUOTE

I don't use the head that died back in the 70's, and it was really bad.
I agree the amps of that time were not impressive and I don't miss it.
However the speaker cabinets are a different story.
Rip out the insulation and seal the cabinet joints and coat the inside with a hard wood finish.
Then load it with Eminence beta's and use any 300 watt head and it will rattle your teeth.
I replaced the old round wheels with real good casters so it totes around well too.

 

[BurningSkies]

Really?

My TnR 3x15 and my blue sparkle 200 head are some of the few pieces of gear I have absolutely no regrets over selling. Big, heavy, low wattage, low headroom, low clarity...these were not selling points for me.[/QUOTE

I don't use the head that died back in the 70's, and it was really bad.
I agree the amps of that time were not impressive and I don't miss it.
However the speaker cabinets are a different story.
Rip out the insulation and seal the cabinet joints and coat the inside with a hard wood finish.
Then load it with Eminence beta's and use any 300 watt head and it will rattle your teeth.
I replaced the old round wheels with real good casters so it totes around well too.

Don’t forget the handles…You’ll need to replace those too. Mine lost the plastic inserts but retained the sharp metal fasteners making for great stigmata. Actually, if you’re going all the way to re-do the interior and use modern Eminence speakers, you might as well do a modern cab build, use one of the 3015 variants and call it a day. You’ll get better performance than you ever could out of a tuck and roll…and with 1/16th the number of screws in the backside of the cabinet (it could take you half a day to just get the back off!)

 

[coreyfyfe]

> I don't ever remember seeing white Kustoms

This is from a pawn shop/vintage guitar store in providence. They have a nice collection:

My drummer has (or maybe had, I think he was trying to sell it) a very early Kustom 100 (200? 150?) head with the matching 1x15 that is the same color as the head/cab in the center here. Sounds ok for a late 60s transistor amp:

 

[thumpbass1]

60s and 70s Kustoms were available in white (actually a sparkle white) and I have seen some in person.

I was in a band in the mid 70's that two of the big 2x15 with a 15" police type horn, p.a. cabs. They were indeed sparkly white tuck and roll beauties.

 

[Mike19]

I sorta kinda remember blue, red and white sparklies, but then again, i don't remember much of the early 70's for some reason

Probably for the same reason, alls I remember is black.

It's certainly possible that Ms. Crow bought up a bunch of Kustom rigs (in any color), had all the TnR redone in white, replaced the speakers and refitted the amp heads with modern stuff.

I searched YuTube last night for any videos showing her performing with the Kustoms. I couldnlt find any, but I didn''t have time to go through all of them. I di find a vid of her playing a stadium concert out of a single 60s Ampeg B12 or B15! (Of course, it was miced into the PA system). Maybe she has a thing for vintage amps?

 

[Stanley Pugh]

Don’t forget the handles…You’ll need to replace those too. Mine lost the plastic inserts but retained the sharp metal fasteners making for great stigmata. Actually, if you’re going all the way to re-do the interior and use modern Eminence speakers, you might as well do a modern cab build, use one of the 3015 variants and call it a day. You’ll get better performance than you ever could out of a tuck and roll…and with 1/16th the number of screws in the backside of the cabinet (it could take you half a day to just get the back off!)

Believe it or not I found new handles from a older gent who works on horns.
I do however have a screwdriver attachment for my drill.

 

[The Brisk]

I love the vintage Kustom tuck and roll- although I must confess to using a sans amp in front. My favorite rigs for gigging are my twin white and black Kustom 200's. The white sparkle cabs have JBL's and the black cabs have Altec 421A's. The K200 heads are a loud 100 watts RMS (of course these are 1969 watts : ). PLENTY of volume here.