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Kustom TnR - vintage only?

#24
Oren Hudson said:
60s and 70s Kustoms were available in white (actually a sparkle white) and I have seen some in person. :cool:
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Lori Friday w/ Super 400 c. 1998.
 

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#25
I've got a K200 head (black tuck & roll) and matching 2 15" cabinet that I've owned since the 90's (obviously I bought used) and this rig has never done me wrong. Always enough power out of the amp (for 100w RMS) and I always loved the tone. I also have a K150 head (gold sparkle) although it's somewhat faded, but the tone is pretty good. I kinda wish I had a matching cabinet for it though. In the mid 90's I bought one of the Krossroads amps that I came across & that thing still sounds sweet to this day, and it's got an XLR out. But I have to admit that I love the look of the amps. But before I bought these all I had ever owned were crappy solid state "beginner" amps. So for me, I feel like all of the Kustoms (bass amps anyway) of the original tuck & roll era, were good & got the job done, especially for the price.

Thanks for listening!
 
#26
I have a black K250 head with matching 2x15 cab. Cab is now loaded with Eminence Deltas, it originally came with JBL D140's but one of the drivers was stolen from me years ago (long story).

Anyhow, I have gigged with it as recently as 10 years back, it still does OK but it is indeed obsolete. Low powered (roughly 125 watts RMS), heavy, a couple of the semiconductors inside are not to be found anywhere on this planet.

It does look cool and has that old-school vibe soundwise. But one day I'll put it up on CL and when it's gone I won't look back with regret.
 
#28
I am a collector / user since 1968 and I still actively use Kustom amps on a weekly basis in my band. They have always had enough power and a great sound for a solid state amp. Yes, they are heavy, but, to me, and many other devout users, they are worth the weight and hassle to move. As for Sheryl Crow, they've used the reissue tuck & roll tube versions, and not the originals. I also have some Krossroads equipment; nice looks and design, but pretty much a Kustom amp.
 
#29
I used Kustom 215 cabs, loaded with JBL's for many years in different bands with no complaints. They especially sounded good with an old Peavey Mark VIII bass head.
 
#30
The Brisk said:
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.
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You guys are killing me! This pic made my day, white coiled cord and everything! Thanks for posting

TB_TR_PIC.gif
 
#33
In the 90's I had the unfortunate experience of having to use a '70's 215 rig for a month or two while my carvin amp was out for repair. It was blue sparkle, I have no idea what speakers were in it. It looked great but man, what a fartbox that was.
 
#34
will33 said:
In the 90's I had the unfortunate experience of having to use a '70's 215 rig for a month or two while my carvin amp was out for repair. It was blue sparkle, I have no idea what speakers were in it. It looked great but man, what a fartbox that was.
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You and I...we're on the same page. In the late 80's/early 90's I owned a 3x15 with the "200" head in sparkle blue. It was indeed one of the worst sounding amps and cab setups known to mankind. It sounded like a DC-10 landing no matter what you did to it, and I don't mean that in a good way. I even took it to be checked out and had a tech tell me that the amp was fine, and intended to sound like a long wet steaming fart.

The happy part of this story is that I bought the cab for a total of $200 bucks. Later I sold the cab for $200, and then the head for $150.
 
#35
BurningSkies said:
It sounded like a DC-10 landing no matter what you did to it, and I don't mean that in a good way. I even took it to be checked out and had a tech tell me that the amp was fine, and intended to sound like a wet steaming fart.
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I'd call that a very accurate assessment of what these things sounded like. At least you got something worthwhile out of yours..($$$). :D
 
#37
BurningSkies said:
You and I...we're on the same page. In the late 80's/early 90's I owned a 3x15 with the "200" head in sparkle blue. It was indeed one of the worst sounding amps and cab setups known to mankind. It sounded like a DC-10 landing no matter what you did to it, and I don't mean that in a good way. I even took it to be checked out and had a tech tell me that the amp was fine, and intended to sound like a long wet steaming fart.

The happy part of this story is that I bought the cab for a total of $200 bucks. Later I sold the cab for $200, and then the head for $150.
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From the opposite perspective, I had the same amp and speaker, Kustom 200, 3-15" CTS speakers. It replaced my Fender Bassman and I thought it was the freakin S#!T. Of course I was comparing to a 50W (if you're lucky) tube clipper, not a modern solid state amp like GK, Hartke or even an Acoustic.

I will say this for it, it was tough. I was playing an outdoor gig with a semi flatbed trailer for a stage. The trailer was about 5 feet tall and so was the cabinet, so the head was about 10 feet off the ground. A storm came up preceded by some gusty wind and the amp, cab and all blew off the trailer (on to grass, thankfully) When it hit the ground it never unplugged or shut off. I walked up and plugged in my bass and it was still working. Now THATS what you call SOLID state.
 
#38
I think the use of the Kustom T&R is intended to add to the magical qualities of the band which seems to appear and disappear as needed as if they are dis-embodied ghosts.... ageless.. always existing in the background... timeless.
My Kustoms back in the day had a unique and not particularly pleasant sound... were heavy and difficult to move... prone to damage easily... BUT.. that sound is not one I have ever been able to reproduce on new, cleaner equipment. There have been times when I wanted that particular combination of rumble and quack that I remembered, but I could not get it out of modern gear....
 

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