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Lil Orphan Ampeg

FFTT

FFTT

Mar 15, 2009
2,348
746
#1
No it's not an SVT :p

But I know you guys dig original hand wired Ampegs.

I could not resist buying this '64 Ampeg Reverberocket R12R with
Wurlitzer-RCA 7868's

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All original with stock Ampeg label CTS driver, not sure if it's AlNiCo
or ceramic, original pedal too and NOS glass. :hyper:

18 watts of vintage Ampeg goodness and I'm getting the ultimate Keefer Stones tones with my '93 Strat Plus.

This amp is in remarkable condition with only minor cosmetic
blemishes giving it some well earned Mojo in a 45 year old amp.

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I'm all grins! :D
 
#2
For you guys who play guitar too, this little amp just roars with
the coolest Keefer Stones tones and the
Reverb and Tremelo are the best I have ever heard from any amp.
 
#4
After purchasing my Reeves 225 last month, it was a real challenge
to not miss out on this rare jewel.

Retro Music had it for sale and I just missed it to another buyer.
A few days later Jeff e-mails me and tells me the guy returned it
because it was TOO CLEAN. What a maroon!

Jeff was kind enough to let me purchase it on 60 day layaway.

I threw together a clip this morning to help explain my madness. :D

 
#10
This is what happens when a bass player goes without a band too long.

Be The Band :-)

Wish I could play drums

I need a voice activated drum program that does Charley Watts in a box.
 
#11
FFTT said:
I know, I thought about that too and the amp is DIMED on this clip.
Not sure if the stock driver was ever meant to handle wide open.
Click to expand...
Everett Hull never made an amp at Ampeg that he would ever have envisioned would be running wide open. However, by the 60's, he grew just slightly more accepting of market needs, and actually used speakers that could take it. There's not a doubt in my mind that the CTS in your combo can take a guitar with the amp dimed. You already did it once...it should do it again. I wouldn't preamp it with a fuzzbox or run a bass through it dimed, but I don't see a problem.
 
#13
I have a beat VT40 that no one will use / borrow as it weighs a ton.
To get the best tone, it has to be up way to loud; but when turned up it rules.
Probably will keep it forever (in the basement).
 
#14
It was just by my sheer dumb luck that the other buyer backed out of his deal.

Of course this also explains why I don't have the money for the matching 15" cab
to my Reeves 225 yet.

The amp is a perfect grab and go at 33 pounds, but will spend most of it's time here at home.

Resistance was futile!

I know the stock CTS driver sounds great, but I must remember that the cone
is 45 years old too and preserving the original driver is important to me.

Weber makes reproduction CTS AlNiCos as well as reproduction Fanes.
Since the amp is 18 watts, I have plenty of choices for an alternate driver.
 
#15
This afternoon I was setting up to record a clean clip and
suddenly the amp quit.

No sound.

I'm sorry to report that the original driver failed.:crying:

I took the amp to my friend Eric at Viking Amps and he was kind enough
to test the amp while I was there.

The speaker tested open, so the voice coil is shot.

Yeah, I can get it re-coned, but my fears were answered.

Eric set me up with an Eminence Canibis Rex that he had handy.

The good news is that the amp still sounds great!

The jaw dropper is that now the amp is twice as loud!!!

So, I'll still be looking for a less efficient replacement AlNiCo
and throw the C-Rex into my Blues Deluxe later.

The amp tested a very healthy 21 watts clean RMS and peak
@ 28 watts.

So yeah DIMED was simply too much for the original driver
as I feared.
 
#16
There sure has been a lot of blown speakers around here lately.

Wasn't there a post about this problem last week? Went about 100 pages in 4 days.

He burns up a perfectly good speaker that lived 45 years. Just like taking SHOTGUN to side of head at 45 and pulling the trigger.

EVEN I DON'T TURN MY AMPS UP ALL THE WAY and if there was somebody who deserves to turn his amp up all the way it's me.

Shame on you you AMPEG abuser. Hull is currently rolling over in his grave and really really pissed. BOB TOTALLY DISGUSTED and OUT...
 
#19
Love those old Ampeg guitar amps. Thanks for sharing the clip but I'm definitely sorry to hear that you lost the original driver in the process.

Ted may be a good option. Warehouse Guitar Speakers keeps popping up in discussions with good friends of mine as well but I think they're more known for their ceramic options.
 
#20
Yes I live in utter shame and foolishness and feel lower than the putrid festering boils
on the buttocks of a flea!

The original driver sounded so darn good at very comfortable working volumes.


Unfortunately, Ted is very seriously ill awaiting a lung transplant.
Weber VST has suspended re-coning for the time being.

The entire music community has sent thousands of prayers, mojo and blessings
to Ted and his family.

I will get the original driver re-coned, but then it will stay in storage.
 

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