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Obscure bass amps...
- Thread starter Muziekschuur
- Start date
I got this old beast in a trade- Polytone hasn't been able to come up with a manual for it though. They did send me a generalized manual explaining how their amps work, some of the particularities of Polytone, etc. But this 212-300 is looking like a one-off custom build. It actually reads "Custome Bass Amp" on the face plate.
The CTS speakers are from 1974, the year I saw Zappa and the Mothers at the Providence Civic Center... no connection, I just wanted to say I saw Zappa! Also that this was the level of technology at the time, apparently.
The amp is in great condition and works fine, apparently- I took it on a gig and ran my upright into it, but I don't have that kind of thing together yet. Sounds better with the Squier parts-P-Bass... clear and muscly tone, not like any of the other amps I've played in years.
CTS 12s, coded 1974:
Face Plate:
Power amp separated from preamp, "to eliminate noise", according to their literature:
The CTS speakers are from 1974, the year I saw Zappa and the Mothers at the Providence Civic Center... no connection, I just wanted to say I saw Zappa! Also that this was the level of technology at the time, apparently.
The amp is in great condition and works fine, apparently- I took it on a gig and ran my upright into it, but I don't have that kind of thing together yet. Sounds better with the Squier parts-P-Bass... clear and muscly tone, not like any of the other amps I've played in years.
CTS 12s, coded 1974:
Face Plate:
Power amp separated from preamp, "to eliminate noise", according to their literature:
Road Electronics Inc. Do you has?
~300 watts at 4 ohms, pushing three 18" speakers.
Had! 2 Road 4x12's and an Ampeg 810 powered with a SVT. Oh yeah,that's a brand new Inca Silver Stingray in 78!
Re: my Simms-Watts Super A.P. 200
Nope. It is all original except the tubes, filter caps, and a grid resistor that was replaced. It has jumpers at the mains transformer to switch from Euro voltage to US 120V AC. It is capable of playing really loud. I cannot even understand how only 4 KT88 tubes can produce the apparent power and punch this thing has, but surely it is from the exceptionally high plate voltage (670 volts) and the ultralinear configuration of the output transformer. The "POW!" logo on the front plexi is truth in advertising.
Not my actual amp, but I still have one of these, and it still works!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMD-GS-130-SB-Bass-Amp-Head-GS130SB-amplifier-130-/160832522869
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMD-GS-130-SB-Bass-Amp-Head-GS130SB-amplifier-130-/160832522869
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Re: my Simms-Watts Super A.P. 200
Nope. It is all original except the tubes, filter caps, and a grid resistor that was replaced. It has jumpers at the mains transformer to switch from Euro voltage to US 120V AC. It is capable of playing really loud. I cannot even understand how only 4 KT88 tubes can produce the apparent power and punch this thing has, but surely it is from the exceptionally high plate voltage (670 volts) and the ultralinear configuration of the output transformer. The "POW!" logo on the front plexi is truth in advertising.
nice i hope you didn'y uprate the filter caps to much, the power supply in these was designed to sag down a bit at max output so the output bottles didn't melt.
great amp and i'm very jealous, i really want to get my hands on a POW simms watts
any pics from the rear?1971 Traynor YBA-3A Super Custom Special
Usually run it through 2 Traynor YC-810 cabs
And ditto on the "if yer ever selling it..."
It might've been slated as a guitar amp but with four Beta 12A's a B-12XTC makes a killer amp for the upright! I think that the B-15 a bit more practical for electric between it's smaller size and similar perceived volume (thanks in part to a killer midrange!)
D
Nice to see your band was fully vested. Except for the drummer.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Not vintage, but definitly obscure.
Ampeg SVT-50. 2x10s and 2x15 mounted in one cab just a little taller then a 4x10. The 15s are mounted in a clam shell format {} and are wired out of phase. The 10s have always had a problem and the 15s just sound alright by them selves. The tweter was removed on mine so there is a port now on the 10s which might be the problem of why they don't work well. This cab also weighs just alittle bit less then my ampeg 8x10 did (roughly).
Honestly I hate this cab and I'm getting to the point where I will drop the price to 25% of what I bought it for if someone will just take it out of my house. It takes up space, is too heavy to move easy and sounds horrible.
Maybe if everything worked on it I'd be alittle less adamant on moving it on, but thats not the case. I've been trying to sell it on CL for months now for almost half of what I payed (I paid a little more then I should of) and still not one interested person.....
Bottom cab.
Ampeg SVT-50. 2x10s and 2x15 mounted in one cab just a little taller then a 4x10. The 15s are mounted in a clam shell format {} and are wired out of phase. The 10s have always had a problem and the 15s just sound alright by them selves. The tweter was removed on mine so there is a port now on the 10s which might be the problem of why they don't work well. This cab also weighs just alittle bit less then my ampeg 8x10 did (roughly).
Honestly I hate this cab and I'm getting to the point where I will drop the price to 25% of what I bought it for if someone will just take it out of my house. It takes up space, is too heavy to move easy and sounds horrible.
Maybe if everything worked on it I'd be alittle less adamant on moving it on, but thats not the case. I've been trying to sell it on CL for months now for almost half of what I payed (I paid a little more then I should of) and still not one interested person.....
Bottom cab.
Not vintage, but definitly obscure.
Ampeg SVT-50. 2x10s and 2x15 mounted in one cab just a little taller then a 4x10. The 15s are mounted in a clam shell format {} and are wired out of phase. The 10s have always had a problem and the 15s just sound alright by them selves. The tweter was removed on mine so there is a port now on the 10s which might be the problem of why they don't work well. This cab also weighs just alittle bit less then my ampeg 8x10 did (roughly).
Honestly I hate this cab and I'm getting to the point where I will drop the price to 25% of what I bought it for if someone will just take it out of my house. It takes up space, is too heavy to move easy and sounds horrible.
Maybe if everything worked on it I'd be alittle less adamant on moving it on, but thats not the case. I've been trying to sell it on CL for months now for almost half of what I payed (I paid a little more then I should of) and still not one interested person.....
Anyways, I liked the cab more than my Kustom Groove Bass 1200H / G410H rig but that's all I remember.
Bottom cab.
I played through one of those as a beginning bassist jamming with a family friend's kids. I was maybe 16 or 17. I can't even remember what amp head he had there... The guitar was through a Mesa Triple Rect and 412 and they just wanted to cover modern rock. Not my thing.
I liked it more than the Kustom Groove Bass rig (1200H/410H) I was using at the time but I don't recall much else.
so of my less popular items
2 musicman 130 Hd with 115RH cab a 212RH. think hardcore bassman tone.
univox U1245 head - great sounding head IMHO. especially over 4 12 deltas.
Ampeg SBT - recently refurbed. this is an old picture..
pair of fender bxr 300's from the early 80's. recently sold
Road 220 with 18 - also recently sold
2 musicman 130 Hd with 115RH cab a 212RH. think hardcore bassman tone.
univox U1245 head - great sounding head IMHO. especially over 4 12 deltas.
Ampeg SBT - recently refurbed. this is an old picture..
pair of fender bxr 300's from the early 80's. recently sold
Road 220 with 18 - also recently sold
I got two Musicman HD-150s, does that count as obscure?
Don't think it's obscure really. Vintage tube material, sure. What's that 4x thing on the left?
