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What Was Your 1st All-Tube Amp?

KevInDaBassment

KevInDaBassment

The cat's "meh..."
Jul 30, 2010
8,477
9,417
Gulf Coast
#1
I searched but didn't find anything quite like this. What was your 1st all-tube amp that you owned? Was it a positive or negative experience? Do you still have it? Wish you could have it back? What's the story with the amp and what made you want to grab it to begin with? While I typically don't date exes again after breaking up, for some reason I've got an on again, off again relationship with my first tube amp...sort of


My first was a used Traynor YBA200. It was in decent shape, but the guy who had it before had just uglied it up big time (painted the grill white) and it could have used some upgrades. Sold that one after a while because I was young, ignorant, and didn't know how to resolve some of the tonal issues it had. I had a Peavey VB2 that broke down on me, but for some reason the tone just wasn't there for me, the Traynor was better IMO. A couple of years ago I bought another YBA200, this time I had a much more discerning ear and better speakers. The tubes were crushified by someone shipping the amp incorrectly, so I needed replacements. Got a set of Tung Sol 6550s and a mix of different preamp tubes. When I re-tubed it, it sounded phenomenal and a half, especially through my 2x15s.

I was moving into a different apartment that had stairs only, no parking garage or elevators so the 2x15s HAD to go. Without that, my 2x10s cab just wasn't going to cut it with the Traynor, I ended up selling it in favor of a smaller head which I already had. Fast forward to today and I just purchased a used Traynor YBA200-2 a couple days ago, it's different enough for me to justify buying it lol. Didn't see Tung Sol KT88's on DougsTubes, but after emailing him (dude's the best!) he suggested the Ruby KT88 STRs, Ruby 12AX7AC5 HG+'s, and a JAN Philips 6189W. I'm hoping to buy back my 2x15 from the guy I got it from, my new apartment does have a parking garage so I can just wheel the cab back and forth (might be leaving it at a rehearsal space anyways).


So I'm getting back with my amp equivalent of a high school sweetheart. Sounds like she's matured a bit, but I'm sure it'll be like riding a bike once I get her back. I might even name this amp :)


- VT
 
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#3
In my youth, I regularly borrowed a '65 blackface Fender Bassman, and several Ampeg B-whatevers from a couple of older brothers of my pals. Very much underwhelmed by those amps live. But in '67, the Silverface Fender Dual Showman 215 was the first all tube "real" bass amp I actually owned and liked. Nice sound, as long as I didn't need loud.

Much better was the '69 Marshall Major I got to replace it. I took that amp all the way to Alaska and back. Loved it. Of course at age 19, I could skip up the stairs with that 84 lb. baby in one hand and my P-bass in the other.

My experience with the Fender Dual Showman was briefly positive, but I soon lost the volume arms race even with two 215 cabinets. The Marshall Major needed a fair amount of tech work, and didn't really sing until I got an Acoustic 301 to replace the two 412 slant/straight Marshall cabs.

If you use a tube head, you still need great cabs to get a good sound, but then again, I am Professor Obvious. ;)
 
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#4
KevInDaBassment said:
I searched but didn't find anything quite like this. What was your 1st all-tube amp that you owned? Was it a positive or negative experience? Do you still have it? Wish you could have it back? What's the story with the amp and what made you want to grab it to begin with?
Click to expand...

Ampeg B15 head, not with the matching cab though. It was the cheapest thing in the store the day I needed to gear up for my first band, at a hundred bucks. It was utterly, completely wrong for what we were trying to do and it didn't take too long until a bogus generator gig crippled it even further. Traded it for some test equipment. I think I got $40 for it with it needing tubes and probably at least one tranny. Miss it? Not in the least. Good examples of B15s are way cool for many people, still just don't work at all for me though.

One of these days I'll probably build a seriously big ass tube amp that does exactly what I want and need it to. I have the schematics for the Brownout 1000, maybe something like half of that would suffice.
 
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#5
I was 12y.o. C.1976. My dad said that I might as well have something that'll last as I was just starting to jam with others for bands. It was my 1st amp, not just my 1st all tube amp! It was stolen in about '86 along with my 78 Precision that I'd saved and saved for and bought new in 79:crying:
Aus made Bassman copy - Vase Bassman 100 & matching 215 cab.

Then a good mate loaned me a silver face Fender Bassman 100 until I'd saved enough for another Aus made all tube Eminar PA150 (6× 6CA7 tubes). Which is what I used all through the 90s.
Then I was talked into a SVT3PRO that I never really bonded with. Sold out for a V4BH, Then an SVTII......
NOW I've a Fender Super Bassman & I think it's the best all tube amp I've ever had. ...Best AMP I've had.
Screenshot_2014-10-17-08-29-49_zpstmyo7qw6.png
 
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#8
KevInDaBassment said:
...Fast forward to today and I just purchased a used Traynor YBA200-2 a couple days ago...
Click to expand...

How do you feel about loud, clean and lots of bottom? Can the YBA200-2 do it, assuming an ideal cabinet?

I have been tempted to try one again (played one for a gig in ~1972), but am worried it will be just too dirty when pushed—based on a number of reviews and comments I have read.

Any thoughts about loud and clean with that amp?
 
#10
Jim Carr said:
How do you feel about loud, clean and lots of bottom? Can the YBA200-2 do it, assuming an ideal cabinet?

I have been tempted to try one again (played one for a gig in ~1972), but am worried it will be just too dirty when pushed—based on a number of reviews and comments I have read.

Any thoughts about loud and clean with that amp?
Click to expand...

I can't attest to the 200-2 specifically, but I can tell you about the 200 all day long :)

I did the 12AT7 in V2 swap on it, assuming it would increase clean headroom from what I read. I put high-quality tubes in the preamp (EHX, Penta, and Tung Sol) and then the 6550s I got were Tung Sols with a late distortion rating. I have zero affiliation and I am getting no kickbacks, but Dougstubes.com is where I got them and I highly recommend it. I emailed him and he is great about getting back to you on what would work best. Tell him your amp, what sound you want, your price range, and he will give you great advice. The Tung Sol 6550s were a gamble though...

Prior to that, I had Groove Tube Golds in the power section, they were medium breakup and kind of far off in matching (one pair was a 3 or 4 rating, the other pair was 7). I noticed that I did have a lot more headroom, but the compression was much more musical in addition to higher volume. Looking back, I actually wouldn't have needed the 12AT7 in V2, just another good quality 12AX7 and my master volume wide open, then using the gain as my volume knob. I've heard people call it snake oil, but I'd swear the late distortion power tubes make a big difference. Tube rolling the old Groove Tubes in there was noticeable to me.

Even with the V2 slot having the 12AT7, I still got a very good amount of volume. I was playing through a Kasino 2x15s loaded with Eminence Legend CB158's. That was a gamble too, but came out fantastic. I hear the 200-2 is supposed to have more headroom, thanks in part to using KT88's instead of 6550's. With my YBA200 I had prior, I had plenty of volume. In hindsight, it would have been even louder had I used 12AX7's in V1 and V2. All that I read recently said the substitution in V2 was a pretty pointless notion and just gave you less volume on tap.

Another thing, the DI on the YBA200 was REALLY boss. Recording with that thing was just amazing, the sweet spot with compression was nice and wide. You didn't have to get granular to find it and when recorded it was super massive. I never got to crank the AD200B, but that's the only other ~200W tube head I've heard that has a good tone like the Traynor. I haven't played any 100W's or owned a big one like a Fender Super Bassman or Ampeg SVT. The overdrive is something else too, sounds great when it breaks up even in the DI.
 
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#20
Silvertone 1484 I bought from Sears in 1964 and had it shipped to me. I was in the Navy and stationed in Argentia, Newfoundland, Canada.
Played it until 1966 and replaced it with a (short lived) Standel Super Imperial. It was an early SS POS. Our band bought 3 of them and they all blew on the same night because of dirty power in the club. Replaced with a Super Bassman. Kept that until 71 and got an SVT. It was too much for clubs, so I went to a VB4. I sort of lose track of which amp when after that.
 

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