This is funny. My first amp was a Heathkit tube amp that my dad built. It had no tone controls just a power amp. He also had a heathkit or radio shack 215 cab. Boy did that set up sound crappy. Then I borrowed an Earth single 15 100 watt combo for awhile until I was able to afford an Ampeg B410 combo (magnavox era). Wish I had that one back.
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What was your first amp (old guys only)
- Thread starter TheCreature
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My daughter says I'm older than dirt, so I guess I qualify to post an answer to this thread. My first amp was a Fender Bassman with a 100 watt head (I think that was peak power, btw) and a 2-12 cab. Way underpowered against our guitarist's Marshall stack! In the early 70's I bought an Ampeg SVT with 2 8-10 cabs. I paid $800 for the entire rig new. My (now ex) wife talked me into getting rid of it. As it turned out, I should've gotten rid of her. There's a lesson in there for those who heed it. I don't miss her, but, man, I wish I still had that old SVT.
1947 Gibson BR-1, with the Jensen electro-magnetic 12 inch speaker(no, I didn't buy it new
) About15-18 watts, all tube, natch. V-e-r-y loose sounding. White Tolex/Blood/White-knob Fender Tremolux from mid-50's with single 10-great sounding amp a lady was selling it for her son for $75--it had never left the house and still had its tags and matching covers! . First dedicated bass amp: Kustom 100-red metalflake tuck and roll combo with CTS 15, circa 1972.
Kim
) About15-18 watts, all tube, natch. V-e-r-y loose sounding. White Tolex/Blood/White-knob Fender Tremolux from mid-50's with single 10-great sounding amp a lady was selling it for her son for $75--it had never left the house and still had its tags and matching covers! . First dedicated bass amp: Kustom 100-red metalflake tuck and roll combo with CTS 15, circa 1972.Kim
in 1980 I got an early 70's Ampeg B15 flip top thing. No matter how I tried I couldn't get the Priest, Maiden or Sabbath sounds out of my Ibanez Destroyer. I replaced the POS 15 for an Altec (I think)... just made the mud thicker and ruder 
I hate dumb kids.... expecially when it was me
I hate dumb kids.... expecially when it was me
Fender Bassman (preamp section only) was used to drive two Marantz 8B's which powered two home made JBL design horns with D140 drivers. Hats off to the James B Lansing Co. who where more than helpful in this project, supplying the cabinet drawings and answering many questions.
This system served me well up until I purchased one of the first true bass amplifiers an Ampeg SVT in 1969. The cabinets were then used for many years as a part of a PA system where they simply fell apart and the drivers were sold off still in good working order.
This system served me well up until I purchased one of the first true bass amplifiers an Ampeg SVT in 1969. The cabinets were then used for many years as a part of a PA system where they simply fell apart and the drivers were sold off still in good working order.
The first serious amp was a white sparkle naugahyde Kustom 200 w/ 2-15 cab (it had chrome ports). It was purty. Up until then I had gone from the mic input of an old Sony reel-to-reel to several borrowed or rented amps (Standel, big Sears solid state 100w w/2-15, etc.). I really hit the bigtime with the Kustom.
When I bought my 68 Jazz it came with a Silvertone tube amp with 2-12 cab, gray/black vinyl covering. I got the bass and amp for $125 so I gave the amp to my college roommate... who later sold it.
When I bought my 68 Jazz it came with a Silvertone tube amp with 2-12 cab, gray/black vinyl covering. I got the bass and amp for $125 so I gave the amp to my college roommate... who later sold it.
GARNETT tube amp with the matching 15" speaker enclosure and then an...
ACOUSTIC 370 - with the folded horn enclosure. The Garnett kicked the Acoustic when it came to tone, the Acoustic kicked the Garnett when it came to power.....
ACOUSTIC 370 - with the folded horn enclosure. The Garnett kicked the Acoustic when it came to tone, the Acoustic kicked the Garnett when it came to power.....
My very 1st one was sorta home made. I was rummaging through some stuff in the equipment room of the high school back in 1968 when I came across a Challenger combination turntable/PA amp. It had some of the biggest tubes I've ever seen. Mr. Gump (the principle) said that they hadn't used in years and that I could have it if I wanted it. He also gave me the 2 12 inch Jenson speakers that went with it. They were open back and didn't really have much bass. I don't know what ever happend to that stuff...Sure had a lot of fun with it. I traded it for a 1969 Sears and Robuck Silvertone. It had 2 small power tubes and 1x15 Jenson. The speaker cab had a place to store the amp head when you weren't using it. Very Cool.
I also had an old Vox. I think it was a 2x15, and all it had was tone and volume knobs. It weighed a ton, as I recall...
Another vote for the old Sears Silvertone. This was in 1962. It had a pair of 6L6 power tubes, or maybe 4... I can't remember anymore. My Dad knew how to service the amp just looking at the guts on the bench... all point to point wiring and easy to fix.
My daughter's first non-practice amp is her current Marshall JCM-800 #2203. It has a production date of June, 1985. My daughter arrived in November of 1985, so her amp is older than she is. The good news is, her amp is MUCH cleaner than her room.
My daughter's first non-practice amp is her current Marshall JCM-800 #2203. It has a production date of June, 1985. My daughter arrived in November of 1985, so her amp is older than she is. The good news is, her amp is MUCH cleaner than her room.
Padded Kustom 200 head with the padded custom cabinet with three 15's in it. That's back in the seventies when rig size was everything.
1984
Peavey Basic 40; my brother owns it now as we shared the amp as kids. He got his bass 2 weeks before mine....
Then, I got my Peavey Mark IV head with 215BW bottom and my own Basic 50 (which replaced the 40...).
My Basic 50 goes to church every Saturday night with me and the Mark IV stack still cranks out in my music room. Sits next to my SVT rig....
Peavey Basic 40; my brother owns it now as we shared the amp as kids. He got his bass 2 weeks before mine....
Then, I got my Peavey Mark IV head with 215BW bottom and my own Basic 50 (which replaced the 40...).
My Basic 50 goes to church every Saturday night with me and the Mark IV stack still cranks out in my music room. Sits next to my SVT rig....
My brothers Fender bandmaster with a 212 cabinet,probably a 65 or 66.Not for bass.Then a Bruce 100w with a 2 15 cabinet.They weren't too bad with JBLs.
Peavey TKO80. I have no clue on effect, but it was a 10" in it, IIRC. Pretty nice sound.
Oh, this was 1982. Or '81. Can't remember, so far back...
Oh, this was 1982. Or '81. Can't remember, so far back...
First amp was a 60 silvertone with 2- 12s, but that was for guitar. For bass I used a 62 Showman with one 15 then went to an Acoustic 360 my first REAL bass amp.
I had the same Bassman with 2x12 cab that Munji and Ram had. But I was thrilled with it because I HAD been using a homemade amp made out of a cassette recorder.It had two whole watts baby YeeeHahhhh! So the Bassman that Munj thought was a POS was way cool to me.
My Acoustic rig with the mondo-normous cab with an 18" speaker facing backwards ( couldn't even tell you the model number, mine was heavily used when I got it) was a huge step up.
My Acoustic rig with the mondo-normous cab with an 18" speaker facing backwards ( couldn't even tell you the model number, mine was heavily used when I got it) was a huge step up.
First amp back in 1986 was a Fender Musicmaster Bass, 1-12" speaker in an open back combo, 14 tube Watts. Sold it like an idiot when I needed something bigger to play in a band, bought one a few years ago on eBay to use as a practice amp again.
Tried a Fender Bassman 50 with a 1-15" cabinet, but it wasn't loud enough. Like an idiot, let the drummer have it to trade in on some drum stuff.
Finally got an Ampeg V4-B and a Distex 1-18" sugar scoop cabinet in 1989. Plenty loud! Best rig ever. Traded the refrigerator-sized cab to a guy for some Altec drivers and horns, but I still have the Ampeg V-4B and it still rocks!
Chris
Tried a Fender Bassman 50 with a 1-15" cabinet, but it wasn't loud enough. Like an idiot, let the drummer have it to trade in on some drum stuff.
Finally got an Ampeg V4-B and a Distex 1-18" sugar scoop cabinet in 1989. Plenty loud! Best rig ever. Traded the refrigerator-sized cab to a guy for some Altec drivers and horns, but I still have the Ampeg V-4B and it still rocks!
Chris
My first was a Ampeg B-15 Fliptop which was replaced by a Fender Super bassman with a 2-15 cab ( I still have the Ampeg )
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