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What was your first amp (old guys only)

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#464
My first was a Kingston. It was an all tube 15" combo. It used to rattle a lot, but it got me started. My first real amp was a '65 Fender Blackface Bassman with a 2x12 cabinet. I eventually picked up another 2x12 extension cabinet and it served me well for many, many years. I wish I still had it!
 
#466
in 1966....there was a shop called Veneman's on Georgia Ave. in Washington D.C. actually Silver Spring Md. Veneman's later moved to a bigger location and was bought out by GC and is still in that location. My mom bought me a no-name POS 2x12" with a semi open back and heathkit radio shack knobs. We didn't know any better. I was to learn fast and the gear jones have lasted until sometime tomorrow or next year. It later served as my distortion distructo rig. Next stop was a Fender Showman head.

My further adventures are listed in my profile.
 
#467
Winter, 1972. My dad took me to Manny's and I became the very proud owner of an Ampeg B-410 Combo. We wheeled it out the front door into a driving snow with several inches of snow and slush.

Got a Polytone Mini Brute III in the very late seventies... I'm still gigging with it.
 
#468
In the early 80s, probably 82 or 83: Peavey TKO 65 BW. I didn't like it too much but after reading about some of the other things guys played through when they were just starting out, I don't feel right complaining! It even had the Black Widow speaker in it. It had a "Power Amp In" jack and I used to connect the "Pre Amp Out" jack from my tiny Peavey Decade (10-watt guitar practice amp) to get my guitar loud enough to play with drums.
 
#474
Chuck King said:
In the early 80s, probably 82 or 83: Peavey TKO 65 BW. I didn't like it too much but after reading about some of the other things guys played through when they were just starting out, I don't feel right complaining! It even had the Black Widow speaker in it. It had a "Power Amp In" jack and I used to connect the "Pre Amp Out" jack from my tiny Peavey Decade (10-watt guitar practice amp) to get my guitar loud enough to play with drums.
Click to expand...

Sounds familiar, only the TKO-65 I bought didn't have a Black Widow in it, just the stock, stamped-frame 15" driver. I got it from a place called "Audio, Light and Musical" in Norfolk, VA in June of 1983. I still have it, only the head is in its own cab, the driver is hanging on the wall in my garage and the Peavey cabinet is also in the garage. The amp still works, but needs new pots. I haven't used it on a gig since around 1986/87. 1983 is when I started playing electric bass. I'd been playing double bass since 1964 without an amp, which I still do, on occasion. Ah, memories!!

Lloyd
 
#475
An Ampeg half-stack. All-tube and about 50 watts RMS. It was an odd duck.. the cab had speaker cut-outs for 2 x 12 PLUS 2 x 10!! Can you believe that? First and last cab like that I've ever seen.. obviously someone's project. So another high school guy in differant band sold me a pair of each size driver I needed.. and away I went!

Nice rig, but I am not that crazy about old-school drivers.. they leave a lot to be desired.. even thou those were all JBL's if I remember correctly. I also got rather tired of replacing those power tubes every few months. :eyebrow:
 
#477
A Montgomery Ward amp to go with my Montgomery Ward bass.
Then I got a Sunn Concert Lead head and an Acoustic 4x12 guitar cab--I was trying to piece together a baby Chris Squire 70's rig to go with my first good bass, a 4001. Even had the Maestro Brassmaster--damn I shoulda kept that!
Also had an Acoustic bass head that I don't recall the model #(320 maybe?)--no graphic EQ, in fact just vol/bass/treble I think, 150w or so. Something tells me that was cool amp I wish I had now . . .
 
#478
So many of us have had the same stuff,it's so funny!!!

I'm a moldy oldy,first amp Fender Bassman 50 head with (I think) matching 2-12 cabinet.

Just like everyone else first big mistake,sold amp and an old Fender Jazz bass to buy a crappy synth!!!!

Sold it and got a Gibson EB-O and a Standell combo amp(solidstate with a 15).

First of many bad gear purchases and sales!!!!!!
 
#479
Mine was a Vase Bassman 120-4x6L6's can't remember what else. Came with a cab which had a 12" in top & a 15" in bottom & was shaped accordingly-thinner at the top!:smug:
Sounded pretty good 2 me- Dad bought it for me when I was 13 abouts-$300AU in about 1975- as I was just starting to play seriously with a couple of mates-we did continue & played MANY gigs thru-out our state w/ many residencies-pretty good for 3 guys all 17 & under! It lasted me for yrs, & had a lovely tube 60's sound!!!I'll see if I can find a Photo of the head!
BTW- it was stolen in Melbourne in about '86 along with the cab, my P.bass& my gigbag:mad: :mad: :spit:
Hopefully a photo of a head LIKE mine-not mine tho- attaches:rolleyes:
 
#480
Jeez, I remember when I turned 16 (1982) my dad wanted to buy me a new shotgun, but we already had a few of those in the house, so I told him I'd rather have a bass. A few days later, I had a new Peavey T-40, but alas, no amp. I ripped two 15" speakers out of a big old TV/stereo console (remember those?) and built a "215" out of plywood, and ran it through the aux channel of my stereo (impedence matching? what's that?). Good old American ingenuity... Shortly thereafter, I saved up enough money to buy a Peavey TKO-80 combo.

What fond memories.
 
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