What was your first amp (old guys only)

[MF_Maher]

An Ampeg B-25. I began playing bass in early 1974...

 

[hotrodjohn]

Marlboro GBO-15B with 15" speaker. I think it was 50 watts. This was around 1975. Manny's 48th St. NYC.

 

[eddiemac]

My dad brought home an old open-back Harmony amp, probably about 15 watts, in '64 or '65 to go with my Gibson EBO. It was only good for home practice, so then I got a Gibson Atlas bass amp. It had a CTS 15". I don't wish for any of this stuff back.

 

[lowB_2277]

1962 - 4 different sized old TV speakers (mixed impedences, who cared? lol) in a homemade wooden box powered by a 20 watt Heathkit w/ screwpost outputs and phono jack input. (real quality sound...eh, not so much!!)

 

[playbass48]

CIRCA 1968, I had a Norma bass (Fender look alike), and a Layfiette Electronics amp. 30 watts, 1 x 15. Within a year, I got an Ampeg B-52B. Monster! Since, I have had an assortment of amps. Sun amp, two 2 x 15 cabs, and a crap load of Peavey stuff. I play in a classic rock band, now use Gibson SG basses (I have 3), a Peavey Tour 700, and two 1 x 15 Peavey cabs, with fresh Black Widow's in them. Loving it!!! But yeah, I remember that Layfiette amp.

 

[deaf pea]

The first bass amp that I owned was a Vox Essex (IIRC) in 1967, which was soon replaced with a Fender Bassman . . . a bit later, in 1968, the Bassman was replaced by a Fender Dual Showman . . . . . .


EDIT the Vox Essex Bass Amp was a SS amp with 35 watts (RMS) output into (2) 12" Vox Bulldog speakers . . .
31.5" H x 21.5" W x 13.5" D

 

[DocPBlues]

In the late 60's I bought a Gibson Duo-Medalist new. That was a guitar amp. I quickly switched to bass, so I traded it for a "Sound" bass amp. It had a separate head/cabinet and gray tolex. That is about all I remember about it.

I would love to hear if anyone else has even seen any amps with the brand name of "Sound".

 

[mark roberts]

Nostalgia time

National 2x8" with a 2x8" extension cabinet, cir. 1967. God I wish I still had that amp.

Followed by an EMC w/ 3-12s around 1970. Blew it up regularly.

Anybody else?

I had an Acetone Bass 6 when I was in Japan in 1971. 60W all SS bass amp head w/2x12 cab. Nice amp head. Cab could have been better but did the trick OK. Played an Excetro (Japan) 1954 P-bass copy through it.

 

[voodoobassist]

Started playing in church in 1968. Someone had a Vox Super Beatle that the guitarist and I both played throh. I had a rented bass from Driver Music in OKC, OK. Once mom saw that I would actually stick with it, she bought me a 62 jazz bass and a fender bassman for $300. Wish I still had them both.

 

[Spaldo]

My first amp in 1988...old enuff?

Home-made 300W MOSFET Kit amp (still have it, still works)

Yamaha PB1 Preamp

2x15 EV 200w TL Cabs

Quite a gutsy rig, actually...and cheap at the time

 

[4001]

In 1983 I spent my whole high school savings account on a Peavey Centurion Mark III 130w head, and an 1820 cab. Bought them spankin new at Good n Loud Music in Madison, WI. Rock solid and lasted nearly a decade.

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That's an 1810 cab.
At least that's what it says on the back of mine.

 

[5string5fingers]

I'm not old,but still relevant. Here was my first amp I got from my grandpa

73 Sear 200BXL Loved this amp, minus it's weight. Had huge fat low end. Very loud for only 100W. Head blew on me in august of last year.
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I miss that amp...

 

[KramerBassFan]

My first amp ever was a 100w 15 inch yamaha combo my older brother gave me that blew up the first time i turned it on. So i gutted it, and put a 15w crate amp in the chassis.

And made this.

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This bad boy.

thats a 2x12, 15w amp.. and i'll be darned if it doesn't sound decent.

 

[bobby-haines]

It was 1966. I was 16. Saved my nickels and dimes and bought a used Fender Twin Reverb (bass playing came later)

 

[ExaltBass]

1st amp bought in 1964 - a used Fender Bassman (smooth white tolex) - didn't cut it live, so...
shortly after that I bought a Vox Foundation (1x18) and a 1964 Fender Showman (2x5 JBL).

Since then I've always owned at least one Fender Showman head. My 1965 Rough White Tolex (bought in 1969 or '70) is still with me.

 

[theduke1]

The year 1965 the Amp A Sears Silvertone 1x12 35 watt

 

[jakyllo@charter]

In 1967 I got a Harmony H-22 bass (with the great DArmond pickup relace by a 1968 Guild Starfire, red with two pickups, I still have the Guild)
and a H-30 amp: open back, speaker was probably only a 10 inch, power was 25 to 30 watts.
I never played a paying job with the amp, it was replaced with a silver face Fender Bassman with two 12 inch speakers.

 

[butchblack]

I had an old Sonic head. Lousy design. If you turned it on and it wasn't connected to a speaker it would blow. Don't remember what I had it hooked up to

 

[Dan55]

It was 1969 and my first amp was a Fender Bantam Bass combo.
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Dan

 

[countrybass007]

A Magnatone with one 12 in. speaker and probably a massive 30 watts.