pippy Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I know there is dedicated amp section for this but hardly anyone ever goes there it would seem... I was just checking some stuff in the main Gibson site and I saw this thing; I think it looks gorgeous and I'm slightly amazed I'd never even heard of it's existence! I know, historically speaking, Gibson dropped (in effect) the selling of amps because (originally, anyhow) Fender were just SO much better at it but G has brought out some stuff over the years. Does anyone here know what these newer ones are like? Anyone have one? P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Ive played a GA-5 before and really liked it, I think Cali Man has one. I managed to find some links mentioning all the different ones gibson's come out with over the years but unfortunately I cant be any more use than that. http://www.rru.com/~meo/Guitar/Amps/Gibson/gfmap.html http://www.0rigami.com/gg/amps1.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Not sure about current production, but their 60s amps are amazing - and quite under priced generally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 The old ones were just ok, there were literally dozens of variants of Skylarks and Skyhawks and whatevers out there, all sounding pretty much the same. The new ones, say maybe last 15 years or so, the GoldTones that Perry was using for a while, they were all Trace Elliot amps, I do not believe Gibson actually has built an amp for a very long time. But I could be mistaken in that. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 After Trace Elliot my understanding is that they contracted the manufacture of amps to MojoTone, including the model in the OP. There were two models of that amp a 15 watter and a 30 perhaps 50 watt, don't recall. Loking at that 2x12 in the pic i bet 50 watts. I used to hear about quality control issues on this MojoTone run of amps but since they are hand wired they were repair friendly, some folks would replace the Eminence speaker. I saw these amps plenty of times at the Gibson Showcase but never plugged into one in my effort to curb GAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 The Lab Series has a huge following. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 I had one that I bought new in about '69. It was a combo with two 12s in it stacked vertically - it pretty much sucked. I got rid of it a few months later for a Bandmaster with the huge boxy cabinet. Fortunately cars back in those days had trunks big enough to put several dead bodies in so transport wasn't a huge problem. I don't think they are making any right now and I think we should encourage Gibson to just stick to building guitars and do one thing very well - as opposed to doing many things with mediocrity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 Thanks very much for the input, everybody. I had read quite a lot of detail about the stuff made under McCarty's CEO-ship and had seen a few of the later boxy-angular ones but it would seem these newer ones and the Trace Elliott stuff didn't make it across the Atlantic in great numbers! I'll try to pop into any specialist amp shops in central London next time I'm in and ask around... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Many profesionals who have used Gibson Amps like them. Yes, I love my GA-5. It's perfect for the bedroom. Put your favorite stomp box in front of it and it works just fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvinator Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 The Lab Series has a huge following. I bought a used Lab Series head years ago to get me through a couple of weekends when my Traynor bass head needed repairs. It was the most powerful used head the local music store had at the time (think it was 100 watts). Although it was a solid-state guitar head, and a bit under-powered for bass - it was one of the best sounding heads I've ever played through. I wish I still had it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 I have a Gibson amp I bought off Amazon last year for £19.99 :P :) But seriously.. Id be up for Gibson making amps again.. Ones that match a Les Paul, SG etc (oh hold on they do, its called a Marshall :P) lol butI would love to see some nice Gibson amps again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I know there is dedicated amp section for this but hardly anyone ever goes there it would seem... I was just checking some stuff in the main Gibson site and I saw this thing; I think it looks gorgeous and I'm slightly amazed I'd never even heard of it's existence! I know, historically speaking, Gibson dropped (in effect) the selling of amps because (originally, anyhow) Fender were just SO much better at it but G has brought out some stuff over the years. Does anyone here know what these newer ones are like? Anyone have one? P. I own the 20 watt version of this amp (GA20RVT) that I bought 4-5 years ago but I'm fairly certain they are no longer manufacturing them. Mine is the 1x12 version as well instead of the 2x12 you have pictured here (I believe that's a photo of the 40 watt there). In my humble opinion these are great amps and they are/were a good value. Not sure why Gibson doesn't offer up a current amp line. My favorite are the Goldtone series which I own 3 of but they too are no longer manufactured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I think we should encourage Gibson to just stick to building guitars I couldn't have said it better myself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 11, 2013 Author Share Posted April 11, 2013 I own the 20 watt version of this amp (GA20RVT).... In my humble opinion these are great amps and they are/were a good value... I like that, RDL. Looking at the control panel it seems to have all I would need from an amp. And yes; the one in the OP was the 2x12 40W. I wonder if any were shipped over here at all? ...I think we should encourage Gibson to just stick to building guitars and do one thing very well - as opposed to doing many things with mediocrity... Bah! HUMBUG ! ! ! Kidding aside, TwangGang, if - as RDV above has said - the newer Gibson amps were good then why should they not build some? After all, if Fender had stuck to doing HIS "one thing very well" we wouldn't have had the Telecaster; the Precision Bass; the Stratocaster...... P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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