RevDavidLee Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Sheesh, my back hurts just lookin' at that stuff. BTW, it's been a long, long time since I lived in DM. It's where I bought my first guitar more than 50 years ago... when the McDonalds' were 15-cent burgers, 15-cent fries and 15-cent shakes over by Drake... Or... earlier... Saturday or Sunday lunch in the Cloud Room at the airport watching folks board the popular DC-3s. Or... looking out at the city from the cupola on top of the capitol dome... Toldja it's been a long, long time. Or... playing on the Mary Jane Chinn show? wasn't that KRNT? m Good God man - the Mary Jane Chinn show??? That's reaching for the old way back machine! You must remember the old KRNT Theater then too. I saw the band Chicago play there! They were freaking awesome! Unfortunately all that's been torn down now and the Weather Beacon has been turned off. Sad really as that was a real icon here. Or maybe we're just getting OLD That McDonalds is still there however the prices have gone up.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 That's quite a collection! CB Thanks CB. I really didn't plan on it. Bought a lot of them used from guys that needed money. That's a part of my 401k plan sitting there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 Yes to the KRNT theater. Watched a concert there once too... the balcony was a mile high, it seemed. Whatta theater. Reeeeally wanna go back, how about Bill Riley's talent shows (I think it was Bill Riley) all over the state in the '50s after commercial TV came along? I remember watching WOI before there were commercial tv stations! And... watching the presses at Meredith when it was still downtown just alongside the bridge headed to the airport... yeah, later I worked at the new plant when it just was getting into operation. Told yuh it was a while ago. And how 'bout the great cattle sales at Ankeny - or the Saylorville welding and blacksmith shop? The Highland Park College buildings? Early Des Moines author Margaret Coulson Walker's books? <grin> Yeah, she was a relative. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted November 19, 2013 Share Posted November 19, 2013 ...Now all you married guys can point to this when you want to buy another amp & tell your wife - Hey! I'm at least not as crazy as this guy! What a wonderful selection, RDL. Thanks for taking the trouble to shoot-and-upload-the-pics! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon S. Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 If I had to choose just one amp, I'd pick my Tweed Deluxe. I'd keep my Eleven Rack hidden under the bed though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 What a wonderful selection, RDL. Thanks for taking the trouble to shoot-and-upload-the-pics! P. Thanks Pippy! Glad you enjoyed my obsession with TONE! I actually sold some in the recent past. A Soldano Atomic 16, Vintage Ampeg Jet II, a Marshall Class 5, and 2 Fender Champion 600's so I did sorta scale down.... a little... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Good Lord that took longer than I thought it would I uploaded photos to my band's website instead of trying to post so many photos on here so without further delay - here's the link: http://www.rivercityrockets.com/myamps.html (As you scroll down on Page 1 there is a link to Page 2 of my amp collection.) For everyone's easy reference - here's the actual list: Ampeg Reverbrocket Atom Amps Metroliner Bad Cat Hot Cat 30 Dr Z Maz 38 Senior Egnater Rebel 20 Fender Blues Deluxe (Tweed) Fender Blues Junior Fender Champ 12 (faux Snakeskin) Fender Concert Reverb (4 X 10) Fender Excelsior Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (Tweed) Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (Limited Edition Sunburst Maple Cab/Jensen Spkr) Fender Pro Junior(s) (I own two) Fender 57 Twin Reissue (Tweed) Fender 65 Twin Reverb (Signed by Richie Havens) Gibson GA 20 RVT Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Gibson GA-15 RV Gibson Super Goldtone GA 30 RV Heritage Patriot Hiwatt DC 40 Bulldog Marshall DSL 401 Marshall TSL 122 Marshall JTM 30 Marshall JTM 45 Bluesbreaker Mesa Boogie Heartbreaker Mesa Boogie Nomad 45 Reverend Hellhound 40/60 Rivera Pubster Rivera Chubster Rivera Thirty Twelve Roland Acoustic Chorus 100 Roland Cube 30 SWR California Blonde Trace Elliot TA 50 R Trace Elliot Velocette Top Hat Club Deluxe Top Hat Club Royale Top Hat Ambassador 35 Zinky Blue Velvet Now all you married guys can point to this when you want to buy another amp & tell your wife - Hey! I'm at least not as crazy as this guy! Enjoy! Damn - I think a Vox AC30 TB and an Orange OD120 with a 4x12 cabinet, and you were complete... [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LarryUK Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 I'd go for a Boogie mk V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 I want to add another question, on "one amp" preference...Wattage! All other criteria, taken into considration, how much wattage, is the minimum (or maximum) you'd "need," or prefer, to make your ultimate decision. And, Why? Tone, headroom, "I play with a Gonzo drummer," etc.! CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 CB... Back before I stupidly swapped my 65 DR for that huge tube jobbie, I had no problems using it for anything including a large auditorium rock show. Granted, in '66 the audience expectations weren't necessarily what they are now, but it was still a big venue for a state high school basketball tournament and it was enough to doggone nearly cover the PA (which also was a tube unit). I'd come home from rock gigs unable to hear the water in the shower so... My 30-watt SS handles anything I'm doing now, pretty much. If not, there's always a relatively small PA. Here's the deal IMHO, you doggone nearly double the effective volume from an amp in a saloon gig by lifting it to roughly bar or barstool height. If that doesn't make it, mike it. I'd say roughly the same for PA systems too. If the speakers are blocked by dancers and/or tables or whatever, you've gotta add power. Put 'em on poles or whatever so they're above head height, you get far more effectiveness. A lot has also to do with what you're playing. The 30-watt SS works fine for a solo 500-seat theater gig; in the same theater sometimes the PA guy wanted to mike it and do a separate vocal mike; a different PA guy would just want a vocal mike; a different PA guy would want the vocal mike run through the amp. Then again, that's just for a solo gig. In a rock/blues/country band in saloons around here, I don't think I need more whumpf either. And again, if I did, I'd just mike it. Been there and just lifting the amp allowed it to hurt people on the dance floor. I've seen quite a few smaller amps miked nowadays by longtime pickers - but then again, some will use a Twin or bigger Marshall combo. I'm just past the point where I figure I wanna carry the weight. I don't need to push a tube amp for "tone" as far as I'm concerned, and again, it's the whole band sound together if I'm playing in a group which means either lifting the amp or miking it anyway. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 Well, Milod...I'm always curious, as to why folks use the amps they use, and "wattage" is one consideration. With current PA techology, "Stacks," 1/2 stacks, etc. are really not needed, anymore...unless one just loves that particular sound, and have the "roadies" to haul it all around. Even back in "the Sixties," I had large amps, my largest being a Marshall Major (200 watt) Full Stack. I literally could not use it, except in outdoor situations. It was WAY too loud, for all the indoor places we played. But, it looked, and sounded Awesome! LOL I recently went to see an area "Country" band, whose guitar player used a early '80's (135 watt) Twin Reverb, in a bar the size of my living room! (SMALL) The only "saving" grace, for the "audience" was that it was on the floor, and not raised up, or we would have been "dying" even more so, than we were. Twin amps, like any good "tube" amp, need to be run at a decent volume level, to have that nice "full" tone. This guy knew that! Big time! LOL But, for a bar that size, a Blues Jr. or even it's "little brother" the Hot Rod series "Pro Jr." would have been PLENTY, volume wise. I know, because I play in that same bar, now and then, and use my Blues Jr., and the bartenders STILL complain! Yeah, I think a Fender Deluxe Reverb is just about Ideal! Or, another brand's equal version. In some cases, a Plexi baffle might still be in order? CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 CB... Thing I preferred about the DR wasn't so much its "full tube sound" as much as the opportunity to use it with a mike in one set of inputs and the guitar in the other. When I was using it for rock in the mid '60s it was running often flat out, and was plenty loud. But compared to folks nowadays, the main concern was to be loud, not "good tone." OTOH, there weren't any SS amps I was aware of anyway. I did the stupid swap for the 120-watter because it was big and even potentially louder. The master volume did let you mess with all that stuff but... I was playing country and again, we were thinking more potential volume and everybody had no less than a twin - but never really cranked in a small saloon. "We" get, I think, far too much into the supposedly impressive more than the practical for the average band's gig. The last big concerts I went to had relatively small amps and a very big PA with lotza powered speakers to carry four blocks down the street with both appropriate volume and clarity. I think younger "rock" folks are probably not unlike us in our early days, regardless that they have the opportunity for far better quality and far more practical equipment. "I have a guitar and an amp that will knock over an elephant at 150 yards." Ah, well. Then I added that big Leslie and... oh, my achin' back. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 20, 2013 Author Share Posted November 20, 2013 CB... Thing I preferred about the DR wasn't so much its "full tube sound" as much as the opportunity to use it with a mike in one set of inputs and the guitar in the other. When I was using it for rock in the mid '60s it was running often flat out, and was plenty loud. But compared to folks nowadays, the main concern was to be loud, not "good tone." OTOH, there weren't any SS amps I was aware of anyway. I did the stupid swap for the 120-watter because it was big and even potentially louder. The master volume did let you mess with all that stuff but... I was playing country and again, we were thinking more potential volume and everybody had no less than a twin - but never really cranked in a small saloon. "We" get, I think, far too much into the supposedly impressive more than the practical for the average band's gig. The last big concerts I went to had relatively small amps and a very big PA with lotza powered speakers to carry four blocks down the street with both appropriate volume and clarity. I think younger "rock" folks are probably not unlike us in our early days, regardless that they have the opportunity for far better quality and far more practical equipment. "I have a guitar and an amp that will knock over an elephant at 150 yards." Ah, well. Then I added that big Leslie and... oh, my achin' back. m Yeah, we had Dual Showmans, and Vox Super Beatle amps, at one point, as well. NICE sound/tone! And, we were "young," so the weight, night after night, wasn't that big of a deal, seemingly. Funny...I'd STILL like to have a Dual Showman, with the smaller 2x15 cabinet, as opposed to the larger one, after about '66-67? I kinda wish Fender would reintroduce them, along with all these other's they reissue. I'm a little surprised, too...that Vox hasn't reissued the Super Beatle Amps and/or AC-100's with Beatle speaker cabs, and trollies. They were pretty "iconic" back then, and as popular too, as most of what they've reissued, to date. I guess, you can still order those speaker cabinets, from "North Coast Music," but I don't think they manufacture the Super Beatle heads, or AC-100's. Just the housing cabinets. I may be mistaken, about that, though??? :unsure: CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 20, 2013 Share Posted November 20, 2013 Damn - I think a Vox AC30 TB and an Orange OD120 with a 4x12 cabinet, and you were complete... [lol] My Top Hat Ambassador pretty well covers the AC30 territory or I probably would have picked one of those up too. I used to own a vintage Orange OR80 head with 2X12 and 4X12 matching cabs which I sold because the damn stack weighed as much as my car at the time and I could only use it at outdoor gigs. God that stack sounded wonderful cranked outside but I thought gee I really enjoy my spine and might want to use it later in life so I sold that monster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jammin' Joe Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 If it could be only one amp I would have to say a 50 watt Marshall Plexi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 I'd go for a Boogie mk V I concur.........Or one of the two amps I had custom built for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Yeah, we had Dual Showmans, and Vox Super Beatle amps, at one point, as well. NICE sound/tone! And, we were "young," so the weight, night after night, wasn't that big of a deal, seemingly. Funny...I'd STILL like to have a Dual Showman, with the smaller 2x15 cabinet, as opposed to the larger one, after about '66-67? I kinda wish Fender would reintroduce them, along with all these other's they reissue. I'm a little surprised, too...that Vox hasn't reissued the Super Beatle Amps and/or AC-100's with Beatle speaker cabs, and trollies. They were pretty "iconic" back then, and as popular too, as most of what they've reissued, to date. I guess, you can still order those speaker cabinets, from "North Coast Music," but I don't think they manufacture the Super Beatle heads, or AC-100's. Just the housing cabinets. I may be mistaken, about that, though??? :unsure: CB I drug this exact configuration around for a couple years when I was much younger and I hear you CB that the weight of this monster didn't seem to be as much of an issue when I was young until one gig we had in a small town here in Iowa at a VFW lodge. I can't remember the name of the town - doesn't matter for this anecdote. It was on the top floor of some old building that had been refurbished for the purpose of turning it into a lodge for the area and the only way to get up there was to carry our stuff up an old steel fire escape type stairs on the outside of the building. It was winter, the metal stairs and railings were covered with ice and I swear we saw and talked to Jesus more than once trying to get our amps up those stairs. I sold my double bottom beast the following week and never looked back. I replaced it with a Fender Twin which was no lightweight amp either but much more manageable size wise. I will say though - those 15 inch JBLs in those Dual Showmans' could punch holes in concrete. Whoa! Those were badass amps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Showmans were bada$$. I loved mine back then, hated carrying it around, the cabinets were immense. EC put them to good use on the small bit of touring the Dominos did. LOUD. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZenKen Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 For a few years I used a Showman cab under a Twin Reverb. I used to insist I just liked the 15" speakers more than the 12's but if I'm gonna be honest in my old age I just thought it looked, as RCT says, bad azz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Trace Elliot Velocette Don't see that one turn up often. Great sounding little amp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 Yeah MAN...Showman Amps were Awesome!! Twin Reverbs, are (basically) the same amp in a "combo" package. But, those 15" speakers, in the closed back cabinets were WONDERFUL! IMHO, as always. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sellen Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 The Bluesbreaker, strap on and crank it up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capmaster Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 My Top Hat Ambassador pretty well covers the AC30 territory or I probably would have picked one of those up too. I used to own a vintage Orange OR80 head with 2X12 and 4X12 matching cabs which I sold because the damn stack weighed as much as my car at the time and I could only use it at outdoor gigs. God that stack sounded wonderful cranked outside but I thought gee I really enjoy my spine and might want to use it later in life so I sold that monster. That's completely understood, I agree. Orange cabinets reveal the secret of their chunky, solid tone each time one tries to carry them for transport If I ever decided to go with an Orange, I'd also go with a pair of 2 x 12"s instead of a single 4 x 12". Setting up a two 4 x 12" Orange stack is pure torture - think this can be assumed as a violation of human rights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 That's completely understood, I agree. Orange cabinets reveal the secret of their chunky, solid tone each time one tries to carry them for transport If I ever decided to go with an Orange, I'd also go with a pair of 2 x 12"s instead of a single 4 x 12". Setting up a two 4 x 12" Orange stack is pure torture - think this can be assumed as a violation of human rights Those 4x12 Orange cabs weigh 110 pounds each versus another cab that felt really heavy too until I compared specs - and that was the Gibson Super Goldtone 2x10/2x12 cabs that I used to own which were a paltry 88 pounds each in comparison. Makes you wonder who were they building those cabs for? Sasquatch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevDavidLee Posted November 22, 2013 Share Posted November 22, 2013 Don't see that one turn up often. Great sounding little amp. Yes it is! However I ended up paying a lot more for that one than I cared to in the end. When I first bought it I paid $500 at a vintage specialty shop because it was in that "rare red tolex" and although that wasn't way out of line for that one at the time it was about $200 more than I saw the regular black tolex ones going for. That in itself was acceptable to me at the time but a couple years later the transformer blew and when it did it also took out some other electrical components with it so I ended up with about a $250 repair bill parts and all. Since I can never recover the cost I have invested in that one I will never sell it so I may as well enjoy it (and I do). If you ever see this come up for sale in Iowa you'll know that ol Dave has died :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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