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I'm a lifelong fan of the old blue-check Ampegs - I've owned one since 1964 (top-panel Rocket R-12A - 7591 power tubes, no 'verb), and they were the staple amps in all the major NYC studios during the '60s - but you'd better be on the lookout for some of the more unusual tube types they use since they're only available as (expensive) NOS, and the trem/'verb circuits can get a little, er, testy after half a century (and some of the parts are equally hard to source). They definitely have a sound all their own, one that I've always preferred over Fender (for all practical intents and purposes they were Fender's only serious competitor until Marshall became widely available here around '67) - richer, fuller, more "jazz" (to Fender's "country") in its voicing - and why none of the boutique builders have latched onto any of their circuit designs is beyond me...
If you do luck into one in reasonably good shape, you might want to give these guys a call: http://centraljerseymusicservice.com/ The shop is run by Dennis Kager - one of the last living links to Ampeg's Linden (NJ) days and an amp design genius in his own right - and since it's a better-than-even chance he worked on it in the first place, IMO there's no better source for information... If it's the Ampeg tone you're after, however, there's a cheaper and more reliable way: a Bugera V22 with the right mods will get you the classic/classy Ampeg Gemini II/B-12XT sonic vibe, at far less cost than an original (particularly the latter) in solid playable condition. I've posted on this topic before - type "Bugera V22" into Search, or PM me for the details if you're interested... |