Anybody into real vintage tube amps *beautiful pics*

[Kyocera]

This first image has the area outlined where the device was located. I thought I kept it but I can't seem to find it now.

















This is the top portion of my Ampeg Portaflex, the speaker cabinet 4X12 , it fits into is huge and fully configured about 4' tall weigh under 100lbs. It's almost all original i did replace the original ampeg power tubes with some soviet ones because i blew one, and the need to run in spec'd pairs, I also replaced a lot of the old resistors and capacitors with newer higher tolerance parts. That CD sitting on top is Gene Ludwig, the organgrinder (on youtube), he's like whipped cream on some hot chocolate on that hammond organ. And knows Purcy really really well

[JHEM]

And knows Purcy really really well

As in the Biblical sense?

I've got a set of Leslie 122s in storage somewhere that would sound magnificent with that dinosaur.

James

[Kyocera]

As in the Biblical sense?

Quite so, indeed

Just think, the first computers were made out of just such equipment that amp is made of, amazing!

[Purcy]

And knows Purcy really really well

As in the Biblical sense?

I've got a set of Leslie 122s in storage somewhere that would sound magnificent with that dinosaur.

James

okay James, now what are you doing with 122's? Are they in good shape? What did they amplify??

[bill bolton]

I have a VOX AC-50, a Fender Vibrolux Reverb and a Music Man HD-One Thirty sitting at home..... unfortunately I'm half a world away from photos of any of them at the moment.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[Eric Giles]

I have a Dynaco Stereo 70 amplifier that my Dad built from kit form back in the late 60's. During the mid '90's I refreshed it with a new driver board, all new EL34 output tubes, changed out the rectification, etc. It still works perfectly and has that nice, warm tube sound. I would like to get one of the original Dynaco PAS tube preamplifiers for it, as my Dad at the time built (from kit form also) Dynaco's first solid state preamp, the PAT4 which is still being used in conjunction with the ST70 amplifier.

A nice set of efficient speakers in a dark room is a great experience with this equipment.

[Kyocera]

bill, I'll take that Vox off your hands those were some sweet sounding amps.

[KristianJ]

bill, I'll take that Vox off your hands those were some sweet sounding amps.

It won't have to go as far away if I take it from him

I don't have a tube amp, unfortunately - just a Behringer 60W simple one that doesn't get too much use as such. I'm an acoustic guitarist more than an electric one, so whenever I play (at church, gigs, etc.) I just plug into whatever sound system is available to me.

[bill bolton]

The VOX AC-50 is probably be going to be one of the the last things I ever let go of in terms of musical kit, so it ain't going nowhere.

Here's a photo of my "Standing in the Shadows of The Shadows" rig.... '64 Fender P, Vox AC-50 head and VOX Dynamic Bass bin.



Cheers,

Bill B.

[Kyocera]

bill, thanks for posting that it is absolutely beautiful, never sell, it, I was offered $600 just for the two original Ampeg power tubes set back in the 90's sometime, these amps just keep going up in value as time goes on.

Mine is circa 1950's, and if you look close you'll see there is an input for an accordian on both channels, Lawrence Welk would be proud. Believe it or not I paid $150 for this amp from one of the pilots on the Parachute Team, neither one of us really knew what he had, i really just wanted the huge 4X12 speaker cab it fits into and didn't find out til much later that it is worth some pretty good money. I'll never sell it though. Been dragged to to many gigs and to many memories associated with it.

[Purcy]

[/img]http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/dublobo ... oxac50.jpg[/img]

Wow, is that stunning!

[Kyocera]

These pics show the reason it is called a portaflex, the top flips upside down and fits inside the unit and locks in for portability, but this this weighs just around 100lbs, I used to be able to carry myself but would probably get a hernia nowdays. Fender strat, flametop maple, my main axe with Stevie Ray pickups installed. That a carvin sittin in the background has four 7027 power tubes and it will burn your ears out but I still like the sound of th e Ampeg better Yes that is a skull, i painted over the original silver matrerial and that skull just appeared so I went with it, kind of fit the genre of music i was playing at that time, called death metal, heavy metal, metal is metal, I love it all.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kyocera234

me playing on youtube

[Purcy]

but this this weighs just around 100lbs, I used to be able to carry myself but would probably get a hernia nowdays.

DH's Hammond weighs 450lbs, and he lifts it himself in and out of the van. But I'm sure anyone coming to see your band back in the day knew they were in for it when they saw that monster amp on stage!

Edit: Mike that is very cool how that sits upside down in that amp case, ingenious! Your room there is very clean and tidy too.

[bill bolton]

Wow, is that stunning!

Actually out of all my bass kit this is the really stunning piece....


Its my late-1954 Precision that formerly belonged to Dave Hood (Muscle Shoals), Elliot Mechanic and an unamed original owner in upstate NY.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[Purcy]

Bill that is a masterpiece for sure, and as old as me!! What was it in surgery for, maybe restringing? Did you have to pay a fortune for it?

[KristianJ]

These pics show the reason it is called a portaflex, the top flips upside down and fits inside the unit and locks in for portability, but this this weighs just around 100lbs, I used to be able to carry myself but would probably get a hernia nowdays. Fender strat, flametop maple, my main axe with Stevie Ray pickups installed. That a carvin sittin in the background has four 7027 power tubes and it will burn your ears out but I still like the sound of th e Ampeg better Yes that is a skull, i painted over the original silver matrerial and that skull just appeared so I went with it, kind of fit the genre of music i was playing at that time, called death metal, heavy metal, metal is metal, I love it all.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Kyocera234

me playing on youtube

Yum!! I love the grain on that Strat! And Bill, I don't play bass, so your AC-50 is safe.

I'll get a couple of pics of my gear up soon - it's by no means as fearsome looking and/or prestigious as what's already been upped so far, but that doesn't matter to me

[Kyocera]

Kristian, I did have some friends who had Behringers they were considered top of the line in the Power dept, not cheap by any means, good for serious heavy metal blasting distortion, they also made good bass amps.

[KristianJ]

For sure I reckon they're outstanding value! Mine's just a simple looking 2 x 10" solid state with a pretty good range of analog effects. I just don't get the time to exploit those effects enough...

[KristianJ]

Okay - a couple of pics of my "weaponry"

First pic of my 3 guitars - my Squier Tele Custom (that I've had for a bit over 3 years) flanked by a Cort Earth 100F on the left (had it for a bit over 6 years) and a Cort MR730F on the right (about 6 years old but I bought it second hand about 2 months ago with the money I got from selling my X31)

Second pic of the amp - it's got a small pedestal fan and my headphones on it. I do want to get the MIDI foot controller that will allow me to program footswitchable effects but that investment is probably a little way off.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/1650 ... rgedj7.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4708 ... rgecb7.jpg

[rkawakami]

Ah, from posting pictures of "relics" (tube amps) to axes. Here's my small contribution:



Can anybody ID all of the .sigs?

Note: I definitely do NOT play this, or any other, guitar. This was given by me to my older daughter and has been un-officially handed down to my younger daughter.

[gator]

Here is a pic of my C70 ... a real beauty. She sounds as sweet as she looks!

[ryengineer]

You all guys have very sweet beauties.

My brother was an amateur guitarist once and used to play for few bars in downtown Los Angeles.

[Purcy]

Yes, there are definitely some gorgeous pieces in this thread! Ray, I do not know one of those signatures, but I would die if someone signed my guitar, at least on the front. That looks like it is pretty valuable though, from a collector's point.

Gator, so that is the little lovely you make music on? Everybody really needs to hear Gator play, he is amazing. He along with Mike (Kyocera) are extremely talented.

OT: This is a free file hosting website that can accomodate audio files (up to 125MB) and gives you an immediate website address, so you can share the file on the internet. It would be cool if someone started a thread for our members to share audio files of their musical talents.

http://www.bestsharing.com/

[Kyocera]

kristian, I have a squire bullet (like a strat) they are great little guitars the one made in mexico seem to have higher quality and that amp i'm sure could melt plastic!!!

gator, thats a clean looking beauty you got there

ray, don't recognize any of those sigs either except for what looks like gary rosington who played for lynyrd skynyrd , but is a nice looking gibson (gibson makes epiphones).

[Kyocera]

Our practice/studio/hangout. Lots O power.

[Purcy]

Holy cow, that pile of speakers in the left corner looks wicked . I was temporarily deafened once at a concert in my youth from being too close to something like that. Hey, so who uses the weight bag?

[Kyocera]

We all kick it and punch it sometimes to releive pressure, the drummers son is into Judo and Kickboxing.

[ryengineer]

We all kick it and punch it sometimes to releive pressure, the drummers son is into Judo and Kickboxing.

Watching that bag has made my heart to do some punching with it.

[gator]

Pattye, thanks for the kind words ... I am only a beginner, a long long way for me to go. I am jus happy to be on it!!

Mike, yur setup is wicked. Totally cool!

The two best things I ever bought in my life were my yamaha C70 and my T60. I'd rather fall in a coma than give up either of these.

[rkawakami]

ray, don't recognize any of those sigs either except for what looks like gary rosington who played for lynyrd skynyrd , but is a nice looking gibson (gibson makes epiphones).

Correct on both counts. It's a Les Paul Jr. (IIRC) that I got from the local "Classic Rock" station, KUFX, back in December 2003. The station sponsored a concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre during August 2002 that featured Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eddie Money, Jefferson Starship and Greg Kihn. Here's an annotated version of the same picture:

http://www.kawakami-ca.com/images/rays_guitar_names.jpg

Don't know why they held on to the guitar for over a year before giving it away. Maybe it was collecting dust in somebody's office.