Information on Vintage Ampeg amps

[toneman335]

Anyone know of a web site or a book that can shed some light on vintage Ampeg amps?
What models seem to be the most desirable? Are there any sleeper models that are great but under the radar so to speak?

[mad dog]

Try this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=O36Ro9MSkccC&dq=&pg=PP1&ots=X12x3I_Tjp&sig=gI6EItzCWz3wBdup02y7McpIKMg&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dgreg%2Bampeg&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title

[swa]

+1 on the book Mad Dog linked.
You can order it directly from Greg Hopkins the author. (or you could a few years ago when I bought it) He was great about answering my questions and autographed the book for me.

One or two of the Gerald Weber amp books have some great Ampeg info written by Ken Fisher, I'd have to check and see which ones, but the Fisher info and stories make the book for me.

[digthosetubes]

http://www.fliptops.net/techinfo.htm#powertubes

The late, great Ken Fisher worked at Ampeg around 1966. I am lucky to own one of the amps he might have worked on -- a 1966 G-15 Gemini II 115 combo. Great sounding amp.

I have worked with these folks above. They got me some original volume knobs. They were easy and pleasant to work with.

[slider313]

Anyone know of a web site or a book that can shed some light on vintage Ampeg amps?
What models seem to be the most desirable? Are there any sleeper models that are great but under the radar so to speak?

As for most desireable, the Jets and Reverberockets. Sleepers, so to speak, the Gemini series because of the larger cabinets. Most players don't want to haul a 22 watt amp in such a big cab, but it's worth it for the tone and projection. B 12's were made for bass, but work quite well for guitar also.

[dorianadams]

I have been searching for a Gemini Vl for about 25 years with no luck. It is a one channel gemini l I believe. my first real amp. I might convert it to 6L6s if I can find one to convert or just search out some 7591s ( I guess JJ is making them now ) Great amp . Great verb, great trem and a killer treble boost ( all the one up and click) that will make you not believe that you are hearing a 15" speaker. I would really love to have another one of these as it was my first real amp purchased new in 1965 as I recall.

[slider313]

I have been searching for a Gemini Vl for about 25 years with no luck. It is a one channel gemini l I believe. my first real amp. I might convert it to 6L6s if I can find one to convert or just search out some 7591s ( I guess JJ is making them now ) Great amp . Great verb, great trem and a killer treble boost ( all the one up and click) that will make you not believe that you are hearing a 15" speaker. I would really love to have another one of these as it was my first real amp purchased new in 1965 as I recall.

Great amps !! One channel with a 15" Jensen and 30 watts from two 7591's. This has more output than the Gemini l, which was a 22 watt amp. This baby gets a BIG sound from the very BIG cabinet. I would go with the JJ 7591's. This retains the tone and originality of the amp.

[Leonc]

If you want to learn about old Ampegs, get the book that mad dog suggested. It's a great read and chock full of information.

I've seen at least 3 or 4 Gemini VIs turn up on eBay over the last few years. You see way more Gemini Is and IIs but you'll see them every now and then. Another very cool Gemini that ran on 6L6s is the GV-22 (and GV-15) which featured reverb, tremolo AND pitch-shifting vibrato! Again, you don't see a lot of these on eBay, probably 5 or 6 a year. (This amp came with some CTS speakers that for once actually sound pretty good, IIRC.)

[Brick]

Great review of the Ampeg V2 on page 14 of this Tonequest report.

http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/samples/TQRSep03Proof.pdf

I still have and love the V2 I bought from Leonc two years ago :dude

[toneman335]

bump

[bosstone]

Give me a Gemini I any day.

[dorianadams]

If you want to learn about old Ampegs, get the book that mad dog suggested. It's a great read and chock full of information.

I've seen at least 3 or 4 Gemini VIs turn up on eBay over the last few years. You see way more Gemini Is and IIs but you'll see them every now and then. Another very cool Gemini that ran on 6L6s is the GV-22 (and GV-15) which featured reverb, tremolo AND pitch-shifting vibrato! Again, you don't see a lot of these on eBay, probably 5 or 6 a year. (This amp came with some CTS speakers that for once actually sound pretty good, IIRC.)

Thanks . I wish I would have caught one. I wil do a search on bay and set up an e-mail alert when one gets listed. Great grab and go.My first rig was a cherry Gibson 330 and the Ampeg....Paid for it with the much hated paper route.

[dorianadams]

Wow.:jo I just realized why I liked my JJ30 so much. I must have another Vl!!!!! :drool
I wonder about the Victoria Regal ll as a worthy sub tone wise . Certainly would not have the nostalgia factor. I am really gassing for a Gemini Vl a cherry 330 and a Firebird.

[OOG]

Superbreverb maybe?
pictures tomorrow

[bosstone]

Superbreverb maybe?
pictures tomorrow

Cool and very rare.

[RDM]

Here's some random Ampeg sites that I keep bookmarked:

www.ampegv4.com (http://www.ampegv4.com)
http://members.aol.com/bluemuse/ampeg.html
http://home.rochester.rr.com/piazza/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/flintstudio/The_Ampeg_Page.html

[OOG]

Cool and very rare.

it seems the op and i are involved in a trade for mine
i have too many Ampegs and not enough strats

[CitizenCain]

B 12's were made for bass, but work quite well for guitar also.

How about the other Portaflex amps like the B-15? Any good for guitar? I know where I can get a nice one locally.

[slider313]

The B15 would be fine for guitar. Some came with the JBL D130 upgrade, great for guitar. These sounded real good with a Strat or Tele. I didn't care for the CTS 15" very much. Not a good speaker for guitar. If I had one I would want to use a Jensen C15N in it; which is a great guitar speaker.

[mlj_gear]

Another nice site:

http://www.ggjaguar.com/ampeg.htm

[Tonekat]

If anyone's interested, someone here in No VA has an ancient (57-58) Ampeg on Craigslist (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/msg/1375549701.html) with a picture.

[billyguitar]

The B15 would be fine for guitar. Some came with the JBL D130 upgrade, great for guitar. These sounded real good with a Strat or Tele. I didn't care for the CTS 15" very much. Not a good speaker for guitar. If I had one I would want to use a Jensen C15N in it; which is a great guitar speaker.


One of my B15s came with a C15N. The cone is torn at the surround, along the ridge. Maybe I'll get it fixed one day. It has a very nasally sound.

[FFTT]

I fell in love with my '64 Reverberocket

and just received Telewackers beautiful 65 Gemini I.

These amps are spectacular with my Strat Plus and the reverb and tremeo
just knock your socks off.

The R12R is tighter and more focused with the Gemini I having a larger sound stage
and 2 channels which work very well together using a Y jumper cable.

R12R clips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckELOJB-5h0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLZPUcirSY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVPCH65_ouM

Still haven't gotten around to working up a few Gemini I clips.

http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3331/ampfarm.jpg

[Leo27]

Ampeg guitar heads with accompanying Ampeg cabinets of the 70's really sounded lousy to me. All distortion and no definition. As teens, we were hugely disappointed when a band we went to see had them. That's probably why they had pretty much given up on guitar and concentrate on their success with bass amplification.

[FFTT]

The early 60's all hand wired combos are where it's at for me with Ampeg and guitar
tone.

It's funny, the Gemini I is a bit larger box wise than my Blues Deluxe,
but the Blues Deluxe feels heavier than the Gemini I

Once you find one of these combos in good shape, it's critical to match
the amp with a good speaker.

Each one will have good and bad points at different volume levels and with'
different guitars.

[billyguitar]

Ampeg guitar heads with accompanying Ampeg cabinets of the 70's really sounded lousy to me. All distortion and no definition. As teens, we were hugely disappointed when a band we went to see had them. That's probably why they had pretty much given up on guitar and concentrate on their success with bass amplification.


When I saw Johnny Winter And with Rick Derringer they were both using them. Sounded just like Second Winter and the Johnny Winter And albums. In other words great!