Amps back in the day...

robgrow

robgrow

May 1, 2004
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5,111
Cincinnati, Ohio
#1
A friend recently asked me about amplification I used back in the 70's, which got me thinking... Although I owned/used a lot of different amps back then, one particular rig stood out in my mind: For quite awhile I used an Ampeg V-4B head with an Ampeg 2X15 speaker cabinet with Altec 421 drivers. This rig sounded great by itself in most situations, but, when a little more sound was needed for bigger gigs, I added an Ampeg B-15S, which also used an Altec 421. This combination sounded terrific and was amazingly loud. I don't know why I sold this wonderful rig, which was modular and scalable: The B-15S could be added or used by itself for smaller gigs. Perfect for what I was doing at the time.

My favorite rig from the late 60's was a black-face Fender Bassman amp with two small-format Fender Bassman speaker cabinets each with two 12-inch Utah drivers. With this I also used a silver-face Bassman amp with a matching large-format two 12 cabinet. Sounded wonderful...

Ah, the good old days!
 
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#2
robgrow said:
late 60's was a black-face Fender Bassman amp with two small-format Fender Bassman speaker cabinets each with two 12-inch Utah drivers
Click to expand...

Mine too! Wouldn't it be great if Fender would cosmetically remake that blackface head & knobs, but with modern amp brains and power?

And a cab with the balls of a fEARful?
blonde-bassman-01.jpg
 
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#3
I started out the 70's with a Fender Showman, the JBL's were shot when i bought it and didn't know enough to get them reconed. I was a 17 year old kid and tried to use newspaper (IIRC) all glued up for surrounds, they ended up sounding like big tweeters, so I bought some cheap Rat Shack 15's and used them. Next amp I bought was a Marshall Major head with two Sunn 2000S cabs with 4 JBL D-140's, that rig moved some serious air. I then got rid of that and bought an SVT and I've stayed with them for 40 years now.
I also had a V4-B head back then and used it for smaller gigs with an SVT cab and for even smaller ones I used a single 15 in a cab that looked something like a Voice of the theater cab. I had lot's more but those stand out. One place i used to play with the Marshall and the Sunns used to call us The Big Wind.
 
#5
The '70s were a good time for me. Too much money, too many gigs, plenty of studio and no "mate". I started the '70s with a Dual Showman (w Altec 215) then added an ACC 360/361, one V4-B (used my 215 cab), two SVT's with straight back 810's, a Sunn 2000S (ACC 215 cab with Altecs). I left the '70s with the V4-B, 360/361, 2000S and the Dual Showman.
 
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#6
I had the OP’s Fender Bassman (Blonde/blackface) and detested it.

The best sound I had back then was a single tube pre-amp, basically the Normal channel of the Bassman, driving and powered from a Leak TL50 plus. Full 50W from a pair of KT88s This was fed into a slant front Marshall 4x12.

Here in Canada in the late Seventies I built a 150W tube amp that was wonderful and then built a 200W/channel SS amp to give me more power. I still use the amp today as my practice amp powering my B15N cabinet while it’s amp is in the shop.
 
#8
Started playing bass in 1970. My first bass amp was not a bass amp at all - it was an Ampeg Reverberocket with a 12" Jensen. Actually sounded pretty darn good for bass. Moved up to a Kustom 100 with single 15. Got a V4B in 1975 coupled with a B40 cab. Finally switched out the B40 with an SVT cab and that rig stayed with me for the next 10 years of gigging. I still say that V4B/SVT combination was the best tone I've ever gotten in a rig.
In the mid-80's I downsized and replaced the Ampeg rig for a succession of smaller combos.
 
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#9
B-string said:
The '70s were a good time for me. Too much money, too many gigs, plenty of studio and no "mate". I started the '70s with a Dual Showman (w Altec 215) then added an ACC 360/361, one V4-B (used my 215 cab), two SVT's with straight back 810's, a Sunn 2000S (ACC 215 cab with Altecs). I left the '70s with the V4-B, 360/361, 2000S and the Dual Showman.
Click to expand...
Speaking of Sunn. I love and kinda collect older amps and cabs and I was eyeballing this Sunn215. It has what I've read but have not heard the highly sought after JBL's K140's anyhow I'm guessing this is what I'm looking for. No?
Sunn Coleseum Bass Cabinets
 
#16
Bought a used B-15N back around 1968 for $150. It was my first "real amp." Still have and play it today. I think it'll always be my favorite. There's just something about that tone and how you can sculpt it with that Baxandall tone stack that I haven't found in anything else to this day.
 
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#18
For me, the 80s were the good old days. I had a Dietz 2x15 cabinet loaded with EVMs, and it weighed as much as a motorcycle. Same cabinet you see on the cover of Ian Moore's debut album, behind him. I had a Sunn Coliseum 300 head, which only weighed about as much as a jetski, despite being solid-state.

I have to be honest, the stuff I play now sounds better, it's smaller, and it weighs a fraction. It's one area where I don't pine for my youth.

MI0002042145.jpg?partner=allrovi.jpg
 
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#19
+1

I don't miss my old gear (Fender Dual Showman, Sunn 200s head and 2000s cab, Acoustic 371). The sound I get now with modern gear (currently Mesa D-800 into two Arnopol MAS112 cabs) is the best I've ever gotten.
 
#20
Missed the folded-horn era, thank goodness (although not for PA, you could find those in most big PA until the late 80s/early 90s). First decent amp was a Sunn Concert bass into a generic Thiele cab with 2 EV 15L (the 400w version). Damn fine rig. The head was quite manageable. The cab...couldn't do it today, not even with my truck. Heaviest rig was my SVT cab. Not much sounds better, not even today. Also had a V4-B, fantastic tone, does you no good if you can't pick it up. I'm guessing 80+ pounds.

Fast forward to 1990 and bought a full SWR rig, ST-220 w/Goliath cab. Much smaller. Not much lighter - 95 pound cab. Still have it, still use it for recording. Main gig rig these days is a Markbass head and a pair of SWR Golight 15s. Both cabs and the head don't weigh what my Goliath does, and the tone is possibly the best I've ever had.
 
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