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Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Mine was a two-tone Gibson Les Paul GA-40 with his initials built into the speaker grill. I played a small scale ES-125 with it, and had absolutely no idea who Les Paul was. The year was about 1959 or 1960, and the guitar was mid-50's, so I presume the amp was of the same vintage. The amp and guitat were loaned to me by a truck-driving country music loving neighbor who I saw only about once every two or three months. I kept it about 10 years and finally gave it back to him when I moved out on my own.
I remember this amp had a powerful tremolo, but no reverb, and since I was really into surf music, I very much longed for a reverb amp like the Fender models that my friends had. On a very memorable occasion, I lugged this amp about a mile to my girl friend’s house, then played Tommy James’ Hanky Panky as loud as I could from the living room while my girlfriend ate dinner with her Mom and Dad. Bad decision. She came out after awhile and asked if I could turn down the amp and maybe play something else. |
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December 2001
Posts: 7233
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | I didn't know much about what an electric guitar amp was or how to use one so I had a few experiments. Started with a re purposed Lafayette PA amp then a Tiesco from Sears. First "real" amp i bought was a Crate I around 1978. It wasn't until I was stationed in Hawaii and picked up my first Roland Bolt 60 (around '81) that I started to realize how important the amp was. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | Funny. When I read the thread title, I thought "there's no way I'm gonna remember the brand name of my first amp." Then Miles posted "Lafayette", and that was it. I think I got it at a combo home improvement/ electronics store. |
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December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Mine was a Baldwin that I used as a bass amp. I remember it being very heavy and didn't look near as cool as the rhythm player's Kustom amp, but I was quite proud of it at the time. |
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August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Kustom III Lead with matching 4x10 cab |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | 64 fender black face princeton reverb
that was the only way they came back then.
still got it |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Sweet Amp Al!
Mine was a Kalamazoo II. |
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November 2008
Posts: 400
Location: Northwest Arkansas | Fender Princeton Reverb. Man I miss that amp. I had a '63 Fender 4-10 Concert. I miss it too. A L-9 Lab Series (Great compressor). |
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November 2005
Posts: 4832
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | First one I 'remember' was the Vox Essex 'Beatle Bass' amp.
I don't think there was one before that. The first electric was
a Japanese guitar with endless mojo switches, a 4' speaker built in to the body, and ran on 8 AA batteries. (though we called them 'penlight' batteries back then.) So who needed and amp? :-) |
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December 2006
Posts: 6995
Location: Jet City | It was the coolest little practice amp ever. It was rechargable or ran on AC power and was called "The Mouse"
[img:left]http://www.bazaar-world.com/uploads/amp/34/120139627062-1.jpg">
Wish I still had one.
My first full blown amp was a Peavey Renown Solo Series. I had it for more than 25 years and just sold it off about 2 years ago. I think it's still the loudest amp I've ever owned.
[img:left]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g70/freakingsmurf/1a.jpg"> |
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August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Fender Vibrolux Reverb. I still wish I had that one. |
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April 2010
Posts: 1227
Location: Connersville, Indiana | 70's Crate, back when they had the wood trim around the corners of the Amp, Still playing Crates GFX 2/12
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October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | My first was... get this...
~1971 Alamo Dart. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | alpep wrote:
64 fender black face princeton reverb
that was the only way they came back then.
This is the amp several of my friends had, and the one I wanted. |
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November 2008
Posts: 400
Location: Northwest Arkansas | Several studio players in LA and NY use Princeton reverbs. Those amps rock. I may buy another. |
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November 2011
Posts: 741
Location: Fort Worth, TX | For Christmas in 1964 I wanted a movie screen and projector for 8mm movies - I had plans on being a filmmaker. The long flat box under the tree I was convinced was my screen, and the squarish box had to be the projector. I was so excited my dad decided I could open them on Christmas eve. I was shocked to find in my screen box a new Gibson Melody Maker electric guitar and in the other box a small Gibson practice amp. This was all my dad's idea - I had never considered being a guitar picker - but my world then was all about the Beatles. Very soon I had a pair of Beatles boots and was always in trouble at school because my hair came down to the top of my collar. Best Christmas ever - changed my life from that point on. |
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January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | Silvertone, from Sears. Probably 1970. We were poor...but I was in high cotton after that. I rocked the basement and looking back it probably had no more than 5 watts...my mom was certain I would go deaf.
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | jay wrote:
I rocked the basement and...my mom was certain I would go deaf.
So did mine, and I pretty much did. |
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January 2009
Posts: 1249
Location: Texas | Huh? |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | I pretty much have always played acoustic. I can hear a gnat crawling on the wall. |
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February 2012
Posts: 58
Location: Triangle area, NC | Man, Had to think about this. 19yrs old in my dormatory rocking a Kramer of some kind out of a 50watt Gorilla I found in the dining hall collecting dust. Thought I was Sambora! Man, how things change!!
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October 2008
Posts: 639
Location: NW of Philadelphia | jay wrote:
Silvertone, from Sears. Probably 1970.
That was my second amp. Found it at a yard sale. Still kicking myself for tossing it when the tubes went. replacing them was expensive back then. Now... not so much. |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | Damon67 wrote:
It was the coolest little practice amp ever. It was rechargable or ran on AC power and was called "The Mouse"
[img:left]http://www.bazaar-world.com/uploads/amp/34/120139627062-1.jpg">
Wish I still had one.
My first full blown amp was a Peavey Renown Solo Series. I had it for more than 25 years and just sold it off about 2 years ago. I think it's still the loudest amp I've ever owned.
[img:left]http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g70/freakingsmurf/1a.jpg">
if you really want a mouse I think I may still have one around here somewhere |
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December 2001
Posts: 10583
Location: NJ | CrimsonLake wrote:
Fender Vibrolux Reverb. I still wish I had that one.
twin 10's great amp
I still have mine |
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September 2011
Posts: 260
Location: Spain | I've enjoyed reading this thread, some of you blokes bought amps before I was even born, never mind before I started playing guitar!!
I've never had an amp. |
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Can you remember your first amp?
