-
The choices of amps for us jazz players has never been better; there's something for everyone's needs, from low volume playing at home to live gig settings where volume can sometimes be an issue. For those of us who favour tube amps over solid state, good vintage examples in original or near original condition are becoming hard to afford. With that in mind, I'd like to mention one amp that is on par with any old Gibson or Fender tweed, and is still overlooked, but starting to gain notice. The amp is the Ampeg M-12 Mercury. Designed as an accordion amp, it has two preamp channels, with one eq'd slightly darker than the other. The early ones (late 1950s-1962?) had three octal preamp tubes (one for tremolo), a 5Y3 rectifier, and two 6V6 power tubes. It puts out the usual 12-15 watts for a similar circuit. All Ampeg guitar/accordion amps from that era had 12" speakers, and an upgrade to a more efficient speaker gives the amp some extra volume and headroom. A good amp tech is needed as the capacitors (easily available) need changing, and probably a few resistors, and maybe a few small tweaks as per personal preferences.
It's not too heavy or too large to move around (same size as the early Reverberockets, but lighter), and has enough volume and clean headroom, especially with an efficient speaker, to handle almost any jazz gig. The octal preamp tubes (6SL7) give it a nice warm lower midrange, and because it is cathode biased, it sounds great even at very low volumes. In that regard it is a definite foil to the fixed bias Fender amps that need a certain amount of volume before giving up the sweetness.
Good examples can be had in the $750-1000 range, for now, and this post is intended as a suggestion that we (jazz guitarists) acquire these before some popular pop artist, by virtue of their celebrity, drives the price up, which has happened with certain Gibson models and some Filmosound conversions. Mine is from 1962 and has the early 'random navy flair' covering. Somewhere around 1962-3? Ampeg used the blue checkered covering and the tube compliments changed. These might be great amps as well, but I have never played through one. (not the reissues, which are entirely different amps) I sometimes use a stereo jack and set one channel for bass and the other for treble, using the volume controls for balance. They're hand wired with a reasonable layout, so are easy for techs to work on. Happy hunting.
-
01-10-2025 11:51 AM
-
Much love for those old Ampegs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
While I appreciate certain older tube amps and their tonalities. I can’t imagine other than as collector,why anyone actually gigging would pick one over the modern alternatives.
Meaning non tube, light weight powerful no maintenance choices like Henrickson, Quilter,Boss Katana Artist,etc.
Again lovely amps, but it’s like buying a 1960’s car. Fun to look at and Sunday Drives. But a modern version is way more practical in almost every way.
-
Bc they sound better and feel better. I have a gig tonight at a place with on site parking. No way I'm not taking my 64 vibrolux reverb. (I pack a milkman head for backup that I can plug into the VR cab if anything goes wrong.)
Originally Posted by jads57
-
I hear you JADS57. I played solid state amps for many years, so I don't judge anyone for choosing that route. In a live situation, especially if the room is noisy, I can be perfectly fine with a good solid state amp. I went to solid state back in the 1980s after hurting my back lifting one of those heavy Rivera designed Concert amps. All through that period with Polytones, Rolands, and class D amps, I found that I was never happy with my sound in the studio. The moment I plugged into a well-designed and well-maintained tube amp, like a Deluxe Reverb for example, I would think, 'oh, there it is; that's the sound.' What led me back to tube amps is too long a story, but it happened back around 2008. Since then I tried a number of the newer solid state 'jazz' amps, and for me personally, they all, without exception, come up short. In fact, in terms of my own amp needs, I feel so strongly about it that it is not even open for discussion.
As I said, I do not judge anyone else's taste or preferences. These are my own needs and preferences, and quite a number of others feel as I do. Your point about practicality is well taken though, and I don't disagree. This thread was started not as a solid state vs tube discussion, but only to spread awareness of what I feel is a still affordable great sounding and practical (volume, size, & weight) vintage tube amp that is maybe under the radar. It seems like as far as early Ampegs go, the Reverberocket gets most of the attention.
-
Nice Jet! Or is that an early Rocket?
Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
Much love for those old Ampegs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
That’s a Jet. Originally Posted by electroman
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
I have an M-15 and a Gemini II, both great amps that to me just sound and feel better than the various more convenient options I've tried. Maybe I just like a 15" speaker, I dunno, but to me the old Ampegs just have the sound I was looking for. Neither of them cost me over about 700-800 bucks. The M-15 is portable enough - not too bad to carry in one hand. I do have a Polytone and an AER that I bring fairly often when I really can't be bothered or I know the load-in will be a pain, but any time the parking situation for the gig allows I'll bring one of these amps. I think they are a good option for people who like an old-school sound, don't mind carrying a medium amount of weight and don't want to spend a lot of money.
-
What you play is as much a part of your stage appearance as what you wear and how you present yourself, and this is an important part of your professional image. Vintage equipment in decent cosmetic condition is actually an asset to many audiences and employers, both for jazz and for other genres. I'm always amazed at how many people actually recognize, notice and care about what instrument and amplifier I'm using. Positive audience reaction and feedback to owners and staff are job security. In addition, great vintage gear makes a lot of us feel better about our playing. It hasn't been such a big deal to me since modern stuff became so good, but I still get a kick out of playing through my old Fenders - even if it's only at home. Originally Posted by jads57
Great new stuff like my Toobs and my Blu get a lot of attention. But I got even more over the BF Princeton and SF Vibrolux (both of which are reissues and not even "real") that I used at the club where I played twice weekly for years. I've never gigged with my current Twin and Princeton, but I'm sure if I did I'd get a lot of questions and comments.
Of course, the other side of that coin is that equipment failures on a gig are not good for your image. So if you want to use vintage equipment, it has to be maintained in excellent condition. You have to carry spare tubes, fuses, and whatever other bits are vulnerable to aging, deterioration from heat etc, and simple wear & tear. When I was still using tube amps, I carried a repair kit with tools, a soldering pen & solder, and a parts box with tubes, switches, fuses, multiple gauges of wire, all sorts of crimp-on connectors and splices, an extra power cord (even before they were detachable), etc. I still have the kit in my trunk, and I might even take the Princeton out for a gig someday.
I also carry a spare amp head and a Toob Metro in the trunk. I've had very few failures in 66 years of active gigging - a blown speaker in a little Ampeg in 1960, a 6L6 in a B15N in 1964, 3 dead, smoking GK MB150 heads (all bought used), and a Crate Powerblock that died the first time I used it on a gig. A 12AX7 fell out of a first gen Blues Deluxe that didn't have tube holders in it, but I can't think of any others right now. Both the Vibrolux reissue and the CS Princeton at the club have failed during shows and had to be taken to the tech. The Vibrolux had a cracked board, and I don't know the autopsy results on the PR because it happened the last week in December and I played my last date there on Sat Jan 4.
-
Small old blue-check Ampegs sound great, are light, easy to carry, inexpensive, easy to service, and sound great.
-
As tube amps go, a vintage Ampeg Reverberocket seems to be well-priced. Apparently somewhere around $1000.
It is a terrific sounding amp. Best reverb I've heard.
Built like tanks, but will, of course, need a cap job (the original part a can with several caps inside, is available from fliptops) and a 3 prong plug. The original tubes could last decades, but, by now it's probably going to need new tubes if it doesn't have them. New tubes aren't as sturdy as the old ones in my experience.
But, it is worth recognizing the following:
EQ is a single knob labeled "tone". It seems to increase treble and volume.
The DV Mark Little Jazz sounds, to my ear (and my wife's) quite a bit like the Ampeg Reverberocket.
The Jet may be a little cheaper. That amp, with a JBL speaker, was what the jazz guys I knew played through in my mid 1960's New York youth.
-
I absolutely love some of the old Gibson 1950’s 6V6 amps. But they are not practical to gig with on any steady basis for me. Since I’ve gone with my various Quilter Aviator combos and 202Tone Block head. I’ve never had such a consistent great Clean tone on any stage indoor,,outdoor I’ve ever played.
My amps are not dependent on the electric voltage. Nor inconsistent tubes, or heavy transformers. And while there is a very slight difference, it’s not worth the hassle.
Sometimes we as guitarists are to dependent on our gear to play. I get it, it always helps to have gear that inspires us.
I’m really happy to find an amp never lets me down!
-
My first thought was "affordable-practical-vintage:" pick two.
Looking at the local Craigslist, the price of a practical vintage tube amp (e.g., Deluxe Reverb, Princeton) is more than I've paid for a fair number of cars.
-
Yes, in the UK you can get a great sounding inexpensive new Class 'A' amp for £330. Originally Posted by Cunamara
CUB-SUPER - Laney Amplification - Since 1967
The smaller Laney Cub 10 is Class 'A'. 6 watt for home use?
-
I don't think vintage tube amps are affordable or practical.
-
How about some love for that Collings? Jeez, what a beaut. That’s like the the Scarlet Johannson of guitars. Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan
Much love for those old Ampegs.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
<thinks maybe I should sell all my other guitars and get one of those…>
-
That's cause everyone is obsessed with the kiddie power practice amps and it's driven the prices crazy. Shop SF Twins, Super Reverbs, or bassman heads and things get much more affordable, around 1k. Perhaps with modern sound reinforcement they are a little less practical but though a Twin is much heavier than a Deluxe, it is not physically much larger so you get a lot of power in a relatively compact package. I'm thinking about a set of Neo's this year to shave some weight on one of mine. Should take it to the 60lbs range, which is pretty good for a 100 watt combo IMO. Originally Posted by Cunamara
-
I agree with this, as it regards modern TUBE amps. But not modelers. Originally Posted by jads57
Also, until someone makes a modern version of an EH-150, an EH-150 is the only thing that will deliver THAT sound. Between the octal tubes and the field coil speaker, some vintage stuff actually is unique. But I agree there are more than plenty enough modern tube amps that sound fantastic and have modern-day durability.
-
I consider it a luxury when the gig allows me to indulge in all what makes me „comfortable“ like my favorite amp, ample room on stage, personal monitors etc. I take pride in the fact that I can make do with what the situation offers (rented gear…) or allows and still be able to deliver the goods and be inspired. I had to get used to not hearing myself as I‘d wish and learn to get comfortable in adverse circumstances where no one is interested in my personal preferences and that is something that I often talk about with younger colleagues and students. In an ideal world ….
-
Calling a Twin “a relatively compact package” would be a bit of a stretch even for Jack Reacher. Originally Posted by DawgBone
My Twin was Jazzkritter’s, and I never expected to end up with it. We never discussed its history, and I don’t have any info on it. It appears from what’s left of the chassis number that the chassis started life as a late 1970 Canadian market SF. The transformers are replacements, so I can’t date it from them. I did a cap job, but I didn’t look for dates on any of the components. It has a BF plate on it, but I found a SF plate under the reverb tank that has the right graphics for a ‘70 or ‘71. And the circuitry is modded - bias pot plus bias balance pot and a general return to BF spec. It has a pair of Eminence neos in it, and it sounds great.
I suspect that it was a “partscaster” Twin. From what I can see and feel of the wood (all painted flat black inside) without peeling any Tolex off, it seems to be in a solid pine cab. It weighs 59 1/2 pounds, which is a bit lighter than I’d expect in a ply cab. I sold my last Twin at least 15 years ago, and I’d forgotten how special they sound. It is indeed a great amp and an icon.
Nevertheless, I’m taking my Quilter OD202 in its 12” BlockDock on tonight’s gig. The Twin would be great, but it takes up my whole trunk, so there isn’t even room for my backup Toob & head.
-
People who own Twins say they sound very good in practice volumes too.
Tonemaster Twin is gonna be my next amp purchase. I think twin benefits from the Tonemaster revision more than other blackface Fenders.
-
I saw a Super Reverb at a pawn shop yesterday for $1300. Heavy as crap though. Originally Posted by DawgBone
There’s an Ampeg Reverb Rocket near me for $600.
I see a lot of Silvertone and other vintage tube amps for a couple hundred dollars. Not sure what shape they’re in though.
-
Maybe our definition of compact is different but for a 100 watt all tube combo a Twin is very compact. I actually can't think of a tube driven 100 watt 2x12 combo that is wedged into a smaller package, dimension-wise, but I'm all ears. The speakers are nearly touching in the middle, so there really isn't a way to make it smaller without going to a smaller speaker or offsetting them at which point it becomes taller. I guess redesigning the amp chassis into a single channel might knock off a couple inches width wise. Your 59 1/2 pound Twin really isn't bad considering how much punch a Twin can deliver. Originally Posted by nevershouldhavesoldit
-
Good compared to what other amp at practice volumes though? JMHO on every blackface Fender I've owned or tried, I don't think they sound all that good below about 4 on the volume dial compared to what they sound like at 4 or more, and that might be too loud for some guys when talking about a Twin. Originally Posted by Tal_175
-
$600 for a vintage Reverberocket with all its parts seems like a very good price. The reissue with the same name was not at all the same amp.
On the vintage Reverberockets, the handles are all gone by now. Fliptops sells the part. Speakers have often been replaced. And you have to make sure that it's the original, working reverb tank, because that was a big part of the sound.
Reply With Quote
The Guitar In Jazz - Jazz Guitar Radio Documentary
Today, 06:02 PM in The Players