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Author Topic:  Solid state Gibson use?
David Laveau


From:
Rocky Mountain High, CO
Post  Posted 6 Mar 2024 11:25 am    
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Anyone have experience using old Gibson solid state or tube amplifiers in their steel guitar rig?

I'm waiting on a GSS50 and Plus50 slave to arrive.
Will update with thoughts, just wondering if anyone has traveled this road previously and willing to share a thought or two

Seems like they are 'clean machines' from some reading, but I have no personal time spent with any of them yet
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 7 Mar 2024 5:52 am    
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I tried the Gibson amp that the lead player in my first country band used. Nice warm tone, but not a lot of the "sparkle" that made Fender famous. It was supposedly a 60-watt tube job, same as my Twin Reverb, but it played more like a 30 or 40 watt amp - not a lot of headroom before it distorted.
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David Laveau


From:
Rocky Mountain High, CO
Post  Posted 7 Mar 2024 7:35 am    
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Donny Hinson wrote:
I tried the Gibson amp that the lead player in my first country band used. Nice warm tone, but not a lot of the "sparkle" that made Fender famous. It was supposedly a 60-watt tube job, same as my Twin Reverb, but it played more like a 30 or 40 watt amp - not a lot of headroom before it distorted.


That makes sense to me, thanks!

To me, different but maybe kind of similar to when JBL changed the large format diaphragms to the 2445 diamond style compliance edge from the 2440's roll style - which extended highs through 'spurious resonances' according to the critics at least...


All good to me, lots of flavors for everyone to enjoy

Thanks!
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Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 7 Mar 2024 9:19 am    
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Wow, hadn’t thought about those old Gibson amps in a very long time. During the mid 60’s, I had a gray tolex Gibson Vanguard amp prior to buying my first Fender Twin Reverb. The Gibson was warm sounding, think it had 2 - 12’s & about 40 watts, not certain. It also had the internal Adineko (spelling?) oil can delay. My main remembrance was that it was extremely heavy.
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Brooks Montgomery


From:
Idaho, USA
Post  Posted 7 Mar 2024 11:51 am    
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I’ve a Gibson Twin G-105.
Bought it at a pawn shop for $100.
It’s pretty unremarkable (compared to my other amps). Has a very sensitive tank reverb.


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Jerry Van Hoose


From:
Wears Valley, Tennessee
Post  Posted 7 Mar 2024 12:13 pm    
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I bought my Gibson Vanguard used in 65 or 66, it was probably a couple of years old at the time, looked like this one.
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Bob Carlucci

 

From:
Candor, New York, USA
Post  Posted 9 Mar 2024 3:48 am    
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Gibson amps have a certain "cool factor", but they are not pedal steel amps, and I have doubts you will be thrilled with the sound.. There is a good reason why you most likely never saw gibson amps in a backline, either tube or solid state.. They can't compete with Fender for tone and clarity... The old ones pre about 1965 sound really nice, warm and very musical and some had gorgeous reverb and trem... Later tube and SS models were really generic sounding, just blah.. If you like the tone Of Kustom, or Acoustic or maybe Ampeg built SS amps you will like the Gibson.. Not ragging on Gibson amps, I actually like them a lot , especially old ones.. They just seemed closer in build quality to say Valco than they did to what Fender, Ampeg, Traynor was building in the 69's and 70's.... bob
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Len Amaral

 

From:
Rehoboth,MA 02769
Post  Posted 11 Mar 2024 6:23 am    
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Here is a pic of my 1964 Gibson Medalist amp with 4 ten inch speakers. It has an EL-34 power tube section and a small farm of preamp tubes This beast of an amp has to be one of the heaviest combo amps ever made. It stays in one place and I never move it.

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Bill A. Moore


From:
Silver City, New Mexico, USA
Post  Posted 11 Mar 2024 10:10 am    
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I worked on a Falcon for a fellow a couple of weeks ago, but it is tube! Sounded really good when he played it!
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