1960 Steel Amps

Kenneth Kotsay · Post by **Kenneth Kotsay** » 2 Jan 2020 1:48 pm

Looking back to the 1960s I only remember that Fender was the king of the hill, naturally Marshall was out there also, this is the best that I can remember about guitar amps during this time period.

Big question I like to have answered is, what amps were, Emmons, Day, Green, Rugg, Brumley, Newman, Franklin, etc using back then?

In 1975 I purchased a D-10 Sho-Bud, I was playing through a new Music Man 212 amp. In 1979 I owned a Webb, then in the late 80-90s onwards it was Peavey Nashville 400, 500, 1000, 112, DPC 1000 along with the Profexx II & Transtubefex.

Ken

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 2 Jan 2020 3:34 pm

I'd guess that Standel, Fender or Sho-Bud were the big contenders in the days of which you speak.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 2 Jan 2020 3:43 pm

I don't recall seeing any steelers using using a Marshall? But the Fenders were popular, followed by the Sho~Buds, Standels, and Randalls. I know I saw one player with a Baldwin, and one using a Vox. But I don't remember who they were, either, because I always paid a lot more attention to the players than their gear.

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 2 Jan 2020 4:03 pm

I'd say one thing they all had in common was a JBL speaker(or two)...

Peter Freiberger · Post by **Peter Freiberger** » 2 Jan 2020 4:37 pm

On the "1999 Steel Summit with the Masters" at about 1:43:00 that question is addressed. They were using Fender amps that were furnished in the major studios. I know Buddy Emmons also had a Standel tube amp he was very partial to, but I don't know if he would bring it if there was already something there the engineer might be familiar with. I understand Emmons' rig in L.A. in the late '60's or so was a Twin with JBL's. I've heard he was very impressed with the then new Session 400's power for live work, but I don't know if he recorded with one.

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 2 Jan 2020 8:33 pm

Buddy's favorite amp was a Standel Custom 15. He used it on the road and in the studio in the mid 60s. The problem was it was only 35 watts. More powerful amps came along which made the bands play louder and he had to go with more power. Though he did use Twins recording some he told me that he really didn't like them.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 2 Jan 2020 10:33 pm

I believe Standel was the most popular steel amp with name players in the late 50’s and 60’s. The components were sealed in epoxy filled modules to keep from being copied. Fender then came on the scene and became a major player.
Jerry

Jim Goins · Post by **Jim Goins** » 3 Jan 2020 5:47 am

Evans was out there also, they made an all tube amp called the Compactra-100,Evans also made the all tube for SHO~BUD. I still have an Evans Compactra 100, made in the late 60s it has two channels with a 15 inch J.B.L.
Jim.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 3 Jan 2020 9:57 am

At one time, when playing Scotty's show in St. Louis the steelers all plugged into the Peavey Session 500 and here are their settings:

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 3 Jan 2020 10:43 am

Absolutely, Peavey became a very major player in mid 70’s almost dominating the steel guitar steel market, but in the late 50’s and into the 60’s it was Standel. I have a 74 Session 400 that to me sounds great. That is my favorite Peavey. Ben Jack and Bob White lived in my hometown of Ft Smith and both had the Standel 25L15 as did many top players in the 50’s. It was the most desired steel amp in that era. That amp is revered today sorta like a Bigsby guitar. Being very “senior” I actually witnessed this. I have a 63 Standel that is exactly the sound I like, though back then there was no reverb built into the amps. I bought that Standel new for $400.00 which pretty much felt like a fortune to me at the time. I converted a Hammond organ reverb for that Standel.
Jerry

Brett Lanier · Post by **Brett Lanier** » 3 Jan 2020 11:40 am

If there's one thing I'm guilty of having too much of it's Standel amps. Here's my favorite one, and probably something that would be more common with steel players if they had made more of them. 50L15

Ian Rae · Post by **Ian Rae** » 3 Jan 2020 12:22 pm

Erv, that's some historical document you have there!

David Zornes · Post by **David Zornes** » 3 Jan 2020 1:28 pm

In the late 70â€™s I owned an earlier model Standel Custom with a 15inch Altec Lansing. Why oh why did I ever get rid of it?!! Ignorant youth thinking? What a tone, but low wattage.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 3 Jan 2020 2:20 pm

Ian, that chart has been posted here many times over the years. Of particular interest are Buddy's volume settings, over twice as high as anyone else.

Bob Ricker · Post by **Bob Ricker** » 3 Jan 2020 5:18 pm

A line up of Vox AC-100's.

Roy McKinney · Post by **Roy McKinney** » 4 Jan 2020 1:39 pm

That Standel Piggy-Back S80 with 2 channels was kind of popular back in the early 60's also, about time Erby Mandrell was a salesman for Standel and Sierra.

Kevin Quick · Post by **Kevin Quick** » 4 Jan 2020 2:31 pm

In the early 70's Jaydee was in the house band at the Palomino in N. Hollywood. He used a twin with a 15" JBL. A lot of players back then put 15's in their twins.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 6 Jan 2020 8:33 am

This amp was made for ZB by Standel:

Greg Cutshaw · Post by **Greg Cutshaw** » 6 Jan 2020 10:43 am

Don't forget the Emmons amplifier! Emmons logo on the amp matches the guitar.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 6 Jan 2020 12:26 pm

Ampeg B12-XT Portaflex:

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 6 Jan 2020 5:08 pm

Buddy used this actual amp on ET Record Shop Show. Great solid state amp. I have two of them.
Jerry

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 6 Jan 2020 5:37 pm

My favorite. Hybrid Transistorized brought back to life by Michael Brebes. I bought it new in 1963.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 6 Jan 2020 6:56 pm

I have a Standel weakness myself too. There is a certain magic in the sound of these amps.

This Custom Super 15 belonged to my teacher Buddy Charleton. He reportedly played it some on the Ernest Tubb TV show:

I recently acquired this one. It looks identical to the Custom Super 15, yet the labeling reads "Custom Super". It has a 15" D-130 JBL in it, so I'm not sure why they would have dropped the "15" designation (?) The component layout inside is a bit different from my Custom Super 15, but I hear they did a lot of revisions of designs back in those days, so I try not to read too much into that:

Dave Zirbel · Post by **Dave Zirbel** » 6 Jan 2020 6:57 pm

Don't forget the Emmons amplifier! Emmons logo on the amp matches the guitar.

There was a guy out west here a few years back named Bruce Leighton. He worked with David Allen Coe, Paycheck, and a few others. He had an Emmons amp with a JBL D-130 with a big rip in the cone and it sounded amazing with his Shobud Pro One. It was the only one I've seen.

Tiny Olson · Post by **Tiny Olson** » 8 Jan 2020 6:50 am

Hey Dave- Our mutual friend, Mark "Getty" Emerick has one just as you describe (without the torn cone in the D-130) that he bought from Scotty about 18 yrs ago. I played through it and it did sound good. I didn't use it on any Cody gigs due the high volume they liked to play at. I thought it best to go with my Stereo Steel rig most times with George..!!

I've told "Getty" a few times that if he ever decides to sell it, I hope he'll give me 1st dibs. He said that when he bought it at Scotty's, they told him it was the only one they'd ever seen in person. Pretty cool..!!

I always liked those Standels, along with the Evans / Sho-Bud Compactra. Before my first Session 400 in early '75, I had an Evans Hybrid 300 I liked too.

Tommy, Brett, Erv and Jerry, the pics of these old amps are very cool guys...

The Steel Guitar Forum

1960 Steel Amps

1960 Steel Amps

60’s amps