I'M IN LOVE - yeah I'm a believer!
1963 #Gibson#GA79 RVT Stereo amplifier (with 1972 #ES355 Stereo guitar).
If you are like me you never paid much attention to these vaguely funny-looking mid 60s Gibson stereo amps. To me they never looked like "real" rock n roll amplifiers, they looked more like the console record player my parents had in their wood-paneled mid mod living room back in the 60s. Part music box...but mostly furniture. I keep wanting to flip up the top and throw on a Neil Diamond LP!
But, I was dropping off some amps for servicing with my amp tech @marshalllespaulfan yesterday, and he had this one in his shop, in from another customer, and we tried it out with my Stereo 355...and all of a sudden EVERYTHING in my life made perfect sense!
This amp was MADE for this guitar...and I mean that quite literally. You plug it in using a special stereo "TRS" cable, switch the amp to "stereo" mode (although you can also use it in "mono" mode with a regular guitar and cable) and it's wired to give you the neck pickup in the left channel and the bridge pickup in the right channel. So you can set different volume, EQs, and effects for each pickup! Once each channel is dialed in, you can just flip your pickup selector between a grungy dark rhythm sound and a bright overdriven lead sound. OR...play them both at the same time on the center position, and have reverb and trem on the underlying bassy tone, but a crisp, clear, un-effected bright tone cutting through at the same time! It's GENIUS.
Because of its funky stereo wiring, my 355 has never been very heavily played 'round 'ere. The best you can do with it on a "regular" amp is plug its stereo cable into the two inputs of the same amp and even then it just sounds like a "normal" guitar. Without a TRS cable, only the neck pickup works on a "normal" guitar cable. So it's essentially useless. But with an amp like this, you can make it do SO MUCH!
I think I have found my next amp acquisition "quest"! 😉
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🤍🤍🤍 GAP GL Perfect Ending 🤍🤍🤍
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Progress on the Heathkit amplifier project!
This sequence shows the progress of the power supply unit I'm building to power both Heathkit amplifiers. Since the inside of the power supply is just plywood, I used a dark gel stain to unify the wood and make it look a little nicer. Then put on a few coats of satin poly.
Next I added the internals. There's a power transformer which supplies 5 volts for the rectifier tube as well as B+ voltage for the plates, then there's a secondary filament transformer which provides 12.3 volts for the tubes in each amplifier.
Pictures 5 and 6 show the decorative cedar enclosure which will fit over the power supply. I'm particularly pleased with how the power light looks when lit!
Last picture shows one of the amplifiers plugged into the side of the PSU. The other amp will plug in on the other side.
I have a little issue right now where my B+ voltage is low under full load. It's supposed to be 390V, but I'm getting more like 360V. Right now debating whether to swap out the power transformer or just run it on lower voltage than the schematic calls for.
Will keep you posted, stay tuned!
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Masaki Kato / Puddle Sound / #001 Tokyo / Amplifier / 2020
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I have not posted in a while...very negligent! Here are a few recent shots:
2018 Custom Shop 1957 LP Junior TV Model Reissue with 1970 Marshall Lead 20
2002 Historic 1967 Flying V Reissue
1965 Duo Sonic with 1968 Traynor TR1 Reverb, 1969 Traynor YGM1 GuitarMate Reverb, and 1966 Traynor YGA1B Signature amp.
1961 Les Paul SG Junior
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