Celtic Amps

[cream123]

I just e-mailed scott about this(sorry if I'm doing something wrong )

I'll be in the amp market sometime soon and I love Ampeg amps. However none seem to have the specs I want. Here's what I want:
7591 tubes
30-50 watts
tone control based on that of the original reverberocket
2 speaker combo cabinet
-1x15 and a 1x10
a good headroom - breakup at about 7
2 inputs (accordian and guitar) - forgot that one :smack:


If it's not possible, we'll talk about alteratives.
How does this sound? Will anyone else support me in the Ampeg revolution? :laugh2:


Will he make this amp for one person or will I need a small following to get what I want?

 

[Bludave]

Re: Celtic Amps

I had a Reverbarocket back in the day. Its a very cool amp. I used mine for years. It was my 2nd amp. My first one was a vibrolux.

I would consider having it made in a head and this way you can use different speaker configurations.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Celtic Amps

If I recall correctly.....he might HAVE an Ampeg............

I remember his son stole it at one point; not sure if he recovered it

 

[Stratman]

Re: Celtic Amps

While 7591 tubes sound good, they did/do have a problem of losing power as the night goes on. I used them in a V-4 and VT-22 back in the early 70's and found that as the night when on, I would have to turn the amp up.

Another problem is these tubes are no longer being manufactured, so any source of these tubes would be decreasing their NOS stock. Rebranded copy tubes just are not the same tubes. Soltek makes a repinned 7591, which is really a 6L6 power tube.

If my memory serves me properly, preamp tubes were (6SN7s/6SL7s) - also hard to find.

The original reverbrocket has better tone stack and reverb than Fender and was on the market around 14 months before Fender put out their first 'Reverb' amp. Controls are simple with amp-3 input channels (guitar, accordian, microphone); volume, tone, echo (reverb), speed, and depth(vibrato).

A better build would be using the V-4 / VT-22 tone stack and 6L6 power tubes - IMKHO.

 

[theodie]

Re: Celtic Amps

Speaking of Celtic amps.....where has Scott been??? Seems like I havent seen him on here in a while.

 

[ES350]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ampeg used a quasi-Baxendall tone stack; a point of divergence from the typical Fender/Marshall design. They did use 6L6's in the larger mid-60's fixed bias Geminis...take a look at those for some ideas. One big difference is the 7199 PI, not enough drive for 6L6's, but you can get around that. 7591A's sound great, but it's hard to get good sounding versions these days. If you used a V-series output section (which will run 6L6's as long as they can handle the plate voltages) and a early 60's preamp, that might be a good match for what you're looking for...

 

[flank]

Re: Celtic Amps

ampeg super echo twin? little pricey though, if you can find one!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ok, Cream be careful putting ideas like this together...what you've done is cherry picked a few ideas from different amps that you belive will sound a specific way, often times that is not the case, this is not designing an amp it's just slamming a bunch of ideas together and while that can produce a good amp it can often produce an amp that is simply not worth talking about.

As for the 7591 power tubes JJ is currently making some and are getting rave reviews, also I've never heard ANYONE mention an amp that uses 7591's "loosing power' after long playing time...it seems a lot more likely that the population of said club was changing as well as maybe stratman was becoming "used' to the db level and then turning up...but with all that said I think you'd do far better just getting an old Ampeg amp and building or having built a 1x15/1x10 cab.

 

[cream123]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ok, Cream be careful putting ideas like this together...what you've done is cherry picked a few ideas from different amps that you belive will sound a specific way, often times that is not the case, this is not designing an amp it's just slamming a bunch of ideas together and while that can produce a good amp it can often produce an amp that is simply not worth talking about.

As for the 7591 power tubes JJ is currently making some and are getting rave reviews, also I've never heard ANYONE mention an amp that uses 7591's "loosing power' after long playing time...it seems a lot more likely that the population of said club was changing as well as maybe stratman was becoming "used' to the db level and then turning up...but with all that said I think you'd do far better just getting an old Ampeg amp and building or having built a 1x15/1x10 cab.

Actually I thought better of it the moment I woke up, which happened to be after I posted this thread. :smack:

I do want more power than the 18 watts a reverberocket gives. I'm thinking like 30-40ish

I assume it wouldn't be cheap for someone to add in tubes and make the necessary modifications to do so. Can you reccomend any Ampeg heads that would fit the bill?

 

[Smilemon]

Re: Celtic Amps

Cream, you will get awesome tone with this http://www.ampeg.com/products/diamondblueguitar/r212r/index.html i was beat to it when i tried to buy my guitar teacher amp.. the next day the guy was in the store testing preamp tubes, it was the "Creamiest" amp i had ever heard. Smooth double stop distortion.

 

[cream123]

Re: Celtic Amps

hmmm, interesting. I'll have to try it out. I liked the reverberocket cause it had this amazing feel to it. I accredit it mainly to the tubes. Does anyone know of any reverberocket-sounding amps more power?

 

[cream123]

Re: Celtic Amps

Also, if I'm done with things with a distortion channel and more than a tone control, unless the 3-band is amazingly responsive. I'm sick of eq'ing only to find it sounds like poop. I can just add distortion with a pedal to a low-gain, clean amp but you can't add a responsive feel to your high gain amp. (at least I can't figure out how to)

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Celtic Amps

Actually I thought better of it the moment I woke up, which happened to be after I posted this thread. :smack:
I do want more power than the 18 watts a reverberocket gives. I'm thinking like 30-40ish
I assume it wouldn't be cheap for someone to add in tubes and make the necessary modifications to do so. Can you reccomend any Ampeg heads that would fit the bill?

Ampeg amps are by and larg quite loud for their rated wattage, also if you end up with a combo swapping to a more efficient speaker is a GREAT way to not only improve the tone of the amp but also to make the amp be a bit louder...if you choose the "right" speaker.

Now, 2 things...the volume difference between 18-20 wattand and 40 or so is really not that much to be completely honest, also...why do you "need" 30-40 watts???

 

[theodie]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ok, Cream be careful putting ideas like this together...what you've done is cherry picked a few ideas from different amps that you belive will sound a specific way, often times that is not the case, this is not designing an amp it's just slamming a bunch of ideas together and while that can produce a good amp it can often produce an amp that is simply not worth talking about.

...it almost sounds like the "crazy 8" project.

I am out of here before someone throws stones at me.....

 

[cream123]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ampeg amps are by and larg quite loud for their rated wattage, also if you end up with a combo swapping to a more efficient speaker is a GREAT way to not only improve the tone of the amp but also to make the amp be a bit louder...if you choose the "right" speaker.

Now, 2 things...the volume difference between 18-20 wattand and 40 or so is really not that much to be completely honest, also...why do you "need" 30-40 watts???

Will 18 stand up to a drummer well? I know 30 or 40 will. I assume now, from your explanation, it will.

 

[ES350]

Re: Celtic Amps

Look around for a late 60's/early 70's GU 12---about 25 watts, reverb, trem, 1x12". Great amp for low $$$...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Celtic Amps

Will 18 stand up to a drummer well? I know 30 or 40 will. I assume now, from your explanation, it will.

In the last group I was playing with there was a bass player and a drummer and 2 or sometimes 3 guitar players...I was running through a little 1x12 Mesa (18 watts) the other guitar player was running through a 65-Amps 18 watter and the other guitar player was running through a Matchless DC-30 but it was ALWAYS on half power (meaning 15-18 watts) and we ALL had issues wiht volume...we were ALL too loud most of the time!

Speakers play a big roll as well...going from one speaker to two makes a much larger difference that most people think...my point is this...don't get hung up too much on the wattage of an amp, get an amp that has the tone you're looking for.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Celtic Amps

Ok, Cream be careful putting ideas like this together...what you've done is cherry picked a few ideas from different amps that you belive will sound a specific way, often times that is not the case, this is not designing an amp it's just slamming a bunch of ideas together and while that can produce a good amp it can often produce an amp that is simply not worth talking about.

As for the 7591 power tubes JJ is currently making some and are getting rave reviews, also I've never heard ANYONE mention an amp that uses 7591's "loosing power' after long playing time...it seems a lot more likely that the population of said club was changing as well as maybe stratman was becoming "used' to the db level and then turning up...but with all that said I think you'd do far better just getting an old Ampeg amp and building or having built a 1x15/1x10 cab.

I use to use the 7591 tubes in both my VT-22 and V-4 and I am not the only person who has noticed this decrease, since it was also reported in Guitar Player back in the late 70's in an interview with Keith Richards as being the reason he was switching from Ampeg amps.

All said and done, the V-4 and VT-22 are still great sounding amps.

 

[cream123]

Re: Celtic Amps

Look around for a late 60's/early 70's GU 12---about 25 watts, reverb, trem, 1x12". Great amp for low $$$...

Thanks for the tip. I also thought of an old guild maverick that I played a while ago that I really liked! If I find one of those again It'll be tough. That thing had a sweet tremelo but I'll probably use the the vibrato on some of the ampeg amps more.

In the last group I was playing with there was a bass player and a drummer and 2 or sometimes 3 guitar players...I was running through a little 1x12 Mesa (18 watts) the other guitar player was running through a 65-Amps 18 watter and the other guitar player was running through a Matchless DC-30 but it was ALWAYS on half power (meaning 15-18 watts) and we ALL had issues wiht volume...we were ALL too loud most of the time!

Speakers play a big roll as well...going from one speaker to two makes a much larger difference that most people think...my point is this...don't get hung up too much on the wattage of an amp, get an amp that has the tone you're looking for.

Thanks TGWIF! I never would have though that 18 watts would be enough. :smack:

Good advice at the end there.

The point is I'm sick of eqing and I'm sick of not using a good amp at practice because my 4x12 is just the most akward thing to carry. I want a simple tone stack (the single tone knob does just fine) and no big speaker cabs.

In retrospect, a 1x15 would have been too bassy for my playing and it would have been too big, especially with that extra 10" in it. You were right on the cherry picking idea. That wouldn't have sounded very good. :smack:

 

[Smilemon]

Re: Celtic Amps

So, you want something with a bit of headroom, Single Tone Control, and a tight punkish sound? Get a Fender Pro Junior, Mine stands up really well to the drummer... well used to, my drummer left. The 10 inch speaker is nice, with a low gain preamp tube you can get a good amount of headroom. Its fairly cheap and easy to get around with.