New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

[Lewguitar]

I love these amps. So does Ry Cooder.

I used to play through a pair of original 59 Tweed Deluxes.

When I discovered the Gibson GA20, and bought one.

Then I sold my Tweed Deluxes.

Today I bought another GA20.

All original, just like my other one, with the original Jensen P12R speaker.

I’ll take it to my brother Bruce at Mission Amps in Denver and he’ll go through it and tune it up.

I have lots of NOS RCA 6v6 and 12ax7 tubes too.

The secret to these amps is plugging 8nto the microphone input and just cranking them up.

Sounds mind blowingly awesome with my Klon. Super fat and smooth. Works better with the GA20 th@n any amp I own.

These amps are just killer for American Roots. Music, blues and slide guitar.

If you’re patient, you can find them for well under a grand...and I’m a patient guy.

Highly recommended.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

Really? It ousted a pair of Tweed Deluxes?

My dad has an old Gibson amp kicking around his house. It's a head and 15" cabinet. I haven't looked at the thing in forever, but I remember the controls having ranges for guitar and bass. He claims it sounds like crap, but I suppose I should give it a whirl.

Congrats on the score!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

Really? It ousted a pair of Tweed Deluxes?

My dad has an old Gibson amp kicking around his house. It's a head and 15" cabinet. I haven't looked at the thing in forever, but I remember the controls having ranges for guitar and bass. He claims it sounds like crap, but I suppose I should give it a whirl.

Congrats on the score!

The 50’s Gibson’s are a whole different beast from the later 60’s versions. So your dad’s might not get the tone these old GA20’s get.

And the way guys like Ry Cooder use it is to ignore the guitar channel and plug into the Microphone input.

Amazingly luscious, fat thick and honking overdrive.

The guitar channel is pretty tame and most guys miss out on the best tones these amps have...which is from the Microphone channel.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

super cool.
Ive always wanted an EH150, but that looks more functional without the speaker gizmo.

 

[jeremy]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

very cool. never owned any of those old 50's gibsons but played through a bunch over the years. last ga20 i played had 6sj7 preamp tubes, not sure when they switched

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

very cool. never owned any of those old 50's gibsons but played through a bunch over the years. last ga20 i played had 6sj7 preamp tubes, not sure when they switched

My 51 Super has those big bottle preamp tubes. 12ax7 seem to have more gain though.

Jeremy, you owe it to yourself to get one of these GA20’s.

A Roots player like you would just tear it up through one...but remember to use the microphone input. That’s where the best tones are.

When I hear those old 50’s Muddy Waters with Jimmy Rogers, or old Howlin Wolf records I picture them using this amp.

Don’t know if they did...but that’s the sound.

And crank it up all the way and it’s like a baby Marshall!

 

[YeRedHouseOverYonder]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

The earlier '55s had the 6SL7s. At least with the GA-6, maybe the GA 20s are the same. I know that the GA-6 uses the same PT as a GA20.

I definitely approve of this thread. I had a '55 GA-6 and the microphone input was great. I only really played with that and the 1st input. These are definitely a bit warmer than fenders. The 6SL7 GA 6 sounded a bit cleaner cranked too. I want to pick up a 2 12ax7 version.

Edit: if you switch out the filter caps, I really liked F&T. I know Jupiter and Sozo sell repro caps that sound like old Astrons if you decide to replace coupling caps. The amp looks sweet. I'm definitely having some old Gibson amp GAS now for sure haha.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

 

[jeremy]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

the 6sl7 version i tried was fat but cleaner sounding than the 12ax7 versions i tried, although i kinda assume they came with a 12ay7 like 50's fenders. its a great amp for sure and if i found one at a great price, id probably jump on it but i have so many amps and pretty much use my bf dr or a little custom 1x12 thing 95% of the time.

 

[Ascension]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

Cool amps!! VERY UNDERRATED and the tones are WICKED! Owned a 59 Gibsonette at one time and have a 53 BA-6 here now BADASS AMPS!! CONGRATS!!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

The earlier '55s had the 6SL7s. At least with the GA-6, maybe the GA 20s are the same. I know that the GA-6 uses the same PT as a GA20.

I definitely approve of this thread. I had a '55 GA-6 and the microphone input was great. I only really played with that and the 1st input. These are definitely a bit warmer than fenders. The 6SL7 GA 6 sounded a bit cleaner cranked too. I want to pick up a 2 12ax7 version.

Edit: if you switch out the filter caps, I really liked F&T. I know Jupiter and Sozo sell repro caps that sound like old Astrons if you decide to replace coupling caps. The amp looks sweet. I'm definitely having some old Gibson amp GAS now for sure haha.

Sent from my LG-H931 using Tapatalk

They are a little warmer than 50’s Fenders and thicker sounding too.

The output Tranny is screwed to the speaker like they used to do.

I do prefer the sound to a Tweed Fender Deluxe...but I like those too of course!

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

Way cool amp! Congrats. Was that a CL score - as I had seen a couple of 50's Gibson Amps that have been listed recently?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

And crank it up all the way and it’s like a baby Marshall!

Wait a minute, so you’re saying that cranking a tube amp to get the power section really hot results in a better sound?

(Kidding- joke from another thread)

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: New amp day! 1956 Gibson GA20!

Wait a minute, so you’re saying that cranking a tube amp to get the power section really hot results in a better sound?

(Kidding- joke from another thread)

Yep.