# Playing out with vintage amps?



## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Would you do it (or do you do it)? Under what circumstances?

I've had a couple over the years and like to show them off occasionally, but I'd be a little hesitant to gig out regularly with them.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

I wouldn't do it personally, unless I was jamming with pete Townshend or someone, lol.

great for studio work, but too hard to replace if stolen/damaged, and maybe not as reliable. Plus I think theres plenty of good sounding modern amps avail for gigging.
Its like a car for me...a vintage one is great for cruise nights but I wouldn't drive it to the cottage every weekend or to get groceries at WalMart.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

gtone said:


> Would you do it (or do you do it)? Under what circumstances?
> 
> I've had a couple over the years and like to show them off occasionally, but I'd be a little hesitant to gig out regularly with them.



If I had a vintage amp I'd probably play it out at clubs. I've taken boutique amps in to clubs worth as much as a lot of vintage amps. If it were a club where I'm playing there more than one night and the equipment is left overnight, I bring the amp home. I'd do the same with a vintage. Its a pain but at least I'm not worrying if its still there when I return the next night.


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

Why not? With good protection for transport, there's nothing to worry about, really.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I have a pair of vintage tweed Fenders, both from the autumn of '59. One is a 5F6-A Bassman that I hope to play out with once before I die (it needs a bit of TLC at the moment), and the other is a 5F2-A Princeton. I've played out with the Princeton on numerous occasions, though I can recall one where I got a harp player to plug into it, and his exact words to me were "You're not leaving here tonight with that amp!" (it's a very nice harmonica amp - "instant Chicago").

Circumstances? Probably one where I could keep an eye on it at all times, and where its appearance would be totally unexpected and unnoticed.


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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

guitarman2 said:


> If I had a vintage amp I'd probably play it out at clubs. I've taken boutique amps in to clubs worth as much as a lot of vintage amps. If it were a club where I'm playing there more than one night and the equipment is left overnight, I bring the amp home. I'd do the same with a vintage. Its a pain but at least I'm not worrying if its still there when I return the next night.


Good point. I guess for me, the only difference is, its much easier to replace an expensive boutique amp vs an expensive vintage amp.
If my Bogner or CAA got stolen I could get another equivalent before the next weekend.

- - - Updated - - -



JCM50 said:


> Why not? With good protection for transport, there's nothing to worry about, really.


What if it fails? I know all amps can fail, but Id be a little more worried about an increased likelihood of that happening with an amp with older components.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Diablo said:


> What if it fails? I know all amps can fail, but Id be a little more worried about an increased likelihood of that happening with an amp with older components.


That's something I don't worry about with a Fender. Outside of the speaker possibly (if it's an original), I find most of those old Fenders pretty bulletproof and stone reliable, especially if they have NOS tubes.

At an open jam a couple of years back, a guy asked me if I was scared diming my old '52 Tweed Deluxe (guess he thought it'd blow up or something). I said no and explained that I normally ran it flat out for hours on end without a hiccup. Indeed, that's the way many play a Tweed - crank it up and ride your guitar's controls.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

Diablo said:


> Good point. I guess for me, the only difference is, its much easier to replace an expensive boutique amp vs an expensive vintage amp.
> If my Bogner or CAA got stolen I could get another equivalent before the next weekend.
> - - Updated - - -


In most cases you are correct. Some vintage amps are around and can be found. What if a person had an amp builder build them a custom? Like in the case of my Crook guitar, if it were ever stolen I'd have to pony up another 50% of the guitar value and wait 6 to 8 months for build. I guess maybe easier then trying to replace a 1968 Vintage Tele. But in the case of my Crook I had it built to play. If I had been smart enough to keep some of those 60's teles I owned in the 80's (62, 67 69) I'd have likely wanted to play them out occasionally. Whether the Crook or the vintage guitars though I'd be somewhat nervous though as none of them could be replaced tomorrow.


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

I have an early 70's AC30 that I lug to shows all the time. The reason behind that is my rig is based off of that as my tonal centrepiece. Personally, gear like this should be played and not locked up in a studio or basement.


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## JCM50 (Oct 5, 2011)

Diablo said:


> What if it fails? I know all amps can fail, but Id be a little more worried about an increased likelihood of that happening with an amp with older components.


A vintage amp won't (shouldn't) fail any more than a new amp if well maintained.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

When I was gigging I almost always used one of my vintage amps... They are in good working condition so why not?


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## TWRC (Apr 22, 2011)

Knock on wood. I've kept good care of my AC30 and it gets checked over once in a while by a tech. Over the 15+ years I've owned it, it's never failed me. I hope it lasts another 15! If it doesn't, then at least I have had the pleasure of enjoying it over the years.



JCM50 said:


> A vintage amp won't (shouldn't) fail any more than a new amp if well maintained.


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## marcos (Jan 13, 2009)

Go for it. Thats the joy of owning vintage amps. You need to play them live as it was intended. I used to own a 66 Bandmaster and gigged it on a regular basis. Just take care that no one handles it and keep an eye open and you will be fine. No sense of playing it at home.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

JCM50 said:


> A vintage amp won't (shouldn't) fail any more than a new amp if well maintained.


Absolutely true. My '61 Super is fully serviced and it's been to every gig since I acquired it. Same goes for my '62 SG. They were made to be played and that's what I do with them. I don't see the big deal...


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Great - so most of us use them out occasionally. Anybody tour with something vintage? If so, what? Would you take a $10G Plexi out on the road if you had one?


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## Mr Yerp (Feb 24, 2006)

I firmly believe that all gear should be used. Seems a big shame to have that killer tone at your command, and not using it outside of the house.
While not expensive vintage by any means, I ran two old Traynor Guitarmates in stereo on the road for years. Tubes were changed, that's about it.
Once in a while I'd run one on one side, and a Sunn Sceptre + 2x12" on the other. Vintage be damned! Rock that stuff!


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

Vintage amps are more reliable than modern amps. (and sound much better) 
Before I gig any amp new or vintage I go over it with a fine toothed comb and fix any issues. 

new filter caps, fresh speaker (box the old one) good output tubes and away you go 

I do the same with guitars and until recently played vintage guitars as well... 
at this point I think modern guitars with the right boutique pickups and setup can outplay a vintage axe 
or at least give you fresh jumbo frets and a decent representation of the sound 

lets be honest no one gives a hoot if your amp is a 59 bassman ... 
thieves are opportunists and I only play with people who are organized and carefully load in and out as a team 
while taking good care of the gear... 

you biggest risk is spilled beer and drunken fans falling on stuff 

I once watched a guy selling some killer "collectible" guitars after about 5 years of being kept unplayed. 
Obviously the economy was rough so he was selling ... in his case, resale value was identical to the same gear if he had played the heck out of it...
the real shame was not the financial loss, the real shame was that after his efforts to preserve value he was selling under pressure 
and did not even get the joy of playing 

p


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

gtone said:


> Great - so most of us use them out occasionally. Anybody tour with something vintage? If so, what? Would you take a $10G Plexi out on the road if you had one?


they are not 10g's I have many old marshalls including plexii (plexi plural) and gigged a 73 bass model metal front till I switched to guitar mates to downsize in volume and carry. 
One Day I found myself throwing a 4-12 over a snow bank in front of a club ... hauling it in only to find a stage less than 3 feet deep to set it up on... 
and I thought 'if only I had a 15 watt combo with a closed back 1-12 bottom so I could have my sound' ... then I remembered the guitar mate I had just bought for $50 ...
in my deluded fantasy world I imagined stuffing an old celestion 12 in there and figured I knew enough about plexi amps to cop the tone with a few cap changes 
after all the tranyor was already loaded with mullard tubes and capacitors 

Of all the uber vintage amps I have played in clubs the guitar mates get the attention and the comments ...
"traynor I had one of those when I was a kid" 
"traynor I threw one of those in the garbage when we moved " 
"traynor we used to rent those at Long & McQuade when I was a kid ... I think I still owe them money" 
"traynor that sounds good why did I get rid of mine? " 
"Traynor we used to take the logos off so people thought we had a Fender amp" 

FWIW 
I wouldn't gig my Plexi Park as the aluminum chassis would not hold up to road travel ... but the rest are fair game 


p


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## jtienhaara (Dec 4, 2013)

When I gigged, I was always the biggest danger to my own amps. Lugging a 60 lb Fender Dual Showman Reverb head and gigantic cab into little venues, down stairs, etc, I tore the tolex and took chunks out of the plywood and one time I knocked the wiring loose from inside a cab, thought I'd blown a speaker, was happy to find it was just a re-solder job.

Mind you if I had had the money for a bajillion different amps and insurance on each one, maybe I would have thought differently. But I didn't, so I gigged with what I had.

I've had that Dual Showman Reverb head for 14 years now, and she still sounds awesome, even if she's a little more ragged looking than when I bought her.


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## ampaholic (Sep 19, 2006)

There was a line in Tonequest a few issues ago that stuck with me; it said "guitar players paint with tone".
If I get a chance to do a gig I'm going to paint with the best sounding gear I've got, vintage or not!


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## Prosonic (Apr 28, 2009)

I've used vintage amps for years. Why buy a nice piece of gear and then leave it at home?


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

I'm not shy with my better gear. I do like my cloned stuff though. My go to amp is a '59 jet clone that gets tons of attention because Derrick Bell did a fantastic job on the cabinets. Tone wise Steve Moratto made me a jem. Bring what sings.


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

I recognize that some folks are into 'vintage' gear for collector reasons, but for me, gear is for playing. I'm not interested in owning any gear I don't use.

'Vintage' just means OLD, it doesn't necessarily mean valuable or fragile or not-meant-to-be-used.

I think, by the classic definition of vintage, all of US fall into that category. Would you leave YOURSELF at home? LOL


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Greg Ellis said:


> I recognize that some folks are into 'vintage' gear for collector reasons, but for me, gear is for playing. I'm not interested in owning any gear I don't use.
> 
> 'Vintage' just means OLD, it doesn't necessarily mean valuable or fragile or not-meant-to-be-used.
> 
> I think, by the classic definition of vintage, all of US fall into that category. Would you leave YOURSELF at home? LOL


Come to think of it, I really don't get out anywhere near as much as I used to...

I've always used every piece of gear I've ever owned whether expensive, old or new. My philosophy is that if I don't play it, I get rid of it. The only exception might be with a particularly fragile or extremely rare thief magnet in an unsecured setting.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

bluzfish said:


> Come to think of it, I really don't get out anywhere near as much as I used to...
> 
> I've always used every piece of gear I've ever owned whether expensive, old or new. My philosophy is that if I don't play it, I get rid of it. The only exception might be with a particularly fragile or extremely rare thief magnet in an unsecured setting.


I think I agree with all of this - well said...


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## WCGill (Mar 27, 2009)

I always gigged with my '62 Strat and my '64 Vibroverb, they just had that tone. I was a little more concerned about the guitar than the amp as it's much easier to get away with a guitar on short notice. Back when I first started playing out, no one really gave any notice to "vintage" pieces. Times have changed and I think I'd still do it if I still had the gear, but with more vigilance.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

My vintage amp would cost about half as much to buy a second time then my modern head. Go figure.


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## Louis (Apr 26, 2008)

I've played more than 15 years in clubs with 2 Half stacks vintage Marshall's , thye were early 70's head and cabs loaded with Pre Rola's
and loved every second of it ,.in fact ,.one of the half stack burned in a fire in a Blues club in the 90's ,
it was a criminal act and never got a cent from the clubs insurance !........too bad !.......that was a beast sounding piece of gear !

Lou


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## parkhead (Aug 14, 2009)

gtone said:


> Great - so most of us use them out occasionally. Anybody tour with something vintage? If so, what? Would you take a $10G Plexi out on the road if you had one?


 Donna Grantis is on the road with Prince worldwide ... they share 4 new YBA-1 tributes and Donna has 4 Vintage 70s YBA-1 amps_ ... the only Failure reported was after an amp was mishandled by a TV tech and a tube went missing...
_

this is a good recording 
http://youtu.be/5t4Y1F2gBDE

this has a blazing solo about 2min in 
http://youtu.be/DCevnpJ2mtM


same amp, it has a huge rainbow of available color via the players touch 

p


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Couple questions, since they're on topic:

- how often do you gig the vintage gear (once a week? Once a month?)

- do you have a case or cover for it?


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## ColForbin (Sep 10, 2012)

Budda said:


> Couple questions, since they're on topic:
> 
> - how often do you gig the vintage gear (once a week? Once a month?)
> 
> - do you have a case or cover for it?


Our band takes the winter off, but gigs in the spring, summer and fall. I always gig with my '73 Deluxe Reverb, a couple times a month in those seasons. I do have a cover for it as well.


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## Stevo (Apr 3, 2008)

I use my '67 Fender Pro Reverb at almost every gig I do, and I gig a lot, so it gets used a bunch. I have a good tech in town and after he did a once-through the amp when I first got it, it is has been very reliable for me. I have a dust cover for it and usually cover it if I am at a two night gig to disguise it a bit.


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## Tyler Savage (Nov 16, 2009)

I've found vintage gear to usually be MORE reliable than new stuff. If it's lasted 40 years already... So long as the caps are good, nothing crazy going on inside and it hasn't been modded terribly (watch out craigslist buyers) vintage stuff is usually rock solid. More than I can say for a lot of modern tube eating board frying, socket arcing sizzle monsters.

plus beat up stuff looks awesome. the more cigarette burns the better


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## audiorep2 (Mar 28, 2009)

How about this ?? 1961 Jazz bass, 1967 P bass, one single Showman, and one Dual Showman. And to top it off, a UREI DI box.


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## keithb7 (Dec 28, 2006)

I average 12 gigs a year with my 1964 Bandmaster. Local only and the head sits on the front passenger seat in my truck to and from every gig. Nobody else's hands lay a finger on that amp. When they offer to help, I politely say no thanks. Great amp that has been rock solid for me since I have owned it. (4 years or so)
I do not have a road case for it, but have flirted with the idea. I leave the original 2x12 cab with original 1964 dated speakers at home. I gig the head with an Avatar cab. As seen here below on the right. That's me on the right. Bandmaster also with a Ceriatone 18W TMB head on top. I carry it for a back up sometimes, but so far, I have never needed it at a live gig. The vintage Bandmaster is a mighty work house that never fails me.


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## Mr Yerp (Feb 24, 2006)

audiorep2 said:


> How about this ?? 1961 Jazz bass, 1967 P bass, one single Showman, and one Dual Showman. And to top it off, a UREI DI box.


Now that's how ya' do it! Nice.


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