Picked this up this afternoon from redrighthand and I'm really impressed with it. It's a super simple 112 20 watter with just volume, tone and tremolo. Up to about 5 it has such a sweet clean tone that it hands down beats my VOX IMHO, especially with the tone quite high (which also seems to add a little bit of gain) and anything past 7 sends you into crunchy classic rock heaven. And is absolutely ear splittingly loud. The sweet spot for me though is between 5 and 6 where it's just on the edge and can be pushed over or pulled back. The tremolo is the best I've ever heard, it would be nice if it had reverb but never mind, I'll have to get a pedal for that.
Plus, I think it looks totally bitchin
Really really pleased with it, I was worried about how versatile it would be given that it's not got many controls or a master volume, but it does most things I throw at it excellently and I love the simplicity
"have a good time, all the time" Spinal Tap
Comments
As you say an amazing trem, I personally think trem is better inside the amp than on a pedal. I like the tone fairly high too & I don't feel the lack of 3 eq knobs. A reverb would have made them perfect.
They also seem beautifully made (hand wired in Korea I think) though one of the amp experts might know otherwise.
I wonder why Ampeg don't make more guitar amps? Perhaps, like this model, they just didn't sell enough, they ain't cheap. Quite recently they had a limited run Reverb Rocket reissue- http://www.ampeg.com/products/heritage/r-12r/ reads like something very special but it was mad money.
The reworked Reverb Rocket from a few years back didn't sell well either. If I won the lottery I'd import an old 'un from the States, unfortunately I don't do it...
Have a wisdom to go with the wow & I hope you have many years of enjoyment from it.
Always loved the look of those. Never been able to try one, though And yeah I think you're right about the price. I know a guy on another guitar forum got one for silly money in the USA, but here they were always pretty expensive... had I been able to get one for the price he paid, I'd have probably taken a chance and ordered it blind.
nice looking little ampeg you got there.
i had a 1962 reverb rocket a few years ago. got it off of ebay for just over £200. needed a bit of work doing but what a nice little amp. the reverb was imense and the trem was pretty amazing too. mine had the navy random flare tolex which was only used from 59 to late 62 i think, before the blue checker came out. it had a bit of silver sparkle on it which i thought was silver paint, so i tried to clean it off with white spirit which didn't work. 6 months later i went to sun studios memphis and they had an old ampeg b15 flip top in there with the same tolex, that also had silver sparkles on it." twat "!!
so if you ever get an ampeg with silver paint all over it, don't try to clean it off, its mean't to be there!
jmaster, I didn't know they made any guitar amps now- I'll have a look some time.
I think that's just authentic retro "awesomeness" trying to get out when it's turned up loud...