Amplifiers

Amplifiers

Cosmic Bliss Thru Total Distortion To Your Mind

The electric amplifier that amplifies the electric guitar is the main bit of electric wizardry you have to contend with when making rock music. Amps come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and designs and, unlike the guitar, their faults are not obvious. Often there is no way of knowing that you've bought a lemon until weeks or months after you initially turn it on. You can't pick it up,> play it, and then decide. You've got to rely on a lot of external inputs, some of which can be deceiving. Amp variables include: who made it, how powerful it is, how and where ybu're going to use it, what the duration of playing time is going to be every timfe you use it, how you play the guitar, and how careful you are when you move it from place to place.

Every amplifier manufacturer has a theory about electronic circuitry and speakers and cabinet construction that is different from the next's viewpoint. They're in the electronics, business, speaker business, and music business all at once. Some have strengths in one area, some in another, very few in all three. The amount of money you spend on an amplifier is an enormous factor in what you're going tq get; there is no such thing as a cheap

amplifier. There vare good ones and there are those made and sold as junk through

mail-order houses and hock shops. Name brands are very important in amp buying. You want someone who's got the money to stand behind their equipment - someone who isn't turning out dishwashers, transistor

radios, and a line of guitar amps. Electric guitar amps, bass amps, and the like are a very specialized business demanding a great deal of know-how.

The two basic amp configurations are

units with electronics and speakers in one cabinet and units with the electronics in one box and the speakers in another. Separate amp heads have become very sheik; everybody wants a stack of cabindts with a big amp sitting on top of them. But wood is cheap and anybody can build a two-part amp as easily as they can a self-contained cabinet.

The theory about separating amp from speakers is that the vibrations of the speakers in the cabinet will eventually shake the shit out of the amp components and that you can't turn it up as loud as a separated set of equipment. This is basically correct, but it should be pointed out that most self-contained amps are not built to fill vast concert halls by themselves (which they were often used for until their big brothers came along) and that when used to their proper capacity they'll perform up to standards. There are advantages to self-contained amps, the most obvious being that you have less to lug around. Many self-contained units are open backed — there is no back panel on the amp thus allowing the sound to radiate back as we]l as forward. This can be something of a drawback since sealed speaker boxes are the state of the art norm at this point for all speakers - hi-fi, guitar, or whatever. You can pump more air out of a sealed cabinet. But an open backed cabinet gives a more musical feel in some situations and you should try it before you decide against it. A definite advantage of small self-contained amps is that they come in, a variety of speaker sizes -including 8 inch and 10 inch speakers. The diameter of a speaker and the combination and number of speakers used in an amp affects the sound of the guitar. You can get a bite from a set of four inch speakers that is different from the same guitar-amp setting run through four 12 inch speakers. Again, it's a question of testing as many amps as possible before you buy.

Systems where there is a separate amphead and speaker cabinet are usually bigger and more powerful. They've been developed over the past six or seven years for the demands of rock concert use and they reflect 1heir heritage. I don't mean to slight the Band Master and Dual Showmen that have long been a staple of the Fender line, but it wasn't until the days of Hi-Watt, Marshall, Sound City, and the rest that the head-cabinet system came into its own.

Buying a top and bottom is a chore. First you have to decide on how many bottoms you're going to want in total. Then you have to choose a top or combination of tops which have enough power to drive all those bottoms. If you get two cabinets, each of which will handle up to 50 watts, then you should get a top that will handle over 100 watts — so that you can drive the speakers to their full potential. At the same time you have to realize that you've got enough power to bloW your speakers at the twist of a knob. It doesn't pay to get equal wattage top and bottom because if you want to add an extra bottom you're then faced with buying a new top - which can be expensive, and because running amps at their full power ratings often created circuitry distortion.

Of course part of the wonder of amps is their ability to distort at high volumes. This was done, until recently, by turning the amp up so high that the very tolerances of the equipment were stressed. With the signal shapers now available, this is no longer necessary. You don't have to rely on making transistors scream to get the sound you want - feedback, tone and pitch distortion, and other special effects can be accomplished at the flip of a switch.

The speaker cabinets work in conjunction with the amp, taking the signal applied to them and turning them back into sound waves. The enclosed speaker cabinets of these two-part systems are designed to provide the maximum speaker efficiency over the widest possible frequency range. Bass must be strong and clear - not muddy and dull sounding. Treble must be sharp and piercing — not the sound of a speaker cone fuzzing. This is accomplished through a good, distortion-free amplifier head and a speaker cabinet that is especially designed to reproduce the sound of a guitar, bass, or other instrument. This breaks down to the speakers used in the cabinet and the design of the cabinet. Speakers must be capable of responding quickly to signal frequency and amplitude changes (pitch and strength of the sound) and cabinets must be mathematically computed to provide just the right amount of cubic air space for the speaker to work in. The principles of sound reproduction are often subjective - depending on a certain amount of physics and a certain amount of "what does it sound like." The end decision rests witty your ears.

One thing very black and white about amps is just how the manufacturer backs them up - warranty and guarantee. Check with several dealers until you feel you've gotten a straight answer about the problems they've had witty the unit. Listen to the amp in action - in a situation similar to how you intend to use it.

Manufacturers are well aware of amplifier cosmetics; the best amps are touched up to give them a certain exotic look to tempt the guitarist. Fender, Vox, Marshall, Orange, and the rest all have done it — coming up with amp looks and designs That are a little bit different. There's nothing wrong with something new (or something old, as Peavey has proven) but remember that you're buying a sound reproduction system, not a lamp shade.

The following are major manufacturers making amps:

Acoustic (Acoustic, 7949 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, California, 91406). Making a complete line of guitar, bass, and p.a. amplifier Systems, Acoustic prices run from a low of $449 for their Model 136 Bass amp (One 15inch speaker, 110 watts, in one piece cabinet with cover) to $1,743 for their Model 851 Public Address System (eight channels, 275 watts, with two 6-speaker cabinets). Their equipment is professional and dependable. It's available in the two general configurations and separate tops and bottoms to assemble your own system. Their guitar amps range from $549 for Model 134 (110 watts, open back cabinet with four 10 inch speakers) through their Model 454 (175 watts, sealed cabinet, six 12 inch speakers) for $875 to their Model 274 which costs $1,449 and has 375 watts of power, plus two cabinets, each with four 12 inch speakers.

All Acoustic systems have a large number of controls in the amp section. The Model 274, for instance, has high and low gain inputs, bright switch, treble, mid-raqge, bass, and volume controls, reverb, fuzz, tremolo, dual speaker outputs, and a five step graphic equalizer which allows you to adjust the frequency response of the sound to your ear. Acoustic makes nine different amps with these equalizers (mainly in their medium to higher priced range) and you'll find them very useful in creating really unique sound b^ss players should take note of this as you can cut out hum and rumble on your bass signal while leaving the punchy ranges.

Ampeg (The Ampeg Company, P.O. Box 310, Elkhart, Indiana, 46514). Ampeg has four amp formats: self-contained, separate head and bottom, one head and multiple bottoms plus the traditional Ampeg amp where the amplifier section is stored within the cabinet and flipped over to rest on top of it during use. Prices run from $280 for their GU-12 tube amp self-contained system with 20 watts and one 12 inch speaker to $1,150 for their V-4 guitar amp with 100 watts RMS and eight 12 inch speakers. I doa't want to get into the tube vs. solid-state controversy, but if you've never played a tube amp, try one of the five Ampeg makes; you may find the sound exactly to your liking.

Ampeg also has a line of seven bass amps, all with that nice round bass sound that you get from tube amps. Prices start at $500 for a 30 watt RMS unit with one 15 inch speaker and end at $1,270 for their SVT which has 300 watts RMS and sixteen 10 inch speakers.

Ampeg will install Altec Lansing speakers in any of their systems as an option. Prices run from $60.00 to $480.00 depending on the number and size of the Altec speakers.

Carvin (Carvin Company, 1112 Industrial Avenue, Escondido, California, 92025). If you don't mind ordering your amp by mail, you can get a healthy discount from Carvin. They make their own line of rugged, heavyduty, high-power amps that are less than half the price that you'd pay for comparable equipment in a store. You can also get extra speaker cabinets, tops, and so forth. Write to them for their catalog.

Electro-Harmonix (Electro-Harmonix, 15 West 26th Strteet, New York, New York 10010). Although best known for their special effects modules, Electro-Harmonix is also making a limited series of amps — both guitar and p.a. — which can be purchased for battery-dc operation, ac/dc, or just ac. Known as the Mike Matthews Freedom Amp, these units can be used anywhere on battery power.

EMC (Electronic Music Corp., 1230 East 286 th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, 44132). EMC makes two high-powered professional systems their B400-B800 series and G400-G800 series plus a number of self-contained guitar and base amps.

With the guitar systems, you have a choice to two different tops, the G400 or the G800 as well as a number of different bottoms: EC405 with four 10 inch speakers, EC406 with four 12 inch speakers; EC407 with three 12 inch speakers and an exponential front loading horn, and their EC408 with two 15 inch speakers and front-loading horn plus high frequency horn. The tops you use depends on the type and number of bottoms you use. The G400 top has 165 watts RMS, two channels -normal and effects. The effects channel includes highland low gain inputs, volume, distortion control, bright switch, reverb and a graphic equalizer.

Fender (Fender Musical Instruments, 1300 East Valencia, Fullerton, California 92631). Fender's amplifiers are as much a staple of the electric music-making business as their guitars. For $78.50 you can get a Fender "Champ" amp - six hot watts bounding out of an eight inch speaker - while $1,095 will get you a Quad Reverb with four specially designed 12 inch speakers with one hundred watts RMS.

Opinions vary as to Fender quality — especially those using their high power equipment. Fender has changed over the past twenty, years; they're no longer turning out tube powered yellow cabinets with brown grille cloth and a cast iron Fender logo securely screwed to one corner of the speaker. Fender is into solid state amplification and they build a good, rugged, dependable amp"!§£] as long as you understand the capabilities and drawbacks of solid state.

Personally I think you can't go wrong with a couple of Dual Showmen. You have your choice of speakers (Fender or JBL) and extra cabinets are available to match. Agreed,' there's nothing really se&y about the Fender amp look, no towering speaker cabinets, no space-age controls, but they are dependable, compact for their performance, and easy tet use.

GBX (GBX Amplifiers, 109 Bermondsey Road, Toronto 16, Ontario, Canada; Distributed in the U.S. by Arc Musical Instruments, 16 Harvester Avenue, Batavia, New York, 10420). GBX has a line of solid state amps that feature a unique power-pack ton that allows easy servicing and has two'channels — normal and an effects channel. The amp has a lifetime guarantee and the over-all sound has a great deal of tube feel if you want it, although it's all solid-state.

Guild (Guild Musical Instruments, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030). Guild makes over a dozen guitar and bass amps, from their Quantum amp series to their Thunder series. There are four Quantum amps, all top and bottom combinations, two for guitar-bassorgan, two for bass-organ. The Quantum X is the top of the line model with 225 watts peak power, two 15 inch JBL speakers, one horn, two channels with tone switch, plus bass, treble, and volume controls.

Guild makes three different Thunder bass amps, the ThunderBass 1-A Deluxe with 150 watts peak power and two 15 inch speakers; ThunderBass 1-B which is similar; and the ThunderStar Bass which has only one 15 inch speaker and 150 watts peak power — it can be used to drive two bottoms. Guild also makes a number of self-contained units, the most powerful of which is the ThunderBird amplifier with two 12 inch Jensen lifetime speakers and 150 watts peak power plus three-position tone switch, two channels, reverb, and tremolo.

Check your dealer for prices.

Harmony (Harmony Company, 4600 South Kolin Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60632). Harmony has a line of seven guitar and bass amps that are Well designed and relatively inexpensive. The least expensive is their H1516 for $59.95 (5.5 watts, one 6 inch speaker) and the most expensive being their HI722 for $409.95 (90 watts, two 12 inch speakers).

Heath (The Heath Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan, 49022). If you're up to it, you can save a few bucks by putting your own amp together't from scratch. Heath Kit amps are available in two configurations: a top and bottom set and a self-contained unit. The top and bottom are the TA-17 tops with 120 watts of power ($179.95) and the TA-17-1 bottom with two 12 inch woofers and driver horn ($129.95). The self-contained amp is a 25 watter with two heavy-duty 12 inch speakers ($124.95). Besides having a dependable amp when you've finished, you'll also know something about amp technology that could be helpful if you're planning to do your own modifications.

H/H (HH Electronic, Industrial Site,-Cambridge Road, Milton, Cambridge, England CB4 4AZ). A new amp company from England, HH is manufacturing high quality integrated circuit amplifiers in both self-confained and top-bottom combinations. The basis of their amps are the IC-100 and the IC-100S, a less complex model. The 100S has volume, presence, treble, bass, and sustain controls; the IC-100 has that plus reverb and vibrato.as well. In self-contained units this amp is built-in to a speaker with two 12 inch speakers. In the piggy-back configuration it is used with the cabinets mentioned above, each amp can drive up to two cabinets and each cabinet has four 12 inch Celestion speakers. Check your local dealer for availability and prices.

Kustom (Kustom Electronics, 1010 West Chestnut, Chanute, Kansas 66720). Kustom was one of the first amp manufacturers to feature a number of different amp styles with the same tops and different speaker types and combinations according to the user's whim. Their Guitar 250 system, for instance, is available with J.B. Lansing speakers, Altec Lansing speakers, and Kustom's own speakers. They make the same system with a high frequency horn and choice of speakers. Altogether there are 21 different variations on the Guitar 250 amp, ranging in price from $695 to $1,200. The number after the type indicates the amount of power in the top (ie: 500 = 500 watts).

As you're probably aware, Kustom is famous for their naugahyde (Uniroyal trademark for a tough plastic) coverings which are available in some really flash colors including Kool Black, Blue, Charcoal, and Silver.

Kustom also makes the Kasino amp line, which doesn't have the Kustom padded cabinets, and which isn't such a big line as Kustom. The Kasino guitar amps include the Lounge Lead (50 watts peak power, one 12 inch speaker, $249); Club Lead (100 watts peak power, four 10 inch speakers, $399); Concert Lead (250 watts peak, four 12 inch speakers, $599).

Marlboro (Musical Instrument Corporation of America, 6801 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, New York, 11791). An inexpensive amp line, Marlboro amps are available from $65 (their GA2, 10 watts, one 8 inch speaker) to $225 (their 1500B, 80 watts, one 15 inch heavy duty speaker in piggy back configuration).

Marshall (Merson Musical Products, 33 Frost Street, Westbury, New York 11590). What the Beatles and Stones did for Vox in the mid-Sixties, Hendrix and other late-Sixties bands did for Marshall. The concept of stacking bottoms high into the air came with the introduction of the Marshall amp, and this high powered system set the tone for much of the full volume psychedelic music that floated across the footlights before the Fillmores closed.

Marshall are available as individual tops and bottoms or in sets. Tops range from 50 to 200 watts, bottoms range from four 12 inch speakers to eight 10 inch speakers, both with or without high frequency horns.

Myriad (Musical Instrument Associates, 425 Lakeside Avenue, North West, Cleveland, Ohio, 4413). A new company producing a small line of well made systems, Myriad presently has two basic units — a guitar and a bass amp. The guitar amp, their G-1501-TR is a self-contained system with 100 watts RMS and two special design 12 inch speakers. The bass amp is available with a 100 watt RMS head and a choice of bottoms — the B1502/ B15F which is a foled horn cabinet with one 15 inch speaker and the B1502/B215 which has two 15 inch speakers in a special ported cabinet. The tops and bottoms are also available separately. The company makes three different p.a. systems as well.

Orange (Orange Musical Industries, Ltd., 3/4 New Compton Street, London WC2; Distributed in the U.S. by Musonic Inc., 7161 North Cicero Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60646). The brightly colored Orange amplifiers are available in complete amp sets or heads and cabinets. The complete amps are the 1129 which is a 120 watt stack with one head and two bottoms (four 12 inch speakers per bottom) for $1,275; the 1123 bass amp which is a head pumping out 80 watts, and a bass reflex cabinet for $1,320; the 80 watt combination amp which has two 12 inch speakers plus reverb ($795).

The company also makes mixers, horn high frequency units, p.a. systems, and power amps. Check your dealer to see what's presently available on the line in the U.S.

Peavey (Peavey Electronics, P.O. Box 5315, Meridian, Mississippi, 39301). One of the new, seventies companies (at least in outlook), they've even created a series of vintage amps which are replicas of the late 50's, early 60's Fenders - complete with tube amplification and "tweed" cream colored covering. One such is their Classic amp (available with either two 12 inch speakers of four 10 inch speakers) which is self-contained, will deliver 50 watts RMS, full tone controls including awmid-range control, reverb, and tremolo.

In a more contemporary vein the company has any number of amps including their Century and their Musician. If you haven't tried out a Peavey yet, you should. Check with your local dealer for prices and a demonstration/ try-out.

Premier (Sorkin Music Company, 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, New York, 11797). If you're looking for limited power in a small, dependable amp with a gutty tone,

; then you should consider a Premier. They only make four amps, two bass and two lead, but they have an interesting, unusual sound. The guitar amps are the Twin-12-R with two 12 inch speakers, 60 watts, reverb, tone, tremolo controls; and the 100R-C which has a 40 watt amp, one 12 inch speaker, and full controls. The bass amps'are the B-160 with 35 watts and one 12 inch speaker and the B-220 with 50 w;atts and one 15 inch speaker.

Pignose (Pignose Industries, Inc., 8600 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90069). A funny, funky little portable amp about the size of a short-wave radio that runs on six penlight batteries or ac.

Randall (Randall Instruments Sales, P.O. Box 10936,. Santa Ana, Califorilia, 92711). Randall has a line of high-powered amps that include their Alpha-IV which is a tube/ transistor system with 100 watts RMS; their • Stinger (70 watts RMS), and the Delta-II (150 watts RMS). See your local dealer for prices.

Rickenbacker (Rickenbacker, P.O. Box 2275, 201 East Stevens Street, Santa Ana, California, 92707). Yup, Rickenbacker makes ' amps too. Prices run from $529 to $1445. They have three amp types. The best is the Dual Enclosure Transonic Amp that has 200 watts, RMS, built-in fuzz, reverb, and tremolo, plus stereo-capable circuitry.

Second there are the Single Enclosure Transonic Amplifiers: the TS102 with one 15 inch Altec and one horn; the TS101 with two 12 inch Altecs; the TS 100 with two 12 inch speakers.

Finally, Rickenbacker makes tybe type amps with 110 watts RMS of power. Controls include master volume, treble, bass, midrange, bright, reverb, and tremolo. These are available as the B410, a single enclosure amp with four 10 inch speakers and the B212, a single enclosure with two 12 inch speakers.

One interesting item in the Rick catalog is their amplifier tube kits. You can order extra tubes either a master kit for all their amps ($34.98) or by amp (from $25.80 to $8.25). Very handy, since with tube amps you can do your own repair replacements if a tube goes bad.

Selmer (Henri Selmer & Company, Ltd., Woolpack Lane, Braintree, Essex, CM7 6BB). Selmer makes a variety of top-bottom combinations the most impressive of which is their Chieftan Bass Cabinet. The top has 200 watts RMS, the horn unit has a horn plus two 12 inch speakers, the bottom for bass has four Celestion 12 inch speakers. Together the three create a solid wall of sounds with extended frequency range reproduction. It can be used for guitar, organ, or p.a. Other Selmer tops include the Zodiac 100 S.V. which has 100 watts RMS; the Treble "N" Bass S.V. with 100 - watts RMS and designed to be used for either rhythm guitar or bass players, and the Treble "N" Bass S.V. Reverb which has 50 watts RMS and built-in reverb. Check with your local dealer for what units are being imported at present and the. prices.

Sound City (Dallas Arbiter, U.S.A., Ltd., 301 Island Road, Mahwah, New Jersey, 07430). The Sound City series has three basic amp sizes for lead and bass rated at 50, 120, and 200 watts RMS. The company also makes a number of self-contained amps, piggy back bass amps, and p.a. systems.

Sunn (Sunn Musical Equipment Company, Amburn Industrial Park, Tualatin, Oregon, 97062). Sunn's amp line starts small and just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. At one end are amps like the self-contained Stuido Lead (50 watts RMS, two 10 inch Sunn speakers). At the other end are units like the Coliseum Lead (with two enclosures power is 320 watts RMS, each enclosure has four 12 inch speakers) and the Concert Lead (150 watts RMY, six 12 inch speakers).

All Sunn amps are well made and rugged, having an almost "industrial" look about them. They're made as full power, full feature units to be used by professionals who need power, quality, and dependability, and who don't care too much about what it's going to cost.

Traynor (Yorkville Sound, 56 Harvester Avenue, Batavia, New York, 10420). Traynor amps come in a number of to-bottom combinations as well as self-contained. Their tops are high power, with tube circuitry, and convenient, simple controls. Traynor tops can be used with three special cabinets they're producing using Cerwin-Vega speakers. One is for bass, one for bass or p.a., and one for lead guitar, piano, or p.a. Check your dealer for prices.

Univox (Univox, 33 Frost Street, Westbury, New York, 11590). Univox is making some really nice amps, expecially their UX1501 top with 140 watts RMS and their UX1516 six speaker bottoms. The company makes both top-bottom piggy backs and self-contained systems.