Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets (on Kasino)

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MrShake
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Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets (on Kasino)

Post by MrShake » Sat Jul 23, 2022 12:44 pm

I've never purchased two amps this close together, so pardon my stretching the definition of "day" and jumping the gun. One arrived yesterday, the other should be here mid-week. It's quiet around here in the summer, so I thought I'd join in the guessing games to pass the heat?

Some clues:

- It's a pair of heads, the same brand, for what that's worth.

- I hit the jackpot - both heads, shipped to my door, for $200 total. Detractors would say I've overpaid, but they're both giggable amps.

- They are, by their very essence and design, Plain Jane gear - made not to be flashy.

- Not a tube in sight. A distinctive sound, but not complex. Black and white utility, not technicolor depth.

- Vintage. The line of amps no longer exists, and I've never seen a photo to prove anyone famous ever played the brand, but they're not unknown.

Any guesses? Test your luck? If we get a winner, I'll post the one that's already set up.
Last edited by MrShake on Tue Jul 26, 2022 10:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Pacafeliz
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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by Pacafeliz » Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:14 pm

HH!!!
i love delay SO much ...that i procrastinate all the time.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by marqueemoon » Sun Jul 24, 2022 3:36 pm

Having a hard time thinking of anything vintage ss in head form that would go for so cheap. It would have to a pretty unsexy brand.

KMD, Crate, and Randall are what come to mind for me.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by garyfanclub » Sun Jul 24, 2022 4:49 pm

70s Peavey or Acoustic?

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Sun Jul 24, 2022 5:22 pm

Pacafeliz wrote:
Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:14 pm
HH!!!
marqueemoon wrote:
Sun Jul 24, 2022 3:36 pm
Having a hard time thinking of anything vintage ss in head form that would go for so cheap. It would have to a pretty unsexy brand.

KMD, Crate, and Randall are what come to mind for me.
garyfanclub wrote:
Sun Jul 24, 2022 4:49 pm
70s Peavey or Acoustic?
All great guesses so far, but none quite hit it. I was thinking when I got it "this must be what an HH is like to someone overseas", even though I don't have any notable hands-on time with an HH amp. But, in my *estimation*, it's closer to one of those than Crate or Randall, and Peavey and Acoustic are in the same realm, for sure. My longtime love of SS Peavey preamps of the 1970s most likely plays a role in my affinity for these new finds.

They're definitely not sexy, but they've got a certain utilitarian charm that's very of that era. And stripped-down as they may be aesthetically, when I look over to the one in the corner, there's something about the look that says "big $".

Speaking of, if it helps narrow it down by price range, one was listed at $50 and was untested, but cost $80 to ship (I was overexcited and just went for it). It turned up and worked perfectly off the bat.

The other was listed as tested and working, and the seller took my offer of $70 with free shipping.

So, $50 and $70 for the amps, plus shipping costs.

Thanks for indulging my excitement and keep those guesses coming!

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by garyfanclub » Sun Jul 24, 2022 6:09 pm

Hmmmmm....

AIMS? Earth Sound Research?

Man, now I'm really curious!

Does it smell like cigarettes?? :D

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Mon Jul 25, 2022 1:37 am

More excellent guesses (and now I'm in LOVE with the AIMS amps I never knew about!), but neither one's the winner.

And no cigarettes, but it DOES have that "dusty Midwestern pawn shop" smell. The tag on the handle said "consign".

And it smelled a little like hot dust the first few minutes it was on.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by stevejamsecono » Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:17 am

Kustom (one of post-naugahyde ones from the 70s)? Polytone? Carvin?
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam

Resident Yamaha Fanboy

COYS

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:40 am

stevejamsecono wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:17 am
Kustom (one of post-naugahyde ones from the 70s)? Polytone? Carvin?
We're getting very close now. VERY close. SCORCHINGLY close.

But there's a name on the front nobody's cracked yet. Follow the purple jewel light glowing at the end of the tunnel.

You get me, Steve. Keep going, you've got this.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by shoule79 » Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:50 am

Sunn?

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Mon Jul 25, 2022 12:20 pm

shoule79 wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 8:50 am
Sunn?
Oh, man, I wish. I don't think I'd have been able to play a guessing game if it were a pair of Sunn heads, I wouldn't be able to play this so close to the vest.

EDIT: plus, y'all would have heard me.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by stevejamsecono » Mon Jul 25, 2022 5:06 pm

MrShake wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:40 am
stevejamsecono wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:17 am
Kustom (one of post-naugahyde ones from the 70s)? Polytone? Carvin?
We're getting very close now. VERY close. SCORCHINGLY close.

But there's a name on the front nobody's cracked yet. Follow the purple jewel light glowing at the end of the tunnel.

You get me, Steve. Keep going, you've got this.
Traynor? GK? Univox? Yamaha?
And you find out life isn't like that
It's so hard to understand
Why the world is your oyster but your future's a clam

Resident Yamaha Fanboy

COYS

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:00 pm

stevejamsecono wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 5:06 pm
Traynor? GK? Univox? Yamaha?
Getting colder (but I dig your choices), walk it back a step or two and odds are you'll get it. It's hard to keep this poker face up with you grazing it like you already have.

But your guesses are definitely picking up that "solid states are black and aluminum" vibe of these 1970-1971 amps we're talking about. No color here.

I'll narrow it down by saying they're American amps, distinctively so, in more ways than one.

This first one came to me from a retailer less than an hour from where the company and factory were located back in the day. Which might explain all the dust on it.

I'm betting someone here is gonna get it soon.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by MrShake » Mon Jul 25, 2022 6:13 pm

Oh, and another clue: they're solid state, old enough to have been called "transistor amps" when that term meant new fancy tech advancements for high rollers and gearheads. (Weird times!)

But they're made with discrete components -- I didn't see any ICs when I was doing the quick initial inspection of this one.

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Re: Incoming Double New Amp Day: Place your bets

Post by Steadyriot. » Tue Jul 26, 2022 1:03 am

MrShake wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:40 am
stevejamsecono wrote:
Mon Jul 25, 2022 3:17 am
Kustom (one of post-naugahyde ones from the 70s)? Polytone? Carvin?
We're getting very close now. VERY close. SCORCHINGLY close.

But there's a name on the front nobody's cracked yet. Follow the purple jewel light glowing at the end of the tunnel.

You get me, Steve. Keep going, you've got this.
Kasino?
Kay Vanguard?
"If someone duetted with a Bald Eagle, they could rule the Country charts from here to eternity." ~shadowplay

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