Amp collecting
David L. Campbell
trem...@aol.com (Tremolux) wrote:
>If you want a Twin that dosn't cost an arm and a leg you'll have to get a
>Silverface version. The Blackface amps (1967 and earlier) have gone
>through the roof thanks to collectors. Even the first year Silverface
Not being much of a "vintage" guitar collector, I've been wondering
something. I know that guitar collectors often don't play the members
of their collection -- with purchases being financial investments or
perhaps personal vanities. Do many amp collectors do the same thing? I
can relate at least on some level with the guitar collectors because
even if you don't play, a guitar can be nice to look at and appreciate
for that virtue alone. But a vintage amp is not much more visually
exicting than a microwave oven (IMO). Do people buy vintage amps and
store them in a closet too?
David.
--
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| David L. Campbell, IBM Austin, TX | "... and you eat your own soul |
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Ian L Harper
>> But a vintage amp is not much more visually
>> exicting than a microwave oven (IMO).
>> Do people buy vintage amps and
>> store them in a closet too?
NO WAY!! First, take a look through a book with pictures
of old amps --WAY cool compared to today's
I have several Park amps which I aquired before the price went through
the roof and run them with every knob on 10 fairly often. This often
requires I use a POWER SOAK too! Unfortunately old Park cabinets are
extinct here so I have to drag (NO WHEELS) my old metal-handled 4x12
Marshall cabinets along. (Strap handles hurt your hands)
If I blow up the un-replaceable transformer from my "JTM"(?)-45 Park
or rip through a set of 20-watt Celestions... Well-- too bad. But
right now they sure as hell sound better than they would sitting in
a closet. Blowing up an amp at a show-- THAT is rock and roll. Having
your collection of "mint - never stepped on MXR pedals" destroyed in
a fire (which could easilly happen) is not.
I'm not suggesting that some rich rock star or other go out and buy a
$5,000 guitar and smash it on stage, but If I ever found a '57 strat
at a yard sale for 50 dollars, I would PLAY it because that is what the
stuff was made for.
-Ian
Kobe's local login
|>
|> trem...@aol.com (Tremolux) wrote:
|> >If you want a Twin that dosn't cost an arm and a leg you'll have to get a
|> >Silverface version. The Blackface amps (1967 and earlier) have gone
|> >through the roof thanks to collectors. Even the first year Silverface
|>
|> Not being much of a "vintage" guitar collector, I've been wondering
|>
|>
|> But a vintage amp is not much more visually
|> exicting than a microwave oven (IMO). Do people buy vintage amps and
|> store them in a closet too?
|>
Yes, I've got 7 amps myself, including some good early silverfaced Fenders
that I only occasionally play. I tend to play the Vibro-Champ with a X-100
Rockman for a pre-amp, cause it doesn't get too loud for the house and doesn't
take up much space.
If I play out somewhere, I take the Super-Reverb.
All of them are good looking amps though.
Kobe
--
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Karl Oberlander
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David L. Campbell
>>> But a vintage amp is not much more visually
>>> exicting than a microwave oven (IMO).
>>> Do people buy vintage amps and
>>> store them in a closet too?
>
>NO WAY!! First, take a look through a book with pictures
>of old amps --WAY cool compared to today's
Well, you quoted me out of context. I'm not asserting that modern amps
look better than vintage amps (although a very reasonable argument can be
made that they do). My comments were in reference to whether or not amp
collector's actually play the items in their collection. I was actually
saying that amps in general are boring visually compared to guitars, if
you're not a guitarist. So that particular appeal to the non-playing
collector might not exist. Therefore, perhaps the majority of amp
collectors are genuine players and their instruments see some playing
time.
Steve C
One thing I've noticed and maybe someone can support or flame me but it
seems that the so called mint quality vintage stuff is such because it was
rarely played and wasn't that great a player to begin with. Guitars and
amps that have some wear on them seem to be the best playing and sounding
instruments largely I think because they were fun to play, and so folks
USED them and didn't stick away in some forgotten closet only to find out
30 years later that htey had this exceptional quality, "mint" instrument or
amp that can now command a high vintage market price. So, maybe this is
somewhat reassuring, in that banged up instruments and amps may offer the
best playing deal on the market because they don't look as nice and
not-so-playable "collectibles" but are excellent guitars and amps for the
reason I like them i.e. they play and sound good.
Steve
Brian
>even if you don't play, a guitar can be nice to look at and appreciate
>exicting than a microwave oven (IMO). Do people buy vintage amps and
>store them in a closet too?
Actually, some of us DO think of amps as very cool to look
at, and even play them once in awhile, too. Especially the old
ones. Just the materials used and the workmanship of even
relatively 'cheap' amps (when they were new, that is) harkens
back to days long gone, as any other antique/collectible item.
I admit that amps probably don't have the same visual appeal as
other instruments (guitars, violins, horns, pianos, etc), but I
still think they're kind of neat to look at in the same way as
old tube radios (which are definately collected).
I don't have the budget to support owning more than one or two
vintage amps at a time, but if I did, I could easily justify
owing at least 8 to 10 of 'em, and just as easily find the time to
play them as well. Just like old guitars, and a lot of other old
stuff, amps have a lot of 'personality', and it's easy for
me, anyway, to appreciate each one. Just my $.02....
-Brian
Joe Bac
<< SNIP >>
: for that virtue alone. But a vintage amp is not much more visually
: exicting than a microwave oven (IMO). Do people buy vintage amps and
: store them in a closet too?
I've been a player far longer then a collector. I've only been collecting
for a couple of years. I do it mainly because it's always been something
that I wanted to do (cuz I love this stuff) and didn't have the money. Once
you start to earn enough, some people buy stocks, bonds, or whatever, I buy
guitars and amps. But again - I'm really a player. I have a friend who is
about the craziest collector I know - he is not a player but he can strum
a few chords. My guess is that he's got about 50 strats, 10 pauls, 10 teles,
and maybe a dozen or so others. Now for the amps, he's got enough plexi
marshalls to make Hendrix's backline look like a couple of combos. His
idea is that these pieces are his art or furnature. And believe me, there
ain't much real furnature in this guys house. You usually pull up a half
stack to sit on. So I guess it's true - some guys buy these just to sit
around. Now whenever my wife says: "another guitar?!" or "another amp?!",
I tell her that my puny collection is nothing compared to this guy.
--
Joseph G. Bac Phone: 415 691-5417 Fax: 415 691-5030
Hewlett-Packard Co. ARPA: joe...@cup.HP.COM
100 Mayfield Ave. MS 36LF UUCP: hplabs!hpiatmh!joebac
Mountain View, CA 94043
Chris Karlof
>David L. Campbell writes:
>>even if you don't play, a guitar can be nice to look at and appreciate
>>for that virtue alone. But a vintage amp is not much more visually
>>exicting than a microwave oven (IMO). Do people buy vintage amps and
>>store them in a closet too?
i really dont consider myself an amp collector, but i do think that
amps are really cool to look at.
examples:
Kustom
Orange
Magnatone
older Boogies
early Marshalls (JTM-45)
any solid state atrocity (like the solid state Twin Reverb - oh god!)
i just have two old Hiwatts, but i get a real kick just looking at
them (even though they are just black and boring)!
chris
ps i really dont play guitar, i play bass