Ampeg Reverberocket

[Source]

This amp is really intriguing me. I'd probably be going for a vintage model, is there one that's more desireable? I should probably note I'll be using this primarily for jazz but if it can do other genres too that's a big plus.
I've heard some conflicting things on these. I've heard someone say they break up really early and have very low headroom but a lot of other people say they're clean machines and would be perfect for clean jazz tones. I'm guessing the majority it correct but I don't know.
Does anyone here have one? How do you like it?

[hot ford coupe]

This amp is really intriguing me. I'd probably be going for a vintage model, is there one that's more desireable? I should probably note I'll be using this primarily for jazz but if it can do other genres too that's a big plus.
I've heard some conflicting things on these. I've heard someone say they break up really early and have very low headroom but a lot of other people say they're clean machines and would be perfect for clean jazz tones. I'm guessing the majority it correct but I don't know.
Does anyone here have one? How do you like it?

I've had both an original (1967) and a reissue Reverberocket. They both were great amps. The reason I think they break up early is that they weren't designed for really loud volumes. Ampeg was originally a non rock and roll amp but snuck into the genre anyway. Its early breakup made it ideal for that slightly distorted tone.

[Jazzman301]

I have a 67(I think) Ampeg Reverberocket 2 Model GS-12R and I will tell you this is a gorgeous sounding amp with a lush spring reverb. Ted Greene was a fan of the Ampeg products from the 60s if you need an endorsement from a jazz great.

They were/are direct competitors for Fender. The Reverberockets were comparable to the Fender Deluxe reverb. I want to say the GS 12R is a 35 Watt tube amp.

Its a fantastic amp and can be had FAR cheaper than a vintage Fender.

'Mike

[hot ford coupe]

I have a 67(I think) Ampeg Reverberocket 2 Model GS-12R and I will tell you this is a gorgeous sounding amp with a lush spring reverb. Ted Greene was a fan of the Ampeg products from the 60s if you need an endorsement from a jazz great.

They were/are direct competitors for Fender. The Reverberockets were comparable to the Fender Deluxe reverb. I want to say the GS 12R is a 35 Watt tube amp.

Its a fantastic amp and can be had FAR cheaper than a vintage Fender.

'Mike

Amen for that. The history was that Ampeg was the "go to" amp for the east coast while the Fenders were the "go to" for the west coast. I've also got a 65 Gemini I with the 12" speaker and this thing is so sweet, it will give you sonic diabetes. I hope I never hear the Gemini II with the 15" speaker. I'll never recover from that.

[Petimar]

I hope I never hear the Gemini II with the 15" speaker. I'll never recover from that.

That 15" speaker is amazing. I love mine so much that now every amp I look at will need a 15. Really love to hear a 15" JBL. Have read that was Wes' favorite.

[.02$]

Love my 65 with 7951 power tubes. The later 6v6 ones break up earlier.Some like the 6v6 more for blues/rock. The original speakers were lower power handeling and less efficent. I use either a CRex or Vintage 30 and it breaks up after 2:00. Ampeg literature has it at 18 watts RMS 22 peak. Excellent volume for home and studio but rather bulky to move around. The tone stack provides lots of variations

[rpguitar]

I hope I never hear the Gemini II with the 15" speaker. I'll never recover from that.

There's one on eBay for local pickup only that's 10 minutes from my house. You think I should bid? That good?!

[brad4d8]

Although I'm primarily an acoustic player, I've had several electrics and amps over the years. I liked my 60s Reverberocket better than the rest, including a 60s Twin. I currently have the 90s reissue, and it's a close second. I wish I had never gotten rid of the original, but at the time I had no use for it and a friend did.
Brad

[hot ford coupe]

There's one on eBay for local pickup only that's 10 minutes from my house. You think I should bid? That good?!

I'd hate to advise you and then find out that particular unit is a lox but if the seller is really reputable, I'd go for one. I just hope it's a good piece with the right tubes. If you could try it out first, that would be the best thing to do to make sure you're getting what you're paying for. You won't believe how good it will sound with the DeArmond Rhythm Chief pushing that L5.

There are about 4 of them on eBay right now. Which is the one you're talking about? One looks pretty rough, one has a busted handle. The other two look pretty good.

[rpguitar]

The one I was looking at is $485 in NJ. But I'm afraid I just scored a Jazzmaster Ultralight. I haven't bought an amp in years. However I'm planning to actually get out and play with people soon, including drummers. So my beloved SFPR and Clarus/RS8vER are getting the dreaded raised eyebrow these days.

Anyway, upon careful consideration, the last thing I need is another 60 lb amp, no matter how orgasmic it sounds.

[hot ford coupe]

The one I was looking at is $485 in NJ. But I'm afraid I just scored a Jazzmaster Ultralight. I haven't bought an amp in years. However I'm planning to actually get out and play with people soon, including drummers. So my beloved SFPR and Clarus/RS8vER are getting the dreaded raised eyebrow these days.

Anyway, upon careful consideration, the last thing I need is another 60 lb amp, no matter how orgasmic it sounds.

I'll admit one thing. The Ampegs were not light amps unless you're talking about the Jet. I used to be a bass player in the late 60's and the old B-15 was the Holy Grail of amps. (There's even one on eBay now but the price is somewhere around $3 grand). That thing was about 80 pounds of solid wood and metal. I used to look at it like it was a console amp not meant to be moved from its final resting place. Not good if you're going to drag something like that from gig to gig. I used to drag two Fender Twins around at one point and that got old really fast. Add to that the cost of finding new 7591s (or is it the 7951) if those two ever need to be replaced and it becomes a difficult amp to gig with. Good luck with whichever way you go on it.

[.02$]

7591's are only $22 at Fliptops. Still they are not kind in knees and shins. Built in the days when a car trunk was wide and deep.

[hot ford coupe]

Only $22 bucks?? Now that's a price I can deal with. I think I'm going to resurrect my Gemini and start playing her again. If it's not difficult to find those tubes, I'm in really good shape. I may buy a set just to keep on hand. Thanks. .02 for the tip.


Edit. I just want to make sure of one thing. Are Fliptops a reputable company? I looked at their site and there are a few things other than tubes I saw that I liked. I just want to make sure I'm going in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

[Source]

So..you guys are saying they don't stay clean enough for jazz at moderate volume?

Also, are they PTP or do they use a circuit-board? Not for any cork-sniffing reason, I'd just prefer it to be serviceable. I hear these aren't the most reliable amps around.

[hot ford coupe]

So..you guys are saying they don't stay clean enough for jazz at moderate volume?

Also, are they PTP or do they use a circuit-board? Not for any cork-sniffing reason, I'd just prefer it to be serviceable. I hear these aren't the most reliable amps around.

On the contrary. The amp stays plenty clean for moderate volume. If you're going to play on 8-10 all the way, then you'll get break up but by that time your audience should be holding their ears. I usually play mine somewhere around 3 or 4 depending on which pickup I'm using. Sometimes that's even too loud for the audience. Now that means loud but not broken up. They're definitely reliable for me.

[Source]

On the contrary. The amp stays plenty clean for moderate volume. If you're going to play on 8-10 all the way, then you'll get break up but by that time your audience should be holding their ears. I usually play mine somewhere around 3 or 4 depending on which pickup I'm using. Sometimes that's even too loud for the audience. Now that means loud but not broken up. They're definitely reliable for me.

Oh really? That's great on both points, good to hear.

I'm surprised to hear they're so loud, they always look like little things in pictures.

[hot ford coupe]

Oh really? That's great on both points, good to hear.

I'm surprised to hear they're so loud, they always look like little things in pictures.

It also depends pretty much on what you get as well. If you're talking about a small Jet, then that's not a really loud amp. As you go up the scale, i.e. the Jet 20, the Reverberockets I and II, the Gemini I and II, you get better results. In the 60's, the Gemini II with the 15" speaker was the amp chosen by the New York Guitar Club made up of the guitarists who did all the studio work and I think some of the orchestra pits as well. I could be wrong on that. In any case, I think the bigger amps did a much better job. I'm currently using the Jet 20 reissue which is more than enough power for what I do at the nursing home. They can hear me well enough in the dining room as well as down some of the hallways. They also made some Reverberockets with two 12" speakers if you can find any of those still around. I'm sure those have plenty of headroom.

[Jazzman301]

The Reverberocket I and II are great amps with plenty of clean head room for an amp of its wattage. They are gogreous lush clean amps with a beautiful reverb(echo). In my mind anyone saying these are not good jazz amps either A. is NOT a jazz guy or B. has a very odd sense of taste for clean jazz tones.

There is a George Benson video on YT that you can clearly see an Ampeg in the background. Ted Greene was a big big fan of the Ampeg line with a special place for the Gemini series with the 15" speaker.

In my opinion if you can find a reasonably priced vintage Ampeg in good shape and you DON'T buy it you are missing out on a hell of an amp. Not buying an Ampeg is like not buying a vintage Guild archtop.

'Mike

[Hammertone]

I'm a fan of old Ampegs - they are great amps, with several distinct design and ownership periods. Most of their gear from @1959 - 1979 is fabulous, and I have pile of them around here somewhere - I collected them for a few years. I won't speak about the post-Magnavox Ampeg amps - the brand got kicked around quite a bit. Some later stuff is fine as well, but is not to be confused with Ampeg from the '60's and '70s. For those new to vintage Ampegs:'50s Ampeg guitar amps were used and endorsed by Johnny Smith, Tony Mottola, Al Caiola, George Barnes, Mundell Lowe, Tommy Kay, and more. Most 60's "blue check" Ampegs:- are not any heavier than their Fender counterparts.- have schematics widely available- are drop dead easy to service and modify as required- are extremely reliable - provide lots of headroom and excellent reverb- have tubes that are easy to find or substitute (especially with the rise of the intertubes)Everett Hull and Jess Oliver are mostly associated with 1960's "blue check era" Ampegs. Hull sold Ampeg to Unimusic near the end of 1967. Under Unimusic management, Ampeg introduced the "heavy" Ampegs, also great amps, more focused on rock music but still great jazz amps. Unimusic designed some really great models that were produced in limited quantities, but the comany had a bunch of problems unrelated to amps, and sold Ampeg to the Selmer division of Magnavox in late 1971. Magnavox didn't really screw up the amps too much but made lots of bonehead moves. It was a bad cultural match (little company absorbed into giant company), made worse when Magnavox was acquired by Philips in 1975. Ampeg was sold to MTI in 1980. Buy the book "Ampeg - The Story Behind the Sound" by Gregg Hopkins and Bill Moore. It's one of the best gear books out there, with tons of content and very little filler.Fliptops is a great place - anyone who is interested in vintage Ampegs knows them well.

[Source]

Well then it's settled; I'm officially on the hunt for a vintage RR or Gemini

[hot ford coupe]

Hey Hammertone, thanks for the info on Fliptops. Thanks also for the great history lesson. I've got the Ampeg book and refer to it quite a bit.