11-21-2017, 06:42 AM
My dad bought me an Ampeg Gemini VI along with a Farfisa Combo Compact organ back in the late 60's. Both were bought used through a classified ad in the newspaper. I was about 14 or so and my friends and I were forming a rock band. I also owned a Harmony archtop guitar that I modified with a pickup/pickguard. I used that Gemini for a few years, then gave it to my brother for his rock band. Many years later...maybe 20 years....I got that amp back from him NOT working. It blew the fuse when you turn it on. AND he had tossed out the original Jensen speaker and replaced it with a Radio Shack speaker. I diagnosed the issue as a shorted output transformer (OT215). I replaced that transformer along with a couple of bloated or leaking capacitors. I also put in a new appropriate 15" speaker. It sounded great.
In the meantime, I had purchased an old vintage Ampeg someplace for very little money....untested. When I turned it on, the hum was so loud that I turned it off and left it off for the next 25 years or so. I have been dragging that amp around with every move I made. Earlier this summer I pulled it out for to see what I could find out about it. It turns out to be a 1956 Ampeg GuitarAmp. I spent the last few weeks acquiring new caps and some resistors, cleaned it up, and got it nice and quiet and working great. Love this amp. What a beautiful tremolo too.
Because I learned something about tube amps in the rebuild of the GuitarAmp, I revisited the Gemini. So that got a whole slew of new caps and I changed out the 500K pot on the tremolo speed to a 1M pot to extend the speed range down to a lower frequency.....now it goes down pretty close to the older GuitarAmp speed and sounds great.
I lucked out in both cases. I never set out to purchase Ampeg....it is what fell into my lap through happenstance. I am glad it turned out that way. I recently upgraded some hardware (tuners, bridge, jack, added copper shielding) on a Squier Strat and love playing through those amps.
In the meantime, I had purchased an old vintage Ampeg someplace for very little money....untested. When I turned it on, the hum was so loud that I turned it off and left it off for the next 25 years or so. I have been dragging that amp around with every move I made. Earlier this summer I pulled it out for to see what I could find out about it. It turns out to be a 1956 Ampeg GuitarAmp. I spent the last few weeks acquiring new caps and some resistors, cleaned it up, and got it nice and quiet and working great. Love this amp. What a beautiful tremolo too.
Because I learned something about tube amps in the rebuild of the GuitarAmp, I revisited the Gemini. So that got a whole slew of new caps and I changed out the 500K pot on the tremolo speed to a 1M pot to extend the speed range down to a lower frequency.....now it goes down pretty close to the older GuitarAmp speed and sounds great.
I lucked out in both cases. I never set out to purchase Ampeg....it is what fell into my lap through happenstance. I am glad it turned out that way. I recently upgraded some hardware (tuners, bridge, jack, added copper shielding) on a Squier Strat and love playing through those amps.