What Amp Have You Had the Longest?

[spawnofthesith]

I guess that would be my '76 deluxe reverb, either got it early 2021 or early 2022 I can't remember

 

[DrewJD82]

I couldn't write it any better, as this describes my original, (I actually have 2, both have problems), Tech 21 Trademark 60. I've had it since 2004.

I'm getting some cross talk between channels, the clean channel has some dirty in it, VERY far in the background. It's probably not audible, in a band atmosphere, as I can barely hear it alone. The other one I have, I recently got the XLR output fixed, but now the amp completely drops out at band and higher volumes. I should send them both in to Tech 21 for servicing, because they have seen A LOT of different situations, and I've always gotten compliments on my tone with them.

I literally could take that amp anywhere, and use it, 8 days a week.

That’s no joke, those amps are great! I used a pair of them for a while when I was 18 or so and spent about a year filling in for various bands before I bailed out of Maine and actually really enjoyed them. I used to keep the dirt set fairly low and had the Sansamp GT2 for additional dirt that I’d boost with my DS-1. Can’t remember how I split them into a stereo pair, but I was happy to use these for that period of time and always planned on grabbing one just to have. I worked at a music store that carried them and just “rented” them for gigs after I had sold my Legacy halfstack.

 

[Dimiguitar]

The tube amp I've had the longest was a Laney studio IRT 15. It travelled with me to many countries. That recently was thrown away by accident when moving flats (yes).

And the second longest was an orange, which died when a random guy walked up to it and flicked the voltage switch during a gig of mine. Lel

 

[Nathan Explosion]

Well, I still have the shitty Peavey VSS20 mini stack I bought around 1990, when I first started playing, but I'm gonna say that doesn't count and go with the block letter 5150 I bought in 1993.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Well, I still have the shitty Peavey VSS20 mini stack I bought around 1990, when I first started playing, but I'm gonna say that doesn't count and go with the block letter 5150 I bought in 1993.

Dude! The VSS was my first "stack" and why I gravitate towards matching 112 cabs with small head Marks or rack mount Mesa on top \m/

 

[Night Stalker]

The amp I've owned the longest is my Rhino Beast. I've owned it just slightly longer than the Rivera Knucklehead II. I've owned the Rhino around 20 years if I remember correctly.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

1977 JMP 2203. I had only a 6505 and Krank for ages, and sold the Krank in order to buy the JMP. Had both the JMP and 6505 for quite a while, but the 6505 made way when the 5150 Block Letter came along. 2203 is a lifer, as is the 5150. I’ve owned and sold 2 Krank’s and still wouldn’t rule out a 3rd….

 

[Genghis]

Of the amps I currently own it would probably be my Boss Katana that I let my students use when I am teaching. Probably 8 years or so on that one. Also have a Fishman I have had for about 6. From the ones I actually use it’s my Mk IIC+ that I amazingly got about a year ago , awakening the tube lust that I had tried to satisfy with an Axe-FX. (Currently back up to 5 tube heads.)

I did have a Mesa Boogie Mk IIB combo from around 1988 to sometime around 2005 or so that I sold because I was living in an apartment and couldn’t really enjoy it at apartment levels. Now that I have the IiC+ head and a couple of cabs and a place to crank it, I don’t miss it as much. That IIB saw a lot of gigs on n the SoCal music scene, with the combo sitting on top of a beat up looking Sunn cab that had some great sounding Celestion in it.

 

[Nathan Explosion]

Dude! The VSS was my first "stack" and why I gravitate towards matching 112 cabs with small head Marks or rack mount Mesa on top \m/

It was a fun little rig, and an improvement from the Gorilla I had before that. Which was absolute garbage.

The little cabs are actually halfway decent. MDF, if I recall, but solidly built. The stock speakers were really bad. A few years back I was head rich/cab poor so I re-did mine with new grill cloth and put a Creamback in one and an Eminence Legend in the other. They sound pretty good!

 

[JiveTurkey]

It was a fun little rig, and an improvement from the Gorilla I had before that. Which was absolute garbage.

The little cabs are actually halfway decent. MDF, if I recall, but solidly built. The stock speakers were really bad. A few years back I was head rich/cab poor so I re-did mine with new grill cloth and put a Creamback in one and an Eminence Legend in the other. They sound pretty good!

View attachment 49943

I think they shipped with 8s. Am I misremembering? Did you put 10s in or was there room for an actual 12?

 

[Nathan Explosion]

I think they shipped with 8s. Am I misremembering? Did you put 10s in or was there room for an actual 12?

They were 10s and I replaced with 10s. Probably could have fit a 12 but I already had a pair of 1x12s and was likely reluctant to go sawing on them, but it's been a good 5 or 6 years and I can't remember what I was thinking. I'm sure I was worried about them being ported and screwing up some design intent for one thing.

Edit: I also put a new jack plate on the back so they could be paralleled.

 

[JiveTurkey]

They were 10s and I replaced with 10s. Probably could have fit a 12 but I already had a pair of 1x12s and was likely reluctant to go sawing on them, but it's been a good 5 or 6 years and I can't remember what I was thinking. I'm sure I was worried about them being ported and screwing up some design intent for one thing.

Edit: I also put a new jack plate on the back so they could be paralleled.

View attachment 49945

Oh man you could squeeze some 12s in there I bet! Either way put a Blug something or other on top and peel some paint

 

[RGB]

'81 Mark IIB, unmodded...60/100...no reverb

Purchased in '83 from a consignment sale for $500

 

[Nathan Explosion]

Oh man you could squeeze some 12s in there I bet! Put a Blug something or other on top and peel some paint

You're probably right. They're currently powered by an ART SLA-1 for NAM/Genome/PC apps. I was using Kali LP6s & IRs but like the real cabs better. Just feels more like a real amp.

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

I have no place posting in this thread but I will anyway :)

I've had this Vypyr 60 the longest. This particular unit I've only had since May 2022 which tells you just how much of a gearwhore I am--nothing lasts long. This was my second one; I bought my first back in 2011.

This one went from stock...

View attachment 49925

To modded with an FX loop and a new shell...

View attachment 49924

The new shell was built by Brian at BFG Cabs who does phenomenal work. The aesthetics were based on a TC50 combo I saw and fell in love with (pic attached below).

#metoo but mine still has the Batman front.

 

[Stratzrus]

1965 Super Reverb. Had it for decades.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

My first amp, a Park G10 (it's the amp I had the longest because as a teenager I couldn't afford other amps. And when I actually could, I preferred the convenience of my 1st gen POD). My parents bought it for Christmas. From today's perspective I know it sucked really bad. I put a Turbo Rat in front and that made it suck even more. Then I traded the Turbo Rat for a Metal Zone. Yeah... And the amp was constantly broken, something always had to be repaired. But I loved it nevertheless. Much more than the H&K Kettner Attax 200 I bought after that and that was supposed to be "better".

 

[BassetDad]

The HipKitty Kitty Box (cream tolex) dates back to early 1999. It's my prototype. The EL34's. 5AR4/GZ34 and 12AX7's have been it since the beginning. Not bad for 26 years of everyday use that have included amp expos and concerts.

The Ocotillo (red tolex) is two years younger.