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What amps did bassists use in the 70s?


1970

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[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1331633314' post='1576072']
I've never reported a post before, but I'm sorry, that's just 'morning-ist'. Totally unacceptable.
[/quote]

This'll get me banned then... :D

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0j3-tmQLjg[/media]

Edited by icastle
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[quote name='gsgbass' timestamp='1331692825' post='1577349']
Kustom Amps were a work horse of amps back then.
[/quote]

I don't actually remember those being around in the UK in the 70's - I was under the impression that they were mostly US based until the 80's when they ditched the scroll/pleated models in favour of the tolex covered ones...

Having said that though, like a few other examples of amps that have appeared in this topic so far, it was a long time ago and I can't actually remember what I had for dinner last night... :D

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[quote name='BRANCINI' timestamp='1331629360' post='1575975']
Yeah same here, A Marshall super lead for £30, and that was from a shop in Brum. New Marshall lookalike 4X12 from Green La Music in Leicester cost me £45. Solid state Vox Supreme from the same shop £15, but that was cos it was faulty ands they couldnt repair it. (A lot of engineers back then were not great with solid state gear) I bought a Viking, and a couple of FAL 50s from them as well, but thats another story. Once git offered a Bass AC 30 for £30, which is what one of my neighbours had been offered for it asa PX, and turned him down, it was a bit too small for what I wanted.

My 4X12 sized 1X18 had a Goodmans speaker in it, 50W of raw power..
[/quote]

Do you mean Humbucker Music of Green Lane Rd?

Thats where I bought my Marshall Super lead and Moore & Stanworth 4x12 from. I also bought my s/h Precision from them for £240 in 1979.

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[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1331761783' post='1578621']
Do you mean Humbucker Music of Green Lane Rd?

Thats where I bought my Marshall Super lead and Moore & Stanworth 4x12 from. I also bought my s/h Precision from them for £240 in 1979.
[/quote]

Think it was called green lanes music back then (around 1973 or 74) could be wrong though, there was a Green Lane Music in Brum, and it all merges into one after all this time.

It was in Green La Rd though, and was run by a father and 2 or 3 sons. me and a mate used to go there and buy faulty amps and PX stuff from them now and again. I thought they had the 4X12s they sold made up just for them, good solid cabs, looked a lot like Marshall ones, with a choice of Celestions or Goodmans G12Ps.

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Spurred on by this thread, I lugged my Peavey Mark III to practice last night.

Sound is still as good as I remember (not to everyone's taste, but still...). Weight seems to increase everytime I shift it. And I hate the bloody top handle, doesn't balance with the mahussive transformer on one side...

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[quote name='KingBollock' timestamp='1331601290' post='1575804']

I had a massive 2x18" Vox cab that ran to 100w. I kind of wish I still had it because it looked cool. Though I'm glad I never had to try to transport it in a small car, especially with all the metal work and huge wheels bolted onto the outside of it.
[/quote]

Envy...

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[quote name='Spike Vincent' timestamp='1331849136' post='1580016']
Envy...
[/quote]
Apparently it was being used at an illegal rave, when the Police raided it some quick thinking people grabbed as much equipment as they could and buggered off with it. One day a bloke from up the road, who'd heard that I played Bass, turned up at my parent's door offering it, and a 50m long speaker cable, to me for £20.

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[quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1331920864' post='1580992']
Born in Winson Green and lived in Northfield, Erdington, Moseley and, washed up in Brighton via Leeds, Lancaster, and London
[/quote]

I grew up round the corner from there.

My first job as an aprentice -1968-was above a West Indian Cafe on Dudley Rd, Blue beat juke box running all day, rumbling up through the floor. Spent a lot of my time repairing Blus Spot radiograms. Always blamed me getting into Bass on that job. B)

Edited by BRANCINI
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[quote name='BRANCINI' timestamp='1331921684' post='1581013']
I grew up round the corner from there.

My first job as an aprentice -1968-was above a West Indian Cafe on Dudley Rd, Blue beat juke box running all day, rumbling up through the floor. Spent a lot of my time repairing Blus Spot radiograms. Always blamed me getting into Bass on that job. B)
[/quote]
I was born in Dudley Road Hospital in 1952 and lived in Spring Hill until 1957.

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  • 2 weeks later...

In Canada we had a lot of Traynor, Yorkville, and Garnet, and of course Fender, Ampeg, Acoustic, Sunn, and Marshall, and the advent of Music Man and Peavey. Still saw Dynaco and Standel, and the occasional Rickenbacker, Vox, Hiwatt, Carlsbro, Orange, Plush, etc.

There were tons of homebrew cabs around, usually monstrosities with odd combinations of speakers or big single woofers. JBLs and Altecs were popular, but all kinds of stuff found its way into boxes of various sizes.

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[quote name='4-string-thing' timestamp='1331761783' post='1578621']


Do you mean Humbucker Music of Green Lane Rd?

Thats where I bought my Marshall Super lead and Moore & Stanworth 4x12 from. I also bought my s/h Precision from them for £240 in 1979.
[/quote]

That's where I bought my infamous blue 62ri jazz :)

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Only just got started on here, but will chip in 2 cents!
It was in the '80's but I had a Marshall 100w Superbass head (of roughly late '60's age), initially with two Marshall 2x12 PA columns (probably late '60's early 70's), which were swapped for an angled 4x12. Worked OK for bass or guitar, but was fiercely loud - particularly when playing guitar through it.

Wish I'd kept the head and the PA columns - be worth a fortune now! I recall I bought as they were cheap 'because they were a bit old and out of fashion'!! Funny how things roll eh?

Ian

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mid to late 70's i used a Marshall stack then onto a Peavey 400W Mk IV twin channel active and passive channels and a graphic EQ all of which were extremely heavy. Moved from marshall cabs to custom cab with 12 & 15 Peavey Black Widows and from there in to Celestion custom 2x10 cab witha 15" custom reflex cab. Then changed to a Roland pre-amp and 2off Mattamp slave into my custom cabs. That was a glorious sound and i still try and aim for that to this day (used a Fender Jazz)

I still have the 2x10 cab and my old faithful H/H bass amp that was a left-over from a band i was in that no-one wanted. Still works and due for selling soon as last one i saw went for over £150 on evilbay recently.

Ampeg came out with the SVT way back then to compete with loud guitar amps i think they were originally 400W too.

Aaahhh memories of sore backs and roadies to do your heavy work for you.

Dave

Edited by dmccombe7
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[quote name='daz' timestamp='1331614758' post='1575837']
You[i] pushed this monster through the streets[/i] to practice every weekend ?! Man you deserve an award or something. that is some serious [i]Roy Castle [/i]type dedication!!
[/quote]

I did , but thankfully our rehearsal hall ( Methodist Church congregation Hall) was only 100 yards away. Getting it back up the stairs into my bedroom was the worst bit !
In a quest for more volume I rewired the speakers to 2ohms. It actually lasted quite a while which was testament to the quality of it. Two of the speakers were then put in a home made 2x12 cab which I ran with an Orange Bass Head. Not sure what happened to the Orange ? probably swopped it for some illegals....those were the days ;)

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