Re: [Harp-L] harp amp

[michael harp <diachrome@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I own a showroom clean GA-RVT30. Paid $300 4 years ago. The previous owner
was an accordion player. It was his practice amp at home. The amp has an
active crossover which take the highs to the 10 and and the lows to the 12.
I get some real cool hand effects using the amp that I can't get from other
amps. The reverb is real cool. I think it rivaled my Premier reverb tank.

The Invader has recently become my back up amp. I traded my 1960 brownface
Concert last week for a totally original 1965 Deluxe Reverb. It was an even
trade.The dealer wanted $1,599 for the Deluxe Reverb.  I would consider the
Deluxe Reverb closer to the Holy Grille for blues players. Gibson's in
general don't have the bottom end of Fenders due in part  to the thin cab
design. But the fact that I won't sell my RVT-30 says a lot about it. It can
model tone the way the Fender can't.  I get praised by guitarists for the
sound I'm able to get out of it.  The 65 DR hasn't been used in a gig
situation yet. 

One thing that impresses me about the '65 Deluxe Reverb is that I never
played  an amp that made low key harps sound so full of life. It actually
makes them sound like a horn rather then the boring sound I got from the
4/10 Concert or the Invader. The gritty breakup on low volumes is what sold
me on the DR. The Concert had to be raised too high before the gritty sound
kicked in. At that point I was asked to turn down. The Invader doesn't have
the deep bottom that low key harps need to sound their best even with good
personal tone.

The best description I could give of the '65 DR is that it sounds like a
blonde Skylark with very big balls on the bottom end. Finally a Skylark
"sound" that doesn't need miked on gigs.  Of course the price range for
original models is out of the reach for most players. I see them average
between $1,200 to $1,600. The RI Deluxe Reverb isn't the same beast.
 
Russ, 
a whole new dimension WILL open up for you with the Gib. Try recording
yourself in a band setting. It's best points come out if you have good use
of hand effects with a mic.

mike

 on 10/24/04 8:44 AM, Russ Bradley at wbradley@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> I started out looking for a GA-90 and ended up with a 1962 Invader
> GA-30RVT; 25Watts, 1 12" and 1 10" Jensen, reverb and tremolo.
> I couldn't be happier.  The amp is very feedback resitant with enough
> power to hold my own playing with loud guitarists.  The reverb is the
> best onboard reverb unit I've ever heard.  The speaker configuration
> gives the best of both worlds: the punch of a 10" with the bottom and
> roundness of a 12".  It breaks up perfectly, turn the volume past 5 and
> it gets fat and growly.  The tone is so rich, warm and velvety it makes
> my tweed Fender Pro Jr. with the blue alnico speaker sound thin and
> reedy.  The amp is so responsive to my attack that I feel like a whole
> new dimesion has been opened up to me.
> It's holy grail as far as I'm concerned.  I'd put it up with any tweed
> or blackface Fender and it only cost $450.
> The moral of the story is: go on your quest for a GA-90.  Good luck and
> I hope you find one.  Check the guitar shows, the vintage shops, Vintage
> Guitar magazine, etc.  But, you would be best advised to test any
> vintage Gibson amp that you happen to stumble across.  It may just be a
> holy grail.  They're a whole lot cheaper and sound just as good as any
> boutique or vintage Fender amp.
> 
> Just my $0.02.
> 
> Regards,
> Russ
> 
> Toungblock@xxxxxxx wrote:
> 
>> hi harpers,i'm looking for a gibson ga 90. very cool amp for harp has 6 6''
>> 25 WATTS don't know the year. i understand jacobs played through one at one
>> point of his carrier.
>> 
>> 
>> thanks
>> tom in ct.
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