Ampeg GS-12R Rocket II

This is a 1966 ampeg gs12r. I play mostly 60s rock,rockabilly,surf,classic rock. It puts out 20 watts.

I play my Amer std Fender tele thru this amp. I love the sound of the reverb. IT KILLS FENDERS! This amp will not Distort so forget playing Metal with it.

Im an electronics tech by trade so ,reliability isnt an issue. I recapped it and put a 3 prong cord on it. I got it for free and its 40 yrs old.

Been playin about 25 yrs.

1966 Ampeg GS-12R Reverberocket 2. Someone should really straighten out the Ampeg listings here, they're a mess. Mine is the 7591 version; these tubes are now back in production (JJ and EH). The amp also uses a single 6U10 which is out of production, and will never come back; if you own one of these amps it's a good idea to buy a spare 6U10 (they're readily available on eBay) as a backup, though the 6U10 isn't under mch stress and should last for many decades. Two inputs, reverb and tremolo controlled by footswitch, 12" speaker. I paid more than most here ($600), but my amp had been fully recapped and serviced, and came with a Weber ceramic Blue Dog speaker, a highly desirable upgrade.

I've used the amp with single coils and humbuckers, and it sounds great with everything--one of the most beautiful clean sounds in existence. The reverb deserves the praise it receives; it's the best I've ever heard on an amp. The amp is generally quiet, but will at times pick up the radio faintly--not a big problem. The one drawback for some players is that this amp never really gets distorted--I have dimed it through an attenuator, and even at max output it achieves only a light crunch. So, power tube distortion is basically unavailable, and you're going to need a pedal to need a pedal to get an overdriven sound. Given the beauty of the clean, it's a forgivable limitation, in my book. Just don't get this thinking you're going to make it sound like a Marshall.

I've only owned the amp a short while, but Ampegs were well built, and old PTP tube amps, if properly maintained, are practically unkillable.

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There's not much I don't like about this amp. Love the look, love the sound. It's big and pretty heave, which might be a problem for some (not for me--it never travels). I suppose it would be nice to be able to drive it into power tube distortion, but I'm willing to do without in order to enjoy the quality of the cleans and reverb.

From all the info I can find, this is a 1966 Reverberocket II.

Features a great tremolo, which 'locks'(clicks) into a more strobe type tremolo if you turn it right up. Great reverb which turned anywhere past 4 gives some of the best surf tones I have ever heard. Other than that single is single channel, 2 inputs, 2 EQ knobs, volume.

Mine still had the stock speaker (Jensen C12R) and stock tubes in. It was kept in a basement for the last 40 years, and is in pristine condition. Which is good because if you wanted to put NOS tubes in it, you'd be looking at a lot of cash. The tubes are 7591 7591 12AX7 6U1O 12AX7, and NOS 7591's are pretty pricey. There are JJ and EHX reissues though.

I mainly play Rockabilly, Surf, and Country Punk. As far as I am concerned, this is THE amp for all those styles. I was shocked when I heard it. The fact that is looks so cool too is a huge plus.

About the only thing I wish the amp had was an external speaker out. I am sure it could be modded to have one though. For what it is, and the price you can still get these for, it's impossible for me to give the amp any less than a 10.

They are a really tough amp to describe because most people's ideas of clean tone are sorta shaped around Fender tones they have heard. The amp has a great clean sound, with much more headroom than pretty much any similar spec'd combo I have used. I can only describe is as a 'clearer' version of the Fender clean.

When it comes to the Reverb and Tremolo, again they are not the 'typical' sounds you hear. But they both sound fantastic.

Most people would consider it blasphemy, but I actually think it's a 'better' sounding amp than my Princeton Reverb. At least for my musical tastes mentioned above.

I haven't owned it long, but it's been running for over 40 years with no problems.

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I own a 1970 Traynor YBA-2A, a Reverend Goblin and a 1968 Princeton Reverb. I play 2 Reverend Guitars (Flatroc, Charger 290) and a Tele. I don't use effects into any of my amps. I have been playing for 15 years.

I am not sure of the exact wattage of this amp, but I have a feeling it would compare to a Deluxe Reverb. It also compares in feature set. A key difference being you can still find a 1966 Ampeg for an insanely low price. A 1966 Deluxe Reverb will run you 5 times as much. And IMO these sound as good. How can you not give it a 10 for value?

The only issues I have with the amp are it's a little bulky, and it has no extension speaker out jack. But the large cabinet is part of the reason is has such a great sound, and a speaker jack could be added.

One day people are going to realize how great these amps are, and the prices will likely skyrocket. So jump on em' while you can!

I wasn't able to find a serial number, but base upon other reviews, it was made no later than '66 (has the blue-diamond tolex). It has been well-used, and to my knowledge has only re-issue Electroharmonix tubes. Even has the original "Ampeg" 2-prong cord (which I will leave--no short or anything).

Needs new filter caps, and to have the pots cleaned, but the tone is otherwise incredible. I play essentially Bakersfield-inspired Country and with an '05 Tele and the bright turned about 3/4 does the clean yet warm tone I associate with guys like Don Rich. Don't even ask about the tremolo . . . Shazam! I cut my teeth on blues, however, and turned up to 9-10 the Rocket delivers smooth yet spicy, sweaty, mojo. Need to get a solid-body Gibson, now.
Most of the venues I have played so far are small, I don't need or want to schlep my Twin, and besides, the ReverbRocket just sounds incredible. Based upon what I anticipate the sound to be after a tune-up, I would rate the sound very high.

Built like a Volvo. And aesthetically much more pleasing. With care necessary for any tube amp, I would and will gig with it. It would be a sin not to.

Man, my favorite (thinking about selling my Twin, seems superfluous).

Based on the serial number stamped in the front chassis control panel, my RR2 is 1967. Apparently this was a transition year between the blue diamond Tolex dc'd in 66 and the wood grain model of 68, using the same schematics as the earlier models. It has black tolex with a front facing control panel, guitar and accordian inputs, with the earlier style grill cloth. It is the warmest amp I own (69 Deluxe Reverb, 64 Concert and 55 Bassman) and the reverb and tremelo are so fine that I run them almost all the time. I thought I had paid too much at $300 but the sound can't be beat.

It's single channel, and I've only used the normal input (not the 'accordian'). I use its tremolo and reverb often. Each can be turned on and off with a footswitch, which works perfectly after almost forty years! I gig with it in bars and small clubs. You never need more- a larger place will have a PA to mic it up! I would like an overdrive channel to switch with, but they weren't thinking too much about that back then!

I use it with my vintage Danelectro Convertible with the original lipstick PU, Yamaha "Sunami" (that's my name for it- it's a funky, clean sounding hollowbody), and my Harmony Rocket, with the hot deArmond early 60's PU. I usually have it going thru a newer Vox Overdrive because I want some edge for my music (sorta alternative, mybloodyvalentine/ sonic youth- ish). Without the OD pedal it's amazingly clean, with nice, subtle breakup at higher volumes. I've had some '70's Fenders, and listened to quite a number of silver and even the older blackfaces at stores. Sorry you fender folks, this one rules supreme over fender. It's warm, slightly crisp, has a peculiar nuance in the midrange that's so sweet sounding. The reverb isn't as thick and cloudy as Fender's, but good nonetheless (Fender's is better). The tremolo is round and tender. Being the old style, it cuts the output in inverse proportion to its intensity, which takes a bit of getting used to. It cuts it even if the tremolo is switched off, so if you're not using it, turn the intensity down. It gets very loud quick with the intensity down, but I use the tremolo at 12 o'clock or less intermittently. The amp is still loud enough and more at that setting, but if you go with maximum tremolo (you probably would save that for special occasions!) the drop is considerable.

Make sure to keep or find the original Jensen Syntox(?) speaker, have it reconed if needed (I recommend Orange County Speaker in So. Cal.), or ask around for a suitible replacement.

I bought it 4 years Ago. Reconed it, changed the tubes and had a few solder joints redone. Been great ever since. It is harder to find good 7591s though.

Way beyond warranty, I go with Greg's Amp Repair in Hollywood. Pretty good turnaround. He sees quite a few and raves about them!

If it were stolen I'd cry and curse this god-forsaken world! Then I'd gather my wits, sell whatever I can, search ebay and buy another ASAP (before the price will go up!). The clean tone is unique and unmatched. I'm looking in to customizing one with an overdrive channel. I don't know if that's crazy, but I have a contemporary Reverbrocket with channel switching, and I like it's OD sound but the clean sound sucks. I wanna try to replicate the OD circuitry and channel-switch feature into the old one. Wish me luck!

My Ampeg RR2 is a late 60s model. The speaker has been replaced with a reissue Jensen, the 2 spring reverb replaced with a 3 spring and the cord replaced with a grounded plug.
I bought this amp because I wanted a vintage 15-20W amp with reverb & trem and I didn't want to pay the bucks for a Fender Deluxe Reverb.

I've been mainly using a Rickenbacker 330 with hi gain pickups with this amp. I turn treble to midpoint and bass full up to get a warm shimmery tone. Turning treble up makes the tone too bright. Adjusting the volume really brings out a lot of great sounds. From a classic 60s clean tone to 60s Brit rock overdrive. If you like a biting blues tone this amp would be good choice.
The reverb sounds great and has great range from subtle to surfy. The trem is pleasant, but not the best I've heard. The speed range is somewhat limited.

I don't know what's been done to this amp other than the replacement parts mentioned above. It's going strong but It's an old amp so I'd probably want a backup on a gig.

It's almost my dream tone...It's got that elusive 60s rock shimmer. Although I wouldn't mind a bit more low end punch and tonal versatility. I may dig deep and spring for a 60s Fender Deluxe or Pro Reverb or perhaps some boutique amp.

this is a gs-12 just got it a week ago for $150. im guessing from the serial# that it a 1970 has the guitar and accord. inputs the tubes all look original not sure if the speaker is the back says utah, sounds good though, 2 7591, 7199, 12ax7 the controls are trem speed and intens., vol., bass, treb. made in jersey. still has a 2 prong cord going to have it changed to a 3 yes i did get a bit of a shock because of it (easily to be fixed) havent been able to play it over 2 yet but so far sounds great a nice classic rock tone just wished it had a speaker out jack figure i could ask if one could be added if not ill just mike it

i have a 70's (?) aspen les paul copy, a fender strat, and a ibenez js model all sound great throuh it i ran a big muff pedal through it and didnt like it but my proco rat sound awsome through it

ive only had it for maybee a week but from it looks like it pretty dependable its 34 yrs old with original tubes

im sure the warrenty is up going to get it serviced soon for the cord and to have it cleaned im also thinking of having it mod up a bit

ive been playing for almost 20 yrs im 35 mostly small venues the open night jams and get togeathers with friends and family if it was lost id be bummed and would look far another i expected to pay more but i think i got a great deal for it

Trebelo(too faint)reverb(too strong and pingy)I love ampeg reverb but this is the exception-usless bass knob and peircing treble

Ok,this amp isnt terrible,however if your use to the quality of older ampegs this isnt it-I bought this because the Gemini 2 is my favorite amp and wanted to have a gig-poratble one-this is not even close-this must of been the economy model,n sounds it-the treble sucks n the reverb is too strong(even at the 0 setting)mind you both these features on the gemini are oustanding-I would gladly sacrifice a little bass from a 12 inch speaker opposed to the 15 but it just doent really sound like an ampeg

see above,theres better ampegs out there

I bought my little friend brand new in the box in 1965 and we've never been parted. I blew the speaker the first year through what I would have to admit was abuse, Ampeg replaced it with a Jensen for free. Never treated it badly again. Everything else is original. Love the stove top controls, checkerboard covering, and that great reverb!

I have 75' Les Paul standard, 80's Strat, but I really like playing my 65' Fender Mustang through it. These two go great together, simplicity at it's best! I keep it right in the living room to work out songs and just relax. I don't use it on stage, it doesn't really cut through the mix. I have a Fender Stage 100 stack for that. Wish it had a XLR out for the P.A.

Let's see...40yrs and never replaced a tube, hmmm. Yea, i say it's reliable. in fact it's been a hell of a lot more trustworthy than any of the women I've known. It's one tough S.O.B. but has a real sweet disposition. I do need a new handle though the leather finally gave out last year.

Except for the first time in 1966, I haven't had a reason to contact them.

That $156.00 might not seem like much money, but in 1965 I was 13yrs old and that was a couple of years of paper route savings, but ya'know what? I can't think of many other things that have served me well for so many years, in fact I can turn my head now and see it sitting there waiting for me....best damn money I ever spent.

Single channel, reverb and tremolo, bass and treble, around 20 watts or so, hard wired footswitch. What else do you need? No channel switching, effects loop, digital fx, modeling, cyber-anything, headphone out or any of that crap. If you wanted that, you wouldn't be looking here.

I'm using this with a beater guitar with P90's and a bigsby. The amp is very "old school:" drippy reverb with lots of dwell or sproing; awesome tremolo, like on all Ampegs. Some examples of similar sounds would be "Day Tripper" or some of the tracks on Cracker's "Kerosene Hat", especially the title track and "Loser." When cranked up, it overdrives very nicely - a lot of compression from the cathode bias, but doesn't sqaush so hard that it seems to get quieter, like a tweed deluxe. Ultra-high end seems a bit absent on this amp, not a lot of sparkle. Amp is not as loud as I expected, maybe due to the crappy CTS speaker, or worn tubes - it's still got the original "Ampeg" labeled 7591As. An excellent choice for psychobilly. Probably not a good choice for death metal.

Seems to be holding up pretty good (see above). It's held up pretty well for thirty five years. I doubt you'll see that from SLM "Ampegs."

Ampeg's changed hands three or four times since then, so I doubt the current owners would be much help. I'm pretty sure it's out of warranty by now.

I probably wouldn't want it as my only amp, unless I was in some sort of revival act or something, but it certainly is a lot of fun, and appropriate for a lot of material I cover.

So much for that old 66 Ampeg Reverberocket 2. It was a piece of...thing that just needed to be fixed, but still a good amp.It features a guitar AND/OR accordion input. Volume,Treble,Bass on the right side of face plate and tremolo/echo on the left side.Can we play both input at the same time?

Old clean sound or good old blues? You choose,depending on the way you want to drive them(7591A)tubes.Strat or Les Paul,(single coil or humbuckers)both are interesting but,again, very different sounding in dynamic response with this amp.Anyway,it performes very well in both modes if you tweek those knobs the right way.

That is a 1966 Ampeg that is still workin in 2004 ?!!!!

Hey! this is NOT a Blackface Fender Deluxe Reverb!
What can you expect for the price?

This is a mid-60's Ampeg GS-12R ReverbeRocket II. It's been modified with a grounded electrical connector and a 'standard' footswitch jack.
No channel switching, has tremolo and reverb. Volume, treble, bass controls -- that's all you need anyway. Not the original speaker -- some noname brand, can't tell what it is (does sound good, though). 7591a power tubes.

I'm using it with a Clapton Strat w/Dimarzio Virtual Vintage p/u's. The amp sounds great to begin with -- especially considering the price -- but two things add to the sound quality. One is, the Clapton Strat has a mid-range boost that effectively introduces a bit of gain/distortion/volume that fattens the sound up. And secondly, once the Ampeg heats up it sounds even better. I use the amp in two configurations. One is to A/B it with another amp (a doc Z) and the other is to use the Dr. Z Maz 18 Jr. to preamp the Ampeg by utilizing a stereo chorus (the Z has an effects loop after the preamp). Both sound great, although I'm slightly favoring the preamp setup - probably because I'm getting a very full sound when using two amps simutaneously and also when the chorus or pitch shift effect is in use. Even w/o either of these configs, this is a great sounding amp -- you can get a very good clean 60's kinda sound. The Who's 'Can't Explain' sound.

I've owned it only for a few months and haven't had any problem, but it is from the 60's, so .....

I'll never know .... uh, maybe it's still under warranty?

If you're looking for a great sounding affordable amp and you know Fender isn't what you want, you should consider one of these or another similar old Ampeg. I think the 7591a tubes are significant to the sound of these - that's why I bought an old one. I don't believe the new Ampegs use this tube and the channel switching distortion they offer isn't good at all. So, bottom line, grab one of these before the prices rise as they inevitably will.

1968, about 15-20 watts, 1x12 tube combo, balck tolex. fits my style perfectly (sixties rock the Who, Stones, Zeppelin, blues, 70's punk). One channel no effects loop no headphone jack. It has a footswitch. It has everything I need for my styles of music. I use the tremelo and reverb all the time. I am not in a band right now so I just use it for myself. I play bass in a band. It has just the right amount of power, not too much not too little. I have a 40 watt Traynor YCV 40 that I can't really open up to its full potential because it is too loud for just home use.

I am using a Danelectro DC 59 Pro, a Gibson SG-I, and Dillion Les Paul copy. It suits me very well because I don't use a lot of palm muting or other heavy metal type techniques. I play sixties music so what better amp to use than one from the sixties? It is not noisy at all. No annoying hiss like my JC-120. The volume knob allows you to take the basic clean tone of the amp and make it more and more overdriven as you turn it up. I haven't cranked it all the way up, I have had it a little past five with my nobels overdrive pedal. I don't want to go blasting the thing if I don't have to because it is old and i want to take care of it. But at five it was breaking up in a nice way with just guitar into amp, no pedal. I would compare the overdriven sound to mid sixties the Who meets Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols.

I guess it is reliable since it still has all the original tubes and speaker and it still sounds great. I don't see why it shouldn't continue. I would bring my Traynor as a backup if Iever gigged with it. I can't tell you if it has ever broken down or not because I just got it. Ithink the fact that all the original parts are still there says something about it s durability. I won't give an opinion for this category.

They don't make this amp anymore.

I started out playing on a Premier Twin Eight with a distortion pedal. then I got some solid state amps, a JC-120 and a Trayonr YCV-40. This Ampeg reminds me of the Premier, so I feel Like I have come full circle. If lost or stolen I'd get another one like it. I love that when I use this amp, I use everything it has to offer. Idon't play with the thing with the volume level at "one;" it is low wattage enough that I can let it rip and not go deaf. I don't really hate anythiing about it. It lacks clean headroom but I play rock so thats fine with me. Ibought this on eBay so I didn't get to test it out but I had been playing all the Ampegs I could find in the stores, new and used. I played the SuperJet 50watt, the Reverborocket reissue, the Gemini II, the Reverbojet. They were all nice but I was waiting until I could find a good deal on one, like under $350.00 in good condition. So I was really happy to get this amp for what I feel was a great price.

the serial # on this is nowhere to be found, but having seen similar amps on the net, i'd guess it to be '66 or '67. it's a single channel amp with 2 inputs (guitar and accordion), reverb and tremelo, and features volume, treble and bass controls. no fx loop, speaker out or headphone jack. what this DOES have is incredible tone. i've heard it speculated that it could be possibly 30 watts, but i'm willing to guess it's about 18 - 22. the reverb is quite nice and doesn't sound like a fender's. i consider that a good thing; not that fenders sound bad, but ther are other good sounding 'verbs out there. this amp came to me with a 15" instead of the stock 12", but otherwise seems to be pretty original. the tolex is a little beat up, and the logo on the front is half gone (says "peg" -- wish it said "amp"), but this thing is built SOLID. it's also all-tube (two 12ax7's and two 7591's) with rectifier (6au10). also comes with attached 2-button footswitch (reverb/tremelo).

my main guitar is a stock '96 fender lone star strat and the combination of the fender and ampeg yields some amazing sounds. from zero to halfway the amp's volume knob does just that -- bring up the volume. very clean and pure vintage warmth. from halfway to dimed the volume knob brings in the gain. terrific blues tone! and when i REALLY want to go over the top i kick in on a danelectro "t-bone" distortion ( you know, those little plastic boxes that are like $40). the trick i found is not to use it as a distortion but as a boost. i turn the output anywhere from 12 to 3 o'clock with the gain at about 9 o'clock. sounds heavy and makes the guitar and amp wail. part of the sound of this baby is due to the 15" speaker. i A/B'd it with an identical 'rocket owned by a friend (his with the 12"), and mine had WAY more headroom and a much more complete tone. i recommend this replacement to any 'rocket owners. the only drawbacks about this amp is that the treble can be a little harsh and the reverb should be used sparingly -- this thing provides way more 'verb than necessary. as for the tremelo, i hardly use it, but it has a cool vibe like the tremelos heard in bruce lee and spy movies. when you turn the intensity knob all the way up he pot has a detent that clicks over and makes the tremelo super choppy. very cool. never heard another tremelo like it. this amp is perfect for playing blues and even jazz and surf. you could easily play small venues with this puppy. in fact, by diming the volume and tone knobs and controlling the overall volume with your guitar, you could even play bigger places, too. and one more drawback: the original attached power cord was FAR too short, but i had a friend replace it with a heavy-duty 11' 3-prong cable. this also recommended.

i've had this amp for 3 years and haven't had a problem yet. i believe most, if not all, of the tubes are original. of course, i haven't gigged much in the last 4 years, but my friend with the other 'rocket used his extensively and exclusively for over 3 years (gigging 3-4 times a week, plus rehearsals and recording) playing some loud blues-based rock, and his is fine. (he has since stopped taking it out for fear of something happening to it -- getting stolen, dropped, etc.) as for me, i would probably keep tubes and a fuse for backup, but not necessarily another amp.

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i've been playing for 17 years and owned various amps throughout. this is by far the best $300 i've ever spent. if lost or stolen, i would immediately find an exact replacement. only thing i hate is that the power tubes (7591's) are a little rare and expensive, but they are worth it. i've heard of people having their 'rockets modified to use 6L6's or others, but the 7591's are a big reason these amps sound unique. and the only feature i wish it had is a "standby".

My Ampeg Rocket 2 is a 1965 amp. It was made at Linden, NJ. The amp is a simple one without reverb (the reverb model is the GS-12R).
The amp has one channel with inputs for guitar and accordion. I prefer the accordion input. There are five knobs. Two are for the tremelo (which is not working) and the rest are for volume, treble and bass. It has the original alnico speaker, which sounds fantastic. The amp has an open back design that acoustically is better than most. It is all tube and hand wired point to point.
I think it is about 30 watts.
I use this amp for practice and will use it for recording.

This amp tends to get a nice clean sound. The bass end is better than just about any amp I've played or heard. It is good at taking a distortion pedal and gets that classic ZZ-Top Marshall kind of sound if you got a first rate distortion pedal. The in between clean and heavy distortion sounds with pedals are kind of like a weak Vox sound. So, we get two great sounds when getting help by a pedal and one kind of weak sound. Still that is better than most amps which can't do one thing right.

I bought this amp from a guy on Ebay who did not represent the amp correctly. Honestly, he just lied but I got a pretty good price and the speaker was in great shape so I haven't chased him down on it. I had to get a big tin can filter cap and put in this which cost me about $65 including labor. It does need a new tremelo module, which I understand can be had. I would say that the problems that it came with came from neglect and bad repairs.

I called Ampeg about the tremelo module and they directed me to a gentleman who makes this. So, I'll give them a 10 for supporting this old amp and keeping info on who does restoration type work.

I've been playing approximately 30 years. I'm 36 years old. I own lots of nice and esoteric gear.
This amp design would be great for someone to put a couple of gain channels in front of for a custom shop kind of Marshall low wattage amp. I'm saying that in terms of speaker used, cabinet design, etc. Compared to other vintage amps, these old Ampegs are the best value. I like amps that start overdriving and distorting at about six on the knob but this amp has a lot of pluses that make up for this shortcoming. So, as far as value, these are a fantastic value because you can get a lot of these old Ampegs in not bad condition for under $300 to $400. Not bad at all. I like this amp enough that I'd like to get a Reverberocket 2 to go with it.

This is a 1966 reverbrocket 2, and it has 2 inputs (guitar and accordian,) volume, treble and bass controls. It sends 20w to a 12" Jensen, and it's powered by 2 7591's (tough to find), 2 12ax7's and a 6U10 rectifier. This puppy was sitting in my pop's basement untouched for the last 25 years (he played accordian,) so I grabbed it, tinked with some junk, and viola! Great tone, especially with the vibrato, echo, and tremolo features. A footswitch is included. I like to play it at 7-8 and get that sweet blues tone. I use outboard effects to add crunchy tone and fuzz.

My 13 year old son plays his Mexi Strat through it, with a DOD chorus and a DS-1 distortion. He plays blues, classic rock, and some funky riff type stuff (barre chords, dude.) There was a low-level hum, crackle, and pop, but it's just the tubes warming up...it went away after an hour. I don't like the way it gets distorted at 8-9, so I back off it a bit...it definately would be a great studio amp. It's more than adequate for our basement jams. The bass control doesn't seem to have an effect, but the treble really attacks, so I ease off a bit from the highs.

After 25 years of sitting there, I got it checked by a tube amp guy(a good idea, friends) and he added a new grounded plug, checked all the tubes (three of the five are original...so much for matching tubes,)cleaned things up, etc...for less than 40 bucks. It will probably run until one of the power tubes go, but we use it 3x per week for an hour at half volume, so I'm sure it'll go another 25 years...these Ampegs are built like bunkers...my pop also had a B-15 (he got rid of it!)

Hey...Ampeg is gone from Linden, NJ where it was manufactured, but the web has lots of good info and sites, so I could get tubes almost anywhere...the back inside panel of the amp had the schematics printed on it...neat. All the parts can be ordered.

For 50 bucks, why would I diss this classic '66 Reverbrocket? It makes my teen son sound better than his solid state, and the tone is incredible. I wouldn't buy another for the 400+ it's worth to someone, but I would buy a newer Ampeg or Fender tube amp...this one is similar to the Fender Deluxe. Bottom line, LOOK IN YOUR PARENT'S BASEMENT BEFORE IT'S GARAGE SALE TIME!

This amp is from the late 60s. At 20 watts RMS and one 12" speaker, its Fender equivalent would be the Deluxe. One channel with bright and normal inputs; and the pots are volume, treble, bass, tremelo speed and intensity, and reverb depth. The tremelo also has a toggle called 'afterbeat' which adds a percussive edge to the tremelo wave. The power tubes're two 7591s. Reverb/vibrato pedal. No outputs for external speaker.

I've used a Les Paul Custom, a Melody Maker and a Strat with this amp, and all sound great. At full volume it distorts a little, in a clean, warm power tube fashion, i.e., if you play a chord with extensions, all the intervals're relatively clear. I use a Boss OS-2 overdrive for more distortion.

It's only been repaired once in its lifetime- a recently blown power transformer. For 30 years, that's not bad (I knew the previous owner)! The tubes're still original!

I love the simplicity of this amp. If I had to buy another, I'd look for similar qualities; the most important of which is a good unadulterated sound at all volumes. I'll use outboard equipment for extra gain, distortion, etc. This amp sounds WAY better than my silver face Fender twin, at any relative volume. It's only 20 watts, but I played a show where it was miked and it sounded fine.