Ampeg Gemini II

Mid 1960's. Two REAL channels: one with Reverb and Tremelo and one clean (normal). Two imputs per channel: guitar and accordian. This amp handles every thing from bass guitar to vocals. Bass works best thru the accordian input. I believe the output wattage is 30 RMS (about 60 PEP music watts) per channel. Both channels drive one Jensen 15" Concert speaker.

This amp was designed for typical 60's live gig's. With two of these amps you had enough to power for a four to six piece band including mics.

We played many gigs - upto small auditoriums (500-800 people) with out having to mic the amps. Of course, we didn't play as LOUD back then either. We were more into QUALITY sounds. (LOUD w/ effects can hides many poor vocals and poor musicians.)

Amp is very quiet - little if any "hiss" without any instruments or mics hooked up. Both channels are about as clean as you can get on settings up to about 3 o'clock. (If yours, isn't, you need new tubes or speaker!) Some distortion (minimal) after that resulting in just a little dirtier sound - not bad though - not terribly distorted like many of the "newer" amps. Let's just say Ampeg built them CLEAN back then.

The reverb is the finest vintage sound you'll ever hear. Much better than even Fender Super Reverb. I know - I played both on stage in 60's. Tremelo is also sweetest you'll ever hear however, mine is out right now - Ampeg used a special optical device to get tremelo which is very hard to find for the original sound.

This amp is so sweet and clean it will spoil you! When I heard "live" bands in the 70's (I quit giging in 1966.) using Marshalls and Crates I thought the speakers were blown - I didn't realize the amps were "designed" that way!

Anyway, you will quickly appreciate sound quality. Of course, you may just discover that you need a new guitar, too. On this amp you can definitely hear difference in quality pickups and equipment.

We mic'd this amp in studio for recordings. I played classic 60's rock - lead guitar - back then. I also did some country music just for fun (a little Chet, for instance), along with some blues and jazz.

I play this amp with friends at home and never go past about 9 o'clock on volume with new tubes. (As tubes age, you have to tweak up volume control for sam output.)

Solid tube amp! It weighs about 80 pounds. Never lost a tube to breakage. However, tubes do get weaker with use. Keep some spares on hand if you gig with this amp.

Still in business, but I never needed any. Only changed tubes (mostly power tubes: 6L6's) until this year (2004). I smoked a resistor and filter cap in the power supply circuit. I'm surprized it didn't happen earlier. I also recently replaced the original Jensen speaker (40 years is long life for old paper cones!)Actually , it still sounded great for guitar and vocals. However, my little pickup group added an electric bass and the old speaker just couldn't handle it. (Too much rattle!) Works great now.

I've been playing for over 40 years. I own too many guitars!

If you can find this amp - buy it! Though you may expect to replace power tubes (6L6's about $30 - wholesale) and the speaker if it sounds distorted. In good working condition, this amp should have minimal "hiss" wide open on both channels and NO distortion i.e. speaker rattle, buzz, etc.

This is a 1965 Ampeg G15 model Gemini II amp.Features are 2 channels.Channel I has speed,intensity,volume,treble,& bass.Channe II has volume,treble,bass,& echo(reverb).Inbetween both both channels are 4 inputs for guitar & accordian.I don't really hear a difference between plugging in either input.I believe the amp is rated at 30 watts.Perfect for small gigs and home practice.Wish it was 50 watts. I like to play loud !Amp has a nice vintage clean sound that is appropriate for blues and retro style sounds. Original fifteen inch Jensen Concert speaker and original ampeg tubes came with this amp. Jensen speaker looks delicate.I don't want to blow it ! Maybe I'll save it and replace it with a reissue.I use this amp at home.

I'm using single coil picups through this and it suits my playing style very well. I set the volume from from 9 to 12 o'clock depending on my mood.The sound is sweet! Very clean.It will break up after 12 o'clock. The distortion is o.k. but not something that will turn your head imo. Not a modern or metal distortion. Obviously an Ampeg amp designed from the 1960's is more about clean sound and in this category the Gemini holds its own. Oh, I think the reverb and vibrato are great!I believe Ampeg came out with a separate reverb unit in the 60's known as a echo satellite . If it sounds anything like the reverb from the Gemini, I want one. Wish Ampeg over at St. Louis Music would reissue this item.Fender reissues thier Reverb unit.Are you guys listening ?

Unfortunately, the amp started smoking after my second playing session with it.I'd love to play it but I'm afraid I'll permanently damage something and it will cost me more money to repair in the long run. I'll have to get it over to the tech and have him check it out.Then again once the amp has been gone over by my tech I would say it should give me years of playing fun. These amps are well built!

Can't say since I bought this on e-Bay.

Been playing since 1965.I had a friend who had one of these from years back.I was always impressed with the sound and still am. Yes I like the reverb on this amp better than Fender and I had a 60's brown Fender Reverb. The reverb has a certain lush sweetness to it that sounds like nothing else. Wish the new Ampeg people would reissue the Echo Sattelite which I believe is their version of a stand alone reverb unit.I think their woulb be a market for it.

Built about 1963-1965 (haven't dated it yet.) It fits great for the clean sounds I like and use. Got it with the original power tubes still working, tremolo still works too!

I use it w/ a modified peavey/strat clone and some with an ampeg bass. It has probably the cleanest sound I've heard. Love the reverb more than fender (it's different). Fairly loud for its age.

Haven't had it long enough to determine reliability

I do my own repairs

Two channels hence the name. Warm or screaming, it has an asterik on both trebles to click and boost. Also on the tremelo for repeat percussion. While I would not use these items it's nice to know they are there. I use this amp mostly for bass in my small jam room on 5. It is too clean for the 70's rock that we play.

I use an old hollow body Epiphone bass with double coils. It lacks the power for my 69 Jazzbass. If I played a fat body jazz guitar I'm sure this would be a great amp, but it's too clean to even put an effect pedal on it. I have a reverberocket for that, but that's another story.

It needed a 7591 power tube to get it going, and some wacko shoved a guitar or something through the speaker. Once I fixed those two things, it hasn't been a problem since. Oh I bought an AC12 just for the 7591's these tubes are high!

I never tried to get anything from Ampeg for this one.

I've been playing thirty years. I kinda got into picking up bargain amps and Ampeg is well built. I have a Reverberocket and Reverberocket2 an AC12, a Crate 11R and CR112, Fender Champ 12, and a Peavey Triumph 60. I play mostly my 69 Strat or my 70 Les Paul Custom.
If My house burned down tonight I would grab my Strat and my cat.

While this amp doesn't have all of the bells and wistles of some newer amps--an efects loop etc.--it offers the best vibrato I've heard in an amp, plus some fine reverb. Notably, the range in tones are incredible: I can go from shimmering bright to a phat bass punch--it's 15 inch speaker handles both well. The best part is that whatever the setting this amp always sounds musical.

I use a les paul special with lindy fralin p-90's. This amp is clean, so you need a pedal to overdrive it--currently I am shopping for one. Yet although this amp is clean, it is super warm--think vintage tube heaven. This amp is definately a jazzer's dream; it can hang with any fender, even those overpriced deluxe reverbs. Yet, it is also well matched for rock, which is what i mainly play. The vibrato effect can be dialed in to radical settings. And, along with the reverb, cam be turned on and off with the footswitch. Having played through a modded fender Princton for years, with this amp, I feel like I have finally come home.

Since I haven't gigged with it yet, i can't attest to its reliability, although I get nervous with any vintage tube amp.

Vintage gear--you're on your own.

Ampegs are cheaper than fenders, and they sound great. Snce i got this amp I have become a fan of vintage ampeg amps. They produce the warm clean tones that i want as the basis for my sound. I use pedals for everything else. I would be devastated if something happened to this amp, as I would if something happened to one of my vintage guitars. If you get a chancecheck out one of these amps. A good one is cool, like a fender rhodes piano or any other choice vintage gear worth protecting.

Early to mid 60's blue tolex covered Ampeg. Two channel amp with one blue Jensen 15" speaker. Beautiful reverb and non-working tremelo. The power tubes are in a fixed bias setup developing about 30 watts, which is perfect for smaller gigs, but underpowered for large gigs and competition with heavy-handed drummers.

For single coil pickup guitars this amp produces the best clean tones I've yet to hear. It's got enough treble to articulate humbuckers very nicely, but they'll push it to distortion quickly. Seems to like P-90's as well. For jazz, cleaner blues, and early 60's rock this thing really does the trick. I'm talking stunning tone distinctly different from Fender. I don't much care for it's distortion sounds, but then again, "distortion" was a dirty word to the folks at Ampeg (if you'll pardon the pun). Sounds killer for bass, too, but I wouldn't take the volume above living room levels with a bass plugged into it.

Never let me down, and I gig with the thing...

N/A. The Ampeg company's changed hands since this puppy was built.

This is my favorite amp. I've owned many over the years. Wish it had twice the wattage and another 15" speaker, but then it would vbe impossible to move. Definately for those who don't require high volume and prefer clean tones. I happen to be one of them. The Gemini IV was basically the same amp in a single cahnnel version, so the reviews of that would also be relevant here.