Product: Ampeg Jet J-12-D
Price Paid: US $300 FS at a store I used to work at. used
Submitted
11/17/1999
at
08:24pm
by
J. Howell
Email: Howell_j<at>hotmail dot com
Features
:
5
These are great amps,nice round tone clean,barks like a big dog when pushed,beautiful,full tremelo sound.These are basically the only features of the amp,besides the groovy blue covering.
Sound Quality
:
10
See above.Most people hold the opinion that older Ampegs are "too clean",my experience with this amp is that at low to moderate volume,yeah,turn it up and it's an entirely different animal.
Reliability
:
8
If you can find a tech worth hi/her salt,no problem as these aren't terribly complicated.Tubes are no huge worry either,kids-New Sensor has Sovtek 7591s available (though they come with a "resistor mod",I haven't tried them yet...) and NOS Ampeg 6BK11s as well-they're not exactly chep but they're not too pricey either.The Jet that I've had the most experience with has held up remarkably well for its age,aside from some scratchy pots (God bless D5!!!)and slightly iffy speaker leads (no problem to fix),it was solid from day one.
Customer Support
:
1
ever dealt with SLM???If so you don't even need me to say it.
Overall Rating
:
10
Very cool amp,if I had room for another combo i'd definitely send Buzzz the dinero to park it in my living room.This amp was sadly overlooked by most of the customers in my time at Buzzz's place,which was really cool because I got to play through it after closing time anytime I wanted!!!I miss this amp! It's got a great tone for harp,too.
Product: Ampeg Jet J-12-D
Price Paid: US $150 used
Submitted
07/21/1997
at
01:41pm
by
Anonymous
Features
:
5
If you want versatility, look elsewhere. This mid-'60s Jet is a one channel 1x12 combo with just the basics - two inputs, three knobs (volume, tone, tremelo). I'm guessing it puts out around 20-25 watts, using a pair of 7591 power tubes and another pair of 6BK11 preamp tubes - neither of which are easy to find and are quite expensive when found.
Sound Quality
:
9
What this amp lacks in features it makes up for it in tone. Very warm and round; you won't get that Fender high end. One of the founders of Ampeg was a jazz player, and he designed his amps to stay clean at a higher volume. This amp is no exception - it doesn't start breaking up until around 9 on the volume. It also takes the buzziness out of my TS-10 Tube Screamer when used with this amp - it smoothes it out and the notes seem to flow into each other. I've used both humbuckers and single coils with it and haven't had a bad sound yet.
Reliability
:
8
I haven't had a problem with it yet. It's gigworthy, IMHO. The only problem I see is when it comes time to replace the tubes - NOS 7591s run $40 - $50 each, and the 6BK11s are around $20 each. But the tone...
Customer Support
:
No Opinion
Warranty? This amp's probably older than I am. Sure, Ampeg's still around under St. Louis Music, but I'd doubt they'd service it. Fortunately it's a fairly common amp, so a good amp tech shouldn't be hard to find.
Overall Rating
:
8
Sure, I'd buy it again. Besides the tone, it's a cool looker with the blue diamond tolex and silver grille. Sure, it's no high gain monster, but that's not what I was looking for at the time.
