Gibson Classic Gold

I'm playing guitar since 8-9 years. I bought this Gibson Classic Gold about a year ago (Don't know when it was built). It was a case of big luck, because i haven't had any expectations to buy an amp at this day. Anyway, i bought this amp together with an 1974 Framus-guitar, which has also a fantastic sound, especially for blues and garage rock. the dealer where I got my gibson had also no idea about the watts - 85 seems correct! I love the sound of both channels - it has a very bride sound-spectrum. Absolutly outragous is the included reverb - i think it's the best reverb i've erver heard out of an combo amp like this category. Mostly I use my gibson when we are playing with the band in our cellar. Before that I used at home -yeah. Sometimes we organise parties out on my ground in the forest - there i've also used my gibson- so indorr or outdoor, this amp rocks at all

Most time I use my Framus, but I'm also plying bass (well this is my real job in our band - bass-playing since 15 years), and then my gibson is used by our lead guitar - a gibson SG (!). I've also tried other amps of severall friends, mostly marshall,...HEY, OUR LEAD-GUITAR-PLAYER HAS AN MARSHALL BLUE EDITION-TOP WITH 100 WATTS AND AN 4*12"-SPEAKER - HE ALWAYS USES MY SAMLL GIBSON INSTEAD OF HIS MARSHALL - OUESTIONS? The distortion is not as bad as I expired whith other amps - also never had any technical problem - THIS IS THE SOUND I WAS LOCKING FOR - LOVE AT THE FIRST SECOND

I belive in gibson - no problems since I bought it, mayby I should change the tubes, in aview months - it is sligthly noise on channel 2, if turn up the gain very high

I didn't get a warranty, that's why I'm thinking, that it was at least second hand, but there where also no optical damages and it looked very new - but I'm not sure. I haven't allready found a photo of this amp in the internet - support !? don't think so that there is anywhere a support

I play guitar since 8-9 years. I own a ampeg B2 Top (450 watts!, including an pre-amp) within an ultra-mid effect (ampeg special) with an Ampeg classic speaker (4*10", horn, 15", 800 watts - yipiiiiiie).
I also have had a marshal bass-combo (200 watss), and a small samick-bass amp (15 watts). My gibson is the only guit-amp I would like to use - of course I would try get an new one if the old would break. don't mess it with other amps - Classic gold wins - AT ALL IT IS ONE OF THE BEST GUIT-AMPS I'VE EVER SEEN, HEARD AND PLAYED - TRY TO GET ONE!!!!!

I recently bought my Gibson Classic gold amp. It was build and shipped in `91.This combo-amp comes with a 4 knobbed footswitch and reverb. The 85 Watt hybrid amp has 2 channels, which can either be changed by footswitch or manually. It has 2 plug-inns for guitar, footswitch goes in front. At its back you can choose between 3 outputs; variabel what you wanna do with your output. It is also possible to connect with an externel speaker or another amp.
The effectloop can be changed by footswitch, which is of extreme value to me. I play various styles of music, from rock to soul, this amp can handle everything.
The only thing I kinda miss on this version is a chorus.
I find the lack of a headphone jack not disturbing.

I use a LP Classic on this amp and its a perfect match.
The clean channel is extremely dry, no matter if you put it loud or even much louder. I like the incredible deep sound of the amp. I often add a little chorus to it.
The distortion channel can be set as you want it to be with the active tone controls. You can vary as often as you like and in combination with the guitarswitch it seems like there`s a new sound in it every time you try to get that special sound.
I also own a Marshall JCM 800 and so far I thought that this was the amp to use for my LP, but I was wrong. The gibson amp has less distortion, but by pressing the footswitch at the boost knob, it simply is enough distortion in combination with the treble elements from my guitar. I finally found the sound I had in my head for so long, but could never reproduce on stage with a minimum of effects.

I own the amp to short to say something meaningfull about this, but so far it has never let me down. I have played several gigs and rehearsels without any problems.

I couldn`t find much information about this amp on the internet and the Gibson employee couldn`t tell me much more.
I doubt however that there is any customer support due to the fact that to my knowledge the Gibson Labs are no longer in service.

I play guitar for about 20 years, and I played a variaty of guitars and amplifiers. I can really say that now I`ve found the combination I was lookin` for; deep warm sounds and high bonechillin` squeeks..

Made for only a few years in the early 90's, Gibson Labs in North Hollywood CA issued three versions: The Classic Gold, The Gold Chorus and simply The Gold. The first two came in gold vinyl while The Gold came in black vinyl and was essentially the same amp as the Classic Gold. A Gibson rep. informs me that they were discontinued due to a lack of popularity. They simply didn't sell well enough. At the time the features of the Classic Gold were ahead of the field. In order to benefit from them the 4 button (5 function) footswitch is essential. It controls the channel switching, boost, reverb, effects on/off, and has a switch to assign the effects to channel 1, 2 or both. 85 Watts RMS. Two inputs +0dB and +12dB. Two channels, one clean and one with 2 12AX7 tubes for overdrive. The overdrive has a switchable boost function for an added +6dB. Active tone controls for -/+ 15dB on low, mid and high. Effects loop brings the effects into the signal post-eq and overdrive, but pre-reverb.
Also pre-amp in and power amp out jacks expand the versatility of the effects loop. The amps are fantastic. The only thing it could have used is a headphone jack.

With the active low mid and high controls, the tube overdrive situated before the eq, and the fully dynamic preamp, the amp is musically interactive with the player. If you have the time, you can make it sound any way you can imagine. How hard you hit the strings will effect how much overdrive is produced.

No problems. It's now at least 10 years old. Like anything, if you're nice to it, it should last.

I finally found someone out there in cyberspace who knew what I was talking about who sent me some original marketing and technical information on these amps, but he's since disappeared. Gibson Labs in North Hollywood CA seems no longer to exist as well. Their phone number is now a collection agency. There'd probably be no service available other than your local hack, but there's nothing that can be done about that.

Playing about 20 years. I bought the version known simply as "The Gold" in black vinyl and liked it so much I bought the Classic Gold as a back up/friendly jam amp for others. Unfortunately neither came with the original 4 button footswitches but I was lucky to score two of them in separate individual transactions. I compared these to the Fender Roc-Pro tube-hybrid combo amp, but there are a lot of complaints about popping noises and stuff on those, so I went with these Gibson Labs amps.

I bought my Gibson Classic Gold in 93 brand new. It is 85 watts. It is good clean sound and the foot switch has reverb, effects, channel and boost all on one foot switch. I play my Les Paul in church so have never needed anything more from it. I also have a Marshall DSL 401 recently purchased for heavier distortion sounds since that is not the Gibson's forte. It has the mic type plug for an easy line out to connect to a sound system, which is nice. It has a mid range knob to change the sound to emulate the sounds of other famous amps so is quite versatile.

Our church band plays very loud rock and blues type of music. The Gibson handles it all very well. I mostly do rythm with occasional blues lead and fills. I play with a floor switch effects box to get various sounds when needed. I leave it at church so can't remember the brand. The amp is nice and quiet without strange hums or anything like that. I have been very pleased with it. The only thing it lacked which is why I wanted the Marshall all tube amp was for a little more distortion sounds for lead playing. I usually play near max volume with no problems. The foot switch is convenient for boost to play lead. It is fairly clean sounding at all volumes so doesn't really get real nasty like the Marshall. For most of the music I play in church I never need the growl and snarl of the Marshall. From quiet to full volume sounds it is great.

In ten years of playing this amp I have taken it everywhere I have gone from Guam and Hawaii and back to Tennessee. It has never failed or had any trouble whatsoever.

Never had problems. Can't find my paperwork for several years now so can't rememebr warranty information. But with over 10 years of reliability who cares?

I have been playing guitar since 1967. I play guitar, bass, banjo, tenor banjo & mandola. Amps I have include the Gibson Classic Gold 85 watt, Marshall DSL 401 40 watt, Prime 30 watt acoustic, Berringer 120 watt bass amp, and my old sears 60 watt bass amp from around 1970.

This is a hybrid design 2- channel amp with one solid state preamp channel, one tube preamp channel (with a boost switch), and a solid state power amp. It also features active tone controls on both preamp channels and a sweepable midrange control on the tube channel. One really nice feature is a dedicated tuner output on the back panel, which can also be used to feed an unprocessed signal to another amp. The solid state power amp is VERY consistent at all volume levels. Channel switching can be done with front panel controls or with the footswitch. Even the effects loop can be switched in or out AND assigned to either or both channels. Oh, and I can't forget the dual inputs, one at 0dB and on at +12dB. I like how the footswitch plugs into the front panel. Mine has a single 12" speaker, but there was a version with dual 12s and a stereo chorus. There is also an external speaker jack on the back, but it is fixed at 8 ohms (a switch to change to 4ohms would be nice). All in all, I would say it it is versatile but not really fancy.

I use this amp with a mongrelized Tele with an alder body, maple/maple neck and Duncan pickups. Being primarily a roots-rock/Celtic -rock player, I value a solid clean tone living at the edge of overdrive, and this amp delivers very nicely. Someone looking for a Marshall-type power tube overdrive would not find it here, though. The tube channel has a nice warm sound at all levels, and is no more noisy at higher settings than any other tube amp I've used. What really shines is the active tone controls. I do not know the frequency settings, but they work pretty wel for what I do. The sweepable midrange on the tube channel is nice because some careful tweaking can really change the sound in dramatic ways. Hey. I've even used the solid stat channel with a magnetic pickup on an acoustic guitar(and the tube channel, too..couldn't resist) with good results. Playing the two channels with the dual inputs and the boost gives 6 good, basic tones to build from. Beware, though, that the solid state power section does little to color the sound. I call this the down side of uniformity. At 85 watts, this amp can deliver excellent sounds at all volume levels, including a very loud but very clean sound that is hard to find anywhere. I don't know who made the speaker, but it has a good overall sound, again without much color. In other words, what you put into it is pretty much what comes out, with all the advantages and disadvantages that go along with it. The reverb sounds very good at lower settings, but when I tried to do the Duane Eddy thing it got sort of muddy.

This amp has never let me down live or in the studio. I would not hesitate to take it on the road. I am little concerned about the footswitch, since it seems to use a special cable to connect it and I don't know about finding a replacement if it were to be lost or damaged. Also, the knobs are kind of small and sit at an angle, so if you travel with it, you should keep this mind. This amp isn't made anymore and I have no idea of how to get replacements if one got knocked off.

I have never had a problem with this amp or any other Gibson product, but it is a large company with a very extensive network of dealers and service centers around the world.

I've been playing guitar for 15 years and had this amp for about 5. Not being a big star or even a twinkle on the horizon, I use it for several other instruments such as lap steel and mandolin. I have yet to be disappointed. The high wattage makes it good choice for a variety of venues, from small clubs to outdoor stages. I have used several Fender and Marshall amps over the years, and this one is my overall favorite. I really like how the sound is very uniform over the full range of volume levels, and it can get loud when you need it. Overall, this is one of those "sleepers", a great product that never quite hit in a big way. Gibson is not usually thought of as an amp company, and most players probably passed it by because of that.What a shame.

This is a "Gibson Classic Gold" combo amp, with a matching extension cab. Both have a "Gibson Gold" 12 inch speaker.I would genuinely like to know what year(s) these amps were manufactured. Believe it to be 100 watts. Comes with two channels (switchable), unbelieveably clean and killer gain (a little noisey),with probably the best reverb I have ever heard. Also has four way footswitch.

I run both a Les Paul standard and Ric 381v69 through it, and both sound great. I play basic rock and country. Again the clean is crystal but the gain is a little noisey, so I couldn't give it a ten.

I've only had this amp for about six months, so far, so good, no problems at all.

I've really only been playing for about two years, but I've had a Fender "Hot Rod Deville" (4 tens, 60 watts) and a Trace Elliot "Tramp" (60 watts), both were purchased new. This used Gibson kicks their ass. I sure wonder why Gibson doesn't build any thing like this any more