Gibson GA-20RVT

I think the other reviews covered it well. the one thing this amp isn't is versitile! it does one thing and does it well. a mix between a fender and a Marshall

Beautiful! I loved it from the first time I heard it and can recognize it from a mile away (hyperbole). I was trying out a Gibson guitar at the Nashville store and just casually plugged in. Now the guitar wasn't bad but what had me looking twice was the amp! I love how the tremolo is not overwhelming but subtle in effect. the reverb is superb. I took one point off (I'm not sure if it is only mine) but the tremolo is like a cut switch almost to the volume. This amp is too bassie when i'm playing rythm(no points off becuase its great for leads) I'm going to see if I can change that.

Will see

N/A

I would get another one in a minute (i just might to get stereo sound from my effects at church) I wished Gibson would make a seperate head with more power. I am seriously in love with the tone. it is exactly what i hear in my head. i think the stock speaker can't handle the output well but I'm honestly just interested in the pursuit for great tone without needing hunders of knobs. it looks like a beautiful peice of furniture from an antic shop.

Reverb and Tremolo...it also has an input for both channels thats nice. It is what it is though...Its a very well made Blues Amp!
I bought mine new from a local dealer.

I play an ES-335 with P-90's on it...The Blues overdrive is awesome. I have several Fender amps, and even a Roland..This baby cooks!

The lower output setting is the best if your band is not too liud. If they are, switch it to the higher setting and blow em all out of the room..This amp has plenty of power

Ive had it for 1 year and so far NO PROBLEMS

Cant say..never had to deal with Gibson on this amp. But if they are as good as when I needed a replacement for my Firebird..they get a 10

Great Tone...Well made, and retro looks

What more can ya want?

I have had nothing but problems getting the full review up. Success at last. Sorry about the previous.

15/6 watt (pentode/triode switchable) Class A, 1x12 Combo
All tube including reverb and tremolo.
Hand built, hand wired turrets on top of heavy glass epoxy PCB construction.
Channel 1 = Overdrive channel. Volume, Treble, and Bass controls.
Channel 2 = Clean channel. Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Tremolo Speed and Depth controls.
Mix Input = mixes Channel 1 and Channel 2 including reverb and tremolo.

6V6 (Chinese) duet for power section
Preamp section: 5 each 12AX7s (Sovtek):
V1 ? Preamp power
V2 ? Preamp power
V3 - Reverb
V4 ? Reverb return and Tremolo
V5 ? Phase inverter

12? Eminence Legend Modeling speaker asymmetrically placed.
External cab jacks: 2 each 4 ohm, 1 each 8 ohm, and 1 each 16 ohm.
Footswitch Jack
Footswitch ? 2 button for reverb and tremolo. ON light for each switch when engaged.
Power and Standby switch.
Pentode/Triode switch.
Detachable power cord.
Two-Tone vintage brown and tan Tolex.

That is a lot of features to only get a 7. Here is why.

The only way to engage the reverb and tremolo is with the footswitch. Break it or loose it and your out of luck. -1.

Since there is no other place to address design flaws in the 5 categories I have made deductions for them here.

Using anything other than the stock Chinese power tubes can cause concern. The tubes extend from the back side of the chassis out towards the back of the cabinet. The stock Chinese 6V6 has a clearance of three quarters of an inch between the tube top and the back cover. Install the Tung-Sol 6V6GT reissue and the clearance is down to one half inch. Both of those tubes have fairly flat tops. If you throw in a duet of JJ 6V6S, the top of the bottle is round and has a small nipple. These tubes (which in my opinion really open up this amp, especially on the clean channel) will come within three eighths to one quarter of an inch of the back which is a bit close to the Tolex wrap and wood. There is foil tape which surrounds the heat venting grill on top of the cabinet above the tubes. For JJs it would be advisable to extend the foil the beyond the length of the tubes. I also installed foil on the inside of the back where the tube tops point as a precaution against heat. Since re-tubing improves the sound the owner will have to at a minimum shield the panel from with some foil. -1.

Two ? x ? x 6 inch wood strips are installed on each side of the cabinet just below the chassis. This will prevent the chassis from falling out if the screws holding it to the top of the cabinet back out. The problem is the transformer on the left (looking in from the back) will not fit on the chassis properly with the wood strip there. Gibson?s solution is to bend the transformer ears on the left side in order to angle the transformer away form the wood strip. Therefore the transformer is not sitting flush to the chassis as it should. It is secure and it solves the problem of getting the chassis in over the wood strips but it is a design flaw, looks as if it is broken, and is not in line with the type of quality this amp promises. -1.

The Standby switch makes a terrible popping noise as you switch the amp to the Standby mode. The only way to switch channels is by physically removing the cord jack from input to input. I?m not deducting for it but the Standby switch is an irritant.

Apart form these concerns the Tolex, piping, hardware and fit of the cabinet is excellent. It definitely has a vintage vibe.

15/6 watt (pentode/triode switchable) Class A, 1x12 Combo
All tube including reverb and tremolo.
Hand built, hand wired turrets on top of heavy glass epoxy PCB construction.
Channel 1 = Overdrive channel. Volume, Treble, and Bass controls.
Channel 2 = Clean channel. Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass, Reverb, Tremolo Speed and Depth controls.
Mix Input = mixes Channel 1 and Channel 2 including reverb and tremolo.

6V6 (Chinese) duet for power section
Preamp section: 5 each 12AX7s (Sovtek):
V1 ? Preamp power
V2 ? Preamp power
V3 - Reverb
V4 ? Reverb return and Tremolo
V5 ? Phase inverter

12? Eminence Legend Modeling speaker asymmetrically placed.
External cab jacks: 2 each 4 ohm, 1 each 8 ohm, and 1 each 16 ohm.
Footswitch Jack
Footswitch ? 2 button for reverb and tremolo. ON light for each switch when engaged.
Power and Standby switch.
Pentode/Triode switch.
Detachable power cord.
Two-Tone vintage brown and tan Tolex.

That is a lot of features to only get a 7. Here is why.

The only way to engage the reverb and tremolo is with the footswitch. Break it or loose it and your out of luck. -1.

Since there is no other place to address design flaws in the 5 categories I have made deductions for them here.

Using anything other than the stock Chinese power tubes can cause concern. The tubes extend from the back side of the chassis out towards the back of the cabinet. The stock Chinese 6V6 has a clearance of 3/4 of an inch between the tube top and the back cover. Install the Tung-Sol 6V6GT reissue and the clearance is down to 1/2 inch. Both of those tubes have fairly flat tops. If you throw in a duet of JJ 6V6S, the top of the bottle is round and has a small nipple. These tubes (which in my opinion really open up this amp, especially on the clean channel) will come within 3/8 to 1/4 of the back which is a bit close to the Tolex wrap and wood. There is foil tape which surrounds the heat venting grill on top of the cabinet above the tubes. For JJs it would be advisable to extend the foil the beyond the length of the tubes. I also installed foil on the inside of the back where the tube tops point as a precaution against heat. Since re-tubing improves the sound the owner will have to at a minimum shield the panel from with some foil. -1.

Two ? x ? x 6 inch wood strips are installed on each side of the cabinet just below the chassis. This will prevent the chassis from falling out if the screws holding it to the top of the cabinet back out. The problem is the transformer on the left (looking in from the back) will not fit on the chassis properly with the wood strip there. Gibson?s solution is to bend the transformer ears on the left side in order to angle the transformer away form the wood strip. Therefore the transformer is not sitting flush to the chassis as it should. It is secure and it solves the problem of getting the chassis in over the wood strips but it is a design flaw, looks as if it is broken, and is not in line with the type of quality this amp promises. -1.

The Standby switch makes a terrible popping noise as you switch the amp to the Standby mode. The only way to switch channels is by physically removing the cord jack from input to input. I?m not deducting for it but the Standby switch is an irritant.

Apart form these concerns the Tolex, piping, hardware and fit of the cabinet is excellent. It definitely has a vintage vibe.