Gibson GA-5T Combo

*Just to help clear up some confusion on the many models of this amp - I am reviewing the 1963 'Crestline'(believe the version of this was pretty much the same 62'-mid 65' with a couple of minor comsmetic differences like upgraded knobs and later silver/black color scheme) Gibson Skylark Ga-5t (t stands for the tremolo built-in), so the subscriber who said that this is a Ga-5t combo amp is correct in his description. I have done a lot of research on this amp and I own this amp as well, so I can confidently say that the information I am about to give you will be accurate and to the best of my ability as a stern observer, researcher, listener/audiophile, even though I am by no means an 'expert'( I am still human and I mess up all the time)* ...

Here we go - Very simple amp. Five watts tube driven output. Two inputs (one at -3 db), One Volume/Loudness knob (the louder you crank it, the grittier and more distorted it sounds), one knob for the tremolo, and one on/off knob. Red pilot light and and fuse panel are on the faceplate as well. Mine is the 63' version; it has an oxblood tolex grill and a faded silver 'Gibson' logo on the right top-hand side (lots of Skylarks are missing the 'Gibson' logo, it is very delicate to keep on), and it has the cheap-looking 'faux' brown wood cabinet encasing. There is also a tiny fancy red crest left of the on/off knob, which identifies it as part of the 'Crestline' series of amps that Gibson made during the sixties (very interesting and peculiar all-in-all, but in a silly, very retro, charming sort of way, it all adds up to being an oddly handsome amp). Has a 10 in. speaker, mine originally came with a non-stock Jensen CQ10, I have replaced mine to a more efficient, louder Eminence Ragin' Cajun' speaker that made this amp now usable in loud practices with a band. Has a tube compliment of two 6QA5's, one 6x4 rectifier, and two 6EU7's. Stock, they are all 60's Raytheon tubes (yellow lettering on them), but some of mine are RCA brand, like the 6x4 (earlier tall red/orange lettering on them). Wonderful sounding vintage tubes IMO, and they can be found for reasonable prices. So, features are simple, but not overdone, and everything passes in the looks and functionality department.

I have has this amp for almost a year now, and I have played it almost every day, so I can say that the honeymoon period is well over. This was a 'student' level amp at the time it was introduced, but the sound of it is certainly professional. At lower volumes, the style and sound is exactly what you would think of when you the think of that "jazz" sound; sparkly and smooth, with some chime, very beautiful and creamy when mic'ed. The louder you crank it however, the more complex it gets. When fully cranked, I would have to say that the sound is somewhere between an overdriven Fender Reverb and a Marshall Plexi. It still retains its' jazzy overtones, but it becomes almost a different beast and develops this total rip-roaring 'rock' tone. I use this amp to play in a band with my friends, and it is killer. Wow. The best part is that it totally surprises people when they hear this tiny little amp put out so much awesome mojo. Pairs well with my tube-driven Tonebone Classic pedal the extra 'push.' Did also mention that it is super-quiet? Those are the best parts. However, there are obvious physical restrictions when it comes to this tiny of an amp. First, the bass response isn't going to be felt when you play in a band situation due to the open back design and the cheap hardwood outer shell, and the low wattage means that you will only hear it when fully cranked unless you use a mic

Surprisingly, the only maintenance (other than the work that i had done to it when I fist got it; replaced the power cord to three-prong grounded cord which also helps eliminate hum) was a replaced rectifier tube that burned out after heavy use.

You are the warranty after 45 years. You can email Gibson for some schematics, but they are not always consistent with their schematics, so learn a little bit about what you have first, or use a trusted amp repair man to take care of the problems you might have (even though simpler amps like these are less prone to problems).

Really, for the price, it is hard to beat. Pair it with your favorite pedal and you have the perfect practice amp, or enough to gig with (that is if the speaker is upgraded). I have had this amp for some time now, and I have tried to upgrade. I have bought an Orange Rocker 30, a Vox ac50cp2, and I thought they paled in comparison to my Gibson (even though they are louder). I'm gonna keep this amp for a long time to come because i am continually impressed with the quality of sound I get constantly, and it never gets old to hear it again and again.

I just noticed that the GA-5T reviews were getting lumped into the GA-5 reviews, so I'm starting a new thread for the 5T's.

Mine is a '61, all original, down to the tubes, cleanest amp I've ever owned. Looks like it came right out of the factory (except missing the Gibson badge, I need to get one).

Anyways, the same as a GA-5 but with Tremelo. 1-10" speaker, 2 inputs, 1 channel, crank it and go! I think it's about 10 watts.

Not a lot of features... which in my book means a higher score. Keep it simple!

Not powerful enough for a big club but should mic up real well since it's got that sweet Gibson tube tone of the 50's and 60's.

I play punk rock, turn the volume all the way up and A/B it with a 1-12" japanese combo (see my Recco amp review... it's the only one) for a full bodied sound.

The distortion is sweet.

Hmm... well since it's so old I don't think it'd like to be tossed around too much, so I'd take care of it if I took it on the road.

Otherwise, it's a simplistic p-to-p tube amp, so any amp tech can fix it.

See your local amp tech.

Classic tone, classic look, basic features make this baby one of the best! Competes with Fender 1-10's and 1-12's of the same era as far as I'm concerned.