Gibson GA15 110 Combo

No features, just great sound. Pedals add the features. Who really messes with their amp during a set anyway? You change sounds etc. with pedals - not knobs on an amp!

I got this amp after using a twin 12" solid state Marshall for years. I had no idea my guitar had such beautiful nuances to it's sound! This little amp is awesome.

Way easier to carry around. I've never even had it past volume 4... I play in Churches with pretty modern style - electric, base, drums, keys, numerous vocalists, acoustic, sax, flute etc. I never get drowned out.

I can't imagine wanting anything else! I run my acoustic (Martin DC1E) and my electric (Gibson Little Lucille) both through it with an assortment of pedals. People (especially other guitarists) ask me how I get such a sweet sound. I think most of it is this amp!

Beautiful.

I've had to get another set of tubes...

I called Gibson once to ask the difference between their Epiphones and Gibson Les Pauls. They were clear and helpful...

Everyone's already listed the specs - so these just my observations.
Maybe a 7's a bit harsh... but this amp could do with a master volume. If you're cranking it for overdrive, it can be too loud. The controls are located at the bottom of the back of the amp too, which gives a bit of a workout. There is a built in standby switch that is easy to overlook, but definitely a positive.

When I first listened to the amp, it blew me away. If you plug a guitar directly into this amp, there is no way to make it sound bad. Period. Not even if you're playing a Hondo. Shimmering clean tones in abundance. Punchy. Definitely capable of cutting through the mix. And it is SO LOUD! Turning the volume up 1/10 in a small room is enough to merit earplugs. I guess it's the Class A circuit at work. About halfway on the volume knob, the output level stabilizes and it just overdrives more. Beautiful gain. Creamy or gritty, any way you like it. It does buzz significantly when cranked, but it has a good note to buzz ratio. The tone control is voiced well, and isn't just a high cut. It's actually controlling two potentiometers at once.

The Bad: The bright switch. This switch increases the presence too much. Unless you have tone all the way counterclockwise, bright mode hurts. a lot. Also creates a significant amount of additional hum.

This amp brings out the best of your pedals too. I plugged it in with my big muff, which i love to death, but is rather a fizzy chap. Made it sound lush and living, and very dynamic in a way i've never heard before.

This amp would suit such styles as: Jazz, Pop, Blues, Rock, Hard Rock, Funk, etc. Anything but death metal. That's what mesas

I can't say... I haven't had it long enough. Seems of sturdy construction overall. The body is durable, but maybe the tolex isn't. Tubes seem fairly new. Ruby Tubes in the power section but that's all i know about the tubes. The tubes-on-bottom design does seem reliable as it lets the heat float away, and there is a very sturdy looking grill on the back to protect the amp's innards.

I've never dealt with Gibson, but they're a major brand with an image to uphold.

For uncontaminated, all tube sound, this is your amp. Not too expensive or too complicated but never fails to sound good. I tested it against formidable competition, such as the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and Deville, Blues Deluxe and Deville, Blues Junior, Crate Palominos (Don't believe everything you read), Peavey Classic 30 and 50, and other amps in the price range. All of them have more bells and whistles, but none of them could touch the Gibson's great tone.

Volume, tone knobs, bright switch, 16 ohm cabinet out, no reverb, no cover. Standby switch, removable computer power cord, 15watts class A, 10" celestion speaker.
It's small and weighs very little.
Amazing amount of volume from such a small amp.
Plenty of clean power for the typical small bar gig.

RI tele w/Seymor pickups or a US Strat with texas specials into a VSRoute66 - ReverendTS9 - Boss BDriver - VS H2O.
It takes time getting comfortable with this amp. I've been using a older vibrolux reverb and I've been able to nail that amps tone (except the bass) with the Gibson after I changed the preamp tubes to match the Fender.
Amp comes with JJTubes, they sound fine and can nail the Marshall tone. I put in GrooveTube EL84S #2 and get a bit rounder bass. Mids and highs are the same as the JJ's. Can't say much about the Celestion 10. Tends to garble a bit on the bass with either set of output and pre-amp tubes.
Sounds huge when recorded, with very little mic placement fiddling.

So far it has performed as expected.
Some reviewers say these amps blow up. I opened it up and found quality parts. Silicone dampening of board components, tube retaining springs, plenty of space for air to keep the amp trannies cool, excellent choice of hardware for attaching large gauge wire to the PCboard.
Decent cabinet work, tolex is ok, kinda soft/spongey, might rip over time.
Amplifier knobs and switches are recessed to protect them from shearing off.
The Gibson logo on the front is cheap gold plated pot metal. The descending stroke of the letter "n" will break off, (Gibsoi).
Get a good cover to protect it.

Haven't dealt with Gibson before.
I'm going to contact them to get a new cabinet logo.

I love the big tone and the small size.
Keep it simple and it won't break.
Some trade-offs, that's to be expected.
A great amplifier for guitar tone reproduction and that is all.

I have the USA made version, which according to Musician's Friend has upgraded components compared to the one made in England. This amp has a simple setup: volume, tone, bright switch, and extension speaker output jack at 16 Ohms. If you attach an extension speaker, the internal speaker is disconnected. I give it a 10 for those "purist" guitar players that want a no frills approach. If you just want tone, and don't need master volume, effects loops, reverb circuits or channel switching, this is what you're looking for.

If you like blues, the GA-15 will deliver for both single coils and humbuckers. A Les Paul and Strat both sounded great through this little mighty mite. However, if you want the SRV or Gary Moore overdrive sound, I definitely recommend using a volume boost to get the overdrive. The Two EL84 output tubes can definitely handle a lot more volume, so go ahead and get a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 or Distortion Pro and listen to the GA-15 enter the stratosphere! I also add an Alesis Nanoverb between the guitar and the GA-15 for some reverb. But even without a reverb unit or overdrive pedal, the GA-15 still provides great blues tone. I connected it to a 2x12 cabinet with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers, and the improvement in volume was quite noticeable. If I had a 4x12, I'm sure it would be even more remarkable. And this amp is not going to break anyone's back either, at only 31 pounds.

I hope Gibson decides someday to produce a 30 watt version of this amp. The Celestion Vintage 10 speaker can handle the extra load.

So far so good.

E-mails are answered promptly.

I recently decided to sell my Astroverb 16 combo and use the GA-15 instead. I'm more interested in pure tone than in high gain overkill. I'm considering getting another GA-15 for a stereo effect.

Wow This amp is a luxury!!I got it new and paid $379 for it.I am allways looking for a amp that brings out the tone of the guitar you plug in to it and this is it.It looks small but it sounds big!Gibson made this tube amp for gibson guitars and its a perfect match.

I play at my church mostly and so if I need a clean sound like a Fender super reverb ($1200)or a blues sound like a Fender 57 twin ($2999)or a rock sound like a Marshall 1959 100 watt plexi reissue($2000)I just turn the volume an the tone up or down and use my foot pedals for the rest.

I just got the amp so, I know my Gibson SG and my Gibson ES 135 I can trust. Gibson has been around forever.

Gibson is a house hold name in every music store and so I would say I would get the help I need if I needed it ><

I have been playing for 30+ and I am allways learning and trying to get my tone right!God has helped me to get this perfect little amp at this price.Mine has no handle so I will have to put one on.I have played my guitar in every amp I could get my hands on and for the money and the sound this amp gets I would replace it if it got stolen

Made in UK, this amp has a single tone, single volume and a bright switch. It has a speaker output rated at 16ohms, and a single celestion 10" speaker. I give this 8 because, even though it is not packed with features, it is very versatile for what it is.

I use a variety of guitars with this amp. An Epi Sheraton, Flying V Gothic, Steinberger and '88 Strat. It has a good choice of clean tones when used at lower volumes, and gives a great crunch tone when wound up. I really use this as a base for my tones, adding a Boss Super Overdrive and a WEM Copycat for lead tones. This is a very loud amp for 15w!! I have used it through my Marshall 1960A, and it sounded very punchy(Not quite as sweet tone as the internal speaker, but that's not really a bad thing, just different.

Suffice to say, i've had some awesome tones from this little amp, and will shortly be using it live.

Seems rock solid. The construction is very good, and there is not much to go wrong on it. I wouldn't gig without a back-up, but I never do no matter what amp i'm using.

Never dealt with them.

This amp rates very highly against my JCM2000. The sounds are great, but don't expect wild distortion - buy a fizzy Triple Rec if you do nu-metal. I got this from e-bay very cheap, and would definitely replace it if it were stolen or lost.

If you want great recording tones, and love clean twang and crunch overdrive, buy a Goldtone. Simple as that!

I've got a '99 Gibson GA-15 combo amp. This baby is so sweeeeet. Nothing but a single celestion 10" speaker, 15 watts All Tube RMS, class A circuitry, volume, tone and a bright switch, so it isn't exactly feature-loaded, but it is precisely what I need. Don't let the 10" speaker fool you, the tone is HUGE.

I do a lot of recording and this thing absolutely takes the cake. Bogner, Matchless, Tophat - PFFFT. Save your dough and pick up one of these bad boys. I have two Les Pauls ('76 standard and a '91 Classic) as well as an old Vox Bulldog and a 90's SG. From clean jazz to warm blues to rock, this thing smokes. You can really nail that vintage brit sound with this, somewhere between an AC-15 and a Plexi. I've also used it for blues harp and resonator with spectacular results.

Haven't had any problems at all.

Man, I am so happy with this amp. I have been playing for 11 years, and believe me, I have plugged into to A LOT of different tube amps. I bought it so I wouldn't have to haul my other rig around as much, but I almost instantly fell in love with it. I was really looking for an AC-30TBX, but didn't want to blow the music budget for the year, so I decided to go smaller. There is nothing that I don't like about this amp (well, maybe the plastic handle), but it looks cool, sounds awesome and is unbelieveably low-priced compared to it's competition. I picked mine up on ebay for 350$ shipped.