Gibson GA15RV Goldtone 112 Combo

Two inputs, three knobs and two switches yet all you need !

Brilliant design by a true conoisseur.

DIVINE class A sound. I prefer a triode to pentode sound but both are very usable. Loves all good pedals too.

In short, the sound of this Gibson-Trace-Eliott combo is close to boutique sounds of custom amps that cost 4 times more.

This is true 100 for sound (and yes you can gig with this combo).

I play regularly - no problem.

Do not need it.

>45 years of guitar playing and I played just about any amp there is including custom built ones. This British made golden ''Gibson'' has THE sound for jazz, blues and classic rock.

I might even buy the second one anyway.
One of the best purchases I ever made.

This is a follow up to my original submission from 11-21-2003, which is a bit over a year ago. The features are as described in all the reviews. Class A pentode/triode amp with minimal controls, reverb, and a Celestion Vintage 30 speaker.

I use the amp for classic rock, blues, jazz/fusion, avante guard stuff and mainly use a 95 American Standard Telecaster with noiseless pickups installed. Some say this amp is too bright for single coils but I disagree. I can get my Tele sounding like a Gibson with this amp. If you could not see it was a Fender you would never know.

Even after breaking it in this amp has never produced any unwanted hum or extraneous noise other than rattle in the EL84s after extended usage.

Because of the tube rattle (I replaced the originals and that really took care of it) and the fact that even in the triode mode this amp is loud when you start to drive the tone, I run it through a THD HotPlate and a 1x12 Avatar Celestion Vintage 30 equipped cabinet.

The internal speaker is disabled when you connect to an external cabinet. At first I questioned the wisdom in this but now I really appreciate this feature. In fact, I really wish that Gibson sold this amp as a head only.

The external cabinet eliminates any tube rattle. The internal speaker simply pushes so much air and is so close to the tubes that it is inevitable that microphinics will eventually occur. The external cabinet is the perfect solution and the Avatar 1x12 does a great job preserving the similar speaker dynamics of the combo.

The THD HotPlate is a great way to drive this amp, get all the tone, and yet be able to play it at volumes that won't have your neighbors getting mad at you. Not to mention that it actually has been helpful in live performances too.

With the exception of the -16db setting where you loose too much of the speakers drive, this has proved to be an ideal solution to retaining tone while being able to lower volume. I am sure other attenuators such as Dr. Z or Marshall would work as well as the THD.

Even though it is small and of low wattage, this amp will cut through the room like a double edged sword. In a room the size of a basketball gym, in the 15 watt mode, I attenuate it down 8db with a THD Hot Plate and the leads easily power through the rest of the band.

I love this amp. It is all about tone and feel. Turn the volume knob past 12 and bring on the creamy overdriven tone. It is totally adjustable. Want a little; put it a little past 12. The further you turn it, the more it thickens. Yet it never becomes so distorted that note and chord definition is lost as it is in so many amps.

It is an amp that responds to your fingers. It is very expressive to your touch, your input. Perhaps that is why some don't like it, because it is ultra responsive and that sort of complexity takes some adjustment. But that is what I love most about it. Music is emotional and I can express my feelings through this amp.

Other guitarists I have jammed with love this amp for the same reasons. I simply can't tell you of all the comments I have gotten from peers who plugged in to it and expressed the same sentiments that I wrote in the above paragraph. They simply love the tone and response.

The reverb is above average for an amp this size but it could be better. It could use a little more depth.

One last thing, this really is two amps in one. The 6 & 15 watt modes do exhibit differing harmonic qualities. Personally, I prefer the 6 watt tone, but both are exceptional.

Also you can change the 12AX7 in the V1 position, which can be done any time without any need to worry about biasing. You can experiment with all kinds of tonal differences. I have used the GT Mullard reissue, Sovtek's, the latest Chinese, Ei's. . . You simply will be amazed at the changes they make, so again, it is easy to experiment and find other tones. Some tubes such as the Ei overdrive easier. Others, like the Mullard reissues have more head room. But the fact you can easily do this is just another bonus of this amp. That said, the JJs that come installed rock.

I have never had a problem with this amp. I see others have and I am sympathetic. All I can tell you is I have driven this thing hard and it has yet to fail in any respect.

It has a two year warranty and like anyone else I hope I don't have to use it.

Any time I have ever talked to Gibson they have been helpful and responded to all my questions in a timely manner. In that respect their support has been great but I will N/A it here only because I have never had to deal with a warranty issue and can't make a judgment there.

I have been playing for over 20 years. Unless you?re able to find a great deal on an AC-15, an old Ampeg Reverb-O-Rocket, or have the money for a Carr, Dr. Z or other boutique amp, do yourself a favor and spend some time with this amp. You won't get tone and feel like this in any other combo in this price range.

It is definitely old school in looks, function and tone, so if you?re into effects rather than getting your tone from only your guitar and amp, no need stop here. And that is fine if you are into all that. For me, I get all the tone I want with my guitar knobs dimed, a volume knob adjustment, and nothing in my signal path except a Boss TU-2 tuner.

I heard a rumor from the dealer where I bought this that Gibson is going to discontinue this model. If that is true my advice is get one while you still can.

see below or details. kinda wish the amp had a jewel light to remind me it is on, and I guess I'd like the controls on top, but honestly, I seldom adjust an amps actual tone settings once I set them. I do it at the guitar and eq through pedals. doesnt have sh*t for modern ammenities, really, which is fine cause it is a single channel amp...I thought maybe the lack of a tube rectifier would be an issue to me, but I've gotten to the point where I don't really see any advantage/disadvantage to the whole ss v. tube rectifier.

this is a very toneful amp. I dont know if it is TRULY 'class a' or just another one of those so-called 'class a' amps, but I do know it has a gorgeous tone that I'd describe as very articulate, depending on your guitar and what speaker you have installed. I put a weber blue in mine cause I think the greenback it came with was just too bright and tended to be kinda harsh on the high end when any volume was put forth. the alnico goes a real long ways to keeping the top spritely and controlled, especially when you are pushing some real air through this combo. the cab is real tight, and that is great. no rattles at all. feels real real solidly built. the ceramic sockets can handle the heat the el84's put out, and so I dont worry about that. it IS kinda two amps in one with the 1/2 power switch, which is really an excellent idea. If I want to do some recording but want an overdriven power tube tone at modest recording volumes -- not a problem; if I want some thick chunkiness, I can run it at 7 watts and just turn it up - really nice thicker break-up. Just great. Pretty voxy, ac-15ish with the alnico speaker. at 15 watts, it has decent legs for clean to be sure. 15 'class a' watts sound appreciably 'louder' than you might expect. the tone controls have a nice, effective sweep, and the reverb is fine, real fine. takes pedals REAL well and in fact, it is probably one of my fave sounding amps with any number of quality OD's pushing it in 15 watt mode (tim, banzai, keeley fuzzhead, ts9 - heck, even a nobles odr sounded real fine). I think it handles a compressor real well too - I hit it hard with a keeley and it just purrs. I cant stress enough how important a great speaker is to any amp, and having quality pu's in your guitar. I think it sounds better with HB's, but I am not really slagin' SC's. The amp sounds sweet. people who have good tone ears compliment it's sound, if not always my playin'...heh,heh,heh. Does a great neil young howl or an ac/dc snarl with a lp or gretsch and handles a brighter tele just great.

4 years, replace the power tubes as you should..otherwise, no problems at all.

dunno anything about this, bought it used.
I wouldn't send it to Gibson. HA! get real.

it is a 10 now, but remember I dropped a weber blue into it ($170). I find it likes jj's el84's. mine is the light tan model without the god awful gold grill - man that looks fugly, huh? Gibson, what were you thinking with those gold plated grills? HAHAHA! no, mine looks like a 50's blues amp with the dark brown speaker mesh, but understand it is so much cleaner and modern and TIGHTer in its EQ capabilities than some hissy and wool blanket covered, lower powered moldy crap fiddies amp. the 1/2 power switch is just so great. I love being able to open it up and letting it roar. gets a sweet tweed tone with some good pedals, and has no problem copin' a vox vibe. if you like that stuff, it's a great amp. qon't do metal but like any great amp, with some help, it can nail just about any genre. at 450 USD, sh*t...great tone amp. easy to fit into a trunk too.

One channel. Three knobs: Volume, Tone, and Reverb. I don't like the knobs being in the back of the amp. That's a hassle to get back there sometimes.

I had a Peavey Classic 50 410 that I had put new speakers in to try to get the tone I was looking for. It was clean and full...but way too heavy. So I got rid of it.
I took a chance on the Goldtone GA51RV, and to my ears it sounds almost identical to the Classic 50 410 I had after I put in the expensive speakers....only better.
For a small 40lb amp this thing really has a fat tone. It is very clean and clear. It's not as bright as some have stated, but it is bright if the Tone knob is turned all the way on.
It has one of the nicest clean tones I've heard.

It has a couple of minor problems.

They're pretty good.

If you're looking for a single channel amp with a great clean tone that works well with pedals, check this amp out.

This is a recent USA model with the black tolex/gold grill, bought 6 months ago. Celestion V30 speaker (sound nice). Two inputs, bright switch (useless). Basic controls: volume, tone, reverb, and the 15w/6w switch. Not a lot of controls, but plenty of versatility. As you've seen in other reviews, this thing has plenty of oomph-- I was surprised to see just how much power this little amp puts out. This little 40lb amp is loud. Class "A" tube power is fantastic. The one slightly annoying thing for me is that the controls are not on top of the amp.

I'm playing two guitars through this little gem: a Gibson ES-335 and a Fender American Deluxe Strat loaded with Lace Sensor Hot Gold pickups. The tone out of this amp brings a number of adjectives to mind: articulate, clear, bright, dynamic, nuanced. In my opinion I get the best sounds with the humbuckers, though the strat tones are nice too. Other reviewers have complained about thin or brittle tones. There's no question that this amp has "bright" trebly tone if you want it, but the tone control also lets you take out the highs and add more mids. I find myself rolling back on my guitar tone knobs too (especially with the strat). It is possible to make a *real* cutting, knife-edge tone with this amp, but I've also found a way to warm it up considerably. Also, the 6w setting on the amp is less bright than the 15w, so you have a number of options to shape tone. For the sake of comparison, my other amp is a 1995 Fender Twin. When the GA-15rv wasn't working for a couple of days(see below) I hauled out the 80lb beast to play. I couldn't believe how totally uninspired I was by the tone of the Fender-- the Gibson absolutely *buries* my Fender, and I didn't even realize it until I was forced to briefly go back to the Twin. Another thing I like about the amp is that I can put my Ts-9 in front of it or a Boss Ds-1 (both are modified Robert Keeley pedals (keeleyelectronics.com)) and the sound is great. You can also easily overdrive the amp on its own in the 6w setting. This amp sounds awesome, but like anything else, it takes a bit of tweaking to find your sweet spot tonally. It's got a unique voice, definitely not generic.

I had a crimp connector inside the amp get loose on me (a .99 cent part), causing me to be without it for a couple of days, but other than that, it's been perfect. The cabinet is very sturdy and I have gigged with this amp a coupld of times with no problems. The tubes that came in the amp (two 12ax7's and two el84's)are "JJ's"-- which are incredible tubes.

I haven't had to deal with Gibson a lot, but when I call they're always helpful and informative. My one complaint with regard to servicing this amp is that I live about 250 miles away from the nearest authorized Goldtone amp repair center. This means that if something goes really wrong I'll have to ship it out. I'm not worried (because it's a great, well-built amp), but it's not the most convenient thing. Gibson's website has a listing of Goldtone service centers if you're curious.

I have been playing guitar for 11 years and have gigged a bunch, playing mostly blues and classic rock-oriented music. I bought this amp before I played through it (a risky move for me), one of the reasons being its great reputation as one of the best amps your hard-earned dollars can buy for under $1000.00-- having had six months to play it I totally agree. I have yet to play an amp in this price range that sounds as nice to my ears. The tone is clear and articulate and very sweet, slightly favoring humbuckers over singles in my opinion. You would swoon if you heard my 335 through this amp-- fantastic jazz tone. The simplicity of the controls may be a liability to some, but I like this. I have no trouble getting the sounds I want. I will be holding on to this amp for years to come.

If you're looking to tweak your tone to the nth degree, this is not the amp you want. However, if, like me, you're a "less is more" kind of person, this amp is packed with features. Three knobs--volume, tone and reverb--is all you get to adjust your tone, but those three knobs are all I need. The triode/pentode switch on the back is great when you don't need to be so loud, and in the pentode mode this amp is unbelieveably LOUD. The amp has a bright switch, but I haven't found any use for it. With the bright switch on, it is too trebly for me.

The sound of this amp is what sold me on it. It has the sound I was looking for. It has a great blues tone. Good when it's clean. Fantastic when it's dirty. I was looking at a 40 watt Mesa Boogie combo, put when I plugged my guitar into the Gibson, I was immediately sold. It sounds so full, not your typical 15 watt amp with a 12 inch speaker. It must be the Class A design. I don't know, but it blew me away and still does. I play two guitars that I built myself. One is like a Les Paul Special with a DiMarzio bluesbucker in the neck position and an air zone at the bridge. It snarls at you through this amp through the air zone and feels as warm as a cozy fireplace with the bluesbucker. My other guitar is like a tele thinline loaded with Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. This guitar sings through this amp--a perfect blues combination.

In the year I've owned this amp, I've only had one problem--the power amp tubes died after about six months. These were replaced and it's been great ever since. I'd like to pick up a used one of these for a back-up if this would happen again.

The tubes were replace by the dealer. Never had to deal with Gibson directly.

I've been playing for 35 years. Other than my 2 self-built guitars, I own an Epiphone Chet Atkins SST and a '65 Gibson J-50. Before the GA15RV, I played through a 70's Fender Princeton--great sound, not enough power. Now I'd like to sell the Princeton and pick up another GA15RV. If this amp were stolen or lost, I would definitely buy another one. The only thing I really wish it had were an effects loop, but I don't use many effects anyway, just a tube screamer and a wah, so that is kind of moot.

Minimal features but if an amp has great tone who cares how many knobs it has?

I received this amp today from Musician's Friend and was surprised at how small and thin it sounded. I tried the pentode/triode switch to see if more power would help but it really didn't add an appreciable amount of low end.

It's possible that this amp is the same amp that the reviewer purchased and later returned in the 06/2004 post in this list. If so, this amp may have issues based on the glowing reviews I read here before ordering this amp.

For persective, I own an all orginal mint blackface Super Reverb, a class A TopHat Ambassador, and a cheap Epiphone Galaxie 25 that I drag around for small jams and band rehersals.

The Galaxie 25 is a very low quality amp but based on the sound of this Goldtone, the Epiphone Galaxie has a much more pleasant and full tone. (The reverb on the Epi is very poor however - extremely noisy.)

I expected this high quaility and priced GA15RV amp to allow me to replace the Galaxie 25 - but I'd rather keep the Epiphone made in freakin' China than this Gibson. How sad is that?

For those of you that like minimal low-end and bright to honky tones this amp is for you...not me.

I ordered one and waited to get it, not having heard it prior to purchasing it. I was going by what people said.
Having received it, it was very simple. Three knobs. As far as versatility, NONE.

I had spoken to a couple of people about this amp, and they raved about it.
I plugged my strat in, and started to play, adjusting the knobs, and what a HORIIBLE tone!
It sounded like it was in a box. The tone knob didn't do much to hlep it. If all the way off, you got a fatter tone. With the tone knob turned up, it was very thin and pathetic.
This is the biggest disappointment I have experienced in buying an amp. The tone was bad, really bad.
I like the tone of a Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb - even a Classic 50.
But the Gibson GA15RV wasn't even close.

Wouldn't know. I'm sending it back.

I've been playing a LONG time. And I've had many amps. This was the worst.

This amp is a Luxury in my book.The Gibson Goldtone 112 combo amp was in Morrey a music store I go to and started playing this amp.You can hear to tone of any guitar that you plug in to it With a Gibson SG I tried a crate 30 watt all tube and what a joke.Than I tried a Rocket Ampeg 15 watt all tube and the amp tried to sound like the Gibson but had its own sound not the sound of the guitar.So I paid $699 for the amp and couldn't be happyer.

I really like the tone of this amp.Its a blessing from God.I have had a lott of guitar amps,Fender,Marshall,just to name some and this amp for just a volume,tone,reverb sounds great and thats all you need.Its hard to find a guitar amp thats sounds this good for under $1000 dollars.I play at my church and I can get good clean guitar and good overdrive guitar out of it.The pedals I use help get the rest.The reverb in great too.

My Gibson guitars I can trust so why not a gibson amp.

Gibson is a house hold name in music so I would think I could get help if needed.

I have been playing for 30 + and I got the 10inch gibson GA15 too so out of the 12inch amp I put most of my pedals and out of my 10 inch amp a overdrive pedal only.I get a fat tone out of this combo. If it was lost I would know what amp to buy again this one.

for a low watt class A amp it has a lot of features. 12" celestion vintage 30, accutronics reverb, tons of gain and the all important pentode triod switch.

not the most versatile amp but the sound it does is a very good and authentic vintage class a tone. lots of shades of crunch and overdrive think hot rodded vox. It has a lot of gain and can get you to marshall land with the right guitar. the reverb is great and is not a common feature for a small class a amp of this caliber.

this amp is somewhat bright and picky as hell about what guitar it sounds good with. If you play a gibson with humbuckers this is it. I've never heard my les paul sound better. P-90's are also a good match. if you only play fenders save you're money because it is a harsh combination.

This amp has a "voice" and it is not an amp i would describe as transparent or neutral. If the guitar is naturally bright like a rickenbacker for instance your in ice pick in the ear land. If the guitar is natualy mid range flavored your golden. If the guitar is naturally fat and thick it might seem a bit thin; for instance it can't reproduce the huge bottom end of my harmoney stratotone h44. Some of the harshness can be tamed by switching to triod mode but you also loss some detail. I've also heard these vintage 30 speakers can be harsh so maybe a weber would be a better choice for some players.

I have 15 guitars that i play regularly and a bunch that just sit. of those i play loved 3 through this amp: my les paul, my framus archtop with single coils, and my gretsch jet. I ended up pulling out evey guitar i own and discovered some that i don't play much sound much better through this amp. An old harmony rocket sounded incredible. It also sounded awsome with an s.g. i recomend you try with your own guitar before you buy one.

I don't use pedals with this amp because it just sounds weird. If it had an effect loop i might try it but it doesn't.

not versatile enough to your only amp unless a les paul is your only guitar, but still a great addition to an amp arsenal if you can afford to have a few nice amps.

I think it is clear what gibson was trying to do with this: make a great amp for playing gibson guitars through. Mission accomplished.

the build quality is okay but not great, not on par with the price. the tolex is garbage. The cab should hold up and the amp electronics seem solid. The way the reverb is mounted sideways makes the wired come loose. I had to open it and fix the wires. You have to take out the chassis to get the last screw of the tank, not to thoughtfull.

I like gibsons support. they've allways been cool to me.

I would rate this higher if it wasn't so picky about guitars. A 10 for les paul players who don't need channel switching.