Gibson GA15RV Goldtone 112 Combo

Ditto to the others below. Tone/Volume/Reverb with a Pentode/Triode switch that allows you to use the full 15 Class A watts or 7 watts. The two El84s and two preamp tubes have a nice warm glow behind the metal grill. This is a USA version with the black tolex, Celestion Vintage 30 with the USA upgrades (ceramic tube sockets, glass epoxy circuit board, etc.)

I'll tell you the truth, even though the way the amp is built looks really cool and retro, it's also a pain in the butt if you are constantly wishing to tweak the tone on your amp. I agree with the owners manual. Turn it up, find a sweet spot with the tone and reverb, and use your guitar's volume and tone controls. Fortunately, I have the amp in my living room, and have the speaker facing the room, while the back of the amp faces me in the recliner. I know, I know I'm a lazy SOB, but that damn drum throne I'm sitting on in my music room where my Twin is just kills my back. Plus, I now have no excuse to practice or take an amp out as this at 42 lbs. is a hell of a lot easier than toting that twin around up and down stairs.

I love the simple features, but I do hate where they are at. I'm over the initial inconvenience, however, and feel the sound and quality of this amp supercedes the placement of the knobs. Plus, it looks really cool. I give points for the Triode switch too!

This amp sounds great! I was going to get an AC-15 but decided against it as I've heard of reliability concerns, and the guy selling it said there was a problem with one of the input jacks....Uh, no thanks......Then I was going to get either a Pro Jr. or Blues Jr. for practice and for living room playing, but I saw this Goldtone on sale for cost at Chambers Guitars in Nashville. According to the salesman, they were not selling very well and they were closing them out. I think that's a shame as these are terrific amps, but it ended up being good for me since I saved about $250.00 for a new amp.

I've heard other reviewers talk about how warm this amp sounds. True to some extent, but I think it's really clean and articulate without being harsh. So, if warm suits that, then I suppose. However, this amp sings bright to my ears. Full power (pentode mode) even brightens it more. I forgot to mention in features there are hi and low inputs and a normal and bright switch, but I can't imagine anyone needing to use the bright switch unless they have very muddy humbuckers. Cutting the amp to Triode mode warms the amp up and also allows you to get power amp breakup without blowing your eardrums. I've got a Twin and tried doing that just once....Needless to say the Goldtone is a nice amp to get natural breakup with. I will warn you though. Just because it's only 7 watts doesn't mean this amp is a tame kitten. At 7 watts with the volume knob cranked, it is still very loud. The speaker/amp combination at full power (15 watts) is very gigable. Even the 7 watts is gigable if you want more hot mustard on your leads. I had a 40 watt Rivera Chubster that would break up way earlier than this guy does. In addition, the natural sound of this amp is very hard to beat. I find myself rarely ever using any kind of pedal in front of this amp. The brightness and mid-range bias of the Goldtone is really useful for playing with other guitars, which is another reason this 15 watt gem is absolutely useable in live situations. I really like my Twin, but this Goldtone gets just as much time as the blackface does if not more due to its portability and my willingness to use the GA15 over the Twin for quick jam/practice sessions. At the same time, It has a different kind of warm/clean vibe than the Twin and I like using this on gigs too. Run in series with the Twin is a sound I could patent and sell...lol

Seems to be reliable so far (hope I didn't jinx myself) and I understand Gibson's USA versions are a bit more dependable than the U.K. amps. I had a Trace Elliot Speed Twin and that was a very well-built amp, but as this design was based on the Velocette, and from what I have heard and read, that model had some features on it that may have been what was causing some owners of the earlier models trouble. Gibson seems to have fixed these oversights and I don't hear of too many problems coming from the US models. The housing is durable playwood and I haven't seen any tolex (besides the material Koch uses) that holds up extremely well. In fact, it seems the nicer the tolex looks when it's new, the easier it tears. The amp being placed at the base of the amp could be potentially problematic if you are not careful when transporting the amp, but as long as you don't try and be an airline baggage handler when lugging this guy around, you should be okay.

I wrote Gibson's customer once with a question I had on my old Speed Twin and I got a prompt reply. I've also been to the epiphone warehouse here in Nashville, and I have always been treated very curtiously. I've seen some folks who disapprove of Gibson's customer service, but I have had good experiences with them, which leads me to believe they are still doing a great job of answering customer's questions.

I got a great deal on this amp and while I would not have bought it at the normal selling price of $799.00 (which is still a great deal for this amp), it didn't take me too long to decide this was a much better deal than the Blues Jr. for not much more money. I think it's a real shame these amps have not caught on as well as they should, but I have a theory as to why they might not sell. 1.) The ergonomics of having the tone controls in the bottom rear probably scare many people away. 2.) People are told these are re-covered Trace Elliot Velocettes that you can find for around $250.00 on ebay. One might think "why pay $800.00 for an amp I can pay $250.00 for? What they don't realize is Gibson has improved not only the aesthetics, but has upgraded the internal components (sockets, circuit board, transformer) making these amps much more reliable than their predecessors. In addition you will have the warranty of a new amp 3.) I also believe Gibson has not pushed these amps very hard. People think of Gibson as a guitar maker and not an amp maker. I think the Gibson reps need to be out calling on music stores and demoing just how great these amps sound. Once you hear this amp and play around with the features, it should be an easy sell. Selling this through Guitar Center or Sam Ash is not the way to move units. Get these amps into the hands of smaller, independant music stores where professional musicans shop. This is the perfect studio amp, and once you start selling these amps to session players and it will be all over. The only problem after that is Gibson will then have a reason to sell these for over $1,000.00

People might dismiss Gibson at trying to crack not only the amp market, but the boutique crowd as well, and that's a shame too. This amp looks and feels boutique, but the mass-produced status probably frightens snobs with nothing better to do than spend $2000.00 on a hand wired amp so they can pad their egos. I came close to buying a Bogner Metropolis, but to be honest, I prefer the Goldtone. The Bogner is very nice, but in my opinion, it is not $1,450.00 better. There are a lot of amps that don't stack up very well (in price or features) with the GA15RV. For a semi-low wattage amp, it is nice to have the Triode switch, as well as reverb. While the reverb is not stellar, it's not bad, and with an amp that sounds this good, I don't end up using reverb too much and will often just depend on the delay pedal to serve as the verb. I will say an amp that does deserve to demand the higher price tag is the Carr Mercury. That may well be the best amp I have ever played through, but that's another day when I strike it rich or can quit buying guitars to feed my increasingly growing fondness for amps.

I do hope Gibson continues to persevere with the Goldtone line. If they do not, and you have one or are thinking of owning one, I can see this amp being a collectors item someday in the future. I am very happy with mine and plan to hold onto it. It serves my needs for a smaller, lighter weight amp I can play out with or practice at home with and still dial in some juice (as opposed to the Twin that has to stay on 1 1/2 or it will be too loud at home). Not only is the Goldtone portable, but it is extremely toneful. You will find this amp to be valid for many music styles. If you want a bigger, louder version, they make a few other models that will fit the bill.

Mine is a refurbished one made in the UK. The guy I bought it from put brown tolex on it, the previous owner stripped it to the wood and painted it black(?) Every thing else is the same. I am in a Chicago style Blues band and this is my #1 gig amp. The triod setting is my salvation and is more than enough power to fill a club. This is the amp I have been looking for. I believe in KISS Keep it Simple Stupid, and this amp fills the bill. Only complaint in design is the metal grill is a pain to remove quickly if needed.

I use a Gibson 135, Tele Nashville and a reissue Dano U1 for slide work Mostly i'm guitar-chord-amp, though I rigged a dano T-Bone to the U1 strap to get that much loved Houndog Taylor sound ;-).You cannot find a better Blues amp anywhere for any price. When I do Muddy type slide on the tele it just rips your head off!I never got that sharp, clean sound from my 74 twin. When I go neck on the 135, fatter than Rosie O'Donnell's ass! I set her and leave her and just tweak my guitar tone and volume knobs to get what I need.My other guitar player switches between a Blues Jr and a MarkIV and just drools over my tone. What is so cool about it, it the separation of tone we get, along with the harp player. I did get a buzz , but I switched out the sovtex AX7's w/ Electro Harmonix and problem soved. Made it break up a little quicker too! The reverb tank was trashed, but my harp player gave me his from his Princeton and problem solved.

Except for the reverb wiring falling a part, no prob. Just keep some extra tubes with me.

never used them

I have been playing for about 20 years, last ten seriuosly, three with this band. I would buy another if stolen, I love it that much. I am considering getting another to chain them if we start getting Festival gigs, but at Chicago Blues Fest on the Gibson stage, they just mic em.
Somebody below complained about the weight. He obviuosly has not picked up a 74 Twin w/ EV's. That's heavy! The cool retro look gets comments all the time, folks think I have a 40 year old amp!

Features: Very basic; covered by other reviewers. For me, less is more - I don't like having too many choices (my pedals already give me too many!). The knobs it does have are useful in most positions and they cover about all of what I need, so I'm not going to rate it too low in this category. In fact, I tend to leave it set one way and let my pedals do most of the tone altering work. Good thing, because it's a pain to reach down behind the amp to tweak knobs, especially if you have the amp leaning back during a gig.

My particular copy of the amp is supposedly one of the earlier ones in this line, which might explain the reliability issues mentioned below.

I play mostly classic rock covers, from early Stones and Beatles to CCR to Eagles to U-2 and, occasionally, Nirvana.

This is a wonderful sounding amp for its price and size. Gorgeous, warm clean tones; nice crunch when overdriven. What I really like is that it maintains clarity and crispness when overdriven without sounding harsh. Lush reverb. No full-bore metal sounds, but that's okay with me. Takes very well to the pedals I put in front of it: compressor-> (Fulldrive 2 or Proco Rat) -> EQ -> Chorus -> Delay -> amp. With these pedals and the various pickups in my Strat (including a Seymour Duncan Screamin' Demon humbucker (full size) in the bridge), I can pretty much get anything I want for classic rock covers. My personal tone quest is over, after several years of being frustrated with my Fender Blues Jr. and a Peavey Special 212.

One "mod" I've done is to tape a small folded square of bubble-wrap over the center of the face plate. This seems to help cut the trebly "searchlight" effect that you get with 112 combos. Having done that, I get good enough tonal balance both in front of, and to the sides of, this amp, that I often use it unmiked in medium-size gigs. Lord knows it's loud enough! In fact, I once used it unmiked on an outdoor stage at a club known for having big shows, and I was actually asked to turn it down! Of course it coulda been my playing...

Before buying the amp, I researched both it and its predecessor, the Trace Elliott Velocette. I had heard rumors of bad output transformers, plastic tube sockets, etc. In fact, I actually tried to peer through the rear grill before buying and ended up convincing myself that the tube sockets were ceramic. Well, it turned out they were indeed *plastic*, and they did indeed partly melt. But that didn't come out until the amp suddenly quit on me about a month after purchase - the amp had blown a high-voltage fuse. The fuse, and the tube sockets, were replaced under warranty and I haven't had any problems since.

I do gig with it as my main amp, but I have a Peavey solid state 212 Special backup combo waiting in the wings, just in case. Never had to use it yet, thankfully; since the Goldtone sounds so much better for what I do.

Warranty service described above was handled by the store that sold it to me. However, I did have occasion to contact Gibson by e-mail about some of my technical concerns, and they were very helpful and informative.

I've been playing electric guitar for about 14 years; been gigging sporadically for about three. I guess I'd call myself a semi-serious semi-pro player (i.e., we get paid, more often than not), but I do care about my sound, and I was unhappy before getting the Goldtone. Now I'm content with my overall rig, and that's what counts for me. To get something that sounds marginally nicer (and I'm not really sure what that means), I expect I'd have to shell out close to $1500 to $2000 for a Matchless or some such thing. For the same money, I could buy two Goldtones and use one as a backup (or use them in tandem!).
If it were stolen, I'm pretty sure I'd replace it with the same thing, at least as long as I don't have any more reliability problems than I already had.

Old UK model, tan tolex, gold grille, super retro look. Standard features as below. Vol, Tone, Reverb. Only 3 knobs...hmmm???
Me. Musically. Live: Blues/Rock w countryish twist... STudio: same with some alt., roots rock. ie, American organic music. No heavy stuff. But... I do play loud when live as I do play with a very loud drummer and 2nd guitarist. And this thing can be very loud ! comprable to 40 - 60 watt Fenders and the like.

Amazing full, clean tone. Vintage OD distotion when cranked a bit or front end hit hard with gain from hotter pickups or pedals. Did I say full tone? Must be the simple class A circuit... mimimal tone draining EQ circuits, buzzy preamp gain, etc... CREAMY comes to mind. I use it with all my guitars...sounds killer. Les Paul w/ 59 duncans. Strats and like one other reviewer... to my suprise... makes my Am Tele sound great! Dare I say Vox AC15 territory... I have a Fender Super Reverb Reissue that the Tele gets shrill with. Voicing is spot on for my style of music. If 10 = "sounds awesome" I give it a 10... see what else I have below so you know I"m not full of crap...

Floor demo blow out when Mars music closed. Tolex is peeling... looked like bad job from the factory ( trace elliot). Got if for a song...It had bad /noisy power tubes when I got it... spoke to the local LA gibson rep... who refered me to the service center. YES. I actually got GREAT service from Gibson! Amp is solid. No problems or noise. Mines got the crappy plastic tube sockets, but they seem to have melted into a stable state now... we'll see. I gig with it...but always have backups anyway.

Super. See above. Amazing huh?

I've been playing for >30 yrs. I gig and record professionally. Got a freakin music store in my studio...( anyone else out there feel that way?). I found this amp by chance... I was checking out guitars and plugged into a " clean combo" just to hear the guitar and WOW. I didnt blieve it... so I waited a couple weeks, went back... boom. There is was again... "that sound". Still amp was a bit pricy at list price...then mars when under. I snagged it. Current amp lineup is: Rivera Knucklehead, head w various cabs as needed. Fender Super Rev RI, Boss modeling cube 15 watt (fuuuuunnnn toy! and LOUD) this amp and a bunch of recording stuff. This amp is quiet. Full bodied tone. OD's very naturally and is LOUD. Almost perfect power at 15 watts for Med Room live gig (100 people) with what I consider the loudest drummer in existense.( no joke, this guy is 6'5" and hits HARD!. I've plugged it into my Rivera cab and it sounded even "fuller"... and louder so dont overlook the speaker component to tone. BTW. I've toyed with the idea of converting it into a little head... If 10 = "fantastic value"...this is it.

The guy I bought it for claims that he got it from somebody who was a Gibson endorser and that this particular amp was given to him by Gibson, so the sound may not be representative of the normal GA-RV. It has a bright setting which is not of much use, it doesn't seem to brighten the sound as much as other amps' bright switches that I've had. The simple controls are nice and the 6 watt setting is very useful for smaller gigs. It is amazing how much volume can be produced by so little power. The 15 watts have been more than enough for any setting I've played, but I haven't played any outdoor gigs with it yet, which is usually the test for volume. I play swing, jazz, blues, country, and alt-country and this has been plenty versatile for that stuff. Much louder than my 40 watt Fender Custom viblrolux, and with much less noise.

I play either a Fender Custom shop '62 Tele or a 1935 Gibson L-10 archtop with a floating dearmond pickup through this amp. It suits the single coil pickups nicely. It is warm and very smooth sounding. It doesn't have any heavy metal sounds, but nobody with this amp would probably play metal on this amp anyway. I used to like to play old pre war Gibson eh-150 amps, but they break down and are not very loud. This amp sounds smooth and has the smooth break up that I like but is plenty cleaner sounding than my vintage amps. Not as clean as a fender, but much warmer sounding. I like the sound, but the eh-150 sounds much better to me for jazz. The tele sounds great through this amp and not overly harsh like it does through fender amps sometimes.

The reverb, which I never use, has broken. I would be pretty mad if I did use it as this amp doesn't look like it's been used much. Everything else seems sturdy and built like a tank (and weighs almost as much considering this is a 15 watt amp).

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Even though my numbers aren't real high, I actually think this is a great little amp and I use it more then anything else I have when gigging. Its small, its loud, it sounds good, it is simple to use, and it has a detachable power cord. Ok, the power cord is a kind of nit picky thing, but I always have to replace the power cord sooner or later.

I have two of these. Both British. One with the cloth grille and a Greenback, and one with a gold grille and a Vintage 30. I've been playing blues for over 30 years, and this is the sound I've looked for all my life. I link them together when needed, and seperate them by six or seven feet, run them on triode (6 watts) and have yet to find a mix they will not cut right through. I'm an old school guy. Plug it in, turn it up, and play. I've got a couple other amps that look like mission control, and I can't for the life of me figure them out or find the one setting that makes them come alive. The Goldtones are always drop dead perfect. Out of curiosity I tried Groove Tubes in one of the amps and took them right back out after three notes and will now only run Sovteks in them. I'm giving this a 10 on features because this amp has everything it needs, and nothing it doesn't.

Tone. Plain and simple. This has to be the amp that God plays. No pedals for me, just straight from the guitar to the amp with a Monster Jazz cable, nothing to get in the way of the sound. I'm not interested in knocking off other people's tone when I play a tune. They had their turn, did it their way, and now it's my turn and I'm gonna sound like me, not them.

I play with two custom made Heritage Les Pauls, one with the HRW pickups and one with Duncan 59's, and a 1956 Les Paul Special, all original. The tones these produce with the Goldtones could make a rock cry.

They have both been reliable as hell. The amp with the Vintage 30 was an early run and had plastic tube sockets, which were badly melted causing the amp to sound like crap. The guy I bought it from was unaware of the problem and sold it dirt cheap thinking it was thrashed. For the record, I gave him every cent he asked for, and it was him that set the price, so I didn't feel like I cheated him. Besides, he's the kind of guy that always blames his equipment for his lack of talent. I suck, but am smart enough to know it's me, not my gear. Anyway, after I had the sockets replaced with ceramic, the thing has performed flawlessly.

I've talked to Gibson several times to ask questions and advice and they were always wonderful, even though I was up front with them about me buying the amps used.

The greatest amps I've ever owned, or heard. Unbelievable sound for an unbelievable price. This is one purchase that won't leave you with buyer's remorse. Go on, buy one. You deserve it.

Only 3 knobs (volume, tone, reverb) as decribed by others.

You can link the second amp and I use that !

I love the triode 6W mode and use it :-)

Well, THD Univalve and BiValve are the best tube amps in the world tonewise, yet this British designed (by Trace Elliott engineers) combo has just the perfect, optimized tone for jazzy-bluesy guitar so it's tough to beat it's tone ...

I play in latino jazzy band and use this combo in triode 6W mode linked to a small 11kgs $230 Laney LC15R 110 combo (I plug it as an extension - into the effects return, while the main input serves as my GR-33 synth amp) ... the sound is sufficienly loud and juicy and only ocasionally I add my tubescreamer if I need some singing Santany type of sound ...

I gig regularly and the small Laney 15R is a back up in extreme case and vice versa. Never had a problem.

Never dealt with Gibson but Trace Elliott engineers advised me as I have the original British model although it's 110V version ...

The best non-boutique class A combo and sound for a working guitarist's price ... if you play bues, jazz and the like - that's it :-)

This amp was built in the latest production run and was one of the first one shipped (November 2003). As it states on the back, "Designed in the UK, manufactured in the USA", so though it is still the basic Trace Elliot design with some modifications, it is the latest US version on this amp. I waited over 10 weeks for it as Gibson was out of stock and I went through my local Gibson dealer instead of going mail order. The nice part of that is I was the first person to touch the amp since the factory as I took it out of the box myself.
It has a single channel, single volume knob, single tone (dual gang potentiometer) knob and a single reverb knob. There is a high input jack, a low input/link jack that can be used for low impedance guitars or to link the amp in a chain to another amplifier. An external speaker jack is installed (16 ohms) but this disables the internal speaker which is a Celestion Vintage 30. A normal/bright switch is selectable and the power switch is a three way off/standby/on type. The key feature is the 15 watt pentode mode switchable to 6 watt triode. Everything is tube driven except the reverb which is solid state and drives a small 3 spring accutronics tank.
There is no effects loop but I have had no problems adding effects directly. It would be nice if Gibson included the footswitch for the reverb input and it is a mystery to me why they don't even manufacture a cover for any of their Goldtone amps.
I purchased this amp because my Fender Blues Junior just did not pack enough punch and tone for the low watt tube amp I was looking for. Playing my Hot Rod Deluxe at 1 on the volume knob obviously negated the tone you get from driving the tubes. (BTW, you can pick up Hot Rods cheap. For blistering 3 channel 40 watt tube power and heavenly reverb they can't be beat).
The features seem minimal, especially the tone knob, but there is a mountain of tone adjustments in this retro set up that you just would not think would be available.

I play everything from Gospel, classic rock, country, jazz, whatever appeals to me.
OK, let's be honest, nobody wants to say their latest purchase is a pile of garbage and when I read threads I wonder just how overboard a person is going when he says his Fender Deluxe Reverb Reissue is the best amp he's ever owned as soon as he replaced it with better tubes and speakers. I've played a ton of amps and they all have a good specific purpose. I got the Fender Blues Junior for the purpose of having good tube tone in a low watt amp mostly for recording purposes or small rooms. My hope is that it would provide the tone my Hot Rod had at lower volume. Sadly, that did not turn out to be the case. A friend of mine who is a Fender zealot told me to check out the GA-15RV. Here is the bottom line:
Bar none, this is the best sounding amp I have ever owned. First, there is absolutely ZERO hum, hiss, noise; whatever you want to call it, with any knob maxed out or not. With the power on, until you touch a string, it is completely silent. As advertised, when the volume knob is placed to the mid point and past, the gain comes right is and it is sweet. In the 6 watt triode mode this amp still has almost too much power for a small recording room. Everything they say about Class A watts is true. At 15 watts your neighbors will be calling the cops. But it is all about tone and this amp has it in spades at every setting.
I mostly use a American Telecaster with noiseless pickups. I have heard some complaints about the speaker choice but the Celestion delivers shimmering tones. The tone is so clean and the headroom so large that it will force you to be a better guitarist. The sensitivity to string attack is something I have never encountered. The nuance between subtle volume and input changes are crystal clear so you have to be at your best because sloppiness will come right through. The distortion is tube driven joy which retains tonal distinction in the gain rather than loosing it in a mass of unintelligible fuzz that covers up your garbage. You can definitely work the feedback and sustain easily too.
That said, I was surprised when I plugged in my J-185EC and found the amp to be quite resistant to the feedback associated with acoustic guitars. I tried a few other acoustics also (including nylon) and the tone, while not exactly having great acoustic reproduction, was still a pleasant surprise for am amp of this type.
Finally, I want to talk about the reverb, because I am a reverb nut. For a small tank it gives as good or better reverb than about any small amp I've encountered. It is miles better than the Blues Junior. If there was one thing I would change it would be a full size tank installed along the top of the inside of the amp. I am certain as is, it will cover at least 95% of my reverb needs and I can use a nanoverb when I need a little more.

The warranty is for 2 years. I have not had a problem yet and of course hope I do not. I do want to say this about Gibson customer service though. They are the best. When waiting for this amp my dealer and I had to put up with all the usual salesman crap about shipping dates, etc. Gibson customer support went overboard getting the real deal for me and my dealer and when these amps finally shipped, I got one of the first ones and that is no BS (it was the third amp off the line). They are top notch in my book. I have never received such support from any company, they were simply great.

I've been playing since 1976. If this amp were stolen I would get another immediately. It perfectly fills the purpose I bought it for; recording and small rooms. If you are in a band where the PA system microphones the amps for the bands mix, this would be the perfect choice over stacks of high watt equipment you think you need to get tone.
I love the build quality. It is not flawless but close to it. The parts are top shelf. The knobs alone are the best I've seen on any amp. The amp section itself looks like a high end hi-fi chassis. Even the wiring is given first class attention. The cabinet is solid and well covered with no noticeable flaws. An effects loop would be nice as well as a bigger reverb tank. Other than that, this amp looks and sounds like a boutique amp that would cost you 3x as much.
If you want killer tone, I mean the stuff that everyone dreams about. If you want it in a low powered amp. If you want it in a solid, beautifully built package at a price that is simply a deal. If you want it in an amp that won't need "different tubes" or whatever to complete it, then this is the amp to get.
To be fair, after I've has this amp for about six months I'll give an update here. Until then I look forward to what others have to say about this amp.

This is a new (made is USA) GA-15RV and the feature set remains as simple as it gets. Volume, tone, reverb, all you should need with any good Class A amp.

This one sounded considerably different than the UK manufactured version, which has a smooth range from clean to distorted (Using a USA Strat+ with vintage noiseless pickups). The USA made GA-15RV seems to break up much more quickly, lacking the all important "in-between tones". Since the amp blew up almost immediately, I'm hoping what I heard wasn't the best this amp can do.

Second time I powered it up, the amp self-destructed in an impressive blue flash. The fuse did not blow, but the amp sure did. A clear sign of poor build quality, way to go Gibson! Took it right back to the dealer. I had researched this model, and was under the impression they had ironed out all the earlier design problems. So much for "made is the USA", should've kept building them in the UK... The amp looks great, but beware of the cheap work inside...

In my experience, Gibson is not helpful or friendly when it comes to thier product support. Lucky for me, it blew up on the first day I had it, so I took it up with my dealer. They've been most helpful.

Sounded OK, until it blew up. Not sure yet if I'll give Gibson a second chance to fail. I need a small Class A with reliability AND tone. I wouldn't trust this amp to survive the drive to the club, let alone a smoking 1 hour set.

As described by others: volume, tone, reverb, bright switch and 6/15W switching option, 12" speaker all in a very nice gold cabinet and brown grille ... mine was made in UK probably few years ago ... has all the features that a baby-boom guitarist needs: great tone, tube tone, warm valve TONE !

What shall I say: I play since 1960 (i.e. before Marshall made his first amp and before Hendrix made his impact ...) so I played all the best amps and even currently own the very best of them all: THE Univalve (see my review on that one too :-)

This baby sounds WARM and Tubey like the best boutique amps that normally cost $2000+ : it's a steel for the money !

GA-15RV is an extremely intelligent design: the cabinet is DEEPER than most 112 cabinets so this amp has THE TONE.

From clean jazz or funky riffs, bluesy leads, singing leads warm and musical - that's what this amp offers. Reverb is already almost like an slap-echo at 9am so I use it sparingly.

6W switch is great and I use it most of the time; 15W is just for the bigger gigs and you can use this amp anywhere as it sounds great and is sufficiently loud. My other 15W or 30W amps sounds thinner so probably the cabinet is partly the secret of this great tone that is OPTIMIZED for the guitar hence you need little tweaking - I use volume at noon and tone and reverb a 9am.

My band members LOVE it's tone and I gig with it all the time:
when I need singing Santana tone I use Fulltone Fulldrive up front and Cry Baby wah ... but for 90% of the time it is just one of my guitars directly to the amp. It likes Les Pauls (which is rare as most amps cannot handle bass boost so you have to use Smooth & Slim by Ayon Technologies!) but it also likes Strats ...

In summary, although only THD Univalve deserves 10, this amp
gets it also as it is great optimally designed inexpensive combo that provides Divine Tube sounds for all styles except metal.

I imported it from from New Mexico to Switzerland by snail mail ...
and it works as well as any new amp or better !

Do not need it but I wrote to the designer (with ex-Trace Elliott) and got a great reply and insights ... so I refer here to the original designer and not Gibson as I never dealt with them.

For non-metal gigs: from jazz to blues to classic rock I can strongly recommend it. I gig with it rather than with my THD Univalve as it covers all the sounds I need. And yes I would buy another one. I used to have Fender Prosonic 210 combo that sells in that price range these days yet I prefer this Gibson as it is lighter to carry and covers all the sounds that I need.

I strongly recommend this amp to any active baby-boom guitarist that plays mostly jazz-funk-blues or classic rock. I do not recommend this for nu-metal or any extreme category ...

For the money, it's one of the best kept secrets out there; test Fender Prosonic in the 2nd hand non-boutique market for comparison and then decide. If you want to go beyond this amp and tone - well, try THD Univalve or BiValve, Fargen, Dr.Z or British Cornford or MatAmp ... still at the end of the day you might as well buy GA-15RV immediately: i t is THAT GOOD !

Did I say that I LOVE it's TONE ! :-)