Kustom I-L

I always thought it was '60s, but actually we're talking early '70s. My older brother has owned this amp for over 20 years and this was the amp I first started playing with the guitar on as, like, a little tiny kid. He still has it, and it's still the same as it always was.

Single channel transistor combo amp with reverb and tremolo (depth and rate); basic bass-mid-treble controls with a pull-the-knob treble boost ("bright"). It also has a "drive" control which adds a little bite but not the heavy overdrive modern guitarists expect. Overall a fairly average amp featurewise for its time, kind of spartan by today's standards, although the built-in trem is very nice to have.

Clean and very bright, trebley, a '60s surf/garage type of sound, especially with the reverb cranked. With the bright switch pulled and treble dimed...piercing. Very little bottom end. Don't bother trying to play blues or anything requiring amp overdrive through this puppy. I've tried it with many guitars over the years and it has always imparted the same basic tone...not very versatile at all, but great if you're looking for that Ventures/Nuggets sound without splurging for a vintage Fender. And for a 30 watt combo it will push some serious air...read: it's LOUD.

Has held up all these years, although it has never been used live or relentlessly as long as it's been in my family. The old Chanute-based Kustom company seems to have a shining reputation for durability and robust construction.

www.vintagekustom.com

I doubt the current Kustom company would have any idea what you were talking about if you inquired about it.

This was my real "first amp" even though I never owned it.

Anymore something like this is probably more appealing to the collector or to the vintage-gear anachronist who simply *must* have that-look-and-that-tone on stage, than to the average working guitarist who needs to be able to dial up any sound he needs anytime. And you just can't with this one. I certainly wouldn't use one of these onstage as my main amp. But the I-L is a *cool* frickin amp regardless...just like my brother has it, a nifty old piece of gear to put in the corner of the living room and fire up every so often to play with and impress your friends with, and maybe use for an occasional jam or recording session. I give it a 6 overall keeping in mind the average guitarist who's probably reading this...vintage amp freaks might rate an 8 or so.

www.floorian.com
www.twiggyandfrollywog.com

Kustom Early 70's solid state combo amp. Black tolex( No tuck and roll I think tuck & roll is unless, you can put a drink on top of one.) Has single 12" Alnico speaker with a mostly closed back cabinet. Offers temolo and reverb with are footswitchable. Amp is about thrity watts and is plenty loud and very clean. Has a Drive knob that adds nice blues grind. Has bass, middle, & treble w/pull brite. High/Low inputs.
Works well for all styles I play. R&B, jazz, blues.

I use a Telecaster with a humbucker in the neck postions. I also have run a magnectic sound hole Pick up from acoustic trough it with pleasing results. A tube screamer in front gives it more than enough drive for classic rock.
Amp runs quite and is great and the temolo & reverb enhance nicely.

Amp broke the second time I fired it up. Bad cap in power supply.
But it was original cap so I wasn't too suprized. Caps get old and die to.
Has worked fine since repaired. Haven't used enough to really know how reliabile yet.

New Kustom Company probably doesn't know much about this one.
Has near obselete driver chip SE540L.
Prosound at www.prosound.com in San Diego CA has schematics.
Those guys are great to deal with. I am putting a 5 in the rating because this amp is a odd ball and if you don't contact someone like Prosound you will have a tough time getting parts and service.

This amp is why I still check in on Ebay. I got a classic odd ball amp that sounds great, looks funky and is light to tote.
I am very pleased with it and would get another if I ran across one.

Mid 70s, 30 Watts, 1- 12" speaker (aluminum dust cover), 1-channel combo amp. Drive, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble (with 'Pull For Bright'), Tremolo Speed, Tremolo Depth, Reverb. 2 inputs (#1 input is hotter (and louder) than #2) Cabinet is black tolex (non-tuck-n-roll) and measures 20" h, 20" w, 10.5" d. Black grillecloth with silver thread. Used at home for hobby enjoyment and 4-track recording.

One word, "clean". This is an amp for the 60s. Expect it to produce the clean solid-state Kustom amp sounds of that era. The 'Drive' knob adds a slight boosted edge to the guitar signal. Tremolo and reverb are great and the 3 tone knobs have the guitar range adequately covered. I play a Peavey electric 12-string as well as a budget-model Yamaha with 2 humbuckers. I'm a big fan of the MXR DynaComp compressor and it works perfectly with this amp in making some truly nice, vintage sounds.

I've only had this amp several weeks. This example appears to have been moderately gigged (a few broken control knobs and some dings to the tolex) but is generally in fine shape. I'm told it was purchased new in 1976. I'm currently trouble-shooting a static-sounding noise that develops some 15 min. to 30 min. after powering up. A firm slap to the top of the cabinet provides immediate remedy, but I'd sure like to have the problem go away permanently. I like the sound of this amp and I'll certainly have it repaired.

The present-day incarnation of Kustom does not support these amps. One source, however, might be: Professional Sound and Music, Attn: Service Department, 4593 Mission Gorge Place, San Diego, CA 92120, Ph. 619-583-7851, Fax 619-583-0965, http://www.prosound.com. They offer a schematic for the I-L (and, I'll assume, repair service).

I really like the sound of this oldtimer. We're good friends, already. Once I have the static problem remedied, I'll certify this little combo as a 'keeper'.