Rickenbacker M8E

two inputs and a volume knob. that all it has, but truly, thats all it needs.

i have a bunch of different effects and such, but the best sound ive been able to muster comes from a gibson sg standard and a holy grail reverb unit. just like another reviewer wrote, it is best to peg the amp and use the guitar for tone and volume adjustments. this baby sings and keeps pace with a drum kit. its perfect for recording and general practice applications. not as loud as my main amp (a 2x12 combo) but the quality of its tone is like butter! it has an overdrive tone that just sounds beautiful.

after some intensive research, ive been able to date this amp right around 1946 or 47. id say its pretty effing reliable considering that its a baby boomer. far less flakey than some of my relatives its age.

im sure the warranty has expired.

LOVE IT! get one if you can.

Those of us who own little student-amp from the mid-50s know that it kicks/punches/growls in the simplest, most direct ways possible, and don't need more (or can make pedals and miked-speakers work for us). Current boutique makers are imitating the "less is more" approach--off/on switch = volume + 2 inputs--and if everything else about the amp is built well, why bother about tweaks?

5y3 + 6v6 + 12ax7 + Jensen: this is like Thoreau's 8x12 house at Walden Pond.

A quiet amp from the "children are meant to be seen and not heard" era, unless you stick a gain pedal (like my Mesa V-Twin) out front, in which case it roars like a baby tiger. Like most tweed-era amps, you can increase its volume by plugging a spare 1/4 jack (no cable!) into the 2nd input. With its little speaker, it's more trebly than bassy, and its voice depends on what you put in front of it.

I haven't had it serviced since I bought it 5 years ago. It's slightly younger than me (half a century), so it's due for a filter cap job, but otherwise pristine

I've owned a great 98 Ricky 330 and loved it, but they long ago got out of the amp biz, but who cares? Any tubelover can repair this baby 4ever.

I'd never get rid of this resource--it's my Champ, but lighter. I own a couple of great Frenzels, and a baby Bogen, and my 80s Japanese Strat and 80s Rossco Wright Tele/Paul love this little amp, and that's enough.

thank's to this site I just learn my amp was made in the 50's,hey it only costed me 1 dollar at a yard sale,the guy knew nothing about amps and said give me a buck and its your,took it home and dicovered no speaker,put a jensen speaker in it and wha-la,work's perfectly,tubes are orignal,hey not bad for a buck,best bargain ever

it has no ac hum, even at full volume

amp's more dependable,than any weather forcast,car,phone,job,it's even older than I am by ten year"s,and in better condition than I am, (it doesn't sound old)if you know what I mean!!!!

it's a 20 on a 10 scale

One switch off/on/volume. Chicken head knob, way cool. Two input jacks. Three tubes, 8" Jensen speaker. Amp made in 50's by Rickenbacker with the Electro name.(Electro was Rickenbacker's Student Line) Not a lot of features about as basic and raw as it comes. 8 to 10 watts maximum.

I play my American Standard Telecaster through this amp mostly. Oh Baby! Oh Baby! This is the Holy Grail of blues distortion. Sounds just like the Chess label early blues recordings. Simply put, it doesn't get any better than this for blues. In a small intimate type setting with a combo, using a Rocktron Austin Gold pedal for solo boost it sounds great. In a medium or larger club it would need to be miked.

HEY IT GETS A 10 FOR LASTING ALMOST 50 YEARS

Been playing 40+ years GUITARS: Martin 0018, Guild D35, Customized Dearmond X155 with Bigsby, Amercian Standard Tele. AMPS: Brittish KMD GV100 head for backup, MusicMan HD130 Head, two Celestion V1280 cabinets. EFFECTS: in order, Morley Steve Vai Bad Horsie Wah, Boss TU2 stage tuner, Boss DS1, DOD Echo FX96, Boss OC2, Boss CE2, Rocktron Austin Gold Overdrive for Boost. I play mainly rockabilly but when in a blues mood this is the amp. These little three tube 6V6 screamers are a bargain on today market. They will do nothing but appreciate in value. Not to mention the pure enjoyment of the sound and tones you can get out of playing through them. I love this little amp. I would be sad if it were lost or stolen and would only hope I could replace it.

This was made around 1956 or 57,I'm still trying to get the exact year. Not Many features here, just a combo on/off switch and volume knob it has (1) 12AX7, (1) 6V6, and a 5Y3 rectifier with 2 input jacks. I think it's about 3-5 watts, 8" Speaker

Pretty easy to get good tone, just turn the volume to 5 and you get a tweed champ kinda sound, turn it up to 10 and it gets a nice grinding overdrive sound. Its very responsive to touch, works best when you turn the amp to 10 and then use the guitar volume to go clean or dirty and use the tone controls. through this circuit my tone controls on my 3 main guitars really do something. I'm driving it through a 2'12 Mojo and it drives them OK, but I have ordered a Weber P8R for it. I will probally have to put the chassis into another cabinet so I can get the speaker in, or strip the covering off and make a new baffle for it. This should sound great with the new speaker in it

Whats to break? It can't get any simpler than this. I have the schematic for this and it's even simpler than a tweed champ, A 10 year old could build this amp in an afternoon. There are no tag boards or terminal strips, eveything is direct from component to component and very compact, the only wires are from the transfomers. You can build this amp on a 8x4x2 chassis if you wanted.

Your local tube Radio Repairman is your best choice

It's a great little amp, If it's stolen, I'll build another