Seymour Duncan Convertible

I bought this amp from my buddy Steve, who was getting out of the biz, back in 1990. I paid $500. for the amp...two SM58's...a 75W Crown Power Amp...and a variety of cables...so the actual price was more like $300. - 350. At the time I was playing a Fender Deluxe through a direct box. The Duncan had a tonality that I've wanted since I first heard a Marshall. I liked the channel switching that allowed me to go from clean/clean with an edge to classic blues edge/full blown distortion. It had the plug-in modules that I experimented with a bit and then returned to the original configuration. I have a Presence module in the common front end slot, and I run a Clssic mod. and a PAF mod. into the clean channel. On the distortion side I have a hi-gain hybred and a classic crunch. I like the concept of having a power attenuator built right into the amp. However, the one on the amp I bought was (and still is) non functional. this would be nice to have considering the power level of this amp. It'll blow out your windows! A well designed amp.

I play a Fender Strat ('57 re-issue) and a '77 Les Paul custom with a DiMarzio SDHB (circa 1980)in the bridge position. I get beautiful tone with BOTH guitars...a sweet singing sustain...but not as crunchy as my Marshall ('69 50W Super Lead Plexi model w/o a plexi panel.) Because, I actually prefer my Marshall, I put the Duncan into semi-retirement (plus it is justy so damn heavy to move around (although casters helped, where I can roll it). After my Marshall went into the shop (the price you pay with old gear), I went back to the Duncan...I had forgotten how good it sounded...alhough it could use a tune up right about now...normally it makes noise in the hi-gain channel, but with a Hush unit on the front end, it's undetectible. i back off the midrange a little...once I take it past 7 it kicks in BIG TIME! and Generally, I run heavy on the pre-amp and use my guitar volume to send the clean channel into overdrive...it gives it just the right touch of bite...unless i want to be mor sonic, then the distortion channel gives me all I need.

Because of it's age, I carry a Valvestate head as a backup. It had an aux. line jack break and short to the metal chassis, but I fixed that myself...it was just abuse and not a defect. I've had tune-ups...but I consider that to be SOP with any tube amp.

i intended to contact the company for a schematic to fix the power attinuator...I just never got around to it.

I've been playing 37 years (but i don't think you can count the 5 years my mother beat me with a ruler trying to get me to practice....;o) My primary amp, as I mentioned, is a '69 Marshall. I play both the Duncan and the Marshall through a Duncan 4-12 cab. with Celestions in it. I have a rack system with a Peavey DeltaFex and a Hush noise supression unit and a Dunlop Cry-baby on the floor. If it were lost or stolen, I'd definately go get another....I'm seen them from time to time...I love the tone, and flexibility of the amp...but it's a back-breaker! I chose this amp because it was a deal and a half and didn't really know what to expect from it until I got it home....was I happy! I wish it came with a roadie...but seriously, I wish the module availability wasn't such a problem, I would have liked experimenting with other combinations. Bottom line...a great well made/designed amp, with plenty of volume and a quality pro-tone. Exceptional value in the used market.

I bought the Amp in 1986 from the old GR studio's in Van Nuy's. I got the Rivera setup plus the other 2 solid state modules. I'm satisified with the sound, especially since I overhauled it with groove tubes and changed the speaker from whatever was in it (it was changed in the studio) to an EV-12 using it mostly for clean sounds. I later bought a Mesa Boogie cab with a Celestian 12 to use for my dirty, or "Santana" distortion. Also when using both speakers my volume can fill any large hall, you know when you play with those hard of hearing keyboard players.

I've got a strat with EMG SA's. I built a speaker switch so I can use the EV for the clean sound and the Celestian for the Marshall sound.

It would be a good amp at a gig, but because of it's age it is now my backup. The amp never had a chance to breakdown.

There is none. The parts are pretty basic though and you can still get the schematics from customer support. Customer support is very helpful but can only do so much

I've been playing live now for over 25 years. I still play my custom built strat but through a Mesa Boogie Subway Blues. This amp and I have been through alot. The only thing I don't like about it is if I have to carry it. Today's amps are lighter and even Fender's Princeton Chorus with 2 10's are lighter than this amp. For some reason though I would not get rid of it, and it's got history of some great people who played through it at GR studio's.

I think this amp was made in 1987. I just purchased the amp 2 weeks ago from a local pawn shop.It needed work and I baught it as is. After a quik change of tubes it was fine. This thing is very versatle with just about every option you can get in a combo with plenty of power to play any gig!

Well this amp blew me away! I'm in a hard rock band and I could not believe the volume this thing has. The distorsion could be better but I use outboard effects anyway and it took to them very well. Word of caution don't get to close to this amp at high volume it could be very bad for the ears! This amp was really a upper class amp when it came out. I didn't even know they existed untill a couple of weeks ago so I don't know much about them yet. If anybody out there has one email me I would love to talk about it or might be interested in maybe buying another.

I have not had it long enough to know if it is a dependable amp or not. I do know that it is built like a tank though and heavy as one to.

They do not make them anymore. I did email seymour duncan and they were very polite. They do not have any parts for them but he did fax me a copy of the original parts list. Great people up there and might say the best pickups to boot!

Over all I really like this amp alot. I have several amps that I play through alot but this is my favorite one as of right now. It has a very close sound to a boogie with a little bit of marshall mixed in. I will probably keep this amp from now on since it is a rare find and for the money I don't think you can beat it. If there are anybody that has one of these out there email me because I would probably be interested in another one. Long story short big bang for not alot of buck!

Truly an amp that was way before it's time. This amp is easily of comparable sound quality to the higher end, hand made tube amps of today (e.g.Matchless; compliment once received from a matchless dealer) With every possible adjustable parameter of an all tube amp this amp can't be beat for versatility. Variable wattage, pentode/triode switch, interchangeable preamp modules from chrunchy to super high gain, from crystal clear highs to rumbling crunchy lows-it's all here

Used mainly with stratocasters. Suits any musical style and can be easily tailored to suit your evolution as a tone freak. Instead of buying a new amp, change a module and you have a boogie or a marshall or a twin.

Dependable-I have used these amps primarily for over 10 years with few problems. I would suggest to any new owners that they take the amp in and get it completely overhauled. There are a lot of "moving parts" in this amp and whoever owned it before you may not have taken great care of it. I have 3 of these babies and each one I bought, I took it in and got it tweaked. I therefore have had few problems. The factory, even though they no longer make them, was very co-operative and offered original schematics. I had my amps tweaked to original specs with all new tubes. Quite frankly, there is nothing that comes close in power or versatility, especially for the price that these can be picked up for.

I highly recommend this amp to prospective buyers. They are hard to come by, but you truly cannot beat the value. Modules are no longer available but I have run across some devotees who trade them. I have a stash of modules, including some doubles that I would be willing sell.

This is a two channel amp with interchangable input stages. Problem is there no longer available, but I'm always looking. If you have any or know of anyone please let me know. All tube, and generally sounds great, at least I think so. Has channel switching, effects loop, external speaker jack, all that stuff. This was designed to compete in the upper escalon of amps, but just didn't quite make it. Has a shitload of power, more than enough for most situations. But I can't get decent distortion out of it, although it has great dynamics. It's a small package, but weighs a ton, has huge transformers and a magnet on the 12" speaker that is super beefy. I've played it full blast maybe once, and my ears bled : )

I have the 'vintage', 'normal' and "hy-gain hybrid (hot and crunchy)" (sort of) modules, and use the vintage and hi-gain all of the time. The higain gives a warm distortion on chords and can give you a ton of tones depending on how hard you play the chord, which I love. But not enough for a lead, have to use a box (ugh) to get a good lead distortion. I play numerous guitars through it, SG, Strat and I have a wierd one, a Welson (335 copy made at the same factory as Vox) from the 60's that I purchased new in the box from 1965 just last year! Very cool. This amp make that guitar sound awesome! But without more modules I'm limited on what sounds I can get. Someone wrote in usenet that they thought it was a mediocre amp (compared to other high end amps maybe), but for what I paid you couldn't get a better deal!

No problems. Had for 4 years.

Called once to factory and actually spoke to a live body who knew what I was talking about and was technical. Unfortunately they didn't have what I wanted (more modules, or at least the ones I wanted). But still just getting someone on the phone was an accomplishment. I should call back and see if they maybe made more modules. They were kind and courteous and explained that for them the amp business just wasn't profitable in the quantities they were selling.

I love the amp, but if I'd had to pay what it was supposed to sell for, I wouldn't have bought it. Proabably for it's day, in the market segment it was designed to compete in there were probably better amps. But for me, for it's size and what I paid for it, it beat everything in it's price range and besides the dealer begged me to take it off his hands. He started by saying he wanted 450 for it but kept saying to make an offer. I kept acting uninterested, he called the owner at home, who just wanted to get rid of it....for 225! I snapped it up and have never regreted it. They sell typically for 350 used and are worth it. But keep in mind, no modules are available, so love it the way it is or don't buy it! Incidently I met a guy who played a local club who got a 'deal' when the amp first came out cause he knew someone at a local music shop and paid $850 for his. They normally sold for something like 1300.