Silvertone 1484 Twin-Twelve

I don't think anyone's mentioned that the channels are interactive on this amp. While you're plugged into the reverb/tremolo channel, adjusting the volume and treble controls on the normal channel will affect the sound. Try turning both volume and treble on the normal channel all the way up, then back off the volume until the extra hum dies down a bit. This will open up the high end a bit.

You can also bridge the channels by running a patch cord from the second input of the tremolo channel to the first input of the normal channel. This will cut some high end but add to the overall gain. If you put a delay or other modulation pedal between the channels, you can run a wet/dry setup without using two amps.

This is the amp that everyone laughed at you for owning...
until they used it themselves!

Mine's a 1966 that I bought new and used regularly until it died in the early '90s. I think it's just in need of some replacement capacitors that have probably died with age.

This was a typical amp for the period: Two channels, no waiting; reverb and tremolo on the main channel (Ch.2), 35 watts RMS and a couple of 12" Jensens that are still going strong after almost 45 years!

I read that some reviewers said that the Twin-Twelve is a pile of crap compared to contemporary Marshalls, Fenders, etc. of the era. In a sense they're right. When I bought mine, my brother had already replaced his Twin-Twelve with a Fender Bandmaster which was a much better amp.

However, the Sears amp was very good value for the price and had a clean sound. I've used this amp with a variety of axxes since I bought it and it's always worked reasonably well, playing everything from Rock, Jazz and Country to Heavy Metal and Surf Beat.

Keyboardists should plug a Fender Rhodes into and and be prepared to be amazed and what comes out.

Over the years I have been amazed at how darned reliable it's been. The only time it let me down was 40 years ago when I used to bi-amp the unit with a Standel Imperial XIV head and blew the chokes out of it, sending out a shower of sparks that people thought was some kind of primative stage FX (LOL!).

I took the amp to the Sears Service Center in L.A. who replaced the chokes and checked everything else over and gave it back to me within a week.

I've probably replaced a couple of the tubes in the years I used it - remember this got regular use and abuse for more than three decades.

See above...

I sold some other equipment from my studio back in '92 to a couple of young guys who offered to go through the amp for me, but it's still got a capacitor problem somewhere. I used to have the schematic for the amp but I guess I could find one on the internet and sort it out.

I've had this amp since I switched from playing winds to guitar, bass and drums in 1966 (got braces on my teeth, like a lot of Baby Boomers).

It's always been kind of limited in power, but made a great studio amp and small gig amp in later years. I have a NZ-made Holden 40 tube amp that I use with the Twin-Twelve cabinet, so if I had to replace it, I'd probably get something up-to-date.

My Twin-Twelve is like an old reliable dog, that just keeps on keeping on. At some stage, I do plan to get the head sorted out, but as I haven't gigged for a number of years, it's not been a priority.

Mine is a 1964 modelI did know what I had at first,I thought Sears cheap Boy was I wrong I just turn it up to 10 and add a little delay I use this amp for recording I haver had guys play all this high end gear and on playback I blow them away You have to have the NOS RCA power tubes they make it sound right Also try it with a 4/12 marshall cab

The output transformer is weak so you cand turn it on 10 and get that cool sound,I just use the guitar volume to change tone

It has Never not played great,I did blow one of the Jensen Concert speakers but got it fixed For a shoddy amp its great I got a shematic for it now with all the part #'s Solid amp Itg aldepends on who owned it before you for if you do not have the NOS RCA 6L6GC output tubes

I got a shematic so it can be fixed If you need a copy let me know

I have been playing since 1967,I own alot of cool stuff I would never sell this amp you sound like Cream with it.just use a delay pedal and a wha and a 4/12 closed back cabnit Now that Jack White useing one the price will go up Also about 10 years ago in Guitar player it was in the Top 10 Best Blues amps ever made

I got mine in 1965. Excellent tube amp for all genres. It has two channels. Excellent reverb and tremelo effects. I have always used it around home and small establishments. Plenty of power.

I use a 1969 ES335 and Gibson studio. Silvertone has a unique sound. Once you have heard it, you can understand its implication to sound through the years.

Definite reliability. It is a work horse. Two 12 inch Jensons are sweet.

My local Sears company worked on it and there were no issues on the repairs. They thanked me for bringing it in. They appreciated the classic style of the amp.

I have been playing since 1964.The 1484 stands alone in it style, and sound quality.

Two channels, Reverb, Vibrato (speed and intensity). This amp can do about anything. Heavy metal would require a pedal (which it usually does), despite what other reviewers say it has a good clean sound, but if you're playing in a club and need it cranked it does not. I play mine with an early 70's Bandmaster 2X12 cab. I'm giving this an 8 on features because it doesn't have loads of on board effects or wattage switching, not that many amps do (and I hate the ones that do), but in the interest of keeping the rating inflation madness that occurs on this site under control.

I'm giving this amp a 9 because I don't really believe in 10's. The only amp I've had that I thought was comparable was a '61 Bandmaster with a JBL. The tightest amp I've ever played. I buy and sell on ebay by the same name and have had about everything you can name under $5000 at one time or another. However this amp prompted me to write my first review ever on Harmony Central today. It really is an amazing amp. I don't understand why people think it's not versatile. Is a Marshall? A Deluxe Reverb? All amps do about 3 things unless you use effects which this takes great. I'm only 30 but I wonder what kids in the 60's thought when they got this home from Sears. Did they realize what they were hearing?! I currently play a VOS '61 SG Reissue through it, previously used a '57 Strat Reissue and a Les Paul Standard. I LOVE it with humbuckers.

It's a tube amp. I've had no problems, but in time I will.

I doubt customer support exists with this unit.

I've been playing about 10 years. I buy, sell and collect all things guitar. Occasionally play an open mic but am by no means a professional. However I know guitars well, they are my life. This amp is the best one I've ever had except the '61 Bandmaster. I have no idea why this amp is not more expensive. If it were stolen I'd destroy the perpetrator to retrieve it, if he dropped it while I was destroying him I'd buy a new one quickly. No amp gets a 10 and I will only give a rating this high to a Matchless, an original Princeton, an original Deluxe Reverb, my blond Bandmaster and this. I've not played many botique amps, or Marshalls but no other amp I've actually played would get a 9.

Not sure what year mine is but i know it's an early to mid sixties. Definitely not versatile; it does one thing but it does it completely well. I'm really happy with it; convenient and sturdy with the head-in-cab feature for transport, I replaced the power cord with a grounded 3 prong modern style that is now found on most amps. I also installed a speaker jack as opposed to the hardwired cable that was original. I know tsk tsk but save it...I've done more to de-originalize it. Replaced the speakers with greenbacks and it's loud as hell now and I love it. Also had Russian Svetlana 6L6's in it until an amp tech dropped it and cracked one; it now has the Chinese Svetlana's in it which don't sound as full or strong in my opinion. I messed around with some of the preamp tubes also until I found a combination I liked. Replaced the 12AX7's with 12AT7's which stiffened it up a bit so it now breaks up later in the volume sweep. Left the 6cq7 Silvertone tubes in place; not sure what they do but I'm guessing they're either reverb or tremolo related. Good tremolo but I have no footswitch so I don't use it while gigging. Reverb does some cool stuff which I've messed around with recording. Not a typical reverb but very fun and different.

I play a '74 Les Paul custom with pearly gates in it and it's fat, big, huge, and ratty...just an all-around great guitar that sounds just like a custom should. Overall dark thick dry tone that is brightened on the front by the pearly gates. I also play a mid-90's frankenstrat: it's a mid-80's japanese neck on a 95 mexican body. I love it, very typically stratty. Also have a frankentele that has the strat neck on it, very light alder body, pickups are from some guy in the northeast who drills out strat pickups and replaces them with p-bass pole pieces...pretty true tele sound. I like it. All my guitars sound great thru the amp; as true as they should. It's a transparent amp, but it definitely gets ratty when it starts breaking up. Not tight.

As I said before it's not versatile but the amp's one sound is unbelievable; the passive tone controls prevent much versatility but who cares. I like that it doesn't break-up as early as it used to after the changes I've made and I get a good range of clean to warm saturation to downright compressed crunch overdrive with it. I also like that it doesn't get much louder past the midway point on the volume; it just starts breaking up and compressing more and more. It used to be significantly noisy especially around florescents; however after swapping out the power cord & replacing a power tube socket (when the old one burned out) it quieted down a good bit. Not a whole lot...I would say halfway.

Overall I love it; it's a very dirty, nasty, singular sounding amp but it suits me. I'm not a really clean technical player so the lack of tightness doesn't bug me. It's great for anything from garage to blues to punk to Americana. Wouldn't recommend it for a scooped mids MTV kind of thing but it's an honest to goodness ballsy real rock amp.

Just had it serviced when one of the powertube sockets burned out. Prior to that I used it for 3-4 years 2-5 days a week without issue. I think the reason that socket went bad was because someone loaded it in to a truck upside down and the tube worked it's way about halfway out before we started...arced and burned it. However, I now always make sure they're secure in their sockets before I fire it up.

I doubt Sears would even have info on it.

I love it. It's my only amp and it's a perfect fit for me. If I get another amp or if I could compare it to something it would be a blackface bassman...maybe moreso a bandmaster. I traded for a 4x10 Deville and a Line-6 FM4...definitely worth it. Overall it cost me about $200 out of pocket even with the speaker & tube upgrades. I may rig up a footswitch but I'm not that concerned with it. I'd definitely replace it if it were stolen and I'm always looking for more.

it was made in 1964

i only play through channel two and it s awesome!!! no reverb though just a strange echoing effect

one time but i bought it at a flea market and it just needed the power tibes replaced (i was sure and get a duet!!! all the other tubes are original

no warranty to me they dont warranty stuff at the flea market ha!!

yep i ve had a lot of offers for it lately and i just laugh at them when they offer me a grand i ll consider it!!!i ve had it for 5 years now,, i ve got an art mvp preamp i use with it to get to it distort at one ha!!

heres a really neat trick: jumper the channels i.e. use an instrument type cable and connect input one/channel one and connect the other end input one /channel two. now plug into input two channel two and using a tubescreamer w/ settings at gain full , tone 9 oclock ,volume to same or little louder than when off and set all twin twelves knobs @ 3oclock. your welcome

i use les paul and strat ts-9 original with 808 mod and a little DIY extra courtesy of Brian Wampler @ indyguitarist.ive got alnico pro II's in american paul and japanese in strat. definetely a nice tight crunch with balls to spare. i bought a pair of alnico golds in a 4ohm 2x12 from avatar, good company and products.bought from him twice always excellent service.

it used to belong to a punk rocker b4 me that used toi knock it o0ver as part of the act.the thing has got to be pretty solid if it still works right?

it has its place , does cause a little listeners fatigue about 2hours in continuous.

I have a 1964 Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve. It is phenomenal. Two Channels, one w/ Tremolo. Reverb is so terrible that it's great. A cool little add on. I play Reggae, Ska, and Funk. Along with a little Chicken Pickin'. Great for it. Gig with it and its great. Original Jensen Speakers, non-original tubes. Fairly limited in tones, but could be good for jazz at low volumes or full throttle rock when everything is cranked, which is when it produces that truly tube-driven soaked sound. It looks like it's covered in denim, and it seems like it's made from fiberboard, but it's 43 now, so it can't be that bad.

Mostly play with a Dan Electro 56-U2, Fender Telecaster, and Old Hollowbodies. Great for single coils. Once again, Amp is tonally limited, but don't let that stop you. Amp is a great sound, If you're a garage rock kind of sound. But low volumes keep it clean, its at about 3/4 of the way where it starts to get dirty. Had a little trouble running a CS-3 from BOSS, but that may have been the pedal. Took it down to a boost, Double Muff, and Clone Theory and it handles it great.

Amp is VERY dependable, no problems with it. I do have a guy that works on these types of amps (i.e. Airline, Valco, Supro, Silvertone). I don't gig with a back up, because this thing is a work-horse.

Hmmmm. Wanna hook me up Sears?

Been playing for only about 5 years, but have become very knowledgeable on most gear out there. I have an old Peavey that i played through before this, but now it's Silvertone all the way. If it were stolen i would hunt them down, (aren't too many of these guys in Southern California) but I'm currently trying to find another one right now, as a backup, along with a 1485 for some sweet Jack White tone. The only thing i wish it had was a little more output, some people mod them with twin reverb parts, but i think I'll just pickup a second one and blast them both.

Had all the stuff you would think made it nice at the time. They were just not very good amps It didn't come close to a fender, Gibson or Ampeg in quality. It was a big cheap amp.

Muddy, awful reverb, no punch, no clean sound ... loud enough, but so is a jackhammer ... just not pleasant to listen to. I was studying to be a EE at the time. Compared the schematic of a friends Super Reverb to the Silvertone. Had trouble understanding that they both were 40 watts with 2 6L6s ... yet one sounded like crap (the Silvertone). Answers: Iron in the transformers, Silvertone's were anemic. Power supply ... more grunt means more output past just a spike. Real speakers. Hooked up my speakers to the Super Reverb ... ugh. Hooked up the Silvertone amp to the Super's ... better but no cigar.

It ran fine. On the whole it never gave me trouble however.

Didn't even need them

This amp was a gift from my parents, so I loved it. They struggled to get it for me, so ... I was very thankful. We never really had much money. Realistically, the AMP is a POS. I am blown away by the following it has today. And the folks that say it was/is good. It was never even past fair ... I was lead vocalist and played rhythm so it really didn't matter much. It was loud enough. I had a few lead parts but they never sounded really good or had sparkle. I was happy to part with it ... long after my gigging days I donated it to a church. I had bought a Gibson and used it later on for gigging. My bass player kept it and brought it to jobs. Never had the guts to tell my folks that I had it. When I left home I brought both with me.