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.

What a cool amp. I bought this amp about 12 years ago. St that time, I wanted a twin reverb kinda sound. The old guy that sold it to me, owned a cool little guitar store in Evansville Indiana called Dallas Music. He said they used to call it the "Working Mans Twin". I dunno, doesn't sound like a twin to me....Sounds much, much better. It doesn't have the great clean that the Fender has....the reverb is all but useless, but it rocks!!!! I play my Les Paul thru it mainly, all you do, is plug it in, and crank it....It's incredible!!! It's so...I dunno....ugly I guess that its cool. Covered in some grey wallpaper kinda stuff, about the color of an elephant or something. The knobs are all huge, and lined up in a row, and looks very cool. But, that's one of the things that makes it so cool, ya just can't keep from lookin' at it. People always ask, what is that??? I wouldn't trade it for anything!!!!

As I said before...I wouldn't trade it for nothin.... What a great overdrive it has... Plug in a Les Paul and dime the volume, and it sounds huge... Think AC/DC!!! Mine has all the original speakers and tubes in it. It has 2 channels, both sound identical, with the exception that channel 2 has the reverb and tremlo on it. The reverb, as I said earlier is very strange, and the tremlo, on mine anyway, is way too fast even on the slowest setting. I get a pretty good clean sound with it if I use a different reverb, and a chorus. But that isn't really what this amp is all about. I highly recommend picking one of these up if you can find one, they are awesome!!! But you better hurry, the price keeps going up on these. You will never get mine tho, I will be keeping mine!!!

I haven't had any problems with it. Always turns on, and sounds great. It has all the original tubes and speakers, and mine is a 1964, so that's gotta mean something. It's not really made very rugged, so you gotta be gentle with it.

Hello, sears??? Yea, you are on your own with this one.... Any good amp shop could fix it if you ever had a problem. But sears isn't gonna help ya. But then again, what has a 44 year warrantee on it anyway. Marshall isn't gonna fix your original JTM 45 either, are they???

I just with the reverb and tremlo were better, but other than that It's a perfect, ugly duckling. If you get the chance to pick one up, do it, you wont regret it. They are a blast to play!!!

I think mine was made in 1964? I am using it strictly to play the blues and clasic rock, and it does it very well. It has 2 channels, with no channel switching capabilities unless you had an A/B switch. It also has reverb and tremelo, which I don't really use. It is 35 watts, which is plenty and the cabinet has 2x12 Jensens. I mainly use this amp at local jams and to practice at home and it CAN hold up t any loud drummer very well. Mine still has the stock RCA/Silvertone tubes in it, which I am scared to change because they sound so great. There is one extremely cool feature this amp has, and that is the fact that you can take the head and stick it inside the cabinet to carry it around as one unit. Also, it is very light and transportable. For a vintage amp, hey, it has some nice features!

This is where it absolutely shines! I can't believe that something that sais Sears on it would sound so good! No wonder these amps are becoming a hot commodity. You can crank the bass and treble on either channel and still get a very sweet warm sound with just the right amount of highs. If you push the volume past about 5 and a half it starts to break up nicely, but not too much. Cran the volume and it has excellent, but not harsh, tube breakup! It is very useable for classic rock and nice warm blus solos. When playing this loud, if you want the nice clean sound this amp has to offer, all you have to do is turn down your guitars volume knob. Or tone down on your pick dynamics. I play a Strat through this amp, and when I first tried the amp out I played a Epiphone Dot through it. With both of them I was absolutely amazed, no matter what you do it just sounds so warm. I am very happy with my purchase.

Hey, it is from 1964, it has the original tubes, and it still works like a charm. Is'nt it obvious?

Too old, don't know.

Hey, I will admit. I was skeptical about buying this amp when I did. I thought to myself, "Silvertone, this can't be good." But, I was wrong, I am overjoyed with the beautful clean and overdriven tones that I can acheive with this amp, excellent for SRV and Jimi even thought it is not a Fender or a Marshall from the same era. And you know what, I have played some vintage Fender and Marshalls, and even owned a few, and this amp is no less of an amp. I mean the Fenders and Marshalls I have played from that era are awesome, but this amp is no slouch either. It has its own tonal quality that is a fine cross between a Fender and a Marshall, so I find I get the best of both worlds. If you get the chance, try one out. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. I love it, and if anything ever happens to it, I will fix it or get another one. I can't get enough.

60's model sears amplifier. I repaired this amp for a friend. It is a 2 channel 35w rms head. each channel boasts vol, bass, treble. It has a master reverb and tremelo section. The amp was doa when I got it. One of octal sockets had arced and was shorting out. My friend was told the head could not be fixed. The features are typical of this era amplifier

After 4 hours of sorting out shoddy lead dress inside this amp I got the 2 new ceramic octal sockets installed. I can say the wiring appears to have been done by elementary school labor. No color coding. Hap-hazard routing. Nothing like an old fender or traynor. I spent a good amount of time moving wires to logical routes and getting the heaters away from the plate and grid wires. The chassy is hand bent aluminium and the pre amp board is vertical above the sockets. Once done I let the amp warm up and then plugged in my copy strat to give it a go, playing through a Traynor 6x10 cab 5 ohms. This amp really suprised me how good it sounds. Noise was very low. The reverb and tremelo are weak. The tone of this amp is suited for blues,country,southern rock. Amazing sound from this cheapo amplifier.

I cannot speak for reliability. I don't know when or why one of the sockets arced. This amp doesn't have screen grid resistors(like fender). I assume it was old phenolic material that cracked and failed. The ceramic sockets should keep this from happening again. I don't know how quiet it was before I re-routed the wiring,but it is very quiet now. I would not use it without a backup.

Took a while to find a schematic but they are avaliable online for free. Don't bother calling sears it ain't no craftsman so the aren't going to replace it.

I have been playing for 30+ years. This is the first silvertone amp I have played through. It is a very good sounding amplifier. The construction is very messy and repairing this thing takes a while. If you own one I would check the output sockets and look for cracks or carbon deposits. A set of ceramic sockets will be cheap insurance. Getting one of the local overpriced tube amp whizbang repair guys to do it will be difficult or very expensive. It will not sound like a high gain zippy amp. It will sound like a good-ole american tube amp. Warm tones and just the right bit of distortion when cranking it up.

This Amp was made in 1965, A guy down my Alley was moveing in 1980,and just gave it to me free the speaker are 1964,It has the Great Silvertone RCA 6L6GC power tubes.If your tubes ever burn out Only use NOS RCA 6l6gc.The tubes and the little einemic output Transformer,is what makes this thing Rock.I have run mine into a 4/12 cabnit,and it really opens up.I disconencted the cheesy reverb.

This amp I have when turned to 10 I sound like Eric Clapton in Cream Turn the volume down alittle and you have Any Garage Band from the 1960's.I like mine with just a little D-delay Like I said the Tubes really make this thing go.Some guys put Bassman OT in theres which change the sound.Most guys never tryed the 4/12,if you want more volume..I put a new power plg on and got rid of the built in cord to the speaker jack

This thing has never broken down,I changed a volume pot.At first I was stupid and I abused the thing I painted the cabnit Black.I just bought a scematic firit So now I can take it to a pro and have it all brought up to New.I love this amp.

NOT!!!!Get a Schematic for $5-$10

I started in 1967,I have owned alot of great Vintage gear,This amp sits proud,right next to my Plexi 100Watt Marshall and 60's Fenders.If it was stolen I would hunt you down and......

My first band amp. in 1967. I was 13. Bought it (my mom bought it for me) for $25. at a swap meet. It was an early model with grey-tweed covering, worked like new, great reverb and good tremelo for then, played alot of surf and west-coast rock thru it, used it a couple years, then kept it for a few more after I upgraded to a Kustom 400. Played a JazzMaster thru it, nice tones especially with my Mosrite distortion. Used it on stage a few times, good sound but little punch without distortion. I think the reason the reverbs gave out on these (mine never did) is because of the great thunder effect you could get when you tilt the head back and bring it down on the cabinet. I don't remember anyone who could resist doing that with that amp! It served it's purpose in my life, and never let me down.

I used it way back in '67-'68, alot of clean trebly leads with reverb. Used an old JazzMaster thru it, with a Mosrite distortion it sang and sustained very well. The amp was not too old then, and had little hiss. I would like to find one today just to use for recording, it had a special sound.

Never had a problem

Call Sears, the'll come repair or replace it for free. (Tell 'em it's a Craftsman) Then have a good laugh!

Too long and too much to remember. Check out my site @ http://www.jamwave.com/crashcazz

ah, at long last I understand this amp. it's from recording, and reading about it, and comparing the two that I have come to this. the sound of this amp is focused, like some sort of missile, right down the middle of your ear. sort of flat, even, level, compressed in a way, not terribly "dynamic". this has been attributed to the smallness of the output transformer, but I also think this is a function of the smallness of the magnets in the C12Q speakers (a mere 15 ounces... compare this to a G12H 30 watt celestion which has a 50 oz magnet!). however, the sound surely does have an agressive bite/edge to it, this is not a tame, washed-over sound. with good tubes in it, this amp is a pleasure to hear. I find that my "bright cap" volume pot mod on the first channel is indespensible for the brighter tones that I like to hear. I have found an even better way to run this amp. the speakers are somewhat scooped in the midrange...by jumpering the channels, I have found a way to use the stock (second) channel as a mid-blend knob. I run the guitar into the second channel, and a jumper cable between the second and first channel inputs, run the first (bright) channel at full bass setting and treble to taste (noon) and volume to taste (9 to 11 oclock), and the second channel with bass full OFF and treble around noon. turning the volume knob on the second channel up adds body and fatness to the sound compared to just running into the first channel...adjust balance of volume knobs to taste. the "focused" dynamics of this amp do suit it for certain recorded tones...I have gotten some nice crunched up rhythm tones out of it, but the most spectacular is probably the feedback lead sound I got with my hollowbody guild guitar and a proco rat. this amp just sings in a vocal sort of midrange, sweet, nasty but soft way. of course, you'd really have to hear it for yourself

two channels with two inputs each. Channel A is clean. Channel 2 is Reverb and tremelo. The Tremelo and Reverb work on mine but I guess a lot of amps have the reverb broken.

This amp has a real nice sound that brings out the guitar nicely. My tele really sounds like a tele, all nice an twangy, and my silvertone is really crunchy and fuzzy. Crank it for some nice crunch but if you want thicker or harder distortion, reach for a pedal. I'll prolly get my big muff fixed to round out the distortion options. Really great for Blues and old school rock.

The tubes are all original Silvertone and since it's survived since the sixties with pretty minimal wear I'd say this is a damn reliable amp. I'd use it without back up though more because I can't afford more than because I want to.

none. visit your friendly local amp tech.

This is a really solid amp and a great sounding vintage amp for less than vintage prices. I don't know why Sears ever stopped selling these. I really love the minimalism of this amp, just volume, hi, lo, and reverb and trem. I guess that's the same reason i love tele's.

more comments: I recorded this amp with my old band, using my drummer's telecaster custom reissue, and the sound was SO ZEP I, it was amazing. this amp was made to be cranked. it gets that bass-lite midrangey mist/cloud dirty-clean rip. at a not-deafening volume too (in a big enough room). you'll want to give this amp a hug

got hit by a car and still ticking

the cheap, flimsy construction of the cabinet, and the light weight of the speakers, (and transformers in the head) make this amp really easy to carry to gigs/practices/sessions. you'll be sad when the tolex starts getting torn, though. I protected my corners with black duct tape to hopefully slow down this process

As with most old Silvertones the reverb on this unit is garbage and doesn't work all of the time. I love the tremelo it is very minimal but I love the sound of it. I bought the amp with the footswitch so I can use both of the effects fairly easily.
The guy I bought the head from didn't have the cabinet so I only have the head although I wish I could have gotten the cab as well and I am still looking for one.
I'm not sure what year this amp was made. The guy I bought it from got it from someone else who probably got it from someone else and so on and so on.
There are two channels and they each have two inputs. They both sound exactly the same.
This amp seems pretty powerful enough for me, though I wish I had the cabinet to see what it was really meant to sound like.

The tone of this amp is glorious. You can't really get a clean tone out of this amp, but this may be due to it's old age. When you turn it up though you get that beautiful crunch that these amps are known for. I have an epiphone les paul and one of those new eastwood airline reissues that has alcino pickups. Both of these guitars sound outstanding through this amp. I tried a single coil guitar through it but it didn't hold up as well.
This amp is great if you are looking for its specific kind of crunch and you want a straight up distorted guitar sound.

I do not know the history of this amp so I do not know if there have been many problems in the past. This amp isn't very reliable. Of course the reverb tank craps out and it causes problems with the amp. Also if the amp shakes at all when it is in use it will just start to squeal horribly and you'll have to tap on the reverb tank to get it to stop. I would be able to trust this amp for a show because I feel like I know it well enough now to correct any problems that might come up, but someone who had never used it before would definately have a lot of problems.

Sears wouldn't know anything about these amps anymore since its been about forty years since they've been made. Most guitar shops would be able to service it and fix any problems though.

I personally love this amp. I could see a lot of people hating it though because it is a piece of junk but that is whats great about it. There is nothing like that silvertone crunch. I hope that I can eventually hunt down a silvertone 1485 that I can afford or at least the cabinet for the 1485. Overall think this amp is amazing.

My amp has all (except one 12ax) original silvertone tubes. The tubes are dated 1965 and the speakers are dated 1964. I traded half interest in a honda 160 (back in 1971) for this amp. My brother has had it for about the last 25 years and I just got it back.

It has major tone, but is not as loud as I remember. I'm thinking of trying new power tubes.

I like to play the blues, and this rig punches the ticket. I have used it for harmonica also with a hohner bullet mic. Turned up over 8 on the volume dial and it breaks up pretty good. Running my '62 telecaster custom through it is sweet also.

The reverb quit reverbing, but other than that its a warhorse.

It has not seen much use/abuse since 1975. From its looks, it must of had a very hard childhood, but its still rocking.

Warranty on a 40 year old amp?

Its about 8 inches shorter than my *****.

Back in '71 I thought this thing was hideously ugly, now its ugly i a kind of cool way. I wich it was louder, I remember it being louder in 71 but I remember other things being louder, bigger ,better, brighter etc.

We just have the head. Our's was made in 1964. This tube amp is very interesting. It has 4 inputs; two channels. It does have reverb and tremolo, but the reverb in these is usually broken. We thought our's wasn't, but then something horribly wrong happened and the reverb tank, lets say "stopped working". We had to get new 6L6GC's for it because strangely, the reverb broke them. The tremolo is fantastic though. We probably have to replace the 12AX7 that fuels the tremolo, but it sounds good even with the original 1964 tube. We hope to replace all the tubes in it soon, for they are all original RCA (marked as Silvertone) Blackplates. We have a grounded 3 prong cord too, instead of the original. We don't have the original cab, but we built one based off the original. The speakers in it were two Jensen C12Q's, which Jensen still re-issues. The dimensions of the original cab were 9" deep, 20.5" high, and 29" wide.

We are using an Epiphone Strat-copy from the 80's (sounds alike a Fender Strat, and not a Squire) and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. It has a great tube sound and pumped with a vintage Electro Harmonix USA Big Muff, it sounds great. This is a simple amp. Volume, Bass, and Treble. Nothing else.

I WOULD use it on a gig, as long as I had a REALLY good way of packing it. If it broke, i'd probably just call Sears....NOT. They'd never be able to help. Probably don't even know what Silvertone is anymore. It uses standard tubes (4 12AX7's, 2 6L6GC's, and 2 6CG7/6FQ7's) which you can still buy brand new or NOS. It hasn't broke for us yet, just the reverb. It still is a very delacate amp.

"Hello Sears? Hi I have a Silvertone 14..... oh, you don't know what Silvertone is? Well you sold them in the 1960's..... oh.... you have no idea..... ok, thanks."

If you need help with this, go to a local (not chain) but local guitar shop that has old amps. They should be able to help you.

This is a great amp. I would definitly buy another if it was stolen or lost. I love the tone; the speakers really push the sound fine. I definitly got my money's worth. It is probably one of my favorite Sears Silvertone amps i've ever tried (other than 1483 and 1485)

A follow-up! I got my reverb fixed!

Heh.

I like crazy noises, and I was going to track down a delay pedal that would self-oscillate, but then I took my 1484 in to get recapped and the dude fixed the reverb while he was in there. Crank up the reverb and you get seriously some of the most deranged feedbacky sounds you've ever heard. Nigh useless as REVERB, but if you want surf guitar buy a ****ing Fender. This is so cool.

vintage tubey goodness. I really appreciate the simplicity of this amp.

a shorter, more superlative review: (I'm really having fun with this amp, and plan to keep it for a long time)

with the gold label C12Qs--really is a "warm" and "rich" sound, you could put it on a sandwich and eat it...until you crank it where it gets really trashy. not much headroom at all (amp only puts out about 20 watts). the first thing you notice as you increase volume to about 9 o'clock is the low E string, when played open and hard, starts to crap out. this is true when used with any speaker cab I have, high or low power handling. there's a sweet spot before it starts to break up where the sound is deliciously golden brown like a creme brule...just sounds RIGHT. even when I'm using JJ tubes throughout instead of the original silvertone and GE tubes. I just wish it were a little louder for gigs, but that could be solved by running two of these (! yowza). man oh man would I love to try a 1485 six ten! also, I mostly plug into my bright cap channel, the mids can be a little too much on channel B (stock). I wonder now if these channels sounded different before I messed with the first one, since reverb only works on the second channel.

a word about the reverb. you can get this really cool sound by turning the volume one the channel you're using all the way down, and the wet part of the reverb sound still sounds, which you can adjust the tone of with the bass and treble knobs. in fact, the reverb is set at a fixed volume that stays the same no matter where your volume knob is set, whether all the way off or cranked fully up. my favorite use of this is, as I said, turning the "dry" volume all the way off and just using the pure spring reverb sound. you can't change the volume, it's somewhat loud, but the sound is so cool. it's this juicy underwater type sound. maybe my amp is an oddball or modified (reverb doesn't work on the first channel on my amp, only the second) but hey, it's a pretty sweet trick so I'm happy.

TONE:
what i meant in my previous review about the tone of this amp is the speakers are less bright in the presence/treble range compared to many celestion speakers. in fact my Vintage 30 is piercing at high volumes, I'm going to sell it. I have also found that the twin twelve gets a nice, not too trashy (a bit raunchy compared to a tube screamer or whatever) medium crunch when I use my Jackson Outcaster guitar (with aftermarket pickups). a useable non-master tube amp crunch! yes sort of jack white-ish. (a couple other guitars I tried did not sound good at all, so it's picky) I used it at a show and it was great. also sounded good with my gretsch pro jet and an MXR micro amp for a bit more gain. the amp is a hair shy of the power you want when playing with a drummer, I was told to turn up (but it was already cranked), but it was servicable. really good tone. (I was using the stock channel, not my "bright cap" channel). I really do love this amp. clean sounds are great too. on clean settings, the bass knob changes the sound subtly; not a drastic tone shaper. the trick, for me, to getting this nice crunch sound was to roll the bass knob all the way off. still plenty of bass, but I guess it's a little easier on the speakers, so the crunch sounds a little cleaner and more controlled. (I had previously pretty much always run bass full on). the treble knob, however has a good range, and is key to setting your tone. just move it around till you find that sweet spot...it's in there.

has served me well for 3-4 years

update: I got a treble n bass. that amp has a lot more bass (and treble! haha) than the twin twelve and a bit more volume...and perhaps a hint of spongy feel from the tube rectifier. I like them both

I think i can describe the sound of this amp a little better now. the twin twelve is definitely an american amp, it has sort of a midrange emphasis. I'm using the original C12Qs now. I leave the bass always full on. I'm sure you could get a really thin, raunchy 60s lead sound with this amp very easily, just turn down the bass and crank the volume. now that I have it on top of my piano, I find that you don't really need to do the bright cap mod...treble response is sufficient at low volumes with the speakers pointing right at your head. with an overdrive pedal, this amp really gets that strokes sound, sort of creamy and midrangey. doesn't like my shredmaster much, sounds like poo, but the big muff sounds great through this amp. my modified channel stays cleaner with the volume maxed, more crunch from the unmodified channel. the breakup sound of this amp is very trashy and sort of brittle...maybe it would sound good for recording with the right microphone, but for live, un miked use, I don't think i'll be using that sound. (think velvet underground first album...they used this amp!) but the clean sound really is very good, as is the overdrive pedal sound. I like to mic this amp with an audio technica 3035 for pure clean sounds when recording...the resulting tracks are round, balanced, and pretty. for raunchier sounds an SM57 and the overdrive pedal sounds great.

jack white uses the 1485 (4x6L6 and 6x10 speakers), not this amp, wich may partially explain why his cranked amp sound is so different from mine

minimal features great tremelo--

use it with a Fender Tele Copy/with Seymore Duncan Broadcaster spec pickups. Per usual, the Reverb doesn't work. I have a hot rod deluxe, and several "vintage" amps (by accident--they just get old) Bassmans of various types, Sunn Beta lead, etc, but the Silvertone is the one that gets used for recording. I've been using a Sunn single 12", 16ohm, and it CRANKS--wish someone could tell us what ohms mean on a tube amp, opinions are all over the board.

still using 4o year old preamp tubes, and sovtek 6L6's--Groove Tube has bought the original RCA equipt, I tried a set in my Fender Bantam Bass, and WOW. So, if the 6L6s ever go out, I'll use groove tubes.
NO problems (except reverb)

Hmmm maybe we should start a class action lawsuit to get our reverbs fixed

Used to jam with Bo Diddley in the 60's--he had the 100 watt version.

A great tube amp for someone who doesn't need a hundred different knobs to play with-just volume, bass and treble. Sweet overdrive after about half volume. Reverb and tremolo on channel two for that wonderful acid trip sound. This amp currently for sale...Check out my webpage with pictures and info- http://trunorthdesign.tripod.com/

Blusey overdrive is this amp's claim to fame. Nice, warm & clean sound at lower volumes. Drive it with a Boss Metal Zone and it shreds with bloody claws. Some hum noise but not really a problem.

Hasn't broken, but it has lead an easy life. I wouldn't play it outside in a rainstorm or anything.....

Any knowledgeable tube amp repair shop could do whatever you needed with this amp, it is about as complicated as an anvil. Warranty and manufacturer support....um, no.

No idea when this was made - sometime in the 60's. I only have the head, not the cab.

You know the routine by now - two channels, two inputs each, volume bass treble, second channel has reverb and tremolo (depth & speed). The channels aren't switchable, but the tremolo can be turned on and off - on mine, I've discovered that a Carvin footswitch will work. It puts out about 35 watts from a pair of 6L6s.

On mine the reverb is broken and disconnected. I'm not concerned, the reverb tank is the size of a matchbox.

I had the power cord replaced with a grounded cord, and the strange speaker wire replaced with an output jack (4 ohms).

It doesn't have a lot of features, but it has enough.

Weighs very little, too.

I'm using this with a Carvin DC135 and a Danelectro DC3 - single coil guitars - and playing through a J Design 1x12 with a 30 watt Weber Ceramic Blue Dog.

This suits me very well - the overall tone is Fenderish, a beautiful clean sound. It has less high end sparkle than a Fender, but it's warmer and sweeter in the mids and tight on the low end, and punchy as hell. Takes a fuzz pedal gloriously. There's no harshness at all in the highs, even though they're very present - being that others have blamed this amp with single coils for harming dogs with the highs, I'd say that that's the Blue Dog at work.

35 watts is louder than you expect.

There's a tiny amount of hiss, but it's so light that I don't care.

The tremolo doesn't have the extreme settings of modern tremolos, but it's definitely the sweetest I've heard.

I'm playing mostly rhythm guitar - complex jazzy chords and big, ringing open chords, punky Pixies-ish rhythms, drones, interval riffs, big walls of fuzz, jangle, and so forth - and a little Joey Santiago/Johnny Greenwood type leads. I like a big, open sound with all the little harmonics crashing into each other, thus the single coils. This amp serves perfectly, and, paired with the Blue Dog, avoids the sort of icepick highs that I get with certain other amps.

A flat-out incredible sound.

Well, it's been around for 40 years and hasn't died yet. I wouldn't throw it around or anything, but I don't expect it to collapse on its own. I wouldn't gig without a backip, but that's less fear and more Boy Scoutish preparedness.

Hahahahahahahaha

I've been playing for five years... six years? Five or six years. If it was stolen, I'd have to rustle up a replacement. This is great great tone, boutique-level clean sound, for so little money.

I wonder why nobody is cloning these yet? A boutique version, with non-suck reverb... I'd go for that.

im a nooby at playin guitar but my dad has a 1965, 1484 sears silverton amp. and it is in perfect condition. but i dont totally know what its worth could someone let me know? it has all the original tubes big and small and parts. it has the serial # still on it and sounds perfect even with new parts like moded distortion peddles. it plays to channels so u can bridge it or play 2 guitars or a guitar and etc. on it.

im using a ibanze gax 70 with it and has 2 pick ups. it has great sound even probably better than some of the newer amps i have played in retail stores. no its not totally noisy when its set on ground. and it sits in my basement and works great no problem. it has a strength, speed, delay on it and has 1 master bass and 1 master treble and has 2 master volume settings. it does make a lil fuz when its at a hi volume but it sounds no different with distortion added. ive put some massive distortion on it like heavy metal. like distortion peddles like "the weapon"

Its never let me down never had any problems with it for 40 years so it should keep going and going. i probably wouldnt gig with it cause it is pretty fragile and could easily blow and i dont want to take the risk. it has never broke down in any way and never had any problems what so ever.

well its 40 years old you could call sears but they would just send it back.

my dad played it for 40 years ever since he first bought it. ive used everything i have on it including distortion peddles. tuners etc. and high overdrive distortion peddles. if it was stolen i would report it cause it has alot of history in it. it sounds perfect and has more reliablity than any other amp i have bought including brand new fender, washburn etc. amps. i wish it had an overdrive on it but oh well. if anyone could tell me a price or would like to make me an offer i would gladly sell it depending on what you offer. ive talked to some music fanatics and they say its worth more than most older amps because of the reliablity and original parts etc in it.

I got this amp from my brother's friend for $30! What a steal. I really like the minimalist console, though when i play my tele or strat through it, i have to cut the treble dramatically. The reverb works on one channel, but on channel 2, it makes a very bizarre echo-screetch noise, even at the lowest setting. It has dual Jensen Speakers, though I am not sure of the date of the amp, i am guessing mid-60's though. Oh yeah, and its a 100W amp. Since it is so old, the volume knob on channel 1 makes a lot of static when moved, so generally i use the second channel, but this is probobly due to a dirty pot, which i hope to get fixed in the near future. I play my bass and my guitars through this amp and am very satisfied with the tones for the respective instruments. also the right speaker has somewhat reduced output, so i hope to replace it with another jensen.

It can be kind of noisy. When i plug my bass in, there is a noticeable lack of bottom-end, but then again it is a guitar amp, so whatever. With single coils i have to cut the treble. At high volumes the amp will go into a nice warm over drive.

its so heavy one would think it is built like a tank, and mine seems to be. The particle board has held up quite nicely. I am somewhat worried about the tubes, i might replace them.

yes, sears, um, i have an amp, from the 60's...can you fix it? Please....

i like it. I got it for $30 (i saw one in worse shape go for 600 on EBAY). Good punchy bass tones, nice minimalist guitar tone.

I believe mine is a '65. versatile enough for what i care for. i usually prefer a minimal/ simpler setup. there are 2 clean channels and 2 channels which allow tremolo and reverb options (tremolo works beautifully, but my reverb doesn't work at all). no channel switching capability. it's curse and gift is that you can't get a clean and loud signal (by the inherent nature of tube amps). it has 2 6L6s (Sovtek, anyone have other tube recommendations for this amp?), so it has enough power for what i use it for. i plan to use it as a studio/recording amp due to its limitations. the "piggy-back" head-in-cabinet is brilliant and the "umbilical cord" is more charming than it is practical.

Although limited, this amp sounds great. Not a lot of variety, but it does what it does well. If you ever wanted to know what overdriven saturated tubes sound like, put it on 10 and go at it. in fact you can even get the tubes to go over at 3-4(!) depending on your attack. It think it sounds best using guitars with p90-ish pickups. humbuckers are fine too, but you may need to cut a little treble with single coils because i swear bats can hear it. It may also have to do with the Jensen C12Ps I put in it. The speakers you put in it can make a huge difference, but that's another subject.

Hard to say. I haven't gigged with it and I probably won't. The cabinet is not built very well. it's basically particle board. Not made with quality parts that's for sure.

I doubt Sears would or could do anything about it :)

I absolutely love this amp! It looks fantastic and the elephant skin cabinet with wheat screen screams vintage. Its not versatile or durable, but the sound is priceless. If anything happened to it, I'd definitely get another one. For the money, it's worth it.

Features? Forget about it. Unusable reverb, tremolo doesn't work on mine. Come on, it doesn't even have a midrange control.

Playing through a 2001 Standard Tele. Yes, it buzzes, this amp is far from silent, though the noise doesn't increase as the volume increases, and that's a plus. Mine has the original Jensens, and this thing can get rather loud, with massive bottom end. However, the midrange is twice as massive, and this amp definitely lacks the definition and sparkle of the Twin Reverb it's trying to imitate. Chords sound like a jumbled mess, with very little clarity, and single notes just sound... I don't know, fake, like I'm hearing my guitar coming over the radio.Breaks up nicely around 10 o'clock, with nice crunch, though it still sounds like crap.

I've only had it for 3 months, though I suppose if it's lasted the last 40 years it can't be too bad. Haven't gigged with it, because the thing is heavy and fragile.

Hi, Sears, I have a 40 year old amp here, will you fix it?

The one thing I love about this amp is the look, though it hardly makes up for the crappy sound. I was going for the Jack White tone, hough I now realize that his sound comes more from a Twin Reverb than the Silvertone. Sure, this is the poor man's twin, but if you want that Fender sound, get a Fender amp. I know I will

I just have the head. Reverb doesn't work on mine and I haven't tried to have it fixed, since everyone says it sucks anyway. Mine has an upgraded Bassman output transformer, which is larger than the original. Tremelo works great, although I don't use it. Has a 4 ohm speaker output.

I play harp through it into a 4x8 speaker cab and it sound gorgeous! I've never heard one with the original output transformer, so I can only rate mine with the Bassman OT, which reportedly gives more volume and headroom. Mine gets very loud, loud enough for good sized gigs. The amazing thing is that it sounds fantastic even at low volume--not much breakup, of course, but deep and rich. As the volume goes up, gets thick and creamy, without losing definition. My speaker cab is 8 ohms. It's safe to play with an 8 ohm cab (you can go up, just not down with tube amps). I got a Weber Z-Matcher so I can properly match it to this and other cabs. Interestingly, it sounds nicer with the mismatch for harp--more compressed and distorted. But with the Z-Matcher I can switch to the correct ohm setting at high volume when I want less distortion. Makes a great gigging amp. My guitar player also played through it and was blown away.

So far so good!

There are schematics online and plenty of boards with people who have 1484's, so it's easy to get tips from others for mods, etc.

I've been blowing harp for some time now, and this is a great gigging amp, with plenty of power and tone. A true bargain.

This amp was made in 1964. All-tube, hell yeah. I like to play everything from some funky blues rock to distorted rock?n?roll, low-tuned stoner rock?it?s all good. This amp does all this, I just wish it kicked out more low-end, and was less twangy at high volumes.

Two channels, non-switchable. Unless you had an AB/Y box, which I don?t. Each channel has two inputs, so you can bridge them, and stick an effect between channels for a layered sound. The only features it has is some tremolo with strength and speed controls, and reverb with a depth control. These features are quite enough for me for onboard effects, and sound fine. The tremolo doesn't tick. The reverb spring (just one) rattles when you turn it up too far or hit the strings to hard, but that's fine. I usually leave the reverb on at a minimal setting, just to fill out the sound a bit. The tremolo is fun to use now and then. I?m glad it?s there for when I feel like using it.

I use it in my room, with a fender 2x12 cab loaded with Traynors, and it's quite enough power.

I'm giving it a ten, because it's very LACK of fancy shmancy onboard effects is what makes it so great. You can change the sound just by changing how hard you hit the strings.

I play a 70s vintage Klira strat-copy from Germany. It's got single coil pickups, but they're bigger than strat single coils. It's a bit noisy, but that's not the amp; it comes from one bad speaker and bad guitar grounding.

It suits my style fine; I actually started making use of clean sounds more because of it. With a few effects you can get infinite tonal possibilities out of it...run it thru a big muff then wah for a smooth fuzzy sound, wah then big muff for something rougher and harsher, but still cool.

The clean sound is smooth and rich, lots of harmonics. You can get a sound from squinty bright to muddy and dark. The good stuff is somewhere between the two, and easy to find. I LOVE the clean sound of this amp. I hardly use distortion anymore, that?s how great it is.

Put a wah wah between channels for a thick, chewy funky wah sound (or use the pedal slowly and listen to the singing harmonics.) Put a big muff between channels for a layered clean/distorted sound (fun to put the clean sound all bass w/ no treble, then layer on a trebly dimed tone and sustain sound), or crank the mother up for some rumbly bass-heavy natural overdrive rhythm tones (w/ the neck pup) or some more trebly, cleaner (because my guitar?s bridge pup is weaker) sounds better suited to solos, on the bridge pup.

There?s no clean or dirty channel. One channel has no trem and reverb and one channel does. They both overdrive when you crank it.

The natural overdrive is very harmonically rich and good for rock?n?roll. Definitely not an amp to bring to practice with your Deicide cover band.

Hmm...This amp was broken once, and the cabinet still isn't completely solid...maybe I'd gig with it, but I'd be extremely careful.

Customer support? Yeah, right. It's forty years old.

Pick this amp up if you can. They're pretty cheap, and sound like God. IF it were stolen I'd mourn for a while, and try to get another tube amp as soon as possible.

1964 Silvertone Twin Twelve. My dad played though this for 30 years (as his PA for awhile), and I've been using it for the last two. Dad plays country, rockabilly, classic rock and mountain music. I'm playing straight-up rock 'n roll. It's got two channels: channel one is clean, and channel two has reverb & tremolo control. The spring reverb feature isn't functioning on my amp, but I get most of my sounds with pedals so it's no big deal for me. Originally it was coupled with a Silvertone cabinet with Jensen 12's. I don't know at what point my amp went solo, but I've paired it with two Celestion Greenbacks in a vintage Bassman cabinet and they seem to get along great. This is just a straight forward sweet sounding amp. No frills, no limitations.

I've gotten so many different sounds out of this amp. I play a Les Paul Custom, 335 Firebrand, & a Nashville Delux Tele. They all positively sing through this amp. My bass player runs a line from his A-B-Y box through a big muff into my clean channel, so that when I'm not playing he can kick in a nice crunch without compromising his clean bass tone. I've even had other Nashville cats rent my rig for some variety in the studio.

I really trust this amp. When I acquired it there were a few problems. Some buzzing, feedback, and a nasty shock from time to time. I took it to Paul at Tusculum Music in Nashville. He gave it a cap job, new tubes and a three-prong power chord. I gig with it regularly now, and haven't been using a backup. That's probably not the best choice given the age of the amp, but I've been pretty fortunate with it so far. I'd love a hard case to protect it on the road, but for now I just take it in the van with me instead of trusting it to the trailer.

I've never dealt with Silvertone customer service, but I'll give a rating to Paul, the tech in Nashville that overhauled it for me. He turned this beat up heirloom into my main workhorse.

I've been playing for about 10 years, touring for the past two. At one point I had a Marshall 2X12 combo, but the tone didn't compare so I traded it for my Tele. I use the Daddy-O, DanEcho, Cool Cat, FabTone, Boss BF-2, & Boss SD-1 through this amp. They all sound fantastic. My bandmates play through top-notch gear, but people always want to talk about my old amp. If anything happened to it I would definitely want another one to replace it.

I think the speakers are 35 watts each. I tried to take them out to look at them but couldn't get them out (though they might be damaged -- nope, just bad power tubes). to detach the speakers you'd have to take a couple of pieces of wood out of the cabinet, or painstakingly unscrew them with vice grips, pliers and wrenches (tried this, not fun, gave up)

well, it looks like the bright channel mod is not neccessary, but I still love it. the silvertone preamp tubes sounded pretty good, but they were very dark, maybe because they're 40 years old? I took out the original silvertone tubes and put in some mullards and the unmodified channel brightened right up! gives both channels a nice sparkly clean sound. the stock channel is still heavy on the mids though, especially at low volumes. I much prefer the bright (modified) channel for practicing. It sounds american. the stock channel sounds like recordings of some british amps I've heard, pretty middy. I might try some JJs for a slightly "warmer" tone, but not as dark as the silvertones. also, the original RCA silvertone 6L6s sound great. I had some SED/svetlanas in there that were good for a while, but went bad very quickly. I would reccomend you stay away from svetlanas as I've heard from others that they are unreliable. I'm going to try some JJs next from www.eurotubes.com and save the RCAs for backup/recording, until I'm rich and can afford NOS tubes all around, that is.

I've found that to get that really overdriven jack white tone, you have to use a clean boost. I use a Reverend Drivetrain II with the gain turned down and the volume cranked. Jack uses an MXR Micro Amp. also, with the volume at about 9 oclock, the clean boost will increase the amp's volume instead of making the preamp tubes clip, so you can get more volume out of your amp this way

This amp is just barely loud enough to play with a loud drummer with a clean tone, which is perfect for me since I have sensitive ears even with earplugs, and my bandmates don't wear earplugs, so I guess I'm not killing their ears as much as I could with one of my other dream amps (twin, victoria double deluxe, AC30, selmer Treble n Bass).

I still love this amp, 10 for its clean sound. Played some Fender tube amps in the music store (Deluxe reissue, Hot Rod Deville) and they didn't sound nearly as good. I bet they'd sound fantastic with new tubes and speakers, though, so it's not a fair comparison. Keep in mind I'm using this almost exclusively as a clean amp. I don't really like the white stripes crunch in my music. For a cranked amp, I'd much prefer a Selmer Treble n Bass or an AC30, which I plan to own someday. I especially like recordings of cranked AC30s I have heard. But for a lot less money and a lot easier to transport (when head/cab are split), this thing does a great job as a clean amp.

prices have gone up recently on these, although I think they're still a pretty good deal.

two demos made with this amp are currently available at www.duke.edu/~drw5/ and www.12quality.com there will be more added in the next few months as they are recorded

This is a 1963 Sears Silvertone Twin Twelve that I bought from the original owner in 1974...I thought it was so LOUD! It basically does one thing: sound like a Twin Twelve. Unusable reverb, boingy tremolo, limited EQ. Inputs are not grounded so it hums if you haven't plugged a guitar into it. It comes with an attached cord to the speaker, which sucks. I added a standard 1/4" jack to mine for a removeable cord. I don't know if anyone has mentioned: the head nests inside the speaker cabinet for transport. Grey imitation elephant covering, over particle board, so it's heavier than it needs to be. Someone mentioned bent chasis: it's thin aluminum. Real minimal box.

It was my first amplifier. I play a Les Paul DeLuxe and a Gretsch Country Gentleman (1963, same year), mostly "honkytonk", country, country rock, early rock, through it. It makes everything sound good. I used it for recording with a Strat I had, and it sounded great. Very meaty, not thin like some amps sound with Strats. It's noisy and hissy at high gain; as noted it doesn't have grounded inputs, but that's not a problem when you're playing. At one time it was my PA! It's smooth, and buttery, and very responsive. It would be a waste to play heavily distorted music with it, but about around 12 o'clock on the volume knob it gets a sweet distortion unlike any other amp I've ever played. Not sawtooth-sounding, not annoying. Very nice. I have used it for a harp amp with a Shure green bullet. It's not a trick channel-switching brown sound monster...it's a Silvertone. Read the reviews: everybody who owns one likes to talk about it!

I actually got the service manual with it, which has disappeared over the years, but this amp is Tube Circuit 101. I have had it worked on at tv repair shops and boutiques specializing in tube gear. The caps go every few years, and from time to time I have to re-tube it.

When I bought it Sears searched the SN and told me it was made in 1963. That's the last contact I had with them.

I've been playing since 1970 and this was the first amp. I answered an ad in Austin Texas offering "your choice: dishwasher or amplifier. $40". A real cheap Japanese solidbody came with it...which I eventually traded for a tube reel-to-reel. I tried it out and asked Sterling Morrison (of Velvet Underground) about it and he told me he recorded the first Velvet album through one, and if I wasn't going to buy it, to tell him where it was so he could! I also play a 1983 Carvin X100 with a Torres tone kit, a borrowed '67 Super Reverb, an early '70's Musicman HD130 Reverb, and a '63 Ampeg B15N. I ain't retro, just old. If it were stolen I'd die. I love the sound: I judge every other amp by whether they can make me smile like the Twin Twelve. It has been my constant companion through 2 marriages (2nd one still going strong) and innumerable guitars and bands. When people visit my studio it's the one piece of gear everyone wants to talk about.

features: hate the ungrounded powercord and unmodified low volume tone. the umbilical cord also sucks (see below) volume/treble/bass on each channel (which works great for me), 4 inputs, 2 channels...pretty nice feature to have...perhaps you could use an A/B switch to swap channels for an EQ/volume/overdrive change. would be a simple volume boost. reverb sounds crazy and feeds back nastily, don't know if tremolo works...but good thing since I don't care (get the Voodoo Labs 4 knob tremolo, the finest tremolo in a thorough and technical shootout I read online...the Danelectro Tuna Melt is also a fine tremolo for a lot less money, tho less sturdy) 4 ohms output, 2x8 ohm speakers in parallel (4 ohm load), Jensen C12Q gold label speakers Silvertone schematics (including tube layout) can be found at http://www.doctoraudio.us/Silvertone/schematics.html ... my amp came with a dented rear panel, which from what I've seen is common on these amps for some reason and nothing to worry about, so don't fret if the one you're looking at is a little bent

man I love this amp. some serious mojo ... the coolest damn amp I've ever seen (best looking, I can't stand most new amp aesthetics, no matter how great they sound). really love this thing. clean channel is just fabulous after a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MODIFICATION (had an amp tech solder a capacitor across some terminals on the volume pot to let highs pass through at low volumes, he said this is what a "bright" switch on a fender does) without the mod you have to crank the treble at low volumes and it's still to dark and just sounds bad. I was depressed by this sound and thought I would have to sell the amp...very glad my tech recommended this. GET THIS MOD DONE TO ONE CHANNEL OF YOUR SILVERTONE AMP! it's a pretty cheap mod...cost me $76, but he also replaced the power cord with a three prong grounded one (also another HIGHLY RECOMMENDED MOD...before this the amp would shock me if I had the ground switch in the wrong position...not deadly but UNPLEASANT) I might later cut the umbilical cord (the head is permanently wired to the speaker cab from the factory) just to try some other speakers (the jensens sound great) and to make it easier to carry (pretty heavy, about 60 lbs)

you can jumper the inputs, which could be useful to me since I now have a bright and a dark channel (only modded channel 1)

it makes some noise, a bit of hiss/sputtering...could be the tubes, I still have the original silvertones in it...another reviewer said grounding the input jack fixed the noise

also it just smells really nice...especially when you let the tubes cook for a while. a nice smelly antique that sounds really sweet. this amp sounds really great when you crank it, a lot like Jack White (he uses 1485s, the big brother...the biggest baddest silvertone) Greg Brown formerly of Cake and currently of Deathray uses this exact amp. (listen to the first two Cake albums for a sample...I highly recommend Fashion Nugget, one of my favorite albums) He runs his clean, using a Rat for medium overdrive (any good OD will work...I currently use a Reverend Drivetrain II that gets very close to the Fashion Nugget tone, Vox V810 valvetone is also good). All of my pedals sound great through this amp (big muff, marshall shredmaster).

ONLY PERFORM THE BRIGHT CAP MOD TO ONE CHANNEL...I just cranked the amp and found out this mod decreases the breakup by a fair amount...in other words you can't get that white stripes crunch out of the modified channel. It's also a few decibels quieter, which is not very significant. So now I have a bright, low gain channel (extremely useful to me, sounds good from 7 to 9 on the volume, after which it breaks up a bit but doesn't get louder) and an awesome crunch channel (only good at high volume (9 o'clock and up), and treble at about noon and bass full on). the broken up sound only sounds good on the BRIDGE pickup, in my opinion of course. I'm going to try some Smicz TADs www.smicz-amplification.com 1-2 watt tube adapters in this amp (request the TAD 2-HV model) for some low volume tube distortion, and for a smoother 6V6 breakup flavor. It's loud enough to be heard over a drummer. When I cranked it it hurt my ears even with earplugs.

for all you White Stripes fans trying to nail Jack's tone, I've found that lipstick pickups work best (Danelectros are also hollow on the inside like Jack's guitar) If you can't or won't buy a Danelectro (they're cheap! Pick up a U2 on ebay for under $200) use a bright single coil, or an exceptionally bright humbucker (filtertron? low inductance Bill Lawrence L-450). I think a tele would work pretty well too. Jack's guitar is pretty twangy. You will find it difficult to not sound like a White Stripes impersonator with this setup and the amp cranked, which you may or may not like. sometimes I like it.

some clips of this amp will probably appear at my WEBSITE eventually (www.duke.edu/~drw5/ OR www.geocities.com/fender686/)...you will find a list of my other gear there if you

just fine

all you need with an amp like this is a good amp tech.

my favorite amp of the ones I've owned and tried (fender deluxe 85 and 112 and 90, mesa boogie rectoverb, vox valvetronix)

I think the twin twelve was made in 1966. It is very versatile. 2 channels, channel switching could be done with an A/B box but isn't necessary. Wish the reverb was better. Enough power

Single coil and hb guitars; it is a little noisy; but the great tone helps me overlook that. guitars are responsive; warm ; highs and lows are pronounced. like a boutique amp almost.

The amp has broken down but luckily a small problem and not costly one. I might want back up if playing a hard long gig because of its age. I don't take it out because it's rather a rare find.

I wouldn't take a mesa or dr z in trade for it. I wouldn't take anything for it (I don't think) wish it had a gain in channel 2
I used one as a teen in bands playing out and wanted one for nostalgia and it was great then and is great now. Have played over 30 years.

Basic, Mid 60s, no modifications, original except for tubes. Two Channels, with Bass/Trebel cuts each and dual inputs per channel. Verb and tremelo, my verb available on one channel. Ruby matched 6l6GC pwr tubes and "EI" 2xa7 preamp tubes, and ove original Silvertone.

What a tube amp is supposed to sound like. What you put in is what you get out, but better. Different tubes will get you different sounds. Mine starts to break up nicely at about 4, at 3 you get nice loud clean out put, after 5 you get very loud useable tube distorsion. I run this through an Avatar 2x12 upright cabnet, sound wonderful through it. This is a fairly loud amp, with two pwr tubes it rated at 40 to 60 watts, but reality is it sounds like 80 to 100 watts. Will easily handel full band situations.

This thing is 40 plus years old, it needs to be treated as such. Should keep working as long as it's no abused, like any other piece of equipment.

It's 40 years old!

I use this as basicaly a guitar power amp, I run peadls to get different sounds, and will get an EQ pedal soon. If you want EQ you'll need a pedal for it. I use a Whirlwind A/B/Y splitter into so I can switch between channel 1&2, ch 1 for rythem and ch 2 for a lead sound, and both together for a unique sound (don't mod the amp to do this). I'll be using this for recording and live situations.

1964 silvertone twin twelve
two channels, reverb, tremelo, volume, treble, bass on channel two
volume, treble, bass on channel one.
two 12" jensen fender designed replacement speakers (about 1968)
40-50 watts
this amp is lacking in features when compared to alot of other amps, but i like it that way. alot of stuff on the amp just kind of frustates me. i like to dial in my sound more with pedals, so this is perfect for me. i just dont like on board distortion etc. cos then you can choose your own sound via pedals rather than bein stuck with what is on your amp. this thing sounds so good, it doesnt need any more controls anyway.

i dont use a 10 litely like alot of people seem to on this site. i play bluesy, jazzy, indie "punk" (like black keys meets make-up meets the minutemen), and i couldnt ask for a more perfect sound. i play a 1965 fender jazzmaster and 1963 silvertone "amp in case" model (for slide) and they sound fantastic through it. mine was rebuilt a bit by my amp tech, and i havent hear any other ones, so i dont know if its just what he did, but i think thats only a small part of it.
its quiet, not alot of variety in sound but i dont need it cos the sound i get out of it is so perfect i need nothing more.
such excellent sounding distortion when pushed and faily clean at low volumes. its one of those amps that once you get above like 1-2 o'clock on the volume it just increases the overdrive, not really the volume, which i think is really nice.
i just cant say enough how much i love this sound. i'd pay $2,000 for this amp if it was the asking price. its the best sounding amp i've ever heard. and the really nice thing is you dont have to pay $2,000 for that vintage sound and look(i forgot to mention its really cool looking too) like 200-500 $$. (and its so very worth it. a steal)
for me its the perfect sound, and the sound could also work perfectly for alot of different styles. blues, indie, punk, rock, almost all except like black or death metal, or any kind of metal, especially the hidious neu metal. if your into that crap stay away from this or any vintage amp. you dont deserve it.
my only complaint is the reverb. its ok, but kinda cheezy sounding. i'm saving up for a 64 fender reverb tank, and i think one of those will make this amp complete and spectacular.

it hasent messed up on me at all. i worry, though, cos its not very strongly built. i havent taken it gigging (i'm still trying to get a band going) but i will someday. i'd really like to get a nice custom built hard case to take it in. i wish it was a little stronger built, but i've read some other reviews on this site with people saying they've taken it on the road and it was ok.
i'd suggest having an amp tech take you through it and show you how to fix it if it messes up. apparently they're really easy to work on, so it would be a good thing to know. i'm getting apprentenced working on tube amps right now, so i'm not too worried.
as cheap as they are, i'd also suggest buying two. if you needed more volume, you could run two of the together and have parts of a back up. i'm bidding right now on another one on ebay, with the original jensens, which are apparently great.

the original danelectro went out of buisness in the late 60's. as with any vintage amp, find a good amp tech. the companies will just laugh at you, or if they did fix it, they'd leave you feeling violated with the bill, i'm sure.

i've been playing on and off for 13 years. i also played drums and bass, but became dedicated to the guitar about 4 years ago.
i also own a 1965 fender jazzmaster (which is my favorite guitar ever. i think jazzmasters are the best guitars fender ever made) and a 1963 silvertone amp in case model(the single pick-up model) which i love too, and use it mainly for slide tuned to open D.
both compliment this amp wonderfully.
again, i'm so in love. i was getting frustrated trying to find the sound i was looking for. i have to admit, i first became curious about these cos jack white from the white stripes uses them (and gave them very high praise, saying its his main amp). then i found one in my favorite shop, my amp tech had rebuilt alot of it, and i plugged in, and i was blown away. i begged him right then and there to trade with me for my 78 fender pro reverb, which i was really sick of, and he did it, and also threw in a 1963 silvertone "amp in case" model which i also really wanted and is a great piece too, so it was a great trade.
i wouldnt change a thing about it, except the reverb, but i think fender made the best reverb, and i dont think danelectro could have touched them even if there was a better unit in it. but, the reverb still is ok and i use it, but like i said i'm saving for a vintage fender reverb unit, and after that, i will have my ultimate dream sound.
if it were stolen, i'd kill the thief, and i'd get another for sure.
i'm bidding right now on another one, completely original, though i'll probably take it to my tech and have him do some mods to match the mods he made on the one i have(sorry i dont know what they were)
PUT A 3 PRONG POWER CORD ON IT!!!! this is important! it will shock the sh%& out of you very easily with out it. this is a must, if it hasnt already been done.
i've tried most of the fender vintage models and i think this amp is better. i'm thinking about getting a fender "super reverb" or "tremolux" (early 60's fender electric of course)to run with it though, cos i do love the fender sound, and i think one of the former models would match up with it perfectly.
if you havent heard one, check them out. you'll be surprised. like i said, if they cost $2,000; i'd pay it. but at $200-$500 you cant go wrong.
i dont give 10's litely. infact this is the only piece of equipment i'd give a 10, cos the package for the price is just unbelievable. if you cant find one; listen to the white stripes of mudhoney. they're good examples of the sound this amp gives out.
wonderful, fantastic, unbelievable.

Made back in the Sixties, before I was born. Looks it too. A very stright forward no BS amp. Two channels, two knobs for bass and treble for each, as well as a volume knob. It also features a reverb and tremolo. Each channel has two 1/4" inputs. Why? I don't know, I guess back in the 60's everyone just plugged into one amp. This one. Lets see, oh, a stand by switch, which is conveinent and a ground switch because there is no ground conductor on the plug. This amp is old! I love it because of all its simplicity and minimal setup. Its a plug and play amp, which in my opinion, is the best kind. I record and play shows with this amp. The head fis inside the back of the 2x12 cabinet. This seems like a good idea up until you have to through it in the back of the van. I would buy a hard shell flight case for it if you plan on playing out with it. It cranks with 100 watts, very Fender twin like. She's all tube and has point to point wiring.

Lush tone, full body, complete gratification. The sustian alone is fantastic. The reverb is overwleming at times but available from light hints to space city. Same with the tremelo, it goes very far and the quality is great. I play indie-pop and this makes my day. I have a 70's fender twin as well and although the twin is great, this amp really shines through. Its very responsive to your playing. I has a very natural clarity that isn't harsh or brillinat. It shows a bit of compressin when you really push it and breaks up just enough. I feel very comfortable with this amp. As I said, it responds nicely to your dynamics. In stand-by its very quite. When pushed it stil is very quite. I sounds fantastic, no lie.

This is the one downfall but what do you expect? This amp is about 40 years old! Just the fact that its still making noise is something to behold. Keep it clean, don't through it down the stairs, and keep the head in a flight case when it travels and it will last a long time. God knows what this amp has seen over the years......but its still solid.

I've never tried...never needed too.

I'm 27, been playing scince I was thirteen. I've played them all. Ampegs, Marshalls, Orange, Hiwatt, Fender, Mesa, etc. and although these companies make great amps you have to understand that they are all copies of this amp and this era's technology. If you want the real thing, the real tone, the real, sound of the real all tube amplifers, this is a great one to get. especially for $400.00 bugs. I guess the only thing I'd like it to have is a cover over the back of the head. the tubes are left open. But, you can always fabricate something very easily. One last thing, it looks hip as hell!

Modified Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve
2 channels (normal/tremolo and reverb)
2 6l6gc output tubes in push pull configuration running @ 30 watts rms clean and 60 watts full distortion.
original silvertone branded tubes except for Fender branded Sovetek 6L6GC output tubes.
Mods:
3 prong power cord
self grounding input jacks
switch to brige the inputs of both channels together
master volume after the phase inverter section

I usualy use this amp with a 1989 USA Squire strat or a cheap les paul copy.
This amp is great for clasic rock and blues.
adding grounded input jacks eliminated almost all of the background hiss that the amp normaly makes.
when the volume on each channel is set below 3 it doesn't have much low end response. from 3-5 clean with good low end and the volume can be set by the post PI master volume. above 5 bluesy distortion
With both channels bridged the distortion starts a little earlier.
when the master volume is wide open and the preamps bridged and set over 6 it has a smooth power tube distortion.Don't forget your Ear Plugs. This amp is _LOUD_ It is easily as loud as a friends 120watt solid state Peavey head.

this amp has seen regular use sense it was new in 1966 and it has only recently needed the power tubes replaced. it still has the original capacitors. I recently went through the amp myself and everything is still within spec after 37 years. The "tolex" covering on the outside of the case is thin and prone to tearing out on the corners though. Just don't get the particle board case wet or it will disinigrate.

The warranty expired in 1967
the schematic is avalible for free on the internet.
one place is at:
http://www.schematicheaven.com
click on bargain bin amps
any decent amp tech shouldn't have any trouble with this amp.

master volume mod:
http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/%7Eehn/1484/

If it were stolen I would try to find another 1484 or maybe a 1485 (same as 1484 but with 2 pairs of 6L6GC output tubes and a pair of output transformers and _SIX_ 10inch Jensen speakers 60 watts clean 120watts max volume.)

as simple as they come...but who needs massive features out of a primal tube machine like this? its got 2 channels total...and 2 inputs for each. one channel is clean and the other is reverb/tremolo. the reverb is trippy...but in a weird, muffled sort of way. but hey...you might be able to find some use for it. it didnt come with the footswitch...but finding one for it shouldnt be hard. its got seperate treble and bass knobs for each channel too.

i play blues and rock styled stuff anywhere from howlin wolf and the velvet underground to the white stripes and the gun club. this thing can cover it all. very raw and edgy at high volumes...but can also be very clean at about 4. it overdrives wonderfully. it gives just enough breakup at around 8 and beyond. i play through it using a 1968 harmony bobkat and a silvertone amp-in-case 2 pickup model. i use multiple effects pedals including a DOD overdrive preamp, a big muff, a vox reissue wah, and a boss flanger.

ive had this amp for about 6 months now and i havent had any problems with it. i would definetly gig it without a backup. its pretty sturdy. im not worried about a thing...despite its age.

heh...good luck. im sure sears quit dealing with the silvertone products 20 years ago.

ive been playing for about 2 years now. i only own one other amp...which a small kent i use mainly because of its mobility. if my silvertone was lost or stolen...i would be very very upset. i would probably look into a fender twin or a similar model...but you really cant beat this baby for the price alone. ive heard quite a few of its rivals...and it definetly holds its own with the best of them. poorman's twin is right...but its much more than that. this is the real vintage deal.

The Twin Twelve has 2-12'' Jensen's(ceremic)and 2 channels. Just like old Fenders.A normal and a vibrato & Reverb.It also has a utility plug for a adapter plug and a foot switch plug.Mine is the 50 watt w/2-6l6's and 4-12ax7 and 2-6cg7 tubes.

I use a Gibson Special w/ 2- p-100's .I play some black man's blues and some white man's blues and classic and southern rock.This amp has a normal blow noise but no hum or buzz.I love this amp because I have paid over a thousand dollars for Fender Deluxe tweeds and this amp sounds just like them but has what Deluxes lack. A lot more volume.
And tremolo plus a reverb. If you use the 12ax7's in all the tubes position like it say's you get a nice natural overdrive with this amp that is very satifying. It sustains well like a cathode bias amp should. Although I'am not sure if it is a cathode bias amp. But sure sounds like it .I like that I have a choice of a bass and treble knob instead of just a tone knob. With old Deluxes you would have to mic up to get enough volume or have a tech fix the speaker out into a Direct out and go into the P.A.. I've alway's found that P.A. sounds bad with overdrive because of the tweeters or horns used with them . With the Silvertone you have more than enough power to play loud.But, the smaller amp is'nt as hard to get to the gig! This amp is kinda handy in this area also because the head tucks away in the bottom(in back)of the speaker cab.

These amps were sold to kid's in the sixties as starter amps.Maybe to rich kid's. Because I remember them being in Sears when I was a kid and at that time they seemed expensive.I felt that since they were sold at Sears that they were probably not a good amp.Back then tubes amp's a tube radio would bite ya if they was'nt of a good quility brand. Ouch!!!!!Now that I'am 45 years old and own one of these 40 year amps that are still working like new I would have to say in this category that I think this amp is going to make it!

N/A

I've been playing a long time.I have mostly all vintage Fender and magnatones,Gibson type amps.I would buy this amp again and have.I love the way this amp hangs in there with true overdrive with out getting muddy or farting out the speakers and how I can really hit the low E string on my guitar and it sounds perfect!This amp has a great cathode bias sustain thing going at a price the normal working man can efford.There's not really anything I can say that I don't like . It's a all around good amp for Blues, and portability.It's a delight to play through and I think as soon as I get off this computer I'am going to jam!!!!

I think mine was made in '66. All hardwired, all tube. I bought the head and cabinet at a garage sale, and at 50 bucks, it's a great deal. Two channels, one with reverb/tremolo, the other without. If you have one or your thinking about buying one but the amp doesn't have the footswitch, no problem. Practically any 2-button footswitch will operate the reverb and tremolo. For me, this amp's place is in the studio, I have Mesa and Fender amps to take out. It has plenty of power for the applications that I'm using it for, and a truly unique sound that I really appreciate.

USA Jackson, Gibson and USA Fender guitars are my main choices. All sound really nice on this amp. Each guitar has it's own distinct characteristics, as it should. My playing style varies from jazz to modern rock, and the amp does well. Nice tone, and I'm a tone freak. When I need overdrive and distortion I use stomp boxes to get the sound I need. My Twin Twelve is no noisier that any other tube amp.

The elderly lady that sold me my amp was getting rid of the last of her late husbands equipment. The amp looked as though it had been collecting dust for 20 years. I took it home and cleaned it up to a nice vintange appeal. It still has the original tubes in there and I'm not changing them until one goes bad. I don't want to mess with the vibe. Wouldn't be surprised if it outlasted me too.

I've played guitar for 25 years and have owned some great amps. They all have their place, including this one. If it were stolen I would send blood hounds out after the theif! The thing I like most about this amp is the unique tone, and for the price it's fantastic. I'm not saying that I would select this amp over my Mesa or Fender amps for the same price by any means, but for $50, come on.....

my father gave me this amp in '78 or '79 and he bought it new, probably around '63-'66. it is a 1484 twin twelve with 2 channels both have two inputs(i don't know why) but i put them all to good use in the early '80s plugging in all of my electronic drums,synths and guitars(it actually worked).it has depth, strength and speed control.i used to love to turn up the depth all the way and trip out on the sound .i would beat the top of it with my fist and make crazy thunder sounds you could hear two blocks away with the original cabinet.now i use this amp at home, clean with a guitar and no crappy effects(fortunately i realized in the late 80's they make mixers and pa systems for multiple instruments).it is perfect for what it was made for,clean warm tones.

i have used every combination of pickups, effects, and played every type of music imaginable through this baby(strats, tele, active, passive, acoustic, everything sounds good.this amp plays clean at any volume, if you can handle it

writing this review made me go and hook it up and guess what... it works as good as the day my dad gave it to me.i've never done any work on it.i've only abused it, beat it, cranked it, hauled it, moved it, burnt it etc.... and all she's ever given me is love.

never needed it

i've been playing for a long time and should play alot better than i do but i play for fun so who cares!! i currently own a '76 kramer(no, not eddie van halen, a real g350 with aluminum neck) a yamaha 12, and a 5-string fender jazz, ampeg vl-502 and a computer with lots of samples. if it(the amp) were lost or stolen i would have to let it go because it would hurt to bad,it has sentimental value and could not be replaced not even with the same model,i don't want to even think about this its making me sad. i can't compare it to anything because it's in world and time of its own.i wish i had the original pedal that came with it. yeah, you could say i love this amp like a sister. there's nothing like hot tubes glowing red in the dark it really used to freak my neighbors out when i'd play at night they would see it through the window and couldn't figure out what the hell was going on their noses pressed up against their window, just about that time i'd crank it up then there was no mistaking it, the silvertone had spoken with a roar they would not soon forget!

mine is from 66 approx. it is the 2 channel 2 6L6 head and matched 2x 12 cabinet. the reverb really isn't one and with this amp you don't really need a reverb. tremelo works fine

i play a 91 flatiron artist a5 mandolin with a standard fishman mandolin bridge pickup. i play channel 2 with the volume and bass at 12 oclock and the treble at 1 oclock. the distortion has depth and much character, enough to warm up even a mandolin.

it's like teeth. take it to the shop once a year for a cleaning
amp fixers love this amp because it's simple

.

ive been playing electric mandolin for about 10 years.i've played it through princeton reverbs,ampeg rockets,boogies,peaveys(ouch). The Twin Twelve is my allround Favorite

2 channels, reverb, tremelo, cool little red light. I think it's a '64. It's got every thing a 40 yoear old amp should. 100 watts but over the years it's volume has been decreasing. still loud enough for small parks though.

I use a Danelectro 59-DC sonuds great with this amp. perfect for blues and classic rock. It's fairly quiet but if i turn the treble up past 4 I get a 60-cycle hum, but with the lipstik pickups on my Dano I don't need much treble out of the amp.

It's 40 years old and still works! I'd say it reliable. It's even got the original silvertone tubes.

Yeah, right!

This is my main amp, I love the sounds I get out of it and It's got that cool retro look. I'd probably cry if it were stolen.

The Silvertone I have came with Black Plate RCA'S(6L6)and the original
blue back Jensen C12Q's that date to 1963.It has two channels. Like Fenders.I like the simplicity of the amp and would'nt change a thing.
I think(not positive)that this amp came with a 100 watt or 50 watt head. This one reads 100 watts.All point to point and all tube with
reverb and tremelo.

I own two guitars at the moment.2000 S.G reissue Maestro (57 classic
Humbuckers)and a 1965 Epiphone Riviera(original mini Hums)The amp sounds best with the Epi.This amp is not noisy but does have the uaual
blow noise.I play Classic Clapton and Lonnie Mack,Classic and blues stuff. I love this amp!!!!!!

It's been around for 40 years and still kickin. So, for reliability,
I would say that I think it's going to make it!!!

Amp Tech would be your only help here.

I've been playing all my life and really can't remember when I started playing. I'am 43 young, years old . I own a 1965 Fender Deluxe Reverb,1966 Bassman & cab,1965 Princeton reverb,Gibson Invader,Peavey
classic 30,1977 Vibro Champ and the 1484 Sivertone is the one I plug into the most.This amp has a smooth overdrive and enough power to wake the dead.It's one of the best amps I've ever play'd and It's a shame that it was the last amp I purchased. I could have save myself a whole lot of money!!!!!!!!

I think mine is a 66'. This amp is my favorite. My twin twelve is in all original condition. I own a Fender Blackface Bassman 50 and that is also another Kick ass tube amp, but it is very different sounding compared to the Silvertone. It has normal channel with nothing but vol, treb, bass. and a tremolo channel with reverb depth, tremolo depth, speed, bass,treb, vol. Its all tube and its awesome. No effects loop but if you use it for the music its meant for its not a problem. Very early classic rock. From Velvet underground to the beatles.

The Silvertone clean with a Harmony Rocket Archtop is that of a Doors guitar sound. The a little Reverb with the clean and you have a perfect old Pink Floyd/Doors tone. With a single coil its perfect Hendrix. Fender 50's Strat, neck pickup, a little reverb, everything on ten, and your guitars volume knob will get you those Hendrix tones. Its probably a very good pearl jam tone with a humbucker guitar. It has great Bass response. The footswitch makes this amp even better because you can switch off the really cool features this amp has to offer. The reverb is definitely not the best, but it is a unique 1 spring design. And the tremolo is awesome. It doesn't go as slow as I'd like but thats okay. The overdrive is awesome. It is vey classic rock (zeppelin, doors, the who, pink floyd, hendrix, ect...)type sound. Very clear but also pretty distorted. Clean distortion. And this amp loves effects. Especially old ones.

haven't gigged yet. And I have to keep in mind the age.

I love this amp. It is my favorite. I have a bunch of Marshall cabs, a Jcm900 A fender blackface bassman 50, and a silvertone XL10 tube combo. All of them are tube amps and this one and the bassman are the most expressive amps. Each with totally different personalities. Its a steal for the money.

Basic Features, but a very strong amp. Built in the 60's this amp was one of the best out there.

Very good sounding amp. If you want that true blues sound this is a great amp. The amp is quite powerful and has a very clean tone with crisp responce even at higher volume.

Never had any problems, never had to do anything but play the amp. The amp still has the original tubes, and speakers.

I don't beleive you would need any!!! this amp never dies!

I have been playing guitar for a number of years and also have a Peavey Renoun 400 twin amp. I usually play my silvertone, I Like the sound better. I mostly play Blues and Rock music with a Fender Telecaster and Strat. The Amp Sounds great with a multi effects petal. I found this amp at a yard sale for $3.00 What a deal!

This amp does not have many features. Basically two channels, each has volume, bass, and treble. Channel two has the same along with reverb and tremelo. There is a footswitch for the reverb and tremelo. It does have a cool storage feature that allows the head to be stowed in the back of the speaker cabinet. This is an all tube amp with two twelve inch Jensen speakers.

I love the sound of this amp! It is very clean at lower volumes but has a nice drive once you pass four on the volume. The drive is not extreme, but nice and smooth. There is no drive channel, so don't plan on distortion at lower volumes. This amp does work very well with outboard effects though. I have thought about trying out a real tube pedal in the front to get a little more gain out of it. The speakers sound great also. This doesn't have massive amounts of bottom end, but it is a great sounding amp compared to the other crap out there. Get off your ass and find one on E-bay. They are out there. You can't beat them for the price!

Mine has all original tubes. No problems as of now. I don't know how old it is (I would like to know), but I am the second owner and it was very well maintained by the last owner. No rips or tears in the covering. Mine looks and works as if it was brand new. Everything including the trem and reverb work.

There is no customer support for this amp. Just find a good technician. If anyone knows how to find out how old these are, please contact me!

I have been playing for about 12 years. This amp is definitely one of the best I have used. It doesn't have the most gizmos, but how about true unprocessed sound that is fat and full of tone? If I could change this amp, I would add a drive section. The manufacturer wasn't too concerned with that when it was built. This amp is very similar to a Bassman to me. Very simple. but gets that great rock sound when you hit that volume level. If it were stolen, I would be devistated because it is a great amp and it has a lot of history. Go out and find one!

Wow, 2-channels, tremelo, w/spring reverb - all original tubes. Missing footswitch.

This amp packs a punch like nothing I've ever heard before. Pure raw lucious distortion that no processor can reproduce! I play Ibanez guitars, RG760, RG570, 1973 Vintage Ibanez Explorer (not Destroyer, identical to a Gibson!)...and Gibson PR-70 (acoutsic)

Not sure yet - so far, so good. Worried about proper grounding, polarity switch doesn't seem to help with 120v pokes!

Playing for 28 yrs , clubs, weddings, corporate gigs - Main amp is a Peavy Ultra tube (2-12) w/ stomp boxes and Bad Horsie Wah.

This is a 1966 model Twin-twelve. It's features are a hi and lo input w/out any effects and a hi and lo w/reverb and tremelo. Preamp tubes are 4-Mullard 12ax7 and 2-ec?. Power tubes are 2 RCA blackplate 6L6. The amp comes with a hard wired pair Jensen C-12Q speakers. Actual power output is 27watts. So it would only be good for recording or small clubs. It's not a all in one amp but what it does is unique.

I use mostly humbuckers but when I want clean I use my telecaster. This amp will take your tone back to the top 40 songs of 1965-1969. No you can't do Black Sabbeth but you can cover Led Zepplin I & II.The unique one spring reverb reminds me of Paul Cantner's Jefferson Airplane solos. The tremolo isn't very strong either but it's tehre if you want it. The clean channel sounds just like the AM radio stations of that time period, not the best but unique. What this amp does best is add a interesting crunch that can be quite nasty (listen to Jimmy Page on Led Zep II) I used various amps w/pedals to get that sound but you just plug straight in to the silvertone and you are there. I'm going to give it a high rating because it's one of a kind

This amp was stored in a closet for the last 30 years.It looks like it ought to be setting on display at the Sears store. Which is why I was willing to pay $300.00. I opened it up and changed the caps then fired it back up. The new caps cleaned-up the tone quite a bit. Ther was a small bit of static in the amp before but it's gone now everything else inside looked brand new. I don't expect to ever have to make another repair because this is a point to point wired amp.

Sears quite selling these amps in the 1960s Besides who needs them this is not a tank but more along the lines of a VW Bettle simple but reliable.

I've been playing for a decade. I've tried and owned more than 20 amps; 67 Super Reverb, 66 Delux Reverb, 57 Deluxe, Budda Twinmaster, Marshall Plexi, Dumble Super Overdrive, Vox TBX, anyway you get the picture. The Silvertone has earned a place of its on because of its unique tone. I don't own a lot of pedals I would rather get the right amp for the right tone, besides I couldn't have gotten this tone out of a pedal for the same money.

This amp was made in 1968. As others have said, tremolo is great, reverb is weird, but the tone you get out of this is as good or better than Fender Twins of the same period, and definitely better than anything Fender makes now or in recent history.

I use both a Fender Jazzmaster and a Gibson Les Paul through this head, and run a large variety of effects pedals through at times, but frequently just use it clean. Before I got a GE-7 EQ pedal some serious knob-turning was required when alternating between the Jazzmaster's oddball single-coil sound and the LP's humbuckers, but bnoth sound wonderful, warm and as punchy or threatening as I want them. WARM IT UP BEFORE ROCKING, THOUGH, and I don't mean just leave it on standby before turning it on. Most tube amp problems are not caused by the tubes falling out or breaking, but by users not using the dang amp properly. Turn it on for more than a few minutes before you plug in your guitar, and then if you have been playing and are taking a break, put it on standby then. Ok, class dismissed.

It seems fragile - fiberboard-like construction, dinky green color, rattles around when in my car - but I have never had a problem. One tube has been replaced, but otherwise, all original and going on five years now of regular use (six times a month of full-on usage, I have a practice amp for fun stuff) without a problem, not counting the 32 years before that.

Silvertone is long gone, but there are plenty of ampheads who can fix these, and there are schematics and user sites a-plenty, so I am not concerned.

As said above, this is as good as more expensive items. I think if I had an unlimited fund to draw upon I would get an AC-30, a blackface Fender '65 Tremolux AND a Marshall JCM800, but until David Geffen sends me that big check I'll be happy with this, and get another if it breaks.

This amp was made in the mid to late 60s.
Very vesatile w/ fuzz box. Great for zeppelin tunes. 4 channels. 2 for clean and 2 for reverb and tremolo. Tremolo is a little weak though. Good 100 watts of power for use in my garage. 2 large tubes, and 6 small ones.

single coils scream and humbuckers growl though it. Good blues and rock amp. not noisy at all. verrrry quiet. even dimed. very versitile sounds, and the reverb is very very boomy and strong. no amp distortion and clean 90 out of the 100 watts!!

All original sears silvertone tubes, still sounds great!!

I cant say much for this, i got the amp from my uncle recently.
He paid 179.99$ for it.

I have been playing for 10 years and this is the best amp i have ever found. This amp is goooood.

My Father gave me the head about 4 years ago.I know it was made early sixties, but I can't find accurate information. I play heavy music and softer classical and the amp sounds great. 2 channels Clean, and the other with reverb and tremelo.
bass and treble on both channels, a footswitch input, bypass and ground switching, and normal input and output. I wish the tremelo still worked. I play in my dudes basement with a peavey bass rig with an 18 inch speaker, a mapex drumset and a homeade power amp

I have an Ibanez Grx 20 hm-hm, Ibanez s type s-s-hm, Audition hm-hm-hm, Guild Detonator hm-hm, and a spare mongrel which has one single coil. With the variations of the guitars and style of music I play the amp is good overall, played in mainly basements with no carpeting.
I have a weird sound I get from the reverb turned up about 25%, high treble, Electro Harmonix Electic Mistress set to filter matrix, Ibanez Rotary Chorus all the way up, and just let the feedback come in and out by standing different distances away from the amp. Real nice Distortion at about 7

I swear to god I have the original tubes still in there, it needs a tune up but it's the first time since I got it

I still haven't found any authentic information about this amp, except for here

I've been playing for about six years and I never really had any Top[ of the line equipment but all my friends have Mesas' and Marshalls, and I think I'll just stick with what I got for now.

2channels 1regular 1 w/reverb&tremelo

sweet tone at all levels, at 10 she kills i play strats and teles,a closer vaughn sound could not be had , infact, i believe the late great danny gatton used one regularly on his recordings.jeez i forgot to mention , i play thru a univox cab 2-12w celestions

no problems so far except i desperately need a schematic for the reverb as it is not working. any one who might be able to e-mail me one or maybe just a picture of the rear of it ,it would be apreiciated. hiboy@prodigy.net

im 42 been playin since i was 15, i have 2 strats i build myself by hand1 tele inthe works, and a dean stylist. amps: spider112, vox pathfinder (another killer)sound city custom wired 100 watt head (by dallas arbiter ltd. london, pre-hiwatt)

DONT KNOW WHAT YEAR THIS 1484 WAS MADE SERIAL #185 11040 BUT IT KICKS
SERIOUS BUTT TO A LOT OF AMPS IN TODAYS MARKET.NOT MUCH FOR FEATURES 2 CHANNELS ONE STRAIGHT OTHER WITH REVERB AND TREMOLO

CLEAN WITH 12" JENSENS/ UP TO 3.AFTER THAT SUPER CRUNCH AT 5 AND WHEN YOU TURN THIS AMP TO 10 KILL. SURE IT DOESNT HAVE ANY FEATURES WITH A GAZILLION BUTTONS BUT WHEN IT COME DOWN TO TONE GET OUT AND LISTEN TO THIS PURITY. 12X4 MARSHALL CLOSED BACK WOULD SEND WOULD FLOOR ANYONE!

SAME ORIGINAL TUBES I DONT SEE AN ISSUE FOR TUBE OR CIRCUIT REPLACEMENTS

ZILTCH O YOUR ON YOUR OWN

LISTEN TO THIS AMP WITH ORIGINAL TUBES, JENSEN LOUDSPEAKERS. YOUR IN FOR PUNCH AND POP AND DEFINITION PLUG IN A WAH AND A LITTLE OVERDRIVE FOR LOWER VOLUME SETTINGS AND THEY WILL WONDER WHY YOU CAN CUT THROUGH ANY DRUMMER. PLUS VINTAGE LOOK AND COOL VIBES

I originally had one in 1965, which my brother eventually sold and KEPT THE MONEY! My replacement was purchased separately this year, first the head, then the cabinet, which DO NOT have the original Jensens, but an unknown matched pair of 12" speakers which sound adequate. I would guess that the head from the mid-'60s, based on the serial no. The features are perfect for me, as I have no use for distortion, overdrive, and effects loops - my kind of music ("oldies") needs a "clean" tone. I'm not a "working" musician per se, but I've performed solo at small venues like my class reunions doing '50s-'60s "oldies." There is a "funky" quality with this type of equipment. Cosmetically, there are some worn spots on the corners of the cabinet, but the overall appearance is excellent. My only modification was to solder a new plug to the 6' speaker cable and resist the temptation of installing a jack in the cabinet.

I have a number of Fender guitars: re-issue Jazzmaster, standard Stratocaster, '72 Telecaster Thinline w/humbuckers and Bigsby tail, '63 Jaguar. I recently bought the Silvertone two pick-up cherry sunburst solid-body (made by Harmony) which I originally played with back in 1965. It seems to be an excellent match with this amp and sounds a lot better than I remember from the old days. Maybe it's because I'm a better player now. The reverb sounds "watery" and increasing the depth control beyond "4-5" doesn't seem to make any difference: nothing like the Fender. The reverb and tremolo can be operated without the footswitch. The tremolo circuit is more substantial than the reverb and performs admirably when such an effect is needed. Not much low-end on this amp, though I suspect that running it through the Jensens, either the 2-12" or the 15" from the 1483 bass amp would be adequate for those looking for that sound. There hasn't been any extraneous "noise" like pops, clicks, or hums.

My prior unit had no problems in the four years I had it. This one still has the original Silvertone power tubes. Replacement tubes are readily-available.

I always have back-ups for any amp.

Sears has been long out of selling and supporting the Silvertone line. Technicians with experience in repairing tube-chassis amps are to be cherished and nurtured.

As far as amps go, I have a full complement of black and silver-face Fender gear (Bassman, Bandmaster, Twin Reverb, Dual Showman Reverb, Quad Reverb), three tube-amps by Teisco (Japan), and solid-state amps (Fender Twin Reverb; Peavy Bandit 112; Silvertone 100 and 150).

I've found my 1484 suitable for functions in rooms up to 48,000 cubic feet (60'W x 100'L x 8'H or 50'W x 80'L x 12'H). Other acoustical factors may reduce the size of room it can handle, better speakers may increase it.

The Silvertone tube-amps have been better than their later solid-state amps. I consider the sound "better" than my Fender solid-state. I'd replace this with another of the same primarily for the "nostalgia" factor. I'd like to get the Silvertone 1483 bass amp (our band had one of these, too). I'm also looking to obtain the Jensen Special Design 12" speakers which are the original type for this model.

Although some consider the sound a bit "cheesey," I consider the 1484 to have been worth more than the original $179.95 price in 1965.

My 1484 Twin Twelve was made in about 1968. It's pretty bare bones by today's standards, as far as features, but who needs all that built-in chorus/distortion/etc anyways? It is a two channel amp. One normal, the other with reverb and tremolo. The tremolo ticks like all the old ones do, but I love it anyways. The reverb is pretty cheesy and sounds like you're playing in a bathtub, so I don't use it. I'm a straightforward blues, jazz, and classic rock player so this amp has just the right amount of features for me. Many people have differing opinions about the power output of this amp. I've seen everything from 25-50 watts. I think it is safe to say that it's somwhere between 30 and 35 watts (stock). But since it's all-tube, that just means good and loud!

I use a recent Gretsch chamberd-body Duo Jet with two humbuckers and this amp makes it sound really smooth. I also use a 7-band EQ to get more bass, which is really the only thing this amp lacks. I haven't really had the chance to make the amp really growl because I live in an apartment, but this thing just sounds so GOOD! If you want something for modern music, look elsewhere. But if blues and classic rocks are your thing, then this is the amp! I occasionally use an MXR Distortion
Plus through this and that sounds fine too. Just needs a little more low end!

This amp has never failed me. It's been scuffed and beaten, sure, but it keeps on going! The only thing that is hard to maintain is a stock of those crazy 6CG7 tubes (there are two of them in the preamp section). But if you can find them, then you're all set.

N/A

I've been playing for about 13 years and I've had a few different tube amps, but I don't think I could ever get rid of this one. I like it been than even most Fender's I've had. If it ever got stolen, I would definitely buy another one. There are quite a few of them around. Probably the only amp that could rival the Fender Deluxe for best blues amp of all!

Two channels, one channel with tremelo and reverb and one channel without. Not many features but who cares! I play single channel amps anyway. This amp has 4 12AX7's, Two 6CG7's and 2 6l6'gs. I actually have two of these amps, one is a '63 and one a '67, I believe. I have heard that these were made by Valco.(Supro, Danelectro,Oahu,etc...)

I play a Strat with Texas Specials and a PRS CE-22 with HFS stock pickups. I have had many amps in the last ten years but I just won't part with these guys. They are just too cool. People see them and go "What is that piece of crap?" and then I plug up and hit a chord and their jaws drop. I also have noticed a few signed bands sporting 1484's in guitar mag's in their equipment lists. These are real bluesy but pop an overdrive pedal in front and they are BAD to the Bone. Classic rock all the way. With the Strat I get a great alternative sound. Another thing, the 1484's are LOUD AS @#@#! I have a 50 watt Soldano and this thing eats it with volume. It has the loudest 30-35 watts you have EVER heard. The volume control does this; Under 3 vol=nothing; 3-6=LOUD and CLEAN; 6-full=LOUD with some Grunt. The overdrive has a farty kind of bass response but with any overdrive pedal it turns into something really cool.

Dependability? Well how's this. My '67 still has the original tubes!!! The reason that the '63 doesn't is that when I got it THEY WERE BROKEN OFF IN THE SOCKETS! I gave a guy 40 bucks and tubed it up and there it goes. These NEVER break.

What company!!

I've been playing off and on for over ten years now. I've had a TON of amps. These have their own LOUD sound. This isn't the only amp to have by any means but it is fun to have.

Made about 1964. From what I've read, this was made for Sears by Supro. Not a lot of features -- two channels, one strictly clean and the other with reverb and tremolo. Channels aren't switchable. It has a standby switch and switchable ground. Each channel has volume and tone controls for bass and treble. Nothing else. But this amp is all about tone and I don't need different channels or features to get a tone that can cause my heart to melt. The cabinet has two Blue Bell Jensen 12s. The head for this was rebuilt for me by my amp tech and it's output with the bias set at about 2.4 is around 35 watts. That's plenty for the kinds of places I play. I mike it in larger venues. This is a great blues/rock & roll amp. Someone here called it a "poor man's Twin Reverb" and I think they were right. Strictly tube with 12AX7 for preamp and 2 6L6s for power. My rating for this category doesn't reflect my satisfaction with this amp. It's a 4 only because it doesn't have a lot of features -- but what a tone monster.

I use an Epiphone Sheraton II (stock pickups) and a Yamaha 921 with dimarzios. I also play harp through this amp. It suits my musical style quite well -- it even sound better than the lead guitarists Mesa Boogie. I use pedals (Boss GE7 EQ, Boss Blues Driver, Boss NS2Noise Gate, DOD Milk Box Compressor, and Ibanez TS5 modded for 808 straight in (there is no effects loop) and can get quite a variety from the pedal setup through the twin-twelve. As far as harp, it is fat and punchy. Suffice it to say, I love this amp. And being able to play both guitar and harp through one amp makes hauling equipment less stressful. BTW, I have a on-off switch on the harp mike (an EV-630) and use the Noise Gate as an on-off switch for the guitar. I haven't found any amp that rates a 10 -- that's why the 9.

So far I've been playing without a backup. Frankly, I trust my amp tech. He rebuilt this thing solidly. He took the best of two 1484 heads to build one for me. Now I have a non-working second head that gives me a wealth of parts for any future repairs. I had it previously for about a year and it blew and output transformer. Had it back from the amp tech for about 3 months now and it just keeps playing. However, I heard these things can be fragile to transport. If I ever went on the road I'd take a backup.

Place a vision in your mind of me rolling on the floor in laughter.

I've played for nearly 35 years and I wish I'd kept some of the vintage equipment I've shed in the past -- including some Silvertone equipment. If this amp were lost or stolen (can't see it) I'd find another. I actually got this primarily for harp but when I played guitar through it my knees went weak. I didn't compare it to anything else, since I knew it was a great harp amp when I first laid eyes on it in a local shop. I love the tone. At about 3 it starts to overdrive and at 5 we're talking the tone of masters. It's a bit heavy but with the head sliding into the back of the speaker cabinet, it's easys to schlep around. If you see one of these, grab it. You won't be sorry.