Teisco Checkmate 22

I've had this amp for about 5 years. I'd say it's a mid 70s model, but it was a gift, bought at a flea market, so I don't know how exactly how old it is. It's a half-stack style solid state amp with a 2x10 cabinet. It has one channel, 4 knobs (volume, tone, reverb, and tremelo), 3 inputs, 2 spaces for reverb and tremelo foot switches, a line out jack, a headphone jack, and a neat little red power light on a wood-grain panel. The amp doesn't have it's wattage on the back, but I'd guess it's a 50 watter. I took the back panel off of the head, and all the circutry looks really good. Plus, the schematics are printed on the inside of the back panel. Because the reverb and the tremelo sound really good, I'll give it a 10 here. It's not a super-equipped amp, but for what it is, and what I used it for, it's really good.

I first used this amp with my Dixon strat, but since I've played my 72 SG on it, and they both sound really good, clear, and punchy. It won't distort any when turned up, and I play classic rock, and a bit of metal sometimes, so I use a Fuzz box for all that. It's never been noisy, it just has a wee bit of hum when turned up pretty loud, but that's not bad. Like I said in the features catagory, the reverb and tremelo sound really good. The reverb is extra thick, and wet; and the tremelo is really good for CCR kinda sounds. I don't know what wattage it is, but it sounds good.

I'd depend on this amp. If I was going to use it in a performing situation, I'd probably replace the 2 10" speakers. They aren't rattling or anything, but their magnets are pretty small. Other than that, it would be good to go.

I have no idea about the customer support. This one is the 22 model, and I know the 17 is a 2x10 combo, and the 66 is a tube unit with 2 6" speakers. And they are all Made in Japan. That's about all I know about them. I have run across some info on Teisco Del Ray guitars, but no addresses for the company..

I like the amp. It sounds good, it's dependable, neat looking, it's not good features, and I don't know much about the company, so that's interesting to me. If it were stolen, I'd wonder if they were looking for a Checkmate, but I'd be mad. I'd probably look for another too. I think it was cheap too, so that's the icing on the cake.