Check out one of Kens 'sleeper' amps + Demo

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Plexified
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Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 4:22 am

Check out one of Kens 'sleeper' amps + Demo

Post by Plexified »

Here Brad takes the time to give an awesome walk through and demo of a rare Harmony 415 combo. crystal clean to mean.

You'll know instantly why it was on Kens list of 'Sleepers' . Sound check at the end , in case you just want to listen.

Check out Brads site, he has more amp service and demos of a lot of amps Ken talked about in the Trainwreck pages in the event you want to listen to them our look under the hood. Cool stuff for sure and a great guy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMccQ_oResY
Mark
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Re: Check out one of Kens 'sleeper' amps + Demo

Post by Mark »

Very interesting, I didn't know Ken had a list of sleeper amps. What else was on his list?
Yours Sincerely

Mark Abbott
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Re: Check out one of Kens 'sleeper' amps + Demo

Post by Plexified »

That's a good point. I don't think he had a formal list. One in his head for sure and it lives with all the folks he talked to over time. He had a lot of reviews he did on gear and his trainwreck pages outlined his feelings on a lot of amps and he comments on them like the Gibsons and such. He was a repair man and it is cool as he was helping the guitar community he was logging his own points on what circuits did what and why and what models he wanted to draw from.

Some of the most interesting things he said to me was that the Fender model 46 was his favorite. Then again a Super reverb which he called the best sounding amp in the world. Funny, cause he was to me always loving Marshalls. While having Vox amps everywhere in his basement which he loved and hated cause they failed a lot , like he said with Matchless , sound good, but could be seen on fire weekly on a country stage-literally on fire on the Nashville Network back then -TNN.

I thought it would be a good topic , cause he had a lot of opinions and they stack up. Guys with 4x15 Marshall pre Rola cabinets that worked with their Marshalls and the big one for me was how he said the Ampeg V4 did nothing for him except make good power chords as an Ampeg engineer, while he used the V4 cabinets. Granted that cab is un freakin real on its own, but the V4 / vt22 is a stellar amp! It has the prettiest cleans. fantastic reverb and major tone control with the bandaxall inductor circuits on the tone control and hell Steve Morse got some tone with the Dixie Dregs. I think its the ultimate amp in a lot of ways including the use with modeling amps and the awesome volume. But you do get a wealth of knowledge as Kens comments stack up. The 415 shows admiration of crystal clean to mean for sure.

He has a lot of polar opposite commentary that makes total sense also. One obvious one is a V4 cab with vintage Celestions and an open back Vox 2x12 combo with vintage alnicos. Two totally different animals , yet two of the best ever. He was good with that , outlining the best of the best. It all came across his bench and he called it. So cool.

A Marshall 1959 plexi with a quad of 6v6 tubes that he tuned for lead is a good one and the Deluxe that he Nuked is another . So insightful . The nuked platform shows what he liked and took to the max. Just think , he made every amp across his workspace be the best it could be. Some he did while artists waited and others he just took the mandatory liberty to make sound the best it could, it was not about just 'repairing' an amp. He improved every single one. I played hundreds in New Jersey and in hindsight I wish I bought every one. I can vividly remember the ones I did buy from fellow artists and I can now see the things he talked about and employed in these amps. He had a very clear usage of red paint on solder joints he touched and even bolts and screws he got into. It was very cool. In hindsight , he was marking his work. Like a proud person doing a good job and in his case the best job. so cool...
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