Robben Ford's amps / follow-up

[Hotrod Ford]

For Max and all ,
The white tip switch chassie in the green Combo,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_dh2kH ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTSHRSjf ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1SyhOJgSi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQady7p ... re=related

[Max]

For Max and all ,
The white tip switch chassie in the green Combo,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_dh2kH ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTSHRSjf ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1SyhOJgSi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQady7p ... re=related

Fotrod Ford,

Cool! Thank you!

Max

[Max]

Max,

Could you shed some light on this amp in the attached video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvFsvmoUsnI

Thanks
Paul

Hi Paul,

shed some light – perhaps. Knowing hard facts: No!

Here's a picture that shows him with this amp in 1986, again in Europe:

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/99638837

But this "Vox grill amp", that he used when visiting Europe in ’86, ’88 and ’89 (see the videos I've linked to), was not used at the Carson TTYD promo show (1988), or at least not in this Vox grill cabinet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWgRdBGHFh4

So the question still is:

Which one of all these amps is his "first" 4th generation ODS, originally most likely a "low plate classic", with a series number most likely between 80 and 110 and reportedly used still in its original "low plate classic" configuration for the TTYD recording sessions (exception: "Getaway"):

This one ("classic" EQ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWgRdBGHFh4

or this one ("classic" EQ):
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/99638837
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zj8aS1nTkI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvFsvmoUsnI

or this one ("skyline" EQ, precision PS and in a late 80ies/current black cabinet):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTrZSNiOQ20

or this one ("skyline" EQ, precision PS and in a late 80ies/current tan cabinet):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61jK5BjYBz4

If at 1:16 you compare the back of this amp with the back of this early 80ies ODS
http://www.gbase.com/files/store_images ... fn3_so.jpg
you’ll see some similarities, like the switchcraft plug for the footswitch as an example (no longer used after the mid 80ies and series numbers around 140).

So which one of all these is his first one: One of these, some of these, all of these or none of these?

Have fun, a good night and a nice day,

Max

[bluesfendermanblues]

For Max and all ,
The white tip switch chassie in the green Combo,


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_dh2kH ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTSHRSjf ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1SyhOJgSi0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAQady7p ... re=related

Man, check ou the first clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_dh2kH ... re=related) at 6:25 very nice crunchy bebop solo turning into rocknroll. Perhaps not the greatest tone of all time, but very tastefull playing IMO.

[Max]

Perhaps not the greatest tone of all time, but very tastefull playing IMO.

IMO a great "tone" that isn't the voice of some fine piece of music, that moves us to dance, to smile, to whistle or play or sing along and sometimes to tears, is rather meaningless "noise" anyway.

To listen to BB in a good mood with a LAB SS amp or to Eric with a Music Man SS, is far more fun for at least my mind, soul and heart than to listen to some of the "tones" I hear jumping out of some Dumble gear.

But playing Dumbles is always fun of course, at least for me and most players I know, even if they, like me, aren't the best players and/or musicians. It's fun (not always for the listeners!) to make some nice "Dumble noise", isn't it? Nothing bad with "noise": A Ferrari, a Shelby Cobra, or a big block Firebird are some other good examples, aren't they?

And a Dumble is even cheaper than a Ferrari! And in front of a 300SL on top of a two Dumble 4x12" EV stack, there's some air in your face, too (if most of the hair should be history already).

Cheers,

Max

[bluesfendermanblues]

Perhaps not the greatest tone of all time, but very tastefull playing IMO.

IMO a great "tone" that isn't the voice of some fine piece of music, that moves us to dance, to smile, to whistle or play or sing along and sometimes to tears, is rather meaningless "noise" anyway.

To listen to BB in a good mood with a LAB SS amp or to Eric with a Music Man SS, is far more fun for at least my mind, soul and heart than to listen to some of the "tones" I hear jumping out of some Dumble gear.

But playing Dumbles is always fun of course, at least for me and most players I know, even if they, like me, aren't the best players and/or musicians. It's fun (not always for the listeners!) to make some nice "Dumble noise", isn't it? Nothing bad with "noise": A Ferrari, a Shelby Cobra, or a big block Firebird are some other good examples, aren't they?

And a Dumble is even cheaper than a Ferrari! And in front of a 300SL on top of a two Dumble 4x12" EV stack, there's some air in your face, too (if most of the hair should be history already).

Cheers,

Max

Amen to that

[dogears]

Hi Max,

The tan amp is not a precision power supply. It is the old one and looks like early 80s on the inside. It even has the V1/V2 can cap for B+.

Regards....

or this one ("skyline" EQ, precision PS and in a late 80ies/current tan cabinet):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61jK5BjYBz4

If at 1:16 you compare the back of this amp with the back of this early 80ies ODS
http://www.gbase.com/files/store_images ... fn3_so.jpg
you’ll see some similarities, like the switchcraft plug for the footswitch as an example (no longer used after the mid 80ies and series numbers around 140).

So which one of all these is his first one: One of these, some of these, all of these or none of these?

Have fun, a good night and a nice day,

Max

[Max]

The tan amp is not a precision power supply. It is the old one and looks like early 80s on the inside. It even has the V1/V2 can cap for B+.

Hi Scott,

thanks for this info! And do I understand you right, that what you call "the tan amp" is the one with the green EQ switches and the green pilot light and is the one Robben uses in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61jK5BjYBz4 ?

Thanks again and all the best,

Max

[dogears]

Yes, green switches, green pilot. Multivoltage power tranny.

Fwiw, the tan amp has two sets of 4 bolts holding the chassis in. Therefore, unless the other cabinets are drilled in that unique way, the tan amp is always the same chassis.

The tan amp is not a precision power supply. It is the old one and looks like early 80s on the inside. It even has the V1/V2 can cap for B+.

Hi Scott,

thanks for this info! And do I understand you right, that what you call "the tan amp" is the one with the green EQ switches and the green pilot light and is the one Robben uses in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61jK5BjYBz4 ?

Thanks again and all the best,

Max

[talbany]

Before the low 100's amp made it's way to the Tan cab it made a brief stop in the combo..

Tony

[Max]

Yes, green switches, green pilot. Multivoltage power tranny.

Fwiw, the tan amp has two sets of 4 bolts holding the chassis in. Therefore, unless the other cabinets are drilled in that unique way, the tan amp is always the same chassis.

Scott,

do you perhaps still remember the series number or at least the series number range of this "green switches, green pilot light amp" or some of the date codes on the yellow Sprague Atoms?

And is this one visible on the attached picture (from Rob's site) the kind of two rows of four bolts fastening system you are talking about?

Thanks again,

Max

[Max]

Before the low 100's amp made it's way to the Tan cab it made a brief stop in the combo..

Tony

Tony, are you sure, that the "green light / green switches amp" has ever been in the green combo cabinet? A picture of this cabinet (but with another amp chassis) I have attached in my last post.

Cheers,

Max

[talbany]

Max
I just heard back from a reputable source that the green light/w green switches amp made a brief stop in the combo amp where there were some sonic/ speaker issues as mentioned by Dave.. I would assume it didn't stay there long though..

Tony

[dogears]

Indeed, that is the exact fastening system. You clearly see it in photos of the tan cab as well.

Yes, green switches, green pilot. Multivoltage power tranny.

Fwiw, the tan amp has two sets of 4 bolts holding the chassis in. Therefore, unless the other cabinets are drilled in that unique way, the tan amp is always the same chassis.

Scott,

do you perhaps still remember the series number or at least the series number range of this "green switches, green pilot light amp" or some of the date codes on the yellow Sprague Atoms?

And is this one visible on the attached picture (from Rob's site) the kind of two rows of four bolts fastening system you are talking about?

Thanks again,

Max

[Max]

Therefore, unless the other cabinets are drilled in that unique way, the tan amp is always the same chassis.

Hi Scott,

we know this for sure:

"the tan amp" = "the green switches / green pilot light chassis" was not always in the same tan cabinet. In the attached pictures (from Rob's site) you see it in another cabinet, a "new style" black cabinet.

And we also know, that the 8 bolts "gold script chassis" has left its original 8 holes tan cabinet (picture on page 154 of the 1993 edition of Aspen's book) and the green 8 holes combo, too, and now resides in the black head cabinet, wherein before the "green light" chassis resided.

But to mount the 8 bolts "gold script" chassis into the black cabinet, the black cabinet has to be "drilled in this unique way" with 8 holes, too.

Because of this my question now is:

When has the "green light chassis" - from the early eighties as you wrote - been updated with this 8 holes fastening system:

Already around 1992/3 when it was mounted in the new style black cabinet in the context of the skyline update?

Or around 2005/6 when it was mounted into the tan 8 holes cabinet, wherein before the "gold script" chassis resided (p. 154 in Aspen's book)?

All the best and have a nice weekend,

Max