Some of my amp experience. . . .

I thought I would drift off course a little, as I have just bought a
new extension cab for my bass rig.

This adds to a whole lot of other gear I have and made me think of

how it all started, a long time ago.

Back in the day, there were a lot of Treble n Bass type amps and

when you didn't have a lot of the folding stuff, you took what you

could get your hands on.

Most took a little coaxing to fire up - storing them in damp
conditions didn't help.

My first guitar amps were a series of "lends" of various makes, fed

into anything you could find - who cares about ohms and some sort

of compatibility - anything that would work was good enough.

The first amp that I bought, as I was then playing bass, was
something that I can picture in my mind but can't remember what it was.

It was valve combo, 30 watt, I think, that had the head clipped onto the

open back cab, so you could take it off.

This had so much abuse but managed to survive, mainly because in

the very early days. . . . . we had no PA!!!

The next one I can't remember what that was either but I do recall

the cab - a 2 x 12, that I stood on it's end to make it look taller! :)

I think the power of the amp well exceeded to capacity of the speaker,

as on more than one occasion . . . . . a new speaker was required!

When that finally gave up I had a borrow of a Sound City, with I think

a 2 x 15 bass cab, which for a guitar set up may sound a bit odd

but it seemed to work.

This didn't last long, as my friend, who had found another band, asked

for it back, at a time I needed it most!

Bearing in mind, this was waaayyyyy before t'internet and anything you

bought was out of the paper, notices in Newsagents (remember them?? :)

or in desperation. . . . . a shop!

The next amp I do remember very well - bought through one of the notices

in a shop - a Simms Watt Combo. . . . . with reverb! Wow!

As hardly anyone took band pictures, let alone the gear, I have none

but I did lift this off the net.

This served me quite well for the stuff we were doing, Ace - How Long,

Climax Blues Band - Couldn't get it right, Boz Scaggs - Lido Shuffle,

not quite enough grind for a whole host of Lizzy, Stones and Bad Co.

stuff but this was helped out by my trusty distortion pedal.

It was orange, that's all I can remember and mated up with a Phaser,

give some interesting sounds.

I sold it in the early 80's for £60, I remember that much - a huge amount

in today's money.

Amps that followed were borrowed, begged but never stolen!!

Burman 501, ahh, those were the days - tiny thing but what a beast.

I'll come back to amps, another time.

Cheers. :)