1980s Carvin & Sunn Guitar Rig

Vintage tube head and 4x12 cab, loaded with Celestion speakers

Both of these pieces have previously been featured here. The Carvin X-60b head was reviewed when it was found in the summer of 2013 and the Sunn 412L cabinet also got some run in one of our early 2013 posts, coupled with the Acoustic 150 head. This is a bit of an update, as the footswitch has been added to the head and I also picked up a new set of JJ 6L6 tubes, two were missing when I bought it from Crossroads Pawn Shop in Westminster.

The speakers in the cab are vintage Celestion G12-80s. I'm also looking at restoring the cab, there have been some Sunn logo plates floating around and the grill could use some love. But, I'm also entertaining the idea of trading this out, so to speak and finding a period-correct Carvin cab to pair with the head. Same with the ACC 450 and 150 heads, I have seen 2x15 and 6x10 cabs at decent prices over the last year and am kicking myself for not getting them.

Either way, this is a great setup in the meantime. Acquiring the footswitch and getting the full complement of tubes for the head was really a priority, so those are both major reliefs. I don't really gig anymore, but now that they have been paired up, a couple of rehearsal studio jams should happen and hopefully I'll have some pedal boards to feature soon, those will also come along for the sessions.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1970s Acoustic Control & Randall Bass Rig

Vintage So. Cal bass half stack, super warm tone, excellent gigging condition

Keeping with the longtime pieces of the collection, this has been my main gigging setup since late-1999. The Acoustic Model 450 head doubles as a bass or guitar amp. No onboard effects, other than the distortion (which is good for solid state amp), but the 5-band EQ helps you dial in a good sound. I've never used any pedals with this amp and have only gigged with it as a bass player. Now that the 150b has been added to the collection, this will strictly be used for guitars.

I didn't have a rig when this came my way, but I had started playing with a new band and needed something for shows. This was sitting in my friend's garage and he didn't even play, so I asked to borrow it for our first show. Every time my friend would come by my place, I would try to get him to take his rig back, but he never would. He's since long moved out of state and this has sort of become my adopted vintage bass half stack.

The footswitch is pretty hard to find and I don't believe I've ever seen one for sale. It controls the distortion and auxiliary volume. I missed out on the rare switch for the 230 head last weekend and was pretty upset about it. I would also love to find a Randall name plate for the R215BH cab, but finding one that is period-correct would probably be difficult. I'm not sure what speakers are loaded in there, I've just never pulled them out, but they look like old Eminence or Black Widows from the front.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1988 Peavey Studio Chorus 210 Combo Amp

Another sweet Peavey amp is added to the collection, vintage Made in the USA

All of the pieces featured here have some sort of history and sometimes you end up with something that once belonged to a classic artist. This one seems to be an early model and was owned by guitarist Lanny Cordola, who Peavey once sponsored while he was in House of Lords and signed to RCA records in the late-80s.

This is now the 2nd Peavey amp in the vault and this one is their answer to the Roland Jazz Chorus. When I posted the photos on Facebook, someone chimed in and questioned the ability of this amp to create heavy metal sounds. As recently stated when discussing the Squier 15 Practice Amp, my main guitar is a 1977 Gibson Les Paul Custom and it's loaded with a vintage Seymour Duncan Invader and a vintage DiMarzio Super Distortion. This is probably why I'm able to get such heavy sounds out of these amps and last night, the Super D (bridge) was churning out Paranoid-era Black Sabbath and the Invader was replicating GNR and AC/DC sounds.

I bought this amp for the stereo chorus, as I prefer the sound of the effects on these old amps to what I'm getting out of vintage pedals and some rack units that I've accumulated. Another thing about this amp is that its loud. It goes from barely audible to stadium rock and there is seemingly no in between. I love it... Back to Lanny Cordola, he has a charity project where he teaches music to children in poverty-stricken countries. Lanny & The MLKs is the name of his band and the bassist/previous owner, Billy the Fist is a local player who also works as the touring bassist for legendary Hollywood glam band, London.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1970s Acoustic Control 150 & 150b Amplifier Heads

Vintage solid state amps, made in So. Cal

Recently, I've made it known that Takamine is the favorite among acoustic guitars and Ibanez the preference of electric guitars. With that in mind, Acoustic Control is the brand of choice when it comes to amplifiers. The first pro rig that I ever had is an ACC 450 plugged into a Randall RB215 and that plays a large role in the interest.

Years later, I would score the ACC 230/403 half-stack that was featured in post #2 here at SCGM and the beast was unleashed. The guitar head was found at a great price just a few months after the 230 and also featured with a Sunn 412L cabinet that was picked up just down the road. One of the previous owners modified this head by adding a pot where one of the input jacks used to be and I think it was a way of controlling the level of the reverb and tremolo effects without a footswitch.

The bass head was found earlier this year by a local seller and is in great shape. The power cord has a couple of rough spots, but it still in working order. These are essentially the same amps, but the guitar version has the effects. The other cool thing is that I was finally able to find a footswitch for a decent price. These things can sometimes cost close to $100 on their own and that is just outrageous.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.

1980s Carvin X-60B Guitar Amplifier Head

Vintage mid-80s tube amp, in original and excellent condition

Like the Acoustic Control amps that we've featured here in the past, Carvin is another local So. Cal company that doesn't get the same respect as industry heavies Marshall and Ampeg, but longtime players know they deliver similar quality for roughly half the price. 

From what I've been able to find out about this particular head, it was made somewhere between 1984 and 1986. It has 2 channels, a 5-band EQ and on-board reverb. The clean channel sounds super sweet and there are only 2 of the 4 tube slots being used right now. The only visual flaw on this amp is one of the metal corner pieces is missing, but that is a cheap and easy fix.

This one becomes the undisputed top amp in my collection, it will be paired with the Sunn 412L cab that was posted here a few months back and should add to future recordings for lead guitars and clean channel tracks. I'll probably take it in to the local Carvin shop and have them go over it too.

Thanks for looking, more high-resolution photos here.