Your first amp...and mine

Here is a perfect example of my first amp. I found this on Reverb and it caught my eye as it said it was in 'mint' condition. The seller wasn't lying. This amp is over 50 years old, I'm not sure I can get the exact year of when this one was built but, they made this model between '64 and '68. The Tolex cover is in immaculate condition sans a small 'scrap' on the backside of the speaker cabinet. Everything works and there are no unusual noises when operating. I'm going to pull the cover off the back of the cabinet and check out the speakers. From what I can see, they seem to be original as well. Outside of some of the tubes, everything is original. I think it is also 'hardwired'. This thing looks like it came to me in a time machine.  

I was really surprised by finding this amp in the first place. It had just been put up on Reverb and if you check the other offerings on this model, they are not in as good a condition and some are selling for 4 to 5 hundred dollars more than what I paid for this one. To find such an amp I had as a teen as my first amp is a sign...or something.  I've come full circle...almost. The only thing missing is the 335 Japanese copy I played through my original which was stolen in the mid '70's.

I just got done peeling the back off of the cabinet and cleaning out the inside while observing the original speakers, Jensen C12's. I don't know how the screen cloth was kept so pristine but, there isn't a flaw anywhere on it and the 'sparkle' in it is still...sparkling. They were really very practical with the design and function of this amp. They created space in the cabinet to store the amp head which also raised the speakers a foot off the ground. Quite ingenious if you ask me. I also read somewhere that these amps where built by Dane Electro.  

I remember that Silvertone thing.

My first other guitarist in my band had one (and the cabinet).

The cab got killed in a basement flood a few months after I met him.

Didn't sound bad at all honestly - but he had EVH on his mind, and well, it just doesn't do that.

I played acoustic guitar through most of high school so I didn't need an amp. Then I was invited to join a band. We coasted on gear were able to borrow from our school, but gigs eventually started to come around. So, I needed something of my own. Since I was a bit older (probably 18), I was able to aim high and bought a second-hand silver-face Twin Reverb. This would have been 1979, if memory serves. I almost got a Hi-watt because that's what Pete Townshend used. I was (and remain) a big fan.

I would guess that 6L6 is a GE or RCA or something along those lines. The base was branded for Silvertone.

"The Silvertone amplifiers manufactured by Danelectro in the mid-1960s have become the most popular among guitar players for their great tube tone and Cold War-era styling."

Those were some interesting reads, Leftee. I'm not sure where I read who manufactured these amps but, it would seem the statement above would confirm it. I don't know what's meant by the 'Cold War-era styling but, I'll just say that the aesthetics of these amp definitely screams the '60's. How about the asking price for a pair of these Silvertone 6L6's! It is a sweet sounding amp. I don't remember it sounding this good back in the day. 

One thing I'm contemplating is modifying the cab wiring and going with a 1/4 jack set up but, I want to do that only if I can reverse the mod and put it back to original but, that's maybe for a different thread.

That’s a cherry specimen!

It’s cool to see old amps with original owners.

Technically, my first amp was my Dad's hi-fi once I realized I could connect my guitar into the phono input with the right adapter. OK for home use. I rented some amps when I started actually gigging. These were typically Ampeg Reverberockets from the local store and they sounded great.

When I saved enough money I bought a slightly used 1965 Deluxe Reverb that I still have today.

My first amp was late 80s Fender Pro 185. It was loud and heavy. I still have it.

Crappy little pos. Prolly wards airline. Not good.

My first "REAL" amp was a Silvertone 1483 with the 15" Jensen speaker. It sounded very good but at 23 watts wasn't loud enough to suit me. A few years later I sold it and bought a 200 watt, solid state, Peavey Musician guitar amp. It was loud and big but sounded awful. Even with the pedals of the day. I had a MXR Distortion +, a 6 band EQ, a EH Electric Mistress flanger, and a Dyna Comp. After that I bought a 4-12's Marshall cabinet and a 65 Blackface Fender Showman head I had the channels cascaded on. That was a great amp and I used it for years until we played at a desert party with some questionable generators. It would blow fuses occasionally after that and every time I took it to an amp tech to have it fixed, it wouldn't blow the fuse so they couldn't find the problem. I ended up selling it and buying a Mesa Boogie Mark IV to gig with. It sounded great through the Marshall cabinet in larger venues. It was small but like moving an anvil. Very heavy. I wish I still had the Showman head.

First amp was SS 2x12 Crate . Never warmed up to it. Traded it and got Fender Stage 185 SS. Much better. Had it a few years then had an itch for a tube amp and traded it in for DRRI. Very happy with that amp.

First was a nameless tube amp with an 8" speaker. It was covered in red tolex and had a brass control panel. I remember it had reverb springs. The next was from a recognised brand - Burns - an "Orbit 2" solid state 30 watter with a 12"(?)speaker and a shiny, metal mesh front grille. All the controls were on the back. Not quite enough for gigs, so the next one was one of the first Peavey Classic 50s