Was dropping off my '78 SVT for some work, and this guy comes in the shop to
pick up his Vibro Champ. Upon hearing me mention Garcia's name, this
fellow Stew had a great little story:
He was in the band U.S. Cadenza on the bill w/ the Dead 7/18/67 at the
Masonic Temple in Portland, OR (now the Portland Art Museum) when his
amp died. So Garcia says "Why don't you play through mine?". Garcia's
stack: "He had two Twin Reverbs, two Double Showman- the tan ones
(blonde, '60-'63 http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=84) , and two
Standel Imperial 4x12's." Whoa... "Are those bass amps?" I ask. "No,
the Imperial was a guitar amp" "...EV SRO speakers?" "Yeah, at least
in the open-back Twins that I could see." He goes on to tell me how
his band played their opening number where his first note was a big
sustained, bent, bluesy note, and when he came in with the note he
just froze in his tracks because the rig was so! incredibly! LOUD.
Before the next song he asked Johnny Hagen (or whoever was in charge
of JG's amp at that time) "Um, you think maybe I could play through
just ONE of these amps?" LMAO
When I got home I looked up the Standel and it turns out to be a
sealed 100w solidstate powered cab! Mid-60's solidstate? Weird, wild,
WOOLY stuff.
pick up his Vibro Champ. Upon hearing me mention Garcia's name, this
fellow Stew had a great little story:
He was in the band U.S. Cadenza on the bill w/ the Dead 7/18/67 at the
Masonic Temple in Portland, OR (now the Portland Art Museum) when his
amp died. So Garcia says "Why don't you play through mine?". Garcia's
stack: "He had two Twin Reverbs, two Double Showman- the tan ones
(blonde, '60-'63 http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=84) , and two
Standel Imperial 4x12's." Whoa... "Are those bass amps?" I ask. "No,
the Imperial was a guitar amp" "...EV SRO speakers?" "Yeah, at least
in the open-back Twins that I could see." He goes on to tell me how
his band played their opening number where his first note was a big
sustained, bent, bluesy note, and when he came in with the note he
just froze in his tracks because the rig was so! incredibly! LOUD.
Before the next song he asked Johnny Hagen (or whoever was in charge
of JG's amp at that time) "Um, you think maybe I could play through
just ONE of these amps?" LMAO
When I got home I looked up the Standel and it turns out to be a
sealed 100w solidstate powered cab! Mid-60's solidstate? Weird, wild,
WOOLY stuff.
"There, in huge black letters, was 'The Grateful Dead'. It just... cancelled my mind out."-Garcia
