Grateful Dead Music Forum

Hey all,

I've been searching for a way to start building an amp rig to go with my Wolf tribute that I have being built. Money is a problem as the cost of having the guitar built has put me back. I currently play through a Louis Electric Baby BluesBuster (breaker) that I love for everything else I play (blues and blues rock, Clapton Beano tone, Cream, Hendrix type stuff etc....) and it does have a tone of clean headroom, but I'm reluctant to change the speaker or modify it as I love it as is... So, in my search for options to start building a rig, I've come across a Blonde Blackface Dual Showman (no reverb), that comes with the matching speaker cab. It doesn't say what speakers are in it, but they have the aluminum dust caps that I can see through the grill, so I'm thinking that they are JBL's. Anyways, I'll obviously confirm the speakers etc... but I know that the Dual Showman Reverb is very similar to a twin, but not sure about this beast, so any thoughts about this thing for Jerry tone at gigging volumes? Or would I be better off buying a Blues Junior and slapping a JBL in it to hold me over until I can afford a better rig, and then at least I'll of course have the JBL for my future amp....? (as far as volume goes, we mic' everything when we gig, so I just need a loud enough stage volume to play with a drummer etc....but, louder amps are fine too... Thanks in advance for any advice shared!!

One of the guys who knows more than me will be along soon, but looking at the Fender Field Guide, it looks like the Blonde is pre 763 circuit.

http://www.thevintagesound.com/ffg/

Edit- Is it a Blonde or a Blackface? Or a Blackfaced Blonde??

I don't know about the amp you asked about but I'm searching for the Jerry Sound also
Get a Sarno pre amp and a solid state power amp and run it thru a 1x12
That will be sweet

Yup, ultimately I will get a Sarno Preamp and do the McIntosh MCpoweramp into a or a couple of JBL's, but I can get the Dual Showman I mentioned with 2 JBL's for 600.00, and that would hold me over for now, or even going with a used Blues Junior and to swap in a JBL (or run the JBL externally) could hold me over perhaps even cheaper than that? or at least maybe around the same price point if the Showman is a bad candidate....Also, I know there are different versions of the Blues Junior, is there one version that is head and shoulders above the others for getting a Jerry Tone? Not at all familiar with them other than I know that there are different versions....

If you look hard enough, you might be able to find a silver face pro reverb in the $600 price range that will fit your needs.

If it's definitely temporary, I'd go for a Blues Jr III with the JBL.

For $600 , sounds like too good of a deal to let go by. I'd sure like to find a Pro Reverb in the $600 range.

Decisions, decisions......lol, sounds like I have some good options here though, and the guy is giving me a few days to sleep on it, I'd love to hear from someone who has played through a showman. All the demo's on you tube are with Les Pauls etc....and they have it eq'd to sound like a bassman, or my blues breaker....So I can' t really base it on those, and the thing isn't local, so it's not like I can try it out...but thank you guys for your posts, they are a big help! I'm going to continue to stew on it for a couple days and keep my eye out for a Pro Reverb in the same range etc....and way up all options available by the end of week for a decision!

They are around http://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/msg/5437051179.html

Don't forget most will probably need a cap job to be up to speed. Filter caps/coupling caps. Unless it has already been done.

hippieguy1954 wrote:
Don't forget most will probably need a cap job to be up to speed. Filter caps/coupling caps. Unless it has already been done.

Part of the reason I go the Sarno route - no worries it will breakdown

I do like old amps just not lugging them around ....

For a great amp with great tones that won't break the bank the DRRI is a great choice.

An old showman reverb is a Twin in a head. Great amp. But what your looking at will need a reverb pedal and something sounds off about the description.

Does it Say "Dual" above Showman? on the front plate?
If so likely a AA763 as that hadnt appeared prior to 64
HTH
T

Hi all,

Thanks again for the advice! I've yet to purchase an amp, but it looks like it won't be the showman as the guy got an offer of 1K for it and took it... Which is ok, I wasn't going to pay that for it...I probably should have snagged it while I had the chance for such a good price, but then again, maybe it just wasn't meant to be and for a reason...I'd be a little more bummed about it, but I just got tickets for Dead & Co. at Fenway Park in Boston, so that softened the news a little bit at least...Once I pull the trigger on a "hold me over" rig, I'll post a follow up!

Thanks again folks!

The JBL's x 2 alone could be worth close to $600. depending on model/condition. That was a great deal ime.

I have a SF Pro Id sell but its in NC.

Yup, I hear ya', I should have grabbed it....he was very convincing that he wasn't going to shop it around and that he'd hold it for a couple weeks before doing so as he was in no rush, but those are the breaks I guess... anyways, I'm up in MA, thanks though!!