The Baddest Gibson GA15RVT Explorer on Planet Earth?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2018
- In this vid, we'll heavily modify a 1966 GA-15RVT Explorer tube amp. This thing came to me with the characteristic BUZZ of bad power caps, had a bad set of rattling output tubes, and just generally needed a rebuild of the power supply. But we'll use this opportunity to turn this dud into a stud. In addition to the work on the power supply, we'll totally rework the preamp, adding an extra gain stage, a gain control, bright switch, and Marshall style tone stack with SECRET HIDDEN Midrange Control! ;)
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Wow... I had to wait 49 minutes for the final test drive! But it was well worth it! Awesome job Brad! That reverb is dripping wet! I wish more tube amps came with reverb and tremolo. I could gig with that thing!
Thanks for watching and commenting, as always, Ed.
Ed Dana ii
Brad, I grew up in Kalamazoo, 4 streets away from the Gibson factory. It's great to see you resurrecting a piece of Kalamazoo history. A few of my old friends worked at the Kalamazoo Gibson factory back in the day. Rock on Brother.
That thing is SICK! It howls for an old, forgotten Gibson! Now you will have every hipster in the US wanting the "Brad Mod" on their GA series.
That was a great clip Brad. "It's ALIVE!" "It's ALIVE!"
incredible job mister!!! the tone you`ve acheived from your
mods in the first demo is a thing of beauty, definitely
lends itself to that soulful vibe and "feel" in your
playing, i could listen to that all day .
Another great video Brad. Loved seeing the virtual center tap executed and rewiring the heaters as well as all the other mods. Good stuff for an aspiring amp builder/tech such as myself. It helps a lot to actually see all the things that I’ve been reading about. Keep up the great work and rock on!
I am very impressed, I don't think I could give it back if I did some mods to "fix" an old relic like this and discovered I had created something that really hit my freq zone like that. Great vid!
The good thing is I can do it again. ;)
Amazing transformation to that Gibson amp - that Tele sounds GREAT through it!
every time I watch these videos I can't decide which is the best part and although in itself the whole video is invaluable, the part where you show your skill on the guitar while testing the results of the repairs, modifications and restorations, although shorter, It is what I enjoy the most. you need to make your own amps and sell records with your music. that would be great! and many of us here would be very pleased to buy your merchandise, music and products.
I really appreciate the light/sound upgrades, makes it so much easier to enjoy the content for me! Excellent amp upgrade as well - thank you sir!
Good grief that amp rocks. I love this channel I am happy to have stumbled across it a while ago. Not only do you rock the guitar, but you make old amps sound awesome too. Thanks Brad for having a honestly useful channel.
What a super rework on that amp, sounded fantastic and I love how you quitted that thing down to a whisper. Great work, sir.
Holy fuzz pedals, that amp sounded amazing. Dude, you are the man,Brad. Who knew one of those amps could sound like that, I am blown away. Great work.
I came here by total accident (I know nothing about this stuff, but I love music), but I stayed to watch because you make it fascinating somehow, and easy for even me to follow what you are doing due to clear explanations. Also, the video and sound quality on this is just excellent! I'm even thinking of subscribing. Also, the people leaving comments seem knowledgeable as well, which is highly unusual for any channel on TH-cam.
I love the detail you're able to pull with the zoom camera lens and that brighter lighting. New to the channel myself, so will be looking forward to more of your rational words of wisdom as you wind your way through your thought processes. Watching how you made the mods on the Fender Bassman a few weeks ago splitting both input channels it into both a JTM 45 and keeping the other channel sounding like a Fender should was brilliantly badass. You're a clever bunny.
That reverb and tremolo combined is killer.
The sound and picture is great with the new lighting & mic. Great Job1 Wow!!!
Man you did a great job on that little amp. It sounds real nice. I am impressed at how you made it sound so clean and crisp at low volumes. And at higher volumes it sounded like a little Marshall. Really nice job.
that mate is one sweet sounding bit of kit,,,, i enjoyed the mods. i'm starting to understand most of what your doing,, and i was clueless a year ago. cheers fella.
Yea, I love this channel. I'm a drummer myself, but I love electronics and seeing how all this stuff works in guitar amps is interesting. I now know more of the logic behind why people are spending so much time modding amps, you can completely change the amplifier for the better with some time and knowledge.
Nice add placement! Movie trailers mark new ground for you and many medium size TH-camrs.
You are breaking trail in the marketing dept. Congrats! I think this is the proper evolution of advertising via TH-cam. Nice work. Keep pushing the envelope!
Ace redesign and what a unique tone you have obtained. The reverb and OD are top notch. Thanks for sharing. I was expecting some blocking distorion with such a big 1st coupling cap but it's just great
Sounds great Brad! It absolutely rips! Never expected to hear that come out of that amp!
Thanks for the tip on grounding the filament line with the 100 ohm res to the power tube cathode, made a big difference in my Johnson Loredo tube amp.
Videos are polished and done well, my man. You've come a long way. Your working hard, and it shows. Really enjoyed this one! Nice work on that amp, but really nice work on the demo! Great playing dude! Keep it up! Peace
Incredible result! What a sweet sounding amp with reverb to die for. I used to have a pair of those RS speakers in a bandmaster extension cab w. my Super Reverb. They were really nice and crunchy when pushed.
That things sounds huge! And amazingly warm! Beautiful job Brad!
Neato. I gasped at how pristine the inside looked. Sounds awesome man. Awesome job!
Wow!.....After all the work, and mods, you did to the amp, it really came alive.
Great video,I can see everything ,and the audio is spot on as well.Looking good Dr.
WOW best hour of my week Brad . Keep up the great work my friend .
That was cool, a new gain. Nice work Brad.
Sounds great! Before i watched this video I just took a gamble and ordered a 1966 GA-20 RVT. I hope I can get mine sounding this awesome. Thanks.
Very rad playing in this video. Really digging the sound with the dripping reverb and the slow blues licks. Different style then usual and it sounds GREAT. Dont know what the hell I'm looking at in the amp but I find my self watching hours and hours of it!
Keep these repairs coming, love em I always learn something. She sounds awesome killer tube tone and man that's some fun awesome distortion.
Very cool you mention to elavate the artificial heater ct not many people do myself I find a nice difference running it to the power tubes cathode.
Dayum. That thing has a wondrous tone. You really have some sharp skills & knowledge. I wish I had these, for sure.
Man that amp sounds amazing you do a really great job fixing those old amps up.
I really enjoy your guitar sessions after Amp repairs/builds, man! Longtime subscriber! I appreciate your channel, man... Look forward to more!
Great job on that amp. makes me wish I had held onto my Tweed Gibson many moons ago.
It's amazing what you can find on the net. I found this schematic in three clicks. I printed it out and used it to follow your progress around the amp. You were spot on in most of your observations. They did okay with this amp, but you could tell they were not destined to be in the amp business. And those nuts on the chassis are called *captive nuts* and they are a real help when assembling. That is just there for the technicians, kind of a *here, you have your work cut out for you, maybe this will help* lol
I was a "captive nut" during this entire video.
That thing sounds insane! That might be some of the best reverb I've ever heard.
Damn!
Rock on Brad, killer mods = Killer tones! Well done as always!
I love you repair videos still. New lights and sounds are great on my end!
Love the shirt. NO one puts Bradley in a corner!
Brother, that amp really sings. I hadn’t realized those old Gibson’s had so much potential. That Reverb is SO wet and the tremolo is so smooth, It’s almost worth buying an old Tiesco Del Ray and writing a score for a new spaghetti western! Beautiful work, man.
That turned out great.
Just quieting it down is an accomplishment, all the tweaks are icing.
Nice.
Brad, what i think is so totally cool about what you do is that you take old, worn out stuff and make it better than ever. who needs more new (and usually way overpriced) stuff? i appreciate the guy's comment about wanting you to build your own amps, but i think your rebuilds are way cooler. you rock!
That’s a awesome sounding little amp. Slick playing too dude. 👍👍
I would love to do an apprenticeship under you. Very Knowledgeable and easy going, And as far as your playing goes, I could sit and listen to you noodle on that guitar all night while I kick back with a cold beer, Thank you for taking time for making these videos.
sounds killer cranked! It's about the things you can't describe. Love it.
That amp sounds amazing! The rock n roll crunch at the end.....my god it's pure gold! Yes, You should build your own amps! I'd but one. This would be a great recording amp.
The Guitologist+ Adding that gain was a great idea and sounded incredible, that's why you're the man! The Modman.
Beautiful job.
Excellent lighting & sound too; a nice improvement.
Nice work on amp and a pleasure to watch. Good show! ✌️
My first vid of yours I've seen , subscribed😈 killed that little amp . I love to see people fix old amps and put them back in even better condition. And I just ordered me a red and grey Native sons strap. Now to back track thru your vids thanks for being you man.
Thanks for supporting a sponsor! I think you'll love that strap. Glad to have you as a sub. Welcome aboard.
Oh man you've got some rad vids to go through. I love some of his old Valco rebuilds. Enjoy.
wingracer 16 I spent 3 hours watching , so glad I found this knowledgeable guy without an ego ..Pretty sure he's a libraterian str8 shooting no Bullshit kinda dude as well. Got my 14 year watching tonight he's interested in knowing how amps guitars etc. work. We watch troglys also it's how I found Brad. I'm gonna be catching up for a few weeks lol.
Very nice. Really like the tremolo chords.
Dang Radio Shack speaker cranks pretty good!
Excellent sounding amp, thanks for answering the questions about the death cap
I had one of those amps in the 60's. wish I still did I'd send it to you for the same work up. that rocks
Man I love those old Gibson amps! I have three and all were a bargain and sound great. You probably can still buy them pretty cheap and with some love they sound just as good as old fenders.
Brad you always make them sound awesome!
great job on the mods! this amp is badass!
i mostly skip your demos at the end, but this ep made me hang around for some reason. your tone with that tele, the gibson, and your fingerpicking, A++! :D
Surprized you don't make up a bunch of twisted pair using cordless drill, good time-saver!
Agree, I roll off about 9ft of 2 colours, tie a knot at one end, wrap it around a door handle etc then the other end in the cordless drill chuck & twist them up to whatever twist you want i.e. loose twist to tight twist then cut off what length you require.
Hi Brad. Sound quality is much improved! The lighting still has a lot of shadows and hot spots which is causing shiny surfaces to get blown out. Maybe check out some small soft boxes or "china ball" lights which will fill the shot with diffused light. Excellent work as always!
My God I dont think Ive opened an amp to be confronted by that hurried assembly job from a major company.In my opinion it should have looked the way it did AFTER you worked it, beautiful job Brad and killer tone and clever mods.Very satisfying.Thanks for sharing man.J
That amp is KILLER! Awesome work Brad...
You are a good teacher. Great work as always!
Absolutely awesome job in every way she and tone!
The electronics world has come a long way in 50+ years. It's fun to watch you apply that knowledge to a vintage piece.
I got me one of those Ace straps because of you , I got one with the X's & O's jacquard weave. Really thin leather on the ends not thick like the old ones. Great job on the amp.
Which brand did you get? D'Andrea?
That reverb and tremolo sound really good! Good job!
Hi Brad, love the channel. I have been a fan for some time. I really enjoy your videos, I have learned quite a bit from you, many thanks. A little tip for drilling l'll share that an old timer passed on to me. To make drill bits last almost forever, start drilling at a slow speed, increase speed until the bit starts to cut nicely. Don't increase speed past this point. Your bits will last a long time.
Man, that thing sounds hotter than my Peavey Bandit 65.😁 I can literally see the speaker grille vibrating on some of the low notes when you were driving it hard. Nice job Brad, and like a few other people mentioned, it might be profitable to do your own 'custom shop' tube amps. You obviously have a knack for what works and what doesn't on old tube stuff, and that's pretty rare these days. You made that Gibson walk & talk like a brand new one (or better, since it's actually a tube amp)!! 🤘😁🤘
That Amp Sounds Awesome, Great Job Brad, Cheers
Amazing work, what a great result ...Bravo!
Awesome new lighting and sound, Brad! Looks and sounds great. One other thing to note for any new people thinking about getting into this stuff; the high voltage in these amps is no joke. If you're thinking about getting into doing amp repair/restore, please make sure you are comfortable and familiar with safety procedures. Have fun repairing your amps, but be safe!
Simple, set up a ground, and use it to test for stored energy. The old TV sets had far more energy than your average tube amp, but stay safe. Learn the right way, then you don't have to be scared.
Highly impressed Mr.Guitologist ! You have turned a very so -so little amp into a true TONE MONSTER ! Wish it were mine.
Brad my friend, you got some skills. That little amp rips now. Can't imagine what it would sound like using /trying different speakers.
OMG! I borrowed one of these back in 1974 for about 3 months when I was in my first real band. To my ear it had about the most sweat reverb ever!
That has an amazing tone with the reverb - much better than the weedy reverb in the amp I own!
That's hilarious that you specifically called out the handle, I have a pretty thrashed ga-15rvt that I gig with and it's had a duct tape handle for years haha
I have the same exact amp mines a 1965. Had a tech go thru it and freshen it up. He said exactly the same thing about the schematic not looking anything like the amp and basically improvising. But I love it and it sounds sweet with the right speaker.
Wow! Sounds great. Good work!
Sounds killer Brad. Good job lad.
Great stuff! thanks for posting!
That amp is now BADASS! Good job. 👍🎸😝
That little amp sounds badass!😎
wow im glad you are sharing this knowledge! anywhere outside LA its hard 2 find any amp tech, period. + Hardly anyone really knows this stuff. thanks
That's turned out to be a great amplifier, versatile with great tones. I admit skipping ahead and may have missed if you did a speaker change. Well done, thanks brother!
No speaker change in the vid. A different speaker of course could change the tone again. It's a 10" onboard speaker, so this would be a good contender for a 112 extension cab.
Great job you turned a squeeler into a screamer! Loved the "Guitar Face" at the end...lol
Great Job Brad- Hot Rodded that bad boy - Nice Hendrix'y licks in there also .
Wow! Great vintage-sounding overdrive there at the end. Wait - this amp IS vintage! Jimi, is that you?
That is the most rock and roll thing ever! "Let's crank it all the way up and see what happens".... dude!
Beautiful sound,beautiful guitar!
I know I'm late to the party,but I do think it'd be great to watch you build an amp from scratch Brad!
Wow- that reverb was wicked! Like Wicked Game wicked! That's definitely now a solid small club gigging amp. Reverb makes all the difference! Sweet tones! Great playing too Brad! Love your channel- except you keep costing me money I don't need to spend! I bought that Fender you profiled ('93 Fender Professional Tube Series Concert Amp Model PR244) and repaired the reverb on the "one year only" one- and yep- my reverb still doesn't work- the tech I took it in to didn't want to tear it apart to fix it- so I have to find another tech or tackle it myself!
If no one else has mentioned it, you can take the wires into a drill chuck, and spin them much quicker than by hand. It's safe and looks perfect as well. Just a thought.
Production upgrades are noticeably much better. Good show.
That amp sounds amazing w everything cranked. Whoooooa.
IMPECABLE AMP INTERWORKING KNOWLEDGE AND BADASSERY PLAYIN' BRAD WOW
Never really found a Gibson I Thought much of soundwise, but amazing Job and Tones I did not expect from that Little Explorer
I think it's awesome that you put the 'card' in the amp, so the next person knows who to blame ;). The next time I take an amp in for something, I'll definitely make a note in the chassis of who worked on it and when!
I don't think leaving repair info on the inside chassis is necessary every time. However when you go to lengths Brad went to on this Gibson it is definitely a time to leave some sort of signature behind.
A date indicating when the capacitors were last replaced would be nice though. If you change out caps, or anything else with a shelf life, please make a note of when this was done.
You have some mean chops man love your style .
Nice Work Brad. You probably have seen it before and prefer your method, but you can wind the heater wires using your cordless drill... saves time is all... maybe some hand cramps too, lol.