Sound by Garnet - The Gar Gillies Story

"Sound by Garnet - The Gar Gillies Story" is a documentary about the inventor of Garnet Amplifiers, used on famous recordings including "American Woman".by The Guess Who. This TH-cam video is a short excerpt from the documentary.
"Sound by Garnet" chronicles the contributions made by Gar Gillies to the Canadian music scene, as both an inventor and a musician. The documentary features interviews with friends, family and musicians including Jim Kale (The Guess Who), Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady), Jason Nowicki (The Perpetrators), and Pete Traynor (Traynor Amplifiers).
A professional musician by the age of 13, Gar became a respected player and band leader in the 1930 and 40s as live music competed with vaudeville and "talking pictures" for people's entertainment dollar. In the 1960s, he started Garnet Amplifier Ltd to supply the younger generation with amplifiers and sound gear capable of producing the volume and tone needed for rock music. Winnipeg band The Guess Who hit the top of the music charts using Garnet Amps, and collaborated with Gar on products.
For 40 years, Gar's shop was a meeting place for musicians. With a lifelong empathy for the struggling artist and a generous nature, he put equipment into the hands of those wanting to play. Today - more than 20 years after the bankruptcy of Garnet Amplifier Ltd - Gar's hand-wired tube amplifiers are prized for their sound and durability.
"Sound by Garnet" is a production of Kirby Communications in Winnipeg, Canada. DVDs of the hour-long documentary are available at www.kirbycommunications.ca.

[@bretfuzz925]

I broke out my beat up old Randy Bachman’ Herzog I got probably 20 years ago. Wow. It sounds better than I remembered.

[@jeansj7027]

Gordie and his Garnet, a dirty dirty match!!!🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@sawyerandjackfucking]

It's about time someone pays homage to the Canadian Greats! Bravo!

[@mckinleymorton]

Awsome doc. Had a session man for ever.

[@aalidas8951]

Just got my enforcer up and running today for the first time in years, through a stock random 4x12 and it sounds great. I can easily get it to play thrash with a joyo vintage overdrive in front.

[@lynyrddeville]

I've had a few Garnet amps in my time (like most prairie boys my age) because that was what I could afford. But looking back, they always did sound good, it wasn't just wishful thinking. I do wish I had my old Garnet that i blew the transformer in and abandoned in the repair shop back. It was a great combination of super ugliness with great sound!

[@jeremiahwilson1781]

i got a 5 watt garnet stencil amp that sounds awesome. and a 1977 traynor ygm3. both gave to me. both canadian. both in stereo sounds amazing

[@dale116dot7]

I have the same two amps! I did switch the stencil amp over to a three prong with an isolation transformer, it sounds great.

[@xTheOxx]

I'm looking for information about Mansfield amps. I hear they are also a Garnet creation? Does anyone know about them?

[@mikejamieson6802]

Traynor and Garnet are the shit!!!!!

[@totallyunmemorable]

I own a '68 Traynor YBA-1 and perhaps the very Rebel PA Reverb seen at the end of this video. I've never seen another one exactly like it. Gar had to send me two schematics to even get close to it's uniqueness, and even that didn't cover the reverb circuit (which is totally unlike anything I've yet found in his book!).

[@daniellang3782]

LOL ! How do I say this..... yes I own a 70's JMP Marshall 100 watt and a combo Jubilee Marshall, but the Garnet Sheriff is the best sound generator of the coveted vintage Marshall circuit in my place. It's a 1x12 combo. Gar saw that people were jumping the inputs, so he put in a 5th input which eliminated the need for a jumper. It's a great amp. Very loud though for a 45 to 50 watt amp.

[@jeremiahwilson1781]

i talk to gar on the phone about my stencil amp years ago. shortly before he passed. he was very enthusiastic about gear for sure.

[@glxie63]

I like how they interview Traynor in the kitchen with all the appliances behind him. Gillies sounds like a cool cat.

[@FarrahnsMom]

I have a 7 watt Garnet Gnome....I replaced the speaker with a 10 inch Warehouse speaker ..,..I now have the best sounding hand wired amp....

[@TheGuitarDudeAbides]

I plan on putting a pair of GWS's in my 2x12. However, a very well respected amp tech told me to wait until i get the amp looked at/serviced and that I may be pleasantly surprised with the existing Marsland speakers when the thing is running in peak performance.

[@luizdejesus6240]

with great respect for Garnet and Traynor...

[@Renshen1957]

Peter Traynor invented the master volume in 1959, decades before Marshall and almost a decade before Fender copied it. Ampegs outside design team borrowed from Traynor's Super Custom Special Bass amp (the cab, too). The Canadian amp makers had great ideas. So did the Australian amp makers. Kevin O'Connor's Body control was patented by Peavy as their texture control. KOC power scaling is another great Canadian invention.

[@RuroiniStenchin]

I'd love to have a big ass Garnet bass amp...

[@tenniswilliam]

I do have a Revolution l from 1971 but it has a speaker Addison Beckman 12 inch 100 watts. I think that was a speaker for a PA. I think I need to replace that. What would be the best replacement speaker for thus amp.

[@arumrunner]

Check out Randy B's vids on the CBC Radio3 channel and you will see a bunch of his Garnets. I love my Revolution, great amp.
TheRumRunner

[@kylecarrington8989]

The BTO's sell for $1500 - $3000 today. Nuts. Cool amps though.

[@lsd25records]

see my garnet 1970 white session man in action

[@robertironside290]

Got to say though... that name plate is fuggly. If they had a bit of style to the script I'm sure guys would have left it on. It's about as attractive as a Volvo script :-/ Great amps though!