The audio test is as follows: 5 tunes clean Channel 1 and 2.....3 tunes Tremolo.....3 tunes Reverb.....5 tunes Channel 1. NOTE: The video portion of the demo is not synchronized with the audio portion, so the position of the input cable and amp controls may not agree with what you are hearing.
Uncle Doug, The Goodwill auction site has an antique looking amp that is made by " K and K Musical Instrument Co." www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/81171377 The auction ends 12/7/19 and it's at about $109.00 at the moment with 17 bids. It's got a gator covering (Snazzy) and it looks to have 3 tubes. I hope you can score this one. It's a beauty
@Q TV The Prosonic was only offered from 1996 to 2002, and the early models, handmade in the Custom Shop with "LO" serial number prefixes, are quite rare and desirable. The later models, with "CR" prefixes, were mass produced in Corona, CA and are good amps, but not as rare or desirable as the early versions. If I ever have access to a Prosonic, I would be glad to feature it in a video.
The 1484 (which I bought new in 1964) that I had the speak cabinet was connected to the amp with a long 2 wire cord that could not be disconnect from either the amp or the cabinet. I added a jack to both the cabinet and amp. On the amp I isolated the jack from the chassis ground by mounting it on an insulated board. I no longer have the amp part but I use the speaker cabinet with a Fender AB763A head that I was able to get used in 1985 and rebuild in 2006. The Fender head and Silvertone speaker sound great together. I really in joy your youtube content.
Never better, Brad. Thanks for your concern. We've been working on hot rods and other projects for several weeks, but have a new amp video in the works. It should be posted in the very near future.
Hey Joe, could you please spread the word over at the ampgarage.com/forum/? The world needs to know about Uncle Doug and his contribution to preserving the History of Tube Amplifiers. Thank you for getting the word out!
UD, Thanks for this video and the previous 1485 video. I watched the entire 1485 vid about 3 times with great interest. More about that later. When I bought my 1484 used in 1968, (age 16) I had no idea how great it really was. But after all, I was just a dumb kid. One thing I knew immediately: When I traded the amp for a newer but solid state Silvertone, I knew I had made a dreadful mistake!! Some lessons are learned the hard way! Fast forward to today. Recently acquired my 1484 head and built a speaker cabinet myself with two brand new Jensen C12Qs. After watching your renovation of the Silvertone 1485 amp, part 3. (I guess it was 9 months ago), I started my renovation. Even though the amp was working pretty well, (all but the tremolo was functioning), I cleaned the amp's face and chassis, removed death cap, removed ground switch, removed power outlet, added a speaker jack, and painted the two transformers black. Everything worked out very well and I was encouraged to keep going. I decided to replace seven of the capacitors, (C1, C17, C26, C27,C28,C29, and C30. Then, miraculously found the can capacitor from Hayseed Hamfest! After a few trials and tribulations, (and very good customer service from Tom at Hayseed, have got a really nice and quiet solid amp to play my treasured Clapton and Hendrix licks! Oh, almost forgot, I also replaced all the input jacks with 4 new self grounding Switchcraft jacks which really help quell the unwanted noise. (Also replaced two resistors at the inputs and 3 of them adjacent to the can cap). When all was said and done, the amp really sounds great. Jack and KC would be proud to hear this beast. Couldn't have done it without your fine and entertaining videos. Please keep them coming.
I grew up with those amps. Purchased from Sears around 1964-1965. We had 4 of them, including one for Bass with one 15" speaker. One for P.A. I still have a picture of us in 1965 with those amps. They kept our band gigging until 1968, never a problem.
Nice. I can't tell you how pleased I am that once again, you have done everything as well as I would have done it if I had an amp, a soldering iron, a closet full of spare parts, long experience, deep understanding, infinite patience and a clue. Really good Shew.
This video brings back a lot of memories . I bought one new in 1965 , I could not afford a big Fender , I wanted a large 2-12 amp , piggy back with with reverb and tremlo , 60 watts . I ran my new 1965 Epiphone Casino ( saw Kieth Richards on an album cover with one ) thru it ! I was in Rock-n-roll heaven . I was 16 years old , had learned my barre chords and I was ready to rock ! Loved that amp !
I had one of these amps when I was a young hippie playing in a pychedelic rock band. In a moment of hipness I painted the head lime green because of the effect it gave when under a black light. I ditched the 2 - 12 speaker cabinet on favor of two speaker columns containing 4 12's each. This made the rig look far more impressive. Went to the gig to play and it was sounding great but, then about half way through the performance the amp started to cut out and lost power. I turned around to see what was the problem and saw that the amp head was in flames! Show wise it was pretty impressive and of course I later found out the fire was due to a amp/speaker impedance mismatch. The amp was destroyed and could not be repaired and I learned a great lesson about matching the proper speakers to the amp being used. Too bad. Now that i'm older and wiser I wish I had that amp just for collectors sake because it would be cool to have. Thanks for showcasing such a beautiful memory as it was and should be. It was fun to watch it being restored. Thanks Doug.
You're the godfather of pyrotechnics in rock concerts, Jim. If you had only patented the concept, think of the money you would have made......just from Kiss alone ;) What a great tale. I may have owned a set of identical columns. Mine were made by Ampeg. I wish I had checked them for scorching.
Thanks Uncle Doug for going through the reverb tanks in such detail. The little tie down for the center of the spring was missing from the unit I'm working on. As always, You're the best!
Great interesting display and commentating of an iconic amp...enjoyed your play by play. Your humour is dry and fabulous. I also enjoyed your hot rod ...and particularly the footage of a bamboo chopstick used to plug the vac line ....I must be the same age as you , since I use them with my acoustic guitar repairs ...repurposing them & they are great tools..happy Thanksgiving to you and your family , Alberta Dave
Beautiful amp uncle Doug. I've been working on guitar amps for 25 years Love your. Repairso your repairs also Terry and Brad.you learn something new everyday sorry about the grammar or lack of it......
Thanks, Carl. It's probably the first really clean Silvertone I have personally seen.....which isn't saying much, after the rat-infested nightmares I have worked on.
Really wonderful channel. Beautifully presented with superior content and quality. The best TH-camrs really make many professional broadcasters look average. Then you have the cats, music and -valves- sorry tubes...Couldn't ask for much more.
Bless you Uncle Doug. Your videos bring our family great joy. You are preserving Tube Amplifier History for future generations. We love every educational video and your playing makes us feel like kids again!!!
Hi Uncle Doug, This model was my first “Big Amp” back in 65. Bought it new from the local Sears on the installment plan. Played mostly Surf and British Invasion in a garage band. Loved it. For me It was the “Fender Twin Reverb” that I could afford at the time. Great video. Brought back a lot of memories. Thanks. Regards, Steve Todd
Wow Uncle Doug.. What an awesome time capsule!! You have a real keeper there.. it was also a treat to watch you dissect the Reverb tank.. We all knew someone who had one of these 1484’s.. and yours sounds GLORIOUS!! Thanks again for this wonderful episode!! Luth
@@THUNDERWORX Mine has a 0.01A fuse that tends to blow whenever I shirk my household duties in favor of my hobbies. The result is generally plenty of AC (ass chewing) :)
What a great find Doug.. That amp and cab are exceptional for 1966 vintage.. I suppose the equivalent amps over here in UK were the Watkins range, and the more powerful Selmer guitar and bass amps that climbed to the dizzy heights of 50 watts.. Not many of us could afford Vox AC-30's or their Foundation 50 watt bass head and 18" cab. It was 1963 before I heard of Fender amps, but the import embargo meant they were very hard to find and 'very' expensive. Still, Ken Bran managed to get hold of a Bassman , altered a few resistors and caps and Marshall was in business.. We couldn't afford those either ..£1.00 deposit and 5 bob a week repayments until death. (it seemed) .. Can't wait to see the hot-rod complete with it's three Stromberg's fitted and working.. Right, I'm off to the music shop to pay this weeks instalment of 25 pence.
Uncle Doug, my first attempted amp repair! When I was oh 12 playing in my buddys basement. I wasnt going to touch it but id fixed all the bad guitar cords succesfully so.What a great learning experience and it was only a small fire. And the feeling came back to that hand. Eventually. :)
Very nice shape. I've repaired a few of these with similar problems. Recapped of course. Was also able to repair the reverb as you did. The weirdest one i had was the 100 watt version that squealed and oscillated all on its own. It behaved like poor lead dress but there was no rearrangement of wires that would eliminate the oscillations completely. It all seemed to be centered around the screen grid leads of the power quad. This amp did not have any screen resistors and came from the factory that way. So on a hunch, i added them. That completely cured the oscillation. My thoughts are the original tubes had less gain or possibly higher Inter electrode capacitance (Miller Effect) that subdued the tendency to oscillate. I did not have any vintage tubes to prove out that theory. Old tube amps...gotta love em!
Thanks for the encouragement, Gerald. My wife insists that I am crazy to remove a perfectly good almost new carb and then install three little old-fashioned ones. I'm glad someone else "gets it" :)
Uncle Doug, thank you so much for explaining the reverb tank here. I’ve been trying to repair a guyatone piezo tank and thanks to your video I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to. Thanks again
Ah! Love these old Silvertones and Airlines (from Montgomery Wards!) Nice video! One of these was my first amp I serviced (tube sockets and filter caps were bad!!!) My first lesson in electrical safety as I pulled myself off mom's kitchen floor! Learn to drain your caps, kids!! Lol!!!
Its Thanks giving 2019 9:05pm sitting on the couch with what is probably the smoothest cat in the world laying across my lap and my left elbow resting on the top of a Sears Silvertone Twinchassis number 185 11040 when I spotted your thumbnail . I recently purchased this amp from my friends older brother for $150. He received it from his parents in 71along with a ES335 as a graduation present I asked why and he said he wanted to buy a Crate amp. First thing I did was separate the factory umbilical cord and figure out if the foot switch was the reverb problem It wasnt. As soon as Daisy lets me get up Ill have my tank out and my piezos serviced and no hes going to keep the guitar...for now. new sub. Terry
Welcome, Terry. It sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving.....comfortable couch......Daisy the cat.....and a great amp to torture the neighbors. Life is good !!!!
Really cool UD... those things hold onto a pretty penny. Love the speaker compliment too....... speaking of, what a nice gesture of your follower/ viewer to give you those two Jensen's, wow - generous indeed. You need to add some kaleidoscope, or spinning author heads as a video enhancement while you... er I mean Jack Ollie are playing tunes... that would be so cool (daddy-o). Thanks UD ... always a pleasure.
Beautiful amp! A friend just brought me one of these in similar condition! The interior is pristine! I've never seen an amp guts so clean! Thanks for the review, I'll be going through it this weekend, and probably looking for a replacement can cap. FWIW: The original speaker was hard-wired. I will be adding a jack...
That took me back to the past. In the town I came from, that model amp and speaker cab was the P.A. of choice for the bands. (P.A.s weren't available yet) Because its tone was so neutral it was great for vocals instead of its intended design to be a guitar amp.. That was a fun video.
It's funny when I watch your downloads. Something about classic amplifiers and classic cars. Maybe it's in their simplicity. I enjoy both of them. Perfect combo. My preference is old ampeg bass amps and 1961 Fender Bassmans. Oh and I'm an airhead. Owner of an original 1959 Pearl White VW Karmann Ghia convertible, last year of the low lights. Thanks for the uploads. Curtis
Always worth the wait for an Uncle Doug video! I believe those amps had the head hardwired to the speaker cabinet with brown zip cord when they were new and a lot of owners installed a jack on the chassis so they could plug in other speakers. So the in line jack is less invasive.
Thanks Doug for another fine video of a vintage amp. I almost skipped half the sound test in anticipation of a Hot Rod Extra, but would have missed some of those classic guitar riffs. Double whammy ;)
Duct tape...no rat feces...recording studio habitat...I'm glad you finally had a softball/creampuff tossed your way, Unc. Lord knows, you've been put through your paces on some other amps...it's a treat to see anything from this era in such well-preserved condition...gotta love those lipstick tube PUs...
Amen, C7. I have definitely paid my dues when it comes to Silvertones :) I too thought the Silvertone guitar sounded great with the amp.....a perfect pair.
Hi Uncle Doug. I got all teary eyed seeing this amp. This is the first amp I had. I looked on line and guitar center has the head and cab. I think I will call and see if they still have it.
Oh the memories.....in 1968, when I started playing Guitar at the age of 5, I HAD THIS AMP as well as the Silvertone, from Sears, at the time, 112!!! The $$$ they bring now. You'll find these Amps in Studios all over Nashville, TN Wish I still had them....they really sounded great. SO WARM!!! SO YOUNG, SO DUMB....SO SOLD WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10.
@@UncleDoug I didn't buy the amp. Luckily, I grew up in a musical family. My Uncle.....Father's Brother.....was also a Guitarist in Big Band/Swing Musical Orchestras. He had, what today would be, a laughable Recording Studio in Oklahoma where he recorded Swing and Big Bands. Of course, there wasn't a whole lot of Guitar in that style of Music!! While visiting, he taught me the 12 Barre Blues and much to my Fathers dismay, tried to get my Father to really encourage me.....apparently, he saw something in me. Long story short, he tried his best to help and influence me. He gave me those Amplifiers because they were spares in his Studio. I have no idea what Amps he used... Needless to say, my Father didn't get along with his older Brother and as much as I loved, and still love my Father, although long since passed, he made me sell the Amplifiers when I was roughly somewhere between 10 and 12 with the promise of a new Amp when I turned the Teenage year of 13. My Father DID follow through, it was a much lower volume and quality Amp. I think it came from a "Sears Like Store" called Montgomery Ward!!! Just my dad being my dad!!! He had ZERO DESIRE for me to become a Musician!!...lol... What I wouldn't give today to have him come home from work, come back to my bedroom and about break the door down yelling at me to turn it down!!!
@@keithdarling8290 I understand completely, Keith. I experienced a lot of friction with my father and, at times, we both made mistakes.....but he mellowed out a lot in his old age (as did I) and has since passed away. I do miss him.
@@UncleDoug My Father passed a couple of months before I turned 20. Not blaming my Mother at all. His death was sudden and totally unexpected. Mom totally changed after he passed. I honestly believe she developed Early Onset Alzheimers and a mild case, if that's what one would call it, Dementia. I felt out of a sense of duty to stay home to take care of her. She passed from Alzheimers and Dementia in May of 2016, just a couple of weeks before her 90th Birthday. Both my Siblings are a lot older than I. 8 and 6 years older!! Yep, I was the "Accident!!:...oops!! They were both married and lived out of town and state.....I was all she had left. I never stopped playing, had, I guess, a name and reputation in my hometown, so I was happy just doing Studio work and local gigs. I finally moved to Nashville about 7 years after he passed, still doing Studio stuff until I got married. I kid you not. The day my wife and I walked into our apartment from our Honeymoon, the phone was ringing as we were walking in, with Suitcases in hand!! It was a band, just released their 1st album. Also being a Drummer, they had seen me play and were calling me to ask if I would do a European Tour with them. I turned them down!! I just got married, and had an instant Family. She had a son from a previous relationship, 9 years old, totally felt that since his Father wasn't in the picture, he needed stability and a man in his life to be there for him. It was the right choice....the band never released a second album and disappeared into oblivion!! I still play Guitar today locally as well as a FOH Sound Engineer. I'm nobody famous, just an old guy, thinking I'm still 25 and still wanting to have fun and collect gear!!! That's my life story and I'm sticking to it!!!...lol... Enough of my boring life and information you probably wish you'd never commented on!! Take care Uncle Doug!!! Keep on keeping on....or so the music goes!! 🤘😴🤘
Great job uncle you reminded me of how (without knowing) at 13 years old i tried to blow my eardrums out with this amp, my bro-inlaw had a country western band and the guys would practice at our house and would leave all the instruments and amps all week long there, until the weekend when they had gigs..I remember getting real close to this amp and dial it to 10...sorry no 11 :0) and just bang away with a gibson les paul which i did not know how to play so it sounded horrible but i loved the feeling and the POWER i felt when doing this...also i guess i was a punk music pioneer cause thats what it sounded like (untuned ,violent,loud,dischordant chords with no sense of timing and no beginning and no end.....which after i "learned" how to play i formed a punk band called "the perpetrators" you might remember our hit ....ahhhhh.....none....;0( o well we tried. hehehe love from anaheim Ca
That 350 sent a twitch to certain lower extremity! I love how easy it is to work on these muscle cars, no computer in them, but they had to ruin that for us like that would stop us from working on them. I had a 1979 Z28 MINT CONDITION. It was paid for brand new and garaged until I got it. The original engine was removed and was replaced. It was a 350 totally rebuilt and punched out to a 383 if I remember correctly, new race cam and the heads were done professionally, but I must admit, I had a 400 small block with a Holly 750 Double Pumper. The cops could never catch me. What you have on your beast looks like a Performer intake which is a great choice, but I had a 1981 Dodge Ramcharger 318 2 barrel, but it had the cam for pulling. Someone removed the 4 barrel and put an adapter on the stock intake and a friend handed me no charge a high rise split level Edelbrock so I went out and bought a 650, instant monster 4 on the floor with granny gear as the first gear so normally I started off in second. I was able to pull a Chevy Blazer up a 60 - 70 degree hill in idle with my door open sitting sideways to show off. I always had a thing for only the vapors going to the piston so everything had to be cammed out with the appropriate spacers for the carb and I even did this idea on my furnace, I talked to the guy and told him my idea and he took out this jet element and told me your furnace will never be more efficient using any other as it sprayed a fine mist instead of a stream past the electrodes. I use heating oil and it ran hot after installing this so I knew it was doing the job so I had to adjust it back down to 180 degrees from nearly 200. The efficiency improved 15 to 17% into the 90's in %
Uncle Doug, I have a Peavey Classic I bought second hand about 35 years ago. The tone was always a little poor and the output broke up if the volume was set above 5. A few months ago, the power transformer burned out. After much searching for a replacement, I had one made from scratch by ClassicTone. After I installed that, I figured I should check out the PC board before I fired it up and I found 4 electrolytics which had thrown up. I also ordered new octal sockets, thinking that replacing those might help with the break up at high volume. Before I got around to installing the sockets, I saw your video in which you tightened up the tube sockets by squeezing the little pin receptacles with a pointy object, so I did that, rather then cut out the old sockets. I got it put together and plugged it into my brand new current limiter. Since I got only a slight glow from the current limiter filament, I went ahead and put the chassis back into the cabinet and put the back door in place, The amp sounds better than it ever did in those 35 years and I could crank it up to 11 with no break up. I could FEEL the sound on my shins as I stood in front of the amp. Before I stumbled upon your channel, I would not have had the confidence to make the replacements I made, So, I want to thank you for the education.
I have personally never felt the need for such voltage reduction, Ron. As long as the output tubes are properly biased, the higher AC wall voltage has not been an issue for me. However, I will keep your suggestion in mind for the future.
My first amp was an early 1964 Super Reverb that I bought in early '64 ... and blessed to still have! This Silvertone is a mighty fine sounding amp, for sure!
You can find video on TH-cam of Howlin' Wolf playing a Gibson through one of these Silvertone head. I also remember seeing footage of Kings of Leon playing thru Silvertone amps at an outdoor festival.
Another superb review! I gigged a 1484 beginning in '66 for years until uncle sam abscounded me. My first monthly muster was $81.00. I asked my brother to sell my stuff... Sheesh! I returned and moved on to a Princeton. I may have to train my cat to do catscans like yours so I can afford another one! THANKS!!!
I can't believe the condition of that amp for its age. I would treasure a video of you going over the schematic with us for that amp. You explain things so very well in a way that I greatly appreciate.
And yes, that is how the speaker cab was connected on mine too. Mine was 100% original when I got it, just dirty and beat up. All the original tubes, even the 2 prong power cord.
@@UncleDoug I love it. It does still need recapped, but I already put a 3 prong cord on there and put a speaker jack on there instead of that cable coming straight out the back. It sounds pretty raunchy through my 4x12 😻
OUR BAND....had this amp...a CORNER STONE...back in the day.....I'm being overly EMOTIONAL... ... 🎶I'M TAKING A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY🎶.....sniffle....sigh....
I JUST got one of these in last night to restore. It's got all the original tubes and caps. Only 2 owners. It's going to be brought back to life soon. You'll probably be seeing it on reverb 😁
I bought a 1484 in 1965 when I was 14. Although it was powerful and sounded great, I did not appreciate it. I wanted a Fender, Kustom or Vox amp like the other bands had. Now I have all the Amps I wanted as a kid, and plan to buy a 1484 for fun. Thanks for the video. Victor
Hey Uncle Doug, I hope all is well. Sure do miss you around here. Been awhile. Tell the Mrs, and Kittys Merry Christmas from Jeff in Red River County, Texas.
We've been taking some time off in December to recharge the batteries, Jeff. Hopefully, we'll be back on the air in January. See you then. Meanwhile, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Uncle Doug - Great little video, as all of yours are. Thanks for posting this. I was just watching one of your older videos where you made a "Dani-Sonic" version of a classic Fender Tube amp. I noticed that you usually make the cabs out of pine, and that's fine, but I was thinking about tone woods and thought that maybe some time you could build a copy of one of the amps you've already featured in your series, but with a MAPLE cabinet, so you could A-B the two amps for us, with the only difference being the make-up of the cab itself. Something tells me it would make a noticeable difference in the sound of the amp. ...P.S. That "Vintage Speed" 3x2 adapter is pretty cool! Thanks for showing us that. New to me.
In my opinion, when it comes to speaker and combo amp cabinets, pine is an excellent "tone wood". It resonates quite nicely.....much better than denser, heavier maple.....and is the original choice of cabinet wood used by most vintage amp manufacturers. In fact, until quite recently, I have never encountered a vintage amp cabinet made of maple. If you want vintage sound.....use vintage wood.
When I was sixteen I joined my first band which rehearsed in the late great Dave M's garage. Dave had THIS Silvertone head and we used it as a PA head for our vocals. Worked great and we crunched our way through Rolling Stones songs and Mountain and CCR hits, etc. Then came the sad day when we showed up to jam and found that Dave had swapped the Silvertone for a lousy Crate guitar amp that you really couldn't get a clean sound out of! It always sounded distorted. Charlie the piano player shook his head and wondered what we were going to sing through. It's funny how one dumb move can begin to derail something that was so cool. You should have heard us play "Break On Through" by the Doors, we did it way faster than the record!
Yep, knew a guy with one back in the '60s who put some of those quickie flip tab AC connectors on the stock permanent wire so he could carry the head separately. He put the male two prong Edison plug on the speaker cabinet end. Some helpful person plugged it in the AC accessory outlet. Boom, no more speakers. Back in the late '60s/early '70s most of these that I saw had the grilles painted with various fluorescent color paints as part of the psychedelic era.
That was my first "real" guitar amplifier back in the 60s. Before that I used 2 x 6V6 amp that I scavenged from a hi-fi console. Those Silvertones are fantastic.
I had one of these silvertone amps in 1966 or 67 I think. Could have been 68! LOL! I can't be sure that it's this exact model, but it sure looks exactly like it. So I had the amp head and the cabinet with the 6x10"s. This is a long time ago so I couldn't tell you what kind of speakers they were but I do believe it was a Silvertone cabinet. It had the same tolex or whatever the covering was at the time. Correct me if I'm wrong, maybe they didn't even make a 6x10" cab. My rig Circa 1968 consisted of a sunburst, dark transparent red fading to black, 2 pick up Norma solid body guitar with the requisite Wang bar, the Silvertone amp and cab and the coup de gras was a Heathkit fuzzbox that I had proudly built myself at the age of 13! I also built 1x12" Heathkit solid state guitar amp, that's another story for another time! But I'll tell you, I wish I still had that Heathkit fuzzbox! Those things fetch some $$ these days! And it sounded great! It was perfect for Satisfaction! My best friend at the time had a fiesta red 3 pickup Supro guitar, (where is it now!) a small magnatone amp! (Also, where is it now!)The guitar and amp were my buddies fathers gear who was a drunk so unfortunately the guitar saw the pawn shop quite regularly! I can remember we'd fire up our amps and play our two favorite songs, Satisfaction followed by The Witch by The Sonics!! God what fun! No drums, no Bass just two louder than snot guitar amps being played by two kids that couldn't play! Wouldn't trade it for the world!
Dang! Sounds better than i remember. This is the model I had, never a problem with it, sounded good with a guitar that a lot of bite as i never thought the amp itself had much character, kind of a flat sound. But im not sure my cabinet had Jensens in it. Very nice...thanks. indeed, it did launch a career..
Finally a new Uncle Doug vid!! Love your vids Uncle Doug!, I learned a lot by your technical tube videos! tnx I have to disapoint you on the staines on the speakercloth,, I they are obviously Jim Beam stains.
The audio test is as follows: 5 tunes clean Channel 1 and 2.....3 tunes Tremolo.....3 tunes Reverb.....5 tunes Channel 1. NOTE: The video portion of the demo is not synchronized with the audio portion, so the position of the input cable and amp controls may not agree with what you are hearing.
I have a 1964 1484. It was 100% original when I got it. I recapped it and installed a 3-prong chord. I love the thing.
I don't blame you, William. This video reminded me how great the old Silvertone amps really were.
Uncle Doug,
The Goodwill auction site has an antique looking amp that is made by "
K and K Musical Instrument Co." www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/81171377 The auction ends 12/7/19 and it's at about $109.00 at the moment with 17 bids. It's got a gator covering (Snazzy) and it looks to have 3 tubes. I hope you can score this one. It's a beauty
@Q TV The Prosonic was only offered from 1996 to 2002, and the early models, handmade in the Custom Shop with "LO" serial number prefixes, are quite rare and desirable. The later models, with "CR" prefixes, were mass produced in Corona, CA and are good amps, but not as rare or desirable as the early versions. If I ever have access to a Prosonic, I would be glad to feature it in a video.
I hear you on the hand wired stuff. Printed circuit boards are planned obsolescence. I always say ones tone comes from ones hand .
I bought mine brand new when I was 13 years old in 1966, and still have it!
That's great to hear, Robert. So many of us didn't have the sense to keep our classic amps and guitars.
That 57 should be about 1 inch from the grill cloth to get the best sound from it.
@@1955DavidH When I am that close, the volume overwhelms the recorder.
@Boxcarcifer I'm sorry to hear of your vision problems, but enjoyed hearing from you. I too spent many a happy day at our local Sears store :)
Watching Uncle Doug open a vintage amp is more exciting than watching Geraldo Rivera open Al Capone's vault.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Except, unlike Geraldo......our vault contains all sorts of goodies :) Likewise, Randy.
Ugh! Bad memories.
@@UncleDoug Absolutely. All treasure and no drama.
@@Slugg-O Thanks, Randy. I hope our treasure to trash ratio remains high :)
@Vinnie Provolone Thanks, Vinnie :)
The 1484 (which I bought new in 1964) that I had the speak cabinet was connected to the amp with a long 2 wire cord that could not be disconnect from either the amp or the cabinet. I added a jack to both the cabinet and amp. On the amp I isolated the jack from the chassis ground by mounting it on an insulated board. I no longer have the amp part but I use the speaker cabinet with a Fender AB763A head that I was able to get used in 1985 and rebuild in 2006. The Fender head and Silvertone speaker sound great together. I really in joy your youtube content.
Thanks so much for your nice comments and interesting input, William.
Hey Doug. Just seeing how you're doing. Hope your holidays went well and you're in good health. Looking forward to the next video, as always.
Never better, Brad. Thanks for your concern. We've been working on hot rods and other projects for several weeks, but have a new amp video in the works. It should be posted in the very near future.
i was just singing your praises on TDPRI... by far my favorite youtube personality! always makes my heart happy when you tackle the big iron!
Wow, thanks so much, Joe :)
Hey Joe, could you please spread the word over at the ampgarage.com/forum/? The world needs to know about Uncle Doug and his contribution to preserving the History of Tube Amplifiers. Thank you for getting the word out!
UD, Thanks for this video and the previous 1485 video. I watched the entire 1485 vid about 3 times with great interest. More about that later. When I bought my 1484 used in 1968, (age 16) I had no idea how great it really was. But after all, I was just a dumb kid. One thing I knew immediately: When I traded the amp for a newer but solid state Silvertone, I knew I had made a dreadful mistake!! Some lessons are learned the hard way!
Fast forward to today. Recently acquired my 1484 head and built a speaker cabinet myself with two brand new Jensen C12Qs. After watching your renovation of the Silvertone 1485 amp, part 3. (I guess it was 9 months ago), I started my renovation. Even though the amp was working pretty well, (all but the tremolo was functioning), I cleaned the amp's face and chassis, removed death cap, removed ground switch, removed power outlet, added a speaker jack, and painted the two transformers black. Everything worked out very well and I was encouraged to keep going. I decided to replace seven of the capacitors, (C1, C17, C26, C27,C28,C29, and C30. Then, miraculously found the can capacitor from Hayseed Hamfest! After a few trials and tribulations, (and very good customer service from Tom at Hayseed, have got a really nice and quiet solid amp to play my treasured Clapton and Hendrix licks! Oh, almost forgot, I also replaced all the input jacks with 4 new self grounding Switchcraft jacks which really help quell the unwanted noise. (Also replaced two resistors at the inputs and 3 of them adjacent to the can cap).
When all was said and done, the amp really sounds great. Jack and KC would be proud to hear this beast. Couldn't have done it without your fine and entertaining videos. Please keep them coming.
Doug, thanks for the immeasurable knowledge you have in the passions you have. And then share with us. I tip my hat ....
I grew up with those amps. Purchased from Sears around 1964-1965. We had 4 of them, including one for Bass with one 15" speaker. One for P.A. I still have a picture of us in 1965 with those amps. They kept our band gigging until 1968, never a problem.
As the video title says, Silvertones were the basis for all sorts of garage bands and budding musicians.
Nice. I can't tell you how pleased I am that once again, you have done everything as well as I would have done it if I had an amp, a soldering iron, a closet full of spare parts, long experience, deep understanding, infinite patience and a clue. Really good Shew.
Thanks, Rowdy.....high praise indeed :)
Hope you had a great holiday season and that you and yours are doing great!
We did indeed, Murry. Hopefully the same is true for you.
This video brings back a lot of memories . I bought one new in 1965 , I could not afford a big Fender , I wanted a large 2-12 amp , piggy back with with reverb and tremlo , 60 watts . I ran my new 1965 Epiphone Casino ( saw Kieth Richards on an album cover with one ) thru it ! I was in Rock-n-roll heaven . I was 16 years old , had learned my barre chords and I was ready to rock ! Loved that amp !
Also , to appreciate it you have to know that I had Baled Hay all summer , and saved every penny for that rig !
I had one of these amps when I was a young hippie playing in a pychedelic rock band. In a moment of hipness I painted the head lime green because of the effect it gave when under a black light. I ditched the 2 - 12 speaker cabinet on favor of two speaker columns containing 4 12's each. This made the rig look far more impressive. Went to the gig to play and it was sounding great but, then about half way through the performance the amp started to cut out and lost power. I turned around to see what was the problem and saw that the amp head was in flames!
Show wise it was pretty impressive and of course I later found out the fire was due to a amp/speaker impedance mismatch. The amp was destroyed and could not be repaired and I learned a great lesson about matching the proper speakers to the amp being used. Too bad. Now that i'm older and wiser I wish I had that amp just for collectors sake because it would be cool to have. Thanks for showcasing such a beautiful memory as it was and should be. It was fun to watch it being restored. Thanks Doug.
You're the godfather of pyrotechnics in rock concerts, Jim. If you had only patented the concept, think of the money you would have made......just from Kiss alone ;) What a great tale. I may have owned a set of identical columns. Mine were made by Ampeg. I wish I had checked them for scorching.
The tone of the amp is fantastic. Great job!
Glad you liked it, W. Thanks !!
Thanks Uncle Doug for going through the reverb tanks in such detail. The little tie down for the center of the spring was missing from the unit I'm working on. As always, You're the best!
Thanks, KG. I'm gad the video was helpful.
Great interesting display and commentating of an iconic amp...enjoyed your play by play. Your humour is dry and fabulous. I also enjoyed your hot rod ...and particularly the footage of a bamboo chopstick used to plug the vac line ....I must be the same age as you , since I use them with my acoustic guitar repairs ...repurposing them & they are great tools..happy Thanksgiving to you and your family ,
Alberta Dave
Thanks so much for all your very nice comments, Dave. I had to improvise......there were no golf tees handy :)
Beautiful amp uncle Doug. I've been working on guitar amps for 25 years Love your. Repairso your repairs also Terry and Brad.you learn something new everyday sorry about the grammar or lack of it......
It's nice to see an older amp like that so clean inside and out. Those are good amps.
Thanks, Carl. It's probably the first really clean Silvertone I have personally seen.....which isn't saying much, after the rat-infested nightmares I have worked on.
Really wonderful channel. Beautifully presented with superior content and quality. The best TH-camrs really make many professional broadcasters look average.
Then you have the cats, music and -valves- sorry tubes...Couldn't ask for much more.
Wow......thanks so much Martin :)
Bless you Uncle Doug. Your videos bring our family great joy. You are preserving Tube Amplifier History for future generations. We love every educational video and your playing makes us feel like kids again!!!
Wow....thanks so much, F1 :)
It seems this amp inspired uncle doug, loved the 25 percent non original content and still showed you have chops, thank you.
Thanks, Noel. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Hi Uncle Doug, This model was my first “Big Amp” back in 65. Bought it new from the local Sears on the installment plan. Played mostly Surf and British Invasion in a garage band. Loved it. For me It was the “Fender Twin Reverb” that I could afford at the time. Great video. Brought back a lot of memories. Thanks.
Regards, Steve Todd
You're welcome, Steve. I'm glad the video brought back lots of great memories to so many viewers.
That's the one, Uncle Doug. My first amp. Got it for Christmas 1968, along with a Silvertone guitar.
Hi U.D., No hear from in a while, I hope you had a great holiday season, and I look forward to seeing next project!
Thanks, UB. Likewise on the good holiday wishes. We should be back on the air this month.
Wow Uncle Doug.. What an awesome time capsule!! You have a real keeper there.. it was also a treat to watch you dissect the Reverb tank.. We all knew someone who had one of these 1484’s.. and yours sounds GLORIOUS!! Thanks again for this wonderful episode!! Luth
I was born in 65 and that amp is in better shape than I am...LOL. Great video Doug.
Thanks, TW. Have you been re-capped yet ??
@@THUNDERWORX Mine has a 0.01A fuse that tends to blow whenever I shirk my household duties in favor of my hobbies. The result is generally plenty of AC (ass chewing) :)
What a great find Doug.. That amp and cab are exceptional for 1966 vintage.. I suppose the equivalent amps over here in UK were the Watkins range, and the more powerful Selmer guitar and bass amps that climbed to the dizzy heights of 50 watts.. Not many of us could afford Vox AC-30's or their Foundation 50 watt bass head and 18" cab. It was 1963 before I heard of Fender amps, but the import embargo meant they were very hard to find and 'very' expensive. Still, Ken Bran managed to get hold of a Bassman , altered a few resistors and caps and Marshall was in business.. We couldn't afford those either ..£1.00 deposit and 5 bob a week repayments until death. (it seemed) .. Can't wait to see the hot-rod complete with it's three Stromberg's fitted and working.. Right, I'm off to the music shop to pay this weeks instalment of 25 pence.
Thanks so much for your detailed and interesting input, Pete.
I am very happy to see a video from you. Excellent video and perfect explanations. A+++
Thanks, Stefan :)
So nice to see another video. Great to see you have another hot rod to work on too. :-)
Great Vid Uncle Doug!!! Those piazo verbs sure are funky, Carbs look awesome!!
Thanks so much, T73 :)
I had one close to this in a combo. That thing was LOAD1 Thanks for the fun videos
My hernia and ruptured discs agree, Monty :)
Uncle Doug, my first attempted amp repair! When I was oh 12 playing in my buddys basement. I wasnt going to touch it but id fixed all the bad guitar cords succesfully so.What a great learning experience and it was only a small fire. And the feeling came back to that hand. Eventually. :)
Sundog Audo Fun story!
Third degree burns and the loss of appendages are a small price to pay for achieving success with amplifier repair, SA :)
@@UncleDoug ROFLMAO! Great comment Sundog Audo!
Very nice shape.
I've repaired a few of these with similar problems. Recapped of course. Was also able to repair the reverb as you did.
The weirdest one i had was the 100 watt version that squealed and oscillated all on its own.
It behaved like poor lead dress but there was no rearrangement of wires that would eliminate the oscillations completely.
It all seemed to be centered around the screen grid leads of the power quad.
This amp did not have any screen resistors and came from the factory that way. So on a hunch, i added them.
That completely cured the oscillation. My thoughts are the original tubes had less gain or possibly higher Inter electrode capacitance (Miller Effect) that subdued the tendency to oscillate. I did not have any vintage tubes to prove out that theory.
Old tube amps...gotta love em!
Thanks, Glen, particularly for the tip on the screen resistors......it may come in handy :)
Trying to get my hands on one of these. You're not helping my impulse control! Great video!
Purchased. Found a spectacular example with the foot switch about half way in-between us. Luckily I have family much closer to pick it up for me!
We actually did our first gigs with one of these amps and a padded custom amp in 1966 brings back many memories. Thanks for the video.
You're welcome, Leroy. Glad you enjoyed it.
Hey, new licks and chords! Guitar playing sounds good. Amp vid is stellar and enlightening as usual.
Thanks, Allan :)
Wow Doug, the installation with those 3x2 carbs looks SWEET! Great call on that.
Thanks for the encouragement, Gerald. My wife insists that I am crazy to remove a perfectly good almost new carb and then install three little old-fashioned ones. I'm glad someone else "gets it" :)
Great find UD!! Another informative video as always
Thanks, Big Joe.
Uncle Doug, thank you so much for explaining the reverb tank here. I’ve been trying to repair a guyatone piezo tank and thanks to your video I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to. Thanks again
Good luck with the repair, QS. Piezo's can be frustrating.
Ah! Love these old Silvertones and Airlines (from Montgomery Wards!) Nice video! One of these was my first amp I serviced (tube sockets and filter caps were bad!!!) My first lesson in electrical safety as I pulled myself off mom's kitchen floor! Learn to drain your caps, kids!! Lol!!!
I'm glad the video fostered some good.....and instructive.....memories, Thomas.
Its Thanks giving 2019 9:05pm sitting on the couch with what is probably the smoothest cat in the world laying across my lap and my left elbow resting on the top of a Sears Silvertone Twinchassis number 185 11040 when I spotted your thumbnail . I recently purchased this amp from my friends older brother for $150. He received it from his parents in 71along with a ES335 as a graduation present I asked why and he said he wanted to buy a Crate amp. First thing I did was separate the factory umbilical cord and figure out if the foot switch was the reverb problem It wasnt. As soon as Daisy lets me get up Ill have my tank out and my piezos serviced and no hes going to keep the guitar...for now. new sub. Terry
Welcome, Terry. It sounds like the perfect Thanksgiving.....comfortable couch......Daisy the cat.....and a great amp to torture the neighbors. Life is good !!!!
Nice I remembered the main filter condensers were red planet ones and that reverb always made buzzing noises enjoyed your video take care
Thanks, Gordon. The voltage doubler caps were indeed bright red.
Really cool UD... those things hold onto a pretty penny. Love the speaker compliment too....... speaking of, what a nice gesture of your follower/ viewer to give you those two Jensen's, wow - generous indeed.
You need to add some kaleidoscope, or spinning author heads as a video enhancement while you... er I mean Jack Ollie are playing tunes... that would be so cool (daddy-o).
Thanks UD ... always a pleasure.
The pleasure is ours, Scott. Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions.
great to see you back.
It' our pleasure, Brian.
Beautiful amp! A friend just brought me one of these in similar condition! The interior is pristine! I've never seen an amp guts so clean! Thanks for the review, I'll be going through it this weekend, and probably looking for a replacement can cap. FWIW: The original speaker was hard-wired. I will be adding a jack...
Thanks, John. Agreed on the can cap and the speaker jack. Good luck with your project.
That took me back to the past. In the town I came from, that model amp and speaker cab was the P.A. of choice for the bands. (P.A.s weren't available yet) Because its tone was so neutral it was great for vocals instead of its intended design to be a guitar amp.. That was a fun video.
You're back !!! Always good tunes. La Grange.
Hopefully, it was worth the wait, Fred. Thanks !!
I don't know who else said it, but I'm usually compelled to hit the "like" button within a few seconds of watching your videos. Great content!
Thanks so much, Adam.
Excellent as always,great info about the reverb tank!
Thanks, Angus :)
It's funny when I watch your downloads. Something about classic amplifiers and classic cars. Maybe it's in their simplicity. I enjoy both of them. Perfect combo. My preference is old ampeg bass amps and 1961 Fender Bassmans. Oh and I'm an airhead. Owner of an original 1959 Pearl White VW Karmann Ghia convertible, last year of the low lights. Thanks for the uploads. Curtis
You're welcome, Curtis. It's always good to hear from a fellow vintage car and amp nut.
I have three 1484s and cabs and a 1474. They are loud! Love 'em.
Outstanding; very impressive find and amazing originality.
Thanks so much, John.
Are you jc in sc by chance?I just repaired my 1485 6/10 amp 1963.Recording new tunes now.😎
Jc from sc? Just started recording new album with my 1485-6/10 1963 silvertone.😎🍻
Always worth the wait for an Uncle Doug video! I believe those amps had the head hardwired to the speaker cabinet with brown zip cord when they were new and a lot of owners installed a jack on the chassis so they could plug in other speakers. So the in line jack is less invasive.
Thanks so much for setting up a mic to do the amp demos, sounds better to my ears than the camera mic for sure!
Wow great double feature! popcorn and a Fanta orange and its a party! Happy Thanksgiving Uncle Doug!
You are obviously a man of refined taste, Ted. We hope you enjoyed both features......and wish you the best Thanksgiving ever :)
Thanks Doug for another fine video of a vintage amp. I almost skipped half the sound test in anticipation of a Hot Rod Extra, but would have missed some of those classic guitar riffs. Double whammy ;)
Duct tape...no rat feces...recording studio habitat...I'm glad you finally had a softball/creampuff tossed your way, Unc. Lord knows, you've been put through your paces on some other amps...it's a treat to see anything from this era in such well-preserved condition...gotta love those lipstick tube PUs...
Amen, C7. I have definitely paid my dues when it comes to Silvertones :) I too thought the Silvertone guitar sounded great with the amp.....a perfect pair.
Always love the videos and your presentation.
Hi Uncle Doug. I got all teary eyed seeing this amp. This is the first amp I had. I looked on line and guitar center has the head and cab. I think I will call and see if they still have it.
It's the ultimate garage amp, Monty ;)
I am really surprised at how GREAT it all sounds. The tremolo is strong enough to make me seasick ! Thanks Doug.
Thanks, Craig. I knew the Trem Hounds would love it :)
Oh the memories.....in 1968, when I started playing Guitar at the age of 5, I HAD THIS AMP as well as the Silvertone, from Sears, at the time, 112!!!
The $$$ they bring now.
You'll find these Amps in Studios all over Nashville, TN
Wish I still had them....they really sounded great.
SO WARM!!!
SO YOUNG, SO DUMB....SO SOLD WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10.
Wow....you started playing at a young age, Keith, and most of us weren't buying and selling good amps at 10 years old. Very impressive :)
@@UncleDoug I didn't buy the amp.
Luckily, I grew up in a musical family.
My Uncle.....Father's Brother.....was also a Guitarist in Big Band/Swing Musical Orchestras.
He had, what today would be, a laughable Recording Studio in Oklahoma where he recorded Swing and Big Bands.
Of course, there wasn't a whole lot of Guitar in that style of Music!!
While visiting, he taught me the 12 Barre Blues and much to my Fathers dismay, tried to get my Father to really encourage me.....apparently, he saw something in me.
Long story short, he tried his best to help and influence me.
He gave me those Amplifiers because they were spares in his Studio.
I have no idea what Amps he used...
Needless to say, my Father didn't get along with his older Brother and as much as I loved, and still love my Father, although long since passed, he made me sell the Amplifiers when I was roughly somewhere between 10 and 12 with the promise of a new Amp when I turned the Teenage year of 13.
My Father DID follow through, it was a much lower volume and quality Amp.
I think it came from a "Sears Like Store" called Montgomery Ward!!!
Just my dad being my dad!!!
He had ZERO DESIRE for me to become a Musician!!...lol...
What I wouldn't give today to have him come home from work, come back to my bedroom and about break the door down yelling at me to turn it down!!!
@@keithdarling8290 I understand completely, Keith. I experienced a lot of friction with my father and, at times, we both made mistakes.....but he mellowed out a lot in his old age (as did I) and has since passed away. I do miss him.
@@UncleDoug
My Father passed a couple of months before I turned 20.
Not blaming my Mother at all.
His death was sudden and totally unexpected.
Mom totally changed after he passed. I honestly believe she developed Early Onset Alzheimers and a mild case, if that's what one would call it, Dementia.
I felt out of a sense of duty to stay home to take care of her.
She passed from Alzheimers and Dementia in May of 2016, just a couple of weeks before her 90th Birthday.
Both my Siblings are a lot older than I.
8 and 6 years older!!
Yep, I was the "Accident!!:...oops!!
They were both married and lived out of town and state.....I was all she had left.
I never stopped playing, had, I guess, a name and reputation in my hometown, so I was happy just doing Studio work and local gigs.
I finally moved to Nashville about 7 years after he passed, still doing Studio stuff until I got married.
I kid you not. The day my wife and I walked into our apartment from our Honeymoon, the phone was ringing as we were walking in, with Suitcases in hand!!
It was a band, just released their 1st album.
Also being a Drummer, they had seen me play and were calling me to ask if I would do a European Tour with them.
I turned them down!!
I just got married, and had an instant Family.
She had a son from a previous relationship, 9 years old, totally felt that since his Father wasn't in the picture, he needed stability and a man in his life to be there for him.
It was the right choice....the band never released a second album and disappeared into oblivion!!
I still play Guitar today locally as well as a FOH Sound Engineer.
I'm nobody famous, just an old guy, thinking I'm still 25 and still wanting to have fun and collect gear!!!
That's my life story and I'm sticking to it!!!...lol...
Enough of my boring life and information you probably wish you'd never commented on!!
Take care Uncle Doug!!!
Keep on keeping on....or so the music goes!!
🤘😴🤘
@@keithdarling8290 Thanks for sharing your life experiences, Keith. Best of luck with your music, life, health, and family.
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night and glancing at three two barrels sitting on the bedside table? Sweet dreams.
Amen, Lester. You would have to rig some sort of spotlights to illuminate them, and maybe some background music.......by Steppenwolf.
That was well worth the wait - thanks Uncle Doug.
Great amp Uncle D... but I can't wait to see how that bad ass motor will sound and perform!
Great job uncle you reminded me of how (without knowing) at 13 years old i tried to blow my eardrums out with this amp, my bro-inlaw had a country western band and the guys would practice at our house and would leave all the instruments and amps all week long there, until the weekend when they had gigs..I remember getting real close to this amp and dial it to 10...sorry no 11 :0) and just bang away with a gibson les paul which i did not know how to play so it sounded horrible but i loved the feeling and the POWER i felt when doing this...also i guess i was a punk music pioneer cause thats what it sounded like (untuned ,violent,loud,dischordant chords with no sense of timing and no beginning and no end.....which after i "learned" how to play i formed a punk band called "the perpetrators"
you might remember our hit ....ahhhhh.....none....;0( o well we tried. hehehe love from anaheim Ca
Awesome job UD! Also cant wait to hear the three little pigs! 👍
Thanks, James. They are singing a happy song.
Beauty, Jack & Ollie made a new video 😁 thanks Uncle Doug, something to watch while I eat breakfast
Bon appetite......Pedro.
That 350 sent a twitch to certain lower extremity! I love how easy it is to work on these muscle cars, no computer in them, but they had to ruin that for us like that would stop us from working on them. I had a 1979 Z28 MINT CONDITION. It was paid for brand new and garaged until I got it. The original engine was removed and was replaced. It was a 350 totally rebuilt and punched out to a 383 if I remember correctly, new race cam and the heads were done professionally, but I must admit, I had a 400 small block with a Holly 750 Double Pumper. The cops could never catch me. What you have on your beast looks like a Performer intake which is a great choice, but I had a 1981 Dodge Ramcharger 318 2 barrel, but it had the cam for pulling. Someone removed the 4 barrel and put an adapter on the stock intake and a friend handed me no charge a high rise split level Edelbrock so I went out and bought a 650, instant monster 4 on the floor with granny gear as the first gear so normally I started off in second. I was able to pull a Chevy Blazer up a 60 - 70 degree hill in idle with my door open sitting sideways to show off. I always had a thing for only the vapors going to the piston so everything had to be cammed out with the appropriate spacers for the carb and I even did this idea on my furnace, I talked to the guy and told him my idea and he took out this jet element and told me your furnace will never be more efficient using any other as it sprayed a fine mist instead of a stream past the electrodes. I use heating oil and it ran hot after installing this so I knew it was doing the job so I had to adjust it back down to 180 degrees from nearly 200. The efficiency improved 15 to 17% into the 90's in %
Somehow, this sounds like the lyrics to a Chuck Berry tune, Mr. B. Thanks for sharing it with us :)
works on car like a classic amp. you rock Doug!
Thanks, DR :)
Great tone! Love the tremolo! Great jangly sound!
Thanks, JG.
Uncle Doug, I have a Peavey Classic I bought second hand about 35 years ago. The tone was always a little poor and the output broke up if the volume was set above 5. A few months ago, the power transformer burned out. After much searching for a replacement, I had one made from scratch by ClassicTone. After I installed that, I figured I should check out the PC board before I fired it up and I found 4 electrolytics which had thrown up. I also ordered new octal sockets, thinking that replacing those might help with the break up at high volume. Before I got around to installing the sockets, I saw your video in which you tightened up the tube sockets by squeezing the little pin receptacles with a pointy object, so I did that, rather then cut out the old sockets. I got it put together and plugged it into my brand new current limiter. Since I got only a slight glow from the current limiter filament, I went ahead and put the chassis back into the cabinet and put the back door in place, The amp sounds better than it ever did in those 35 years and I could crank it up to 11 with no break up. I could FEEL the sound on my shins as I stood in front of the amp. Before I stumbled upon your channel, I would not have had the confidence to make the replacements I made, So, I want to thank you for the education.
You're quite welcome, Steve. It's great to hear that you're putting your knowledge to such good use. Keep up the good work.
I was wondering if you had or could show to build a bucking transformer or voltage reducer for vintage tube amps, you are the man, thanks Unk.
I have personally never felt the need for such voltage reduction, Ron. As long as the output tubes are properly biased, the higher AC wall voltage has not been an issue for me. However, I will keep your suggestion in mind for the future.
My first amp was an early 1964 Super Reverb that I bought in early '64 ... and blessed to still have! This Silvertone is a mighty fine sounding amp, for sure!
Thanks, TT.
You can find video on TH-cam of Howlin' Wolf playing a Gibson through one of these Silvertone head. I also remember seeing footage of Kings of Leon playing thru Silvertone amps at an outdoor festival.
You are a font of historical info, GU. Thanks !!
Another superb review! I gigged a 1484 beginning in '66 for years until uncle sam abscounded me. My first monthly muster was $81.00. I asked my brother to sell my stuff... Sheesh! I returned and moved on to a Princeton. I may have to train my cat to do catscans like yours so I can afford another one! THANKS!!!
You can get them pretty reasonably if you're patient. I picked one up for $400 last week.
@@BallananChristmasLightShow Thanks Pat!
I can't believe the condition of that amp for its age. I would treasure a video of you going over the schematic with us for that amp. You explain things so very well in a way that I greatly appreciate.
Thanks, 234. Glad you enjoyed it :)
32:27 Wow. The guy who packed up those speakers. *salutes*
Yes, indeed. Nice packing job :)
“Got a bit of wood showing through, but then again who doesn’t ?” My solar panel can testify to that D :)
Bragging again, Stewart :)
Caught rotten D :)
@@v12dot .
Nice score! I have the matching 1483 bass amp and the speaker cab too
And yes, that is how the speaker cab was connected on mine too. Mine was 100% original when I got it, just dirty and beat up. All the original tubes, even the 2 prong power cord.
@@guitfidle It sounds like a gem, G.
@@UncleDoug I love it. It does still need recapped, but I already put a 3 prong cord on there and put a speaker jack on there instead of that cable coming straight out the back. It sounds pretty raunchy through my 4x12 😻
@@guitfidle Raunchy is something that big Silvertone's do well, GF :)
Those knobs are unique. Interesting look.
.....and very valuable. Nice ones can sell for around $30 each.
OUR BAND....had this amp...a CORNER STONE...back in the day.....I'm being overly EMOTIONAL...
... 🎶I'M TAKING A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY🎶.....sniffle....sigh....
Your emotional outburst is quite touching, William. I'm glad the video brought back such sweet memories :)
I JUST got one of these in last night to restore. It's got all the original tubes and caps. Only 2 owners. It's going to be brought back to life soon. You'll probably be seeing it on reverb 😁
Good luck with it, Mike.
Excellent sound...
Thanks for listening, Marek.
I bought a 1484 in 1965 when I was 14. Although it was powerful and sounded great, I did not appreciate it. I wanted a Fender, Kustom or Vox amp like the other bands had. Now I have all the Amps I wanted as a kid, and plan to buy a 1484 for fun. Thanks for the video. Victor
The grass is always greener, particularly when we're young, Vic. Glad you enjoyed the vid :)
Hey Uncle Doug, I hope all is well. Sure do miss you around here. Been awhile. Tell the Mrs, and Kittys Merry Christmas from Jeff in Red River County, Texas.
We've been taking some time off in December to recharge the batteries, Jeff. Hopefully, we'll be back on the air in January. See you then. Meanwhile, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Uncle Doug - Great little video, as all of yours are. Thanks for posting this.
I was just watching one of your older videos where you made a "Dani-Sonic" version of a classic Fender Tube amp. I noticed that you usually make the cabs out of pine, and that's fine, but I was thinking about tone woods and thought that maybe some time you could build a copy of one of the amps you've already featured in your series, but with a MAPLE cabinet, so you could A-B the two amps for us, with the only difference being the make-up of the cab itself.
Something tells me it would make a noticeable difference in the sound of the amp.
...P.S. That "Vintage Speed" 3x2 adapter is pretty cool! Thanks for showing us that. New to me.
In my opinion, when it comes to speaker and combo amp cabinets, pine is an excellent "tone wood". It resonates quite nicely.....much better than denser, heavier maple.....and is the original choice of cabinet wood used by most vintage amp manufacturers. In fact, until quite recently, I have never encountered a vintage amp cabinet made of maple. If you want vintage sound.....use vintage wood.
@@UncleDoug Fair enough. Thanks for your timely response.
Got one myself. Love it!! The speaker connection is not correct. The head and cab came hardwired. Great amp!!
Thanks, Slim. The ability to separate the two units is way better than hard-wiring, in my opinion.
Sounds fantastic, Doug. Happy Thanksgiving to you! 🦃🎸🇺🇸
Another Learning Video. Thank you Uncle Doug Top Job.
You're welcome, AC.
When I was sixteen I joined my first band which rehearsed in the late great Dave M's garage. Dave had THIS Silvertone head and we used it as a PA head for our vocals. Worked great and we crunched our way through Rolling Stones songs and Mountain and CCR hits, etc. Then came the sad day when we showed up to jam and found that Dave had swapped the Silvertone for a lousy Crate guitar amp that you really couldn't get a clean sound out of! It always sounded distorted. Charlie the piano player shook his head and wondered what we were going to sing through. It's funny how one dumb move can begin to derail something that was so cool. You should have heard us play "Break On Through" by the Doors, we did it way faster than the record!
I wish I could have been there for a performance, BW. I'll bet it was a dandy :)
Had one. The head had a solid wire to the speakers. Most owners cut the wire and used jacks so the head and cab could be carried separately.
Yep, knew a guy with one back in the '60s who put some of those quickie flip tab AC connectors on the stock permanent wire so he could carry the head separately. He put the male two prong Edison plug on the speaker cabinet end. Some helpful person plugged it in the AC accessory outlet. Boom, no more speakers.
Back in the late '60s/early '70s most of these that I saw had the grilles painted with various fluorescent color paints as part of the psychedelic era.
Cool setup on the Hot Rod. Now you need to get an MSD 6AL ignition box. Made a world of difference on my Chevy 350.
Ha! I used to have one of those! Sold it for a song in the 70's when it looked like tube amps were on their way out.
Nice teaching moment for the breakdown of the reverb unit. I never really understood how they worked. Piezoelectric technology... lol
Glad you enjoyed it, James :)
That was my first "real" guitar amplifier back in the 60s. Before that I used 2 x 6V6 amp that I scavenged from a hi-fi console. Those Silvertones are fantastic.
When I was in the Hubcaps we had one of these hooked up to an Altec Voice of the Theater the amp and speaker were great but the career fizzled.
I had one of these silvertone amps in 1966 or 67 I think. Could have been 68! LOL! I can't be sure that it's this exact model, but it sure looks exactly like it. So I had the amp head and the cabinet with the 6x10"s. This is a long time ago so I couldn't tell you what kind of speakers they were but I do believe it was a Silvertone cabinet. It had the same tolex or whatever the covering was at the time. Correct me if I'm wrong, maybe they didn't even make a 6x10" cab. My rig Circa 1968 consisted of a sunburst, dark transparent red fading to black, 2 pick up Norma solid body guitar with the requisite Wang bar, the Silvertone amp and cab and the coup de gras was a Heathkit fuzzbox that I had proudly built myself at the age of 13! I also built 1x12" Heathkit solid state guitar amp, that's another story for another time! But I'll tell you, I wish I still had that Heathkit fuzzbox! Those things fetch some $$ these days! And it sounded great! It was perfect for Satisfaction! My best friend at the time had a fiesta red 3 pickup Supro guitar, (where is it now!) a small magnatone amp! (Also, where is it now!)The guitar and amp were my buddies fathers gear who was a drunk so unfortunately the guitar saw the pawn shop quite regularly! I can remember we'd fire up our amps and play our two favorite songs, Satisfaction followed by The Witch by The Sonics!! God what fun! No drums, no Bass just two louder than snot guitar amps being played by two kids that couldn't play! Wouldn't trade it for the world!
Great Video again Doug thank you!...Can you enlighten me as to where you obtain your electronic components please, mainly the Caps and resistors?
I get them from Antique Electronic Supply, David.
Dang! Sounds better than i remember. This is the model I had, never a problem with it, sounded good with a guitar that a lot of bite as i never thought the amp itself had much character, kind of a flat sound. But im not sure my cabinet had Jensens in it. Very nice...thanks. indeed, it did launch a career..
Thanks, Clarence. You are quite welcome.
Finally a new Uncle Doug vid!!
Love your vids Uncle Doug!, I learned a lot by your technical tube videos! tnx
I have to disapoint you on the staines on the speakercloth,, I they are obviously Jim Beam stains.
Thanks so much, Jan. The stains certainly don't taste like Jim Beam ;)