Pixies SABOTAGED this 1966 Kustom Guitar Amp! Can I Borrow a Microscope?

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Pixies SABOTAGED this 1966 Kustom Guitar Amp! Can I Borrow a Microscope?

Рет қаралды 74,106

6 жыл бұрын

In this video, we'll check out a 1966 Kustom 695PA solid state transistor amplifier. This model is very similar to the K200, just without tremolo. It was brought to me experiencing some major issues, by the sound of it. Turns out, the issues aren't quite so major, but this might be the first time I almost had to find a microscope to fix something.
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Пікірлер: 547

@UncleDoug 6 жыл бұрын

Excellent repair, Brad, particularly the microsurgery on the transducer coil. Perhaps you missed your calling as a fetal heart surgeon :)

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

This video is in memory of Bud Ross who passed away earlier this month. www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2018/03/16/charles-bud-ross-dies.html www.namm.org/library/oral-history/bud-ross

@ColeWheeler4Lyfe 6 жыл бұрын

The Guitologist I'm in Kansas City. I remember Jenkins Music! Thanks for sharing this. PS there are still a CRAP-TON of Kustom amps in this area.

@DrumWild 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for everything, Bud! RIP

@podrum7421 6 жыл бұрын

Sad...

@jhowellkc 6 жыл бұрын

RIP Bud. Saw him about a year or so ago. Nice guy with some great, funny stories.

@jhowellkc 6 жыл бұрын

Cole Wheeler my first job in KC was at Jenkins!

@DrumWild 6 жыл бұрын

My grandmother passed down her bass rig to me when I went to college in the early 80s. She played a Baldwin hollow body bass, and a KUSTOM Charger combo amp. 100 watts was more than enough, and I enjoyed playing through that amp.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Your Grandmother must have been awesome.

@DrumWild 6 жыл бұрын

She was, and she rocked the bass in her old lady trio like crazy.

@ColeWheeler4Lyfe 6 жыл бұрын

You are fearless... with vintage amps AND your wife.

@williamfied9500 5 жыл бұрын

Cole Wheeler classic

@graxjpg 3 жыл бұрын

My wife was watching this with me when this little incident occurred, we were both howling with laughter.

@semajdis 6 жыл бұрын

With that title I thought that Frank Black had left a sandwich in the amp or something.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Ham on rye.

@zyxwvut4740 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I'm disappointed, I guess he meant more like gremlins or something…

@triplesevensix291 5 жыл бұрын

I know right.

@pianoluthier 4 жыл бұрын

yea, i kept waiting for that reveal through the whole vid

@wadereynoldsgm 6 жыл бұрын

"Now I can breath again, " he said after holding his breath and then immediately choking on solder flux fumes. I kept saying stop right there you got that tiny wire and you kept going back with the iron. I was on the edge of my seat! As Dan Erlewine says, "You got to know when to stop." Great job and video.

@cdr-sailor 5 жыл бұрын

Brad, you didn't establish a mechanical connection between the wire and the lug; that wire is just floating in that big blob of solder. You would have been better served by just reflowing the solder already on the lug while pressing the wire against the lug.

@lazygazzzer 3 жыл бұрын

I've had to repair a few reverb tanks myself - they are the absolute worst. This is exactly the sort of problem that comes along all the time. What people may not realise is the wire is thinner than a human hair, and it is not bare copper - there is a lacquer coating on it so it's not easy to solder. Going back time and again with the soldering iron may help to melt the lacquer and ensure a proper fix. I can say as well, that this is an extremely neat job - good work!

@DKentization 6 жыл бұрын

as a guitarist I never much cared for the Kustom amps but also being a drummer, I loved that they kept Camco Drum Co alive...Creedence drummer Doug Clifford played them

@normjacques6853 6 жыл бұрын

Bud Ross' weaknesses notwithstanding, the man left a legacy of unique amplifiers...and amps/speaker cabs that, in their time, were something of a status symbol. May he now find the peace that apparently eluded him in life. RIP Bud Ross.

@davekimball3610 6 жыл бұрын

That was fascinating to watch Brad. Wouldn't mind if you could do a quick video on just how a reverb tank functions, or if you've got one already, point it out.

@wingracer1614 6 жыл бұрын

It's actually a dirt simple and quite ingenious little device. I'm sure Brad can explain it better than I can though.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

A signal is driven into the tank, which has a tiny inductor (the part I fixed). The inductor "induces" a small audio signal into the springs. The signal is picked up at the other end by another inductor coil, kind of like how a microphone picks up sound and creates an analog signal, but in this case, it's picking up both the original audio AND the warble and reverberation of the springs and feeds that signal back into the amp where it's mixed in with the dry signal at some point.

@davekimball3610 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the reply. All I knew is that when I was a kid, it was fun to bump my friend's old cheap Peavey amp and listen to the wild spring noise that came out.

@guitarocd9984 5 жыл бұрын

I understand the signal passes through the springs and then converted back into sound. The fenders that have two channels does the non Reverb Channel have better tone. My basic question is does the Reverb tank screw up the tone of the amp?

@joedirt7640 5 жыл бұрын

I can really appreciate this close up photography on the reverb winding fix. Excellent.

@kenwinston2245 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for keeping the old dogs alive. Love those custom amps :-)

@graxjpg 3 жыл бұрын

Me too (: I have the HUGE 150w 12 input version of this amp in this same silver charcoal. It weighs like 90lbs but it is excellent sounding.

@papakoho8184 6 жыл бұрын

I saw the problem the minute you opened up the amp. No deep fried pork skins! The Ale bottle was a nice touch though. Great video of a classic amp. Keep 'em coming.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

The empty bag of pork rinds was just off camera, in fact! Can have a Newkie Brown without them.

@papakoho8184 6 жыл бұрын

Isn't working from home great?

@chasleask8533 6 жыл бұрын

The Guitologist hawayy Nyu'cassul!!

@jcspaziano 6 жыл бұрын

Its so awesome seeing someone go above and beyond not only for the customer but for the content! Great playing and great job on that verb tank! You the real MVP!

@MarcosMendozaJr 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your expertise on repairs. I bought my K-200 in black, around 1967. 4 x 15" JBL's. Loud and proud. :) Still have them.

@bluesb52 5 жыл бұрын

bob brinkman was the engineer of that amp he engineered many amps for diferent companies.but worked for custom for 16 years.he was a good friend

@TheGuitologist 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for adding to the knowledge base! Great comment.

@lroy730 6 жыл бұрын

Another nice one ! @ 11:13 your wife has an English accent . Nice catch , you are truly rich ! Back when I was building pickups and adding bobbin wire to pickups , I had a dedicated low wattage soldering iron to solder those .004 to .007 thick copper wires. So just turn the power down until it stops melting or burning the wire, is how I do it today.

@HillsWorkbench 6 жыл бұрын

I used to repair a lot of these, and slightly newer models on warranty, when I worked at a music store decades back. They all are pretty similar, 2n3055 outputs, quasi-comp. They started using some really lousy transistors, I ended up checking all of the 3055s for leakage even when the outputs weren't blown. And we had to send back the bad parts, none of my repairs were challenged. A lot of C-E leakage.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

The output transistors in this were RCA 36892. Looks like there was an NTE equivalent, but this RCA number was only used by Kustom.

@HillsWorkbench 6 жыл бұрын

RCA was big on offering OEMs house numbered parts. I worked for a tiny power amp company (PAS400, PAS 800), and even our parts were house numbered. RCA was serious about audio transistors "back in the Day".

@TheJamison76 4 жыл бұрын

My dad has the same amp. A neighbor gave it to him about 14 years ago. I remember every time I played it I would get shocks if I touched my mic. Funny memories and the best solid state amp I've ever played lol

@OGEscort 3 жыл бұрын

Swap the polarity switch, til you hear a "boom". If it's not right everything will light you up.

@gregaltenhofel7326 4 жыл бұрын

I had a kustom head, early in my musical career. I don’t think I was even a teenager yet. In fact I think someone gave it to me even. I think it well, I don’t really remember the color or if it was a Bass or Guitar amp. What I do remember is in a time in Kustom’s History they contracted with Altec Lansing for the speakers in their cabinets. A few years later the head had just been sitting somewhere in my room, I bought some Faux Voice of the theater cabinets. The drivers in them turned out to be from radio shack. I put the Altec’s in them the Radio Shack speakers in the Kustom Cab and sold it and the head and bought a new guitar. The VOT cabs were a lot less faux then. Those were great and probably some of the best 15” drivers I ever owned. They certainly rivaled the JBL drivers I bought in late 70’s or early 80’s. The JBL horns did smoke whatever horns were in the faux VOT cabs I did look like this started late at night when the kids were asleep or after they’d gone to school.

@AMStationEngineer 6 жыл бұрын

There must have been a special "bond" between some of the "Southern Fried Rock" bands, and Kustom, because when I contracted audio engineering services to the Valley Forge Music Fair, near Philly, it seemed like 70% of the bands had them, and cared for them well. Their primary amps were Kustoms, and their backups were either Peavey, or Marshall (and pretty much nothing else). Weird Al Yankovic had at least ten Fender amps, and one Kustom, his audio engineer quipped that "the Kustom helped him/his accordion hit the "hi notes" (it was a seldom used backup). You haven't visited Hell, until you've had to assign an audio channel to an amp connected to an accordion; I've heard that Cordovox's are even worse. These classic amps are the best, thanks for sharing! PS, please don't take the "accordion challenge", or Lawrence Welk will haunt you!

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

I think accordion needs to make a comeback, but Weird Al is actually taking up guitar now, I read. You're right on the Kustom and Peavey in southern rock. Both operations were well situated to distribute to the areas where southern rock was coming out of.

@budandbean1 6 жыл бұрын

Maybe that’s why I saw SO MANY of them growing up. I mean they were in every band almost.

@budandbean1 6 жыл бұрын

@Bear Bones, Yes, isn’t that what that feedback switch was for, more feedback? I grew up in Florida in the early 70’s and graduated High School in ‘78. Kustoms were everywhere and I’d of bought one but in ‘74 due to a death I was able to get an amazing deal on an original SUNN Model 60 Amp with Cab. (2-16” Jensen’s) I didn’t want anything else for the next 25 years.

@AMStationEngineer 6 жыл бұрын

If memory serves, I remember that a few of those bands used their own audio engineer(s), roadie(s), perhaps?? The VFMF installed a wireless IFB system around '85/'86, which worked well until the venue closed in 1996. Here's the kicker, during the early '90s "Smothers Brothers" tour, which began after their "Comedy Hour" show ended ('89 or '90), there was a band which traveled with them. The band was the instrumental backup for the 'brothers', for Jim Stafford, and on occasion, for Mason "Classical Gas" Williams. (almost typed Mason Reese). However, their real purpose was to orchestrate the movements, and "Duncan Imperial" antics of Tommy's "Yoyo Man" persona. The engineer for the band had set everything up for his mixer board, he did the switching/fading which fed four channels of my master console. Three hours before the concert, he discovered that we used the IFB, and had to 'daisy chain ground their amps, and his mixer. Has anyone heard of this??

@alfatone2654 6 жыл бұрын

Nice work on the reverb angle hair repair. Been watching a few more of your vids and I'm lovin how well you play at the end of them. If you're gonna fix, build, design amps, you gotta play too. Bon courage mon ami

@neuk01642 6 жыл бұрын

I was already perversely fascinated by this channel but now I find your drinking Brown Ale... the taste of my ill-spent youth! Kudos.

@VersesRecords 5 жыл бұрын

That oscillation sound created upon initial evaluation sounded pretty cool! :) PS-- I used to run a vintage repair shop . . . great work on the reverb tank, color me impressed.

@barbmelle3136 6 жыл бұрын

From Leo: You are a very patient man. I have never seen anyone salvage a reverb tank, I have been throwing them away and replacing them since the 70's. The old Kustom amplifiers were really good back then. I do not see many of them anymore. Good Job.

@j-man72b72 5 жыл бұрын

The lead wire for the reverb input should be soldered to the small pads at the opposite end of the pc-board, so that when the input wires for that board are soldered the coil wires aren't effected, there is two traces that connect the two small pads to the larger pads. Nice fix.

@JamesMcCutcheon 6 жыл бұрын

I remember the defininate difference in the sound of the Kustom Reverb. Doing a little Carl Perkins umpah! You are good guitarist, it really enhances your repair work afterwards. Many have never heard and ole Kustom. Thanks again.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks, man. I'll admit, the demos are the fun part. :D

@j_freed 6 жыл бұрын

This amp and mic combo sounds delicious. I can just taste the extra special nanofarad capacitances.

@bobvines00 6 жыл бұрын

Brad, Nice fix on something you can't see without serious magnification. A little more than a year ago, I ended up purchasing a $$$ trinocular microscope for working on a 10-track magnetic ('60s-vintage minicomputer) tape head that was full of wires way less than ~0.005-inches (0.127-mm, I think) in diameter. One of these days I'll rig up a heat shield for my hot air SMT repair gun that I use to soften the potting compound inside that tape head so I can dig deeper into it without risking melting the end of my $$$ microscope. I haven't actually measured the wire diameters yet because I'm afraid I'll cut the wire(s) with my dial calipers -- maybe a mic will work better. I also need to purchase a camera for the third "eyepiece" so I can work by watching a monitor, similar to what you did on this amp. And I'll be able to use it on troubleshooting & repairing amps too.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Maybe get a camcorder with a monitor output and you're good. I also modded an articulated microphone arm to mount my camera. That helps. I can position it 4 feet away from the work and still zoom way in.

@bobvines00 6 жыл бұрын

I'll check into a camcorder with a monitor output. We've always wanted one of the "modern" ones that weight less than ~5 pounds! And no more tape cassettes too.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Actually, an old camcorder with good optics and monitor out could work very well! And it would be super cheap. As long as you're just using it to magnify your work, who cares what medium it stores on?

@vmat1000 6 жыл бұрын

Great fix. Loved this gear when i was a kid. I sent for catalogs in the mid '60s from Fender, Goya and yes, Kustom. Wish i still had them. Loved that the Sound City story used a Kustom rig.

@Zelleram55 6 жыл бұрын

Impressive/cool clean tone for a solid state amp.

@baronvonchickenpants6564 6 жыл бұрын

Great tone and no valves

@keszerda8364 6 жыл бұрын

Using a camera to guide the work is how EEs do it when they're dealing with boards with lots of tiny grain of rice sized surface mount components. One thing you might want to get for future solder jobs like that is a syringe of solder paste so you're not longing for a third hand as often -- just a little dab and the parts will stick long enough to hit with the iron.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Constantly upgrading my lab to accommodate more types of electronics I don't typically deal with. Having mainly done vintage tube amp stuff, I rarely run into surface mount, but its getting more common to get such requests...

@ivofurtado2677 6 жыл бұрын

I play guitar have no knowledge of the inside workings of a amplifier but hell I love watching your videos you have a great knowledge on these sensitive components keep them coming

@alexreeve 6 жыл бұрын

your wife is cool :D :D

@free_electron 6 жыл бұрын

Wow that amp sounds better for the California tone better than any Fender I've heard. Super cool! Reminds me of California Dreamin' :)

@AgentXPQ 6 жыл бұрын

Turbo geek info that few will find interesting, but here goes- The toy Bud Ross is holding, was the mascot for an 1960's "naugahyde" advertising campaign. Naugahyde is basically phony leather, pleather, whatever you want to call it. Considering the covering on Kustom amps, it's rather logical he would be holding it.

@graxjpg 3 жыл бұрын

This is one of my favorite videos of yours brad. This amp is close to my heart, and the sound is absolutely incredible to me. Your playing is really just as wonderful and inspiring! And the reverb repair will help me make a reverb unit out of a tank I have. I would love to build (or buy) one of these amps someday.

@Music10161 6 жыл бұрын

57s sound good if you have a lot of distortion, on clean stuff your new Mic sounds fantastic. That reverb has a serious Ventures vibe going.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

The 57 just sounds boxy and lifeless on KZfaq to me. that's why I have that overhead mic I leave on to get more room echo and more top end. Sometimes I forget to turn it down between speaking and playing and it fucks things up a little. But yeah, the EV is a step up, I think. It's much more natural sounding...more vocal.

@thePsychoDuddy 6 жыл бұрын

The story behind these amps is one of my favorites of all time. If I could only find one without cig burns..

@graxjpg 3 жыл бұрын

I got the 150w 6 channel version of this very amp in the same color, while its 80lbs it is a magnificent head with no cigarette burns lol.

@zaraak323i 6 жыл бұрын

See the wire on that inductor makes me think that it was never really soldered; it was folded back on itself. I would think that reverb was intermittent the day it left the factory. Nice save!

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Agreed. Faulty from the factory.

@terminal14 6 жыл бұрын

I like the playing in the end, nice bit of Iron Maiden.

@GruntUltra 6 жыл бұрын

The Prophesy from Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, eh? sweeet!

@sgriffith2941 6 жыл бұрын

Did all of those caps not need a look at too. Seems they could be on the edge for other problems.. great work once again

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

A valid call. I'm going to leave that up to the customer. I he wants a recap, Ill be glad to do it. I have to change the power cord too, but I want the ok first.

@w.rustylane5650 4 жыл бұрын

That's a very nice sounding Kustom amp. Wish I had one. So you use an X-acto knife; I use an A-pproxo knife. My work is never exacting, only approximating.

@BruceRichardsonMusic 6 жыл бұрын

635a is a great workhorse mic. People sell those things at throwaway prices. Great, super insensitive omni, which makes it damned near perfect for dozens of things.

@budandbean1 6 жыл бұрын

I always loved the pleated Kustom Amps. Always wanted a set of the purple pleated setup with the head and one of the tall cabs. You know, the ones with cigarette burns in the top. :-) Still do matter of fact, just takes cash 💰. Brad, loved the video, it was great seeing how thought it was to fix the amp. Don’t know if it was the amp, the new mic, or your playing but it sounded freakin fabulous! Thanks o great one!

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

You are right about the obligatory cigarette burns! :D

@FLORIDAERO 6 жыл бұрын

That reverb sounds amazing. Oh, and your playing too.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah, awesome reverb.

@joelspaulding5964 5 жыл бұрын

Great vid. My first amp was a Kustom Studio 2 valve. 50 watts, 2 power tubes, footswitchable reverb and flanger It was used strictly for keyboards.

@chrisf6216 6 жыл бұрын

11:55 -- "... if this sounds like something you'd be interested in, please stick around"

@EarlofBaltimore 6 жыл бұрын

Damn... Clicked on this thinking maybe Frank Black or Joey Santiago got a hold of this one.

@allenwoody5909 6 жыл бұрын

The only time I encountered wire that thin is the 42 gauge I used in the pup I wound. Funny thing, when I installed it in my tele (bridge) I scraped the wire against the metal and broke one strand of the wire. I knew I could not solder it, so I decided to make some conductive paint from activated charcoal, white vinegar and white glue. I painted it, wrapped it in electrical tape and it has worked since. I put 12,000 wraps on the pup, but did not wrap them tight enough, when I potted the pup the wire ballooned beyond the edges of the bobbin. That was about a year ago. The pup does sound great though, if I do say so myself. That amp sounds great now. WooHoo.

@neutrodyne 4 жыл бұрын

Back in the 60/70s Kustom amps were everywhere.

@RideAcrossTheRiver 3 ай бұрын

I have three in my living room!

@johngerson7335 6 жыл бұрын

Nice little bit of micro-surgery there Brad, well done! Hat's off to you. Rest peacefully Mr. Ross...

@josephharris1869 3 жыл бұрын

Me. Steady hands! That tank was something Brad

@rjmcmooseknuckle 6 жыл бұрын

The Bushologist?? lmao

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Please tell me that's a real thing! Career change coming!

@rjmcmooseknuckle 6 жыл бұрын

Looking forward to my Bushologist PHD !!! 🤘 haha

@tenlittleindians 4 жыл бұрын

@@TheGuitologist What's the definition of a bushwhacker,? The barber on the maternity ward.

@Dennis-mq6or 2 жыл бұрын

Your plating made that old Kustom amp sound really good! I own a few of them that rolled and pleated in black and had extra controls because they were lead amps. I also have a few of the later model more standard looking cabinet models. I have never had any kind of problem with any of them other than the transistor noise that is in all of them right out of the box... Thank you for bringing back some very good memories to an old man...

@joebentry 4 жыл бұрын

Had Bought a Blue 300 Head with (2) 4/12” columns years ago. All for $125 knowing the head was not working. Found a similar loose/cold solder joint. Have been using that setup for 30 years now 👍🏼 (did install a pair of small high frequency drivers into each column)

@matthewb8229 6 жыл бұрын

First thing that pops into my mind when I hear Brad talk: "Hey man, this is Donny Baker!"

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

hahaha...my drawl isn't that thick today. It used to be though when I was about 10-years-old.

@richardturk7162 6 жыл бұрын

Great video Brad Totally enjoyed it. The reverb tank fix was awesome I will check those connections if I find one not working.

@moodyga40 6 жыл бұрын

i love bud Ross Amp is covering gave me inspiration to go crazy on my amps

@jayslpstapes519 11 ай бұрын

What I didn’t know or realized was that in early Grateful Dead history you can see Phil Lesh use 2 of these with 2 Sunn/JBL2x15’s especially at the Monterey pop performance and Golden Gate Park using a jazz bass and this is before he switched to 4 dual showman heads to run his modded guild bass. Before the advent of active electronics in basses

@TheElrondo 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah...nice vid. I'v did the same surgical reverb tank operation 2 weeks ago. And as a special gift you played FBI. Great!

@DeadKoby 6 жыл бұрын

Kustoms USUALLY used pretty good components. I had one of those Germanium "Space ship" transistors blown on my K200-B1, it was from too much input signal. The later ones had tantalum caps for the small values. They refer to that type as a "Frankenstein" due to the cabinet having a "big forehead"

@mikemiller6628 6 жыл бұрын

I always want a Kustom amp ,They are made 65 miles from where I live.

@madmod 2 жыл бұрын

My highschool had complete Kustom with two matching tuck and roll 4x12s. It was crazy loud.

@akilluminati47 Жыл бұрын

Class of?

@madmod Жыл бұрын

@@akilluminati47 2016

@outthereassociates7155 6 жыл бұрын

The little creature he is holding is a "Nauga". The amp was covered in what was referred to as "Naugahide". Spelling may be incorrect.

@kaneo67 6 жыл бұрын

ah you tease brad.i thought this was gonna be about the band- the pixies.but now I think of it they probably only play through valve amps

@the_gitman5978 6 жыл бұрын

I remember those very well. They originally had two speaker outputs.

@noisefuljoy 3 жыл бұрын

I bought my son a Road 440 bass head. I think that Road Electronics was Bud Ross' next venture right after losing Kustom. That head sounded good, but failed, spectacularly blowing a nice d140 and two eminence 10's. The power transistors were then replaced, and I sold it. That particular one didn't like a 4ohm load. Now I miss it. I'm goofy. That Road stuff was the TV backline on American Bandstand!

@user-mt9tn1ni4g 5 жыл бұрын

I had three of these Kustom amps... that extra hole in the back you thought was a second speaker Jack it's a Reverb lock... you're supposed to turn it before you move the amp... when it's unlocked and you're powered up if you pick up one side of that head about an inch.. and drop it!! You'll think every window in your house just shattered at once.. I love those amps!!!!!! I was only a couple minutes into this video when I made this comment I just watched the rest of it... this situation is precisely why custom put a Reverb lock. This guy wasn't ""born on the bayou"" LOL just found your site love you videos

@jean-pierremarin-alonzo8560 6 жыл бұрын

take one: repair the amp take two: play the guitar Well done you are graduated !! ; )

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

It's just that simple!

@SlightlyTechnical 3 жыл бұрын

Those Kustom solid state amps sound amazing when running amp modelers through them

@graxjpg 3 жыл бұрын

I have the humongous 150w 12 input version of this very amp, weighs like 90lbs but it does sound glorious. On its own clean or with any kind of distortion, even preamp modelers. I also use a more modern 2x10 combo of theirs same deal, great clean and just as great with good drive.

@stevenmiller5366 6 жыл бұрын

Good tone for a solid state amp!

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Just gotta play to its strengths. Some things it can't do well, but others it clearly can.

@donrutter6765 4 жыл бұрын

Wow, I dig the Merle Travis style playing. Heres a crazy story of a 1940's amp I had in the 80's., someone made a 2 cabinet stack out of it, my grandfather gave it to me. I played with a Japanese guitar, 4 single coil pickups, in the summer when it was hot, I could hear truck drivers in Texas. on radio skip, and I'm in NJ. We lived next to a methodist church and my mom was in church one day, I leaked over the church PA playing Black Sabbath, I shit you not. My mom ran home and made me stop playing guitar. Not sure if the head was a Hammond or what, I dont remember, I didnt know about capacitors/resistors back then.I was a teenager. We still laugh about it today, 40 years later. 🤣

@robnic52 Жыл бұрын

Great video Brad. Interesting to see the young, brash Guitologist in action. Its August 2023, there has been a lot of water under the bridge these last five years. Is there anything in particular you'd change, do differently if you could? 😏 Shame you've quietened or not being promoted so well on YT, you made some great, lively, intelligent, dumb, cool content. You kept your integrity and decency through difficult times personally and through a global psyc op that bamboozled and tested everyone. Thumbs up man! 👍

@TheGuitologist Жыл бұрын

I've been posting here all summer: www.youtube.com/@Fixologist1

@therugburnz 6 жыл бұрын

That is a nice classic PA . It looks like the tuck and roll is in good condition. I can see why the owner wants to restore and actually use a classic like that.

@neutrodyne 4 жыл бұрын

That was some really nice playing at the end of the video! Kustom was one of the very first successful solid-state amp builders. Even today they still sound great and look great in my opinion. The one you worked on was an early model some times referred to as the Frankenstein model. This was due to its front top being so much taller than the bottom front. I think the speaker fuse used on this model was more to protect the amp from blowing up in case someone overloader the output.

@edgararias6601 6 жыл бұрын

Brad, you rock bro. Very nice repair and great tones from that amp! BTW, those EV vintage mics are just awesome! I have a dynamic model that just shines with character, none of the hi-fi quality of more modern gear. Heck, I feel like getting another. Great video!

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

It looks like something a gameshow host would use, but it's a great little mic. Only problem is, it's so slim you need a custom mic clip for it. Or duct tape, like I'm using now. :D

@Goomer 6 жыл бұрын

Nice work as usual. I have a K100 Charcoal combo in great condition, but it is noisy, also a silver PA head that works , but is a bit wonky.

@TheAgentAssassin 6 жыл бұрын

I love those old Blues Licks .

@paul2602 4 жыл бұрын

Cool. I played through Kustoms for a bit back in the day. Sounded great

@65dougk 6 жыл бұрын

I have a Kustom Kat. Got it for Christmas in '72.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

That is so cool. Got pics?

@65dougk 6 жыл бұрын

Not at the moment. In process of moving. My sister and my cousins also have them. I had no idea when I was a kid that there was any connection to amps. I'll dig mine out when I get settled and send you a pic on your facebook page.

@wyndorphstormcrow8372 6 жыл бұрын

I love old amps, i used to have mid 60s alamo it went south and my grandpa knew a guy who rebuilt it for me, i love the sound those old boys put out

@1Dougloid 6 жыл бұрын

Cool stuff. You've got me inspired to fix my Kustom bass amp that has one dead channel. After I fix a boat load of other projects. Ever heard of a Lesmann amp? That's next.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Never heard of those. Where were they made?

@1Dougloid 6 жыл бұрын

As near as I can figure out they were made in Wisconsin. The tie in was a patent they had on electronics in accordions so I guess the idea was "You buy the accordion, you buy the amp." The cabinet's similar to a narrow panel 5E5 Pro, 15 inch speaker, prolly 30 or 40 watts, all tube, the chassis might have been partially made by Valco as the markings on the chassis for the tubes is similar to what Valco used on things like Supro amps, but it used a tag board. It's in very nice shape but packed with weirdness. I've got some pics on my judybox blog but I'll be taking more. Say....what kinda camera do you use?

@backlineguy 11 ай бұрын

Cool video! Just picked up a 1970 Kustom 100 amp head ( in flawless condition!) and the 212 cabinet...just stunning condition for the tuck n roll exterior!...but two things need attention; the Reverb does not function, and the power cord needs to be updated to a 3-prong grounded type...

@kenjimac2211 6 жыл бұрын

L Hammond in 1935 found out that Bell labs had found a way to electronaclly reproduce the delay in long distance phone calls. This was just what Hammond needed to make his organs sound more like they were in a large audiotorium right in the customers living room. Thus, the reverb was born.

@eddgong 6 жыл бұрын

Saw this subject and had to comment ,memories came calling .I used one of these with the 2 columns of 4-10's ,black tuck n roll , played guitar thru it all thru high School, never even thought plugging a mic into it ......just roll the knobs to the stops and Sabbath Zep ,ZZ and plenty of Hank , Cash and Merle too, But wide open it 'd distort enough sound something like them records ,loud enough to piss off every neighbor around only had a few ,, the closest neighbor was a way over yonder ......that black pleats and stacked atop both 4/10cabs looked pretty cool in nothing else in them days size really did mean a lot when talent and skills still in the wish i cudda stages and all were judged by how note fer note one could p[l;ay the last half of Freebird oh and the 1st 1/2 too for us slide wanna-be's great memories ...ok i'll shut up now and watch this video and maybe learn a little more than I woke up with

@jhowellkc 6 жыл бұрын

+1000 on the 635. One of the most useful mics I own.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

I left the camera input level a bit too high, but it wasn't the mic's fault. I think it's an improvement.

@johnthrelfall5 6 жыл бұрын

Great sounding amp. Very good repair work , no wasted time following wrong trails! That micro soldering was a great instruction video! Good comments from people re output stage protection for power transistors.

@THUNDERWORX 6 жыл бұрын

Can you imagine the guy in 1966 trying to sell his old tube Marshall or Fender and his VW so he can update to the new Kustom solid state. "So groovy, you don't have to wait for it to warm up, and it is so light man!!!!" But, in that day, it was probably the cat's meow.

@Slovy_ 6 жыл бұрын

I love kustom amps. They’re fairly inexpensive and sound great. I sent u and email a while back saying I was going to mail you a bunch of 30-40 year old NOS tubes I have. I’ve been super busy lately but I’m still gonna get those out to u soon.

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

No probs. Thanks for watching Aaron.

@chasesrc 6 жыл бұрын

Great video, I had one of these amps back in the late 80's. Now I wish I still did. Thanks Brad!

@Slugg-O 4 ай бұрын

Nice repair. I don't normally care for SS amps but that one sounds great

@johnthornburg4049 5 жыл бұрын

good job on the REVERB fix - I gotta admit I gave you about a less than 10% chance of success and you absolutely nailed it. Good job! It is so fine I thought for sure it would come apart when you cut that tape off. It's a lot like working on a pickup isn't it?

@TheGuitologist 5 жыл бұрын

Yep. Hold your breath!

@fixins 6 жыл бұрын

"You look like someone who lives in a f-ing bush." -Guitologist Wife

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Not sure how many tramps she knows...I try to avoid eye contact when I see them leaving the house...but none I've seen are as good-looking as I am. :D

@justinbouchard 6 жыл бұрын

I say the color of the amp is Led Zeppelin lol. I'm also a fan and user of the preparatory drink of coffee before entering placing unknown. One must contemplate deeply prior to making a step like that. Transistors.........monster and stuff live there. Also the way you caressed that solder bubble and one might say, bush like wire, back into position was the shit. Keep the vid's coming!!! I've got some beauties on the way to hopefully make some tube nerds jealous :D Tons of Love from Canada :)

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

thanks justin. You keep watching them, I'll keep making them.

@Sungodv 6 жыл бұрын

you are a busy guy - remember a few new ones left back in the mid 70s music shops...they are made for percussive maintenance 04:02

@Sungodv 6 жыл бұрын

have always used solid state for the bass

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Percussive maintenance is NASA approved. Haven't you seen Apollo 13?

@PaulJohnPurnell 6 жыл бұрын

Hi, Donald "Duck" Dunn used a Kustom 200 Black Tuck-and-Roll, along with two 2x15 matching Kustom Cabinets loaded with JBL speakers ... I loved the way you and your Wife had a joke about you living in her Bush .... Funny lol

@TheGuitologist 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment. Lots of bassists used Kustom amps. My bass player for a long time used one.

@JammyCrackcorn 10 ай бұрын

There is some other History on Kustom Amps which involved his Brother-In Law Tom Woodson , who started Woodson amps using some similar parts and components…I have a Woodson 150-2 which has 2 / 12” CTS Speakers…The small indicator bulb is not working at this moment which has a red wire clipped on the board right behind a 2.2 ( red-red-red-silver ) resistor….There is no schematic anywhere on the web and the PC Board is 5116 which is not on the Kustom site!! By the way, I have a Kustom Kasino head that I repaired which 125 watts….LOUD!! Just got rid of a Kustom 50-2 Combo Amp with the original Kustom amp cover….

@HalfassDIY 6 жыл бұрын

Outstanding work, and great playing !

@waynetowers5046 6 жыл бұрын

Great to watch as always. I couldn't help but notice the bottle of Nukey Brown, or Newcastle Brown Ale, on your bench. It used to be made a couple of miles away right here in my home city, Newcastle upon Tyne, in the northeast of England. Now its made by Heineken in The Netherlands, sadly. It was never my type of drink, but nice to see a bottle of it on The Guitarologist's work bench. If you like your English ale, checkout Wylam Brewery, just outside of Newcastle. Really nice drinks. :) All the very best, keep up the great work. :)