The Best Tweed Amps Ever Made -Kenny Vaughan

Kenny Vaughan talks about the beauty of early Gibson tweed amps.
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[@otisgibbs]

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[@otisgibbs]

That damn fly was driving me nuts.

[@AnthonyBurrito1313]

What fly?

[@AnthonyBurrito1313]

Ohh that fly

[@FOH3663]

Such a pro ... didn't lose his place soldiering on, despite the fly.

[@andythomas2308]

@@AnthonyBurrito1313 Like Jack Elam in Once Upon A time in the west.....classic

[@steveferry4922]

It's a short trip !

[@saginawdan]

I could listen to Kenny all day long. Thanks Otis. 👍

[@ronnie5129]

Mr. Vaughan, Thanks for this video here, You are my Favorite Guitar Player, You have so much Taste in your Playing, I have seen you perform a few times, The last time was in Durango Colorado @ the Fort Lewis College, With Marty and the Fabulous Superlatives , That show was Awesome, I came home in Telecaster Heaven Man, I think that you could play an old sears Silvertone Guitar with the amp built in the case and make it sound like a Million Bucks, You have the Fingers Man, My Best to you, I hope we cross Paths again, Cousin Figel

[@otisgibbs]

Hell yeah!

[@ronnie5129]

@@otisgibbs Yes Sir..

[@missopowers]

I DO play an old Silvertone 1448, and I love it. It sounds like a hunnerd dollars! 😀

[@calsurflance5598]

Hey Kenny! We met in Modesto several years ago and spent the whole time talking about my old friend Dick Dale. With all the twang you and Marty throw down, you guys are THE Nashville Surf music kings! Thanks Otis!👌

[@Trailerparkrock]

KV my new guitar Hero..Years of RR guitar playing I discovered Kenny ..Love the sound he gets and his attitude

[@otisgibbs]

Kenny is wonderful! : )

[@MacTeee]

Keep the stories coming Kenny...luv em!!! 😀

[@RollieFingers59]

Been a guitar guy for most of my 52 years here on Earth. Mr. Vaughn is an incredible artist and wealth of knowledge. Love these!!

[@davequ]

My band used to play at this club (Sweetwater) in Denver back in mid/late '70s - early '80s. At that time a very young Kenny was playing lead guitar for a guy named Gene Chalk (RIP) along with a friend of ours on harp (harmonica) at the same club, so we'd drop in to hear Kenny & Richard play. He also had a "punk/new wave" trio named Jonny Three. This was all around '79/'80. Kenny could really kick ass on a guitar back then, and I'm sure he's just gotten better with age. It's great to see he's still doin' it.

[@geoffreyschofield8539]

I used to hang out at Sweetwater's a lot back in 1977 ,78. I remember the Gene Chalk band and another band that played there called the Live Wire Choir.

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Thank you, Otis and Kenny. Fun stories. Much appreciated. Be good to you 🤍💛

[@1033club]

Would love seeing a picture of that burnt amp...

[@Guitar5986]

Yep those old Gibson amps are absolute jems. I have two from the late 50's & 2 from the early 60's. All incredible.

[@FOH3663]

Truly dig what you're doing on this channel. Solid work.

[@wadedaffron639]

Oh, snap! I did NOT know about FLATWOUND strings on a Jazzmaster for the surf sound! THANKS! Always learn something from the incredible Mr. Vaughan!

[@mikec6621]

Kenny is a cool cat and a great musician, plain and simple.

[@badtweed2087]

Kenny's observations on equipment are so close to what I've observed over the decades. Speaking of speakers, they really are so important to the sound. I saw Peter Green with the 4 man Fleetwood Mac at the Shrine in LA during the late 60's and Peter had two Marshall cabinet stacks that had black face twin Reverbs on top instead of the standard Marshall tube heads and the sound from the combo of the Twins cranked really high driving those 4 Marshall cabs with the celestions was very very close to what one would expect from the Marshall heads. At the time I was quite familiar with the Marshall stack tone having seen Cream play at the Whiskey with the stacks cranked up high. Kenny has mentioned in other interviews about not caring for the sonic quality of the speakers Fender used in the 60's and I have to agree. I usually remove the oxfords, cts whatevers and replace them with something more suited to what I prefer like a celestion etc.

[@waynead754]

I have 1960 Gibson GA-79 that I love and have been playing since I bought it in 1965 or so.

[@douglove2412]

Right over my head, but I love hearing the pro talk, anyway. Love Kenny and the Superlatives. Send them several times, and listen all the time. The gear-talk comes from a different world, and it’s fun to learn. I’m going right down that rabbit-hole on the internet search of ‘59, ‘60 Gibson amps. Love you guys!

[@michaelhager4270]

I've got a 58 GA-8 here that puts most Tweed Deluxes to shame. Gibson made their cabinets from Cedar. It smells so good once it warms up. Thanks for letting that secret out of the bag haha

[@richardwhitehead4684]

Such useful info. It all lines up with my experience. Off on a tangent now, would love to hear Kenny’s remembrances of Danny Galton and his rig.

[@coryman4245]

I have a 1965 GA 15 RVT that I had tweaked/modded as well. Thru a warehouse 10 speaker. Hands down sweetest little lamp I've ever played tele or Les Paul. I'll never get rid of it

[@andrewpearson1903]

Exactly my model and speaker, and it’s my go-to home amplifier. Glorious sounding combination

[@coryman4245]

@andrewpearson1903 great amps right. I also have a 2010 GA42 RVT handwired with eminence legend speakers. It also sounds amazing. Gibson just put out a Falcon series 5 watt and 20 watt that I would love to try out

[@andrewpearson1903]

@@coryman4245 Be careful with the new ones, a channel called "the guitologist" observed that most guitar review channels aren't showing the insides of the new Falcons, and they look cheap when you open them up. There are boutique amp builders charging not much more than Gibson for much better contemporary hand-wired amps

[@stephenhenion8304]

Back in 1982 I had an American Guild amp with 4 ....12 inch JBL Speakers... it was 75 libs, kind of looked like a washing machine... reverb...LOUD!! with my ES 355...THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!

[@PongbyAtari]

One of my people to listen tell tales of the road or in general is KV. I could never get tired of hearing him talk. Thanks for another great interview and video Otis.

[@VonBluesman]

Hey Kenny, it’s Mike. I met you years ago when you flew into town with Steve Conn to play in Steve’s home town, downtown. You are a trooper, I would have said cut the tape until I kill this ____ fly. LOL. To save money and not use poisonous bug killer, buy a cheap .99 spray bottle, add Dawn blue liquid dishwashing detergent along with water and spray any insects. You can use it to kill roaches too but you got to almost drown them in it, flush them immediately because some release eggs right before dying and they will hatch out. Tip Of The Day. LOL 😂. Love your playing and you are still one cool dude with a great personality. Thanks.

[@daviswall3319]

Love listening to Kenny Vaughn

[@guyhillTophat]

I try to catch all your interviews. Always informative and fun. Thank you, Kenny.

[@leearensdorf1393]

Man, Kenny is an absolute encyclopedia of music personalities and gear!! Otis does great interviews also!!

[@WillyPDX94]

Always a treat to hear from Cousin Kenny.

[@memphishancock6483]

The early 60s gibson amps like my 64 falcon are greatly improved when you remove the tone suck circuit, it's one wire extended and 3 solder joints and you've got a super gainy amp when cranked.

[@celyda2]

You and Kenny together are gold.

[@kevinhuber8723]

Always blows my mind when musicians get into the electronics of their amplifiers.

[@Teleman76]

I could listen to Kenny’s stories all day!

[@mattmorgan2400]

Kenny, check out Soursound transformers in Portland, OR. He winds the closest thing to new old stock there is. Uses the same old steel and everything! He knows his biz!!

[@ericvandongen431]

I love being a fly on the wall, (or face) for these conversations.

[@geoffwalton118]

Kenny is not only a great musician but a great story teller as well. What a guy!

[@reverbdeluxe]

Always love the Kenny Videos!

[@user-it5ce5su9p]

The song writer i was working with in the 90s had one very warm sounding the Gibson tweeds, cv

[@wri6345789]

Great story! 🙂

[@joeyspinks]

KV is just the best! Great player, great storyteller. After years of listening to Kenny play, I bought an RS Guitarworks KV tele a few years back. Love that guitar!

[@sevenmileridgeband]

Fantastic. Love this tech stuff!!!! In what world is "Less Beefy" an improvement !! ! Also, love the story of the fire damaged baseman that still works, and absolutely agree that it should not be re-tolexed. I've been expecting and predicting to anyone that will listen, that the relicing of guitars trend (way out of control over relicing IMHO) will soon migrate to the amplifier market. Maybe Kenny's amp could serve as the prototype for a "reliced" bassman.

[@scottrgood]

Fender Tweed Super (2x10”) is my favorite.

[@larryholland7192]

Awesome interview!!

[@musicman1976]

It was great seeing you again Thursday in Lancaster. You guys were tighter than ever. Marty signed my esquire for me and I just got my fender deluxe reverb in the mail today. Tonemaster that is 😆

[@BenPrevo]

18 watts 2 6V6gt's -- it the 5879 pentode inputs that make the GA40 scream.

[@taylorwerner384]

That reminds me…I need to finish my Fender tweed deluxe clone I’m building.

[@crazywisdom2]

Great vid Otis ! Would love to see you do a Rig Run down with Kenny. Thanks = )

[@clydehannah1056]

I really Love your Channel Mr.Gibbs! And I Really Dig your Gear Episodes! Thank You

[@otisgibbs]

Thank you, Clyde!

[@Neverlost3234]

Loved his concert with Marty in Asheville

[@tedgay8427]

These KV videos are wonderful. Are more to come?

[@otisgibbs]

This is the last of what I have, but I'm sure we'll do something somewhere down the road, Ted!

[@stratocaster1greg]

Kenny did you ever meet Tommy Bolin in Colorado? I really dig your musicianship. Thanks Greg.

[@psychic_records]

Would love to hear more gear talk, that was great 👌

[@patrickcoughlin3564]

Love this tale of the burnt bassman. Well done Otis & Cuz Kenny !

[@JamesJLaRue]

This popped up in my feed because it's a Kenny interview, but I subscribed because of the fly. The fly added some grittiness and grime and a little buzz, not unlike the finest in tweed amps.

[@otisgibbs]

You're living right, James! : )

[@kimmolingonheimo]

Very Nice to see Kenny Vaughan the third of the Vaughan bros, ha..., live n kickin! veery good player, when you got the guitar n picks n pickups you need the pedals n amps...: a BIG AMP for outhousing! ha ha, and the "music business": if not with human surviving then GEAR : WORKING TOOLS!... My main amp seems to be a Fender Stage 100W, transister, sounds nice n warm with my strats n pedals, far perhaps from the madding crowd, but sos my mind..., Just saw another Great Julian Lage play a Nocturne with a Tele n a Fender Champ Tweed: aawsomeness!!!! thats when the little I stopped selling a 30€ pedal Joyo American Sound, which emulates Fender amps tone... ((( wouldnt it be nice to have one guitar n one amp....))), ha ha n haa, thanks mr Otis Gibbs!😎😎

[@JeffCrowell11]

Kenny please post a picture of your ‘Phoenix’ amplifier.

[@richardsypniewski9279]

Kenny is a true bad ass guitar slinger! 🎸🤟

[@jimlahey3552]

Someone needs to tell Kenny about Soursound transformers. They’re making the best stuff on the market right now. Their transformers are just as good, if not better, than the vintage ones.

[@Johngonefishin]

Brian is a vintage amp master, he's also the the king of old Echoplex repairs.

[@landlinesandpercolators8822]

Gear Head hardcore!

[@badtweed2087]

Wow! What is cooler that having the ghost of Vincent Price do a fly in!

[@ratt2roll]

that damn fly

[@DismasM]

...so it sounds better for country guitar. Awesome.

[@michaelconner9904]

I like thee old Carbon Belair tweed.

[@GIBKEL]

2 x 6V6’s and 2 x 5879’s preamp and 5Y3. Something about those preamp tubes? Only 15 watts cathode bias but it’s a mean 15 watts. Around 6’ it’s about as loud as it gets , but just gets meaner to 10. It’s a Brut! I would love to hear it through a 4 x 12 Marshall cab. Haven’t had that privilege. It makes sense that he has them rebuilt as they are a pain to work on with most of the of the caps on the underside of the board. Massive power transformer for the wattage. Nice shout out to a rarer amp.

[@frydog1ea]

I really dig hearing you and Kenny talk. You both have some great stories.

[@bradc32]

ya could listen to Kenny all day tellin his tales of the biz

[@johnnyrhythm9493]

put a pair of P12R's in the burnt Bassman cabinet. Then the cabinet will be your favorite of all time. I saw a vintage pair offered on eBay yesterday!

[@artemisXsidecross]

A 'Mad Max'amp is one of a kind and a keeper ✌

[@timwhitlock3500]

The Gibson GA40 is 2 x 6V6. It's probably 18 watts. The name is misleading. They had one in a local music shop but it had issues so I passed.

[@roncarter2188]

1958-1960 Are the years that those amps sound killer! And you are right in those later years Gibson put what they called a tone sucking network in their amplifiers so first thing you do is get that out of there and then you got something to work with.

[@thesoundchekguy]

I'd LOVE to see the picture of that amp!

[@thesoundchekguy]

Ok so I'm guessing that Bassman amp is what is in Marty's new video for "Country Star." It looks really cool.

[@geraldmasters7595]

Great story, luv kenny. dang fly.

[@susanramirez7700]

more Kenny!

[@riniones]

that fly, though

[@mretrain]

I could sit around with Kenny and shoot the shit about guitars, amps,and music for as long as he would put up with me.

[@3340steve]

Wow, that Gibson amp Kenny V. is talking about is close to the one Jim HALL played for years.

[@intuneorange]

Jim Hall's was maintained by Harry Kolbe.

[@fixpedalboards1969]

Damn it Kenny…you just doubled the price on a well kept secret! And yes there’s a ton of hype around Mercury transformers. I have tried to get the right iron to rebuild vintage transformers because that particular alloy isn’t even poured anymore. I’d have to buy a mill run which was over $70k in 2005 I don’t even want to think about what it would cost now.

[@manning4145]

Could someone please get a number or location for Robert Hinson (amp guy) in Memphis I have a late 50"s Gibson Ga 20T that tremelo fades out after a short period of use.

[@robertrohrs9195]

Those early Gibson amps are the best, in my opinion.

[@colinbowman]

I live in Memphis and need Robert Henson contact info. Can’t find any info on him. I have an old Gibsonette 5w amp that is the best amp I own. And several others that need repair. Can someone tell me how to reach Robert Henson?

[@travisthornton1792]

I had a 1960 Gibson Skylark GA-5T for a few years. Loved it but sold it a few weeks ago because those old components kept frying on me and the maintenance was costing me too much. I think the older amps are geared for slightly lower voltages. I miss the sound though.

[@clayton5584]

Use a bucking transformer with vintage amps to lower the input voltage.

[@otisgibbs]

There's a great episode of Ask Zac about a product called The Brown Box that helps with voltage issues. I keep meaning to buy me one someday. : )

[@travisthornton1792]

@@otisgibbs I saw that episode and almost bought one… but a transformer blew on me before I could snag one so I sold the amp back to the shop I bought it from.

[@WillyPDX94]

If you like playing vintage amps, you might want to invest in an Amp Rx Brown Box Voltage Attenuator. You can scale the voltage down to the sweet spot for any vintage amp.

[@elritroid1617]

Dang flies

[@rustybeltway2373]

Further proof of our hypothesis: the coolest people, and the best guitar players, are the same people.

[@dennymcfastlane8530]

At 0:52 ~~Bad advise here. No offense to Kenny, but you cannot just unplug the speaker lead and run another cabinet without checking Speaker ohms & series. This is a tube amp, not a solid state amplifier! Those GA-40 L.P. amps are not inexpensive anymore, so have your tech guy set You up, like Vaughan obviously does. Good interview~Thank You.

[@HarryLime-ge6dc]

Being a history buff myself, I'm not a fan of Andrew Jackson, and I understand not getting into left or right, but genocide is not exactly a he-said/he-said type of situation. It would be like having a Herman Goering model Jazzmaster.

[@karmadave]

I owed to own a pristine quality ‘57 GA-40 Les Paul Amp. That amp absolutely killed! Sorry I sold it 😢

[@chrislestermusic]

I found a ‘57 GA40 at my town recycling center. Sweet find.

[@karmadave]

@@chrislestermusic 😎

[@PeachEater81]

GA20,30, and 40 are all the same power of a tweed deluxe

[@rogerwilliams2629]

Love the gear talk!! If he ever gets tired of that ol burned up Bassman...LOL.

[@DrMattWalton]

GA-40s were about 18 watts

[@ViceroyBandOfficial]

I'm pretty sure the 1960 GA-40 is only 16 watts.

[@michaelconner9904]

Carvin

[@TheBlackHarrington]

Interesting

[@johnnycab8986]

Gibson GA6s are like 5E3s but better.

[@majortwang6211]

🎯

[@musicofanatic]

A Gibson GA-40 is 20-25 watts maximum

[@drumsleuth]

Drummers want a shiny clean drums.Guitar players want a beat up amp and a scratched guitar.What do bass players want?

[@charlesbolton8471]

To get all the rewards of being in a band without doing any of the work?

[@intuneorange]

A B 15 ampeg Some want the B 18 Made by Everett when the factory was in Woodside Queens

[@CreativeWarrior-]

Drunken fly from the 19th Hole........