Stevie Ray Vaughan - History Of His Amplifiers

[@billnelson9413]

The mystery amp is the Studiomaster Valve Leadmaster endorsed by Earl Slick who replaced Stevie when he decided not to tour with David Bowie. Stevie used two of these amps instead of his Vibroverbs for one tour. 60 watts 1x12.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks Bill 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@cubistone]

The Bill Nelson? Wow

[@bensblues]

Any idea which tour?

[@billnelson9413]

@@bensblues right after the David Bowie sessions.

[@cubistone]

Probably the Serious Moonlight tour which supported the Let's Dance album and the only one that SRV was played on as far as I know.

[@theirritatedirishman5440]

Stevie and Cesar were very close friends of mine and this is what I clearly remember. Stevie’s complaints were he wanted the amps to give a little bit but yet wanted clean headroom to a certain extent. Cesar went with the solid state rectifiers and that helped but the brightness Stevie did not care for and that was a result of the JBL’s. He liked the 15 D130’s in his Vibroverbs but in the Super’s the JBL’s were not working sound wise. Just to make it clear, Stevie knew almost nothing about gear and relied on otters to help guide him. Anyway Cesar did try regular EV’s but too stiff and clean. EV Forces ended up being the choice and were amazing! Stevie hated the Dumble 160 watters for the same reason Stevie hated Twin Reverbs, too clean. Stevie also loved his Marshall 50 watt trem head. He always said that it sounded like a built in Tube Screamer. Stevie also loved Telecasters but the lack of the trem bar kept him from using them. One of Stevie’s favorite amps were Blackface Bassman’s and in trade I reviewed a blonde Tele that Stevie received as a gift. It was missing the back pickup and tons control. I in turn I gave Stevie a Blackface Bassman piggy back rig. Many days traveling to Cesar’s house in Pocono’s PA just to work on amps and try guitars.

[@modusceo]

Absolutely incredible. Any more info on the EV forces?

[@theirritatedirishman5440]

@@modusceo : Lowest wattage EV’s made and been outta production for at least 15 years maybe 20? Closest speaker made to it now would be the Eminence Wheelhouse 150 12 or Wheelhouse 200 15 inch. Depending on which amp Stevie was using sometimes he’s have (2) Tube Screamers on the floor. One would be set for a little grit and the other would be just past 1/2 way up.

[@darrenbaird989]

Did Stevie not prefer his 150watt SSS amps for the reason being they didn't distort when turned up

[@theirritatedirishman5440]

@@darrenbaird989 : Well I don’t wanna make it sound like that Stevie hated other amps it’s just that he was one of those guys that had to have an amp not only sound good but the feel had to be right. He loved some old Marshall’s and as we all know Super Reverbs and Vibroverbs were always a go to for him. He absolutely loved Blackface Bassman amps but lack of reverb kept those from being used. Stevie also used an ART Power Plant preamp on some recordings but again solid state and wasn’t perfect feel and tone. I saw him try one of those old Legend amps which are hybrid amps that sucked! Dirty you could get it grind but clean was awful! Some people wanted him to try Demeter’s which some of the other popular players had been using either live or studio. Those were cool but I think too complex sounding?

[@williamhurrelbrink3324]

Thank you for this very cool comment!

[@texastyrannyresponseteam794]

I was fortunate enough to grow up in Texas and got to see Stevie a lot over the years.. saw his rig evolve.. got to see him in smaller venues.. met him and talk to him a couple different times.. what a nice and genuinely friendly guy.. i am a real superfan.. i've spent my entire life trying to cover his tunes in a musically faithful manner.. i even tried to mimic his rig best i could along the way.. with a split signal chain.. wet/dry/wet.. a lot of his mods.. didn't stay with the 13 gauge strings long though.. ouch.. i like to think i do an alright job.. i'll never forget where i was the very second i learned of his untimely passing.. imagine how much music we are missing today.. RIP Stevie..

[@chrisquinn9104]

The main thing is to understand the JBL speakers. What that proves for sure is that SRV wasn’t carrying his own amps

[@beachcomber4141]

LOL! Nice

[@keithcampbell9017]

I was with Cesar the night we both met Stevie and the band. It was in the summer of 1980 that I received the phone call from the band's road manager. Cesar and I were both working at Angela Instruments in Bethesda, Md at the time. The gig was at Deperado's in Georgetown Wash. D.C. not the Psyche-Deli in Bethesda, Md. If the gig was at the "Deli" we would have walked the one block instead of driving 30 minutes to Georgetown. (I should have mentioned that the reason their road manager asked us to come to the gig was because we had single guitar strings ie: 13,18, etc. and we had a service person that could work on older fender amps ie: Cesar. When we got there we came upon a brown Vibroverb and a black Vibroverb (both 64's I think.) Cesar pulled both trays, and started using his test equipment. He remarked , "Man, these things are fucked up! I'm gonna wait until they get back from dinner and see what they want" Both amps had JBL's with a gray speaker chassis at this time. The band got back from dinner, Cesar did some minor adjustments, We went back to Motel50 in Arlington Va. Me and Stevie had a trivial pursuit about blues guitarists (he won, but was surprised how many I knew because he considered me a punk-rock guitar player, I bothered Tommy about Woodstock with Johnny Winter, and Cesar and Stevie started a long and fruitful (yet sometime argumentative) from what "Mr.C" told me. I miss them both. Cesar and myself were pretty close, spending many late nights at the work benches of Angela Instruments. Thanks for letting me ramble on KC.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Amazing thanks for this 🙏🙏🙏

[@slicksalmon6948]

The Desperados gig was February 12-13, 1981. I was there. Stevie used two Vibroverbs and one 2x12 Marshall combo. The only effect he used was a wah-wah which only got hooked up for tunes that required it. Otherwise, he ran straight into the amps. Magnificent tone…best I ever heard.

[@charmandrews]

The unidentified amps at 8.15 are Studiomaster VLM's, (Valve Lead Master) designed by my good friend Paul (PB) Belcher. They were built in Luton, England. I still have one and it is amazing...

[@TheFakeNewsFrog]

I own 2 Studiomaster consoles… It’s a shame they sold to China, the UK equipment was awesome for the value!

[@charmandrews]

@@TheFakeNewsFrog Which consoles do you have?

[@TheFakeNewsFrog]

@@charmandrews I’ve got a Series II & a Mixdown 16-8-16 with 16 Channel expander. They’re not bad, and the Mixdown’s an absolute workhorse!

[@charmandrews]

@@TheFakeNewsFrog I was with them for about 24 years. Think by the S2 I was running the parts (or finished goods) stores. The boss was determined to have MIDI on the S2 because it was a big thing... I think it was Bill Kelsey who came up with the idea of using it for MIDI mutes. Everything was built to last back then.

[@TheFakeNewsFrog]

@@charmandrews The S2 I have in storage due to it being a bit crackly now. I did pay to have it cleaned, but the problem kept creeping back. I’m assuming some pots, faders, etc, need to be replaced. Understandable though for the age. The Mixdown on the other hand… It just keeps going! There’s no crackling whatsoever, and when it does arise, a bit of switch cleaner and you’re good to go for month’s! If I could create a modern equivalent, I’d have motorised faders with MIDI, a single fader for the master, the same S2 EQ section but with added pass-filters for the high & low frequencies, split the sub-groups from 16 to half VCA, ports to the rear, then add the meter bridge from the Classic 8. I wouldn’t like to imagine the cost… But if it could be achieved for around £5000-6000, I reckon it’d still be a genuine contender with the likes of SSL & Neve. Studiomaster really was a great company! Those amp’s you were talking about still go for quite a bit too! I’ve heard some great stories from them, like how the EP3 power supplies were sometimes made by a husband & wife at home… It’s things like that, the overall quality they bought to the market at great prices… I just wish it was alive and kicking here in the UK today!

[@glennanderson9947]

Hi Goose, I was a witness to Stevies' club era gigs during college in Texas from January 1981 through March 1983 and was fortunate enough to see Double Trouble a number of times, I seem to remember that for the small room we were in there was always a Super Reverb and another Fender, that I thought at the time was Twin as I was not familar with Vibroverbs back then but that's probably what it was. It was an increble experience and looking back it was like seeing and hearing the El Macombo video up close. After Texas Flood was released he was gone from the Texas club circuit and on to destiny. During that era he was unapproachable but we were more interested in talking to Tommy Shannon because he recorded with Johnny Winter and played at Woodstock. Thanks for the great history lesson.

[@JoshEoff-ji1eo]

Can u elaborate on what u mean by Stevie being unapproachable? I’m genuinely curious, not being snarky. Was he just too busy? Or was it a rudeness?

[@rokfather]

@@JoshEoff-ji1eomaybe he was just in a rude mood :)

[@chloelavender3620]

I live in Memphis, and the local music store I now work at , would repair his amps on the spur of the moment. He stayed and jammed here a lot before he was really big. So I'm sure other places had to do whatever it took for him to get through that day. He was a artist.

[@Gratefulman1965]

Two guitarists that have always meant everything to me are SRV and secondly Don Rich. I can’t get enough of either and this video of Stevie’s amps is priceless. Thank you!🎶

[@RaulDuke773]

Don Rich is the fucking man!

[@m0j0b0ne]

Interesting pairing; I'm also a huge Don Rich fan, wonder what Stevie thought of him? Pete Anderson's another guy that has great Tele tone.

[@Gratefulman1965]

@@m0j0b0ne Yes sir! Pete is a legend in his own right as well. I’m sure Stevie would’ve had good things to say about Don and Pete as well.🎶

[@davesmith1672]

Excellent job. I first saw and met Stevie in Dec ‘81 or very early’82 at the Continental Club in Austin (small venue) and was using both his Vibroverbs and a pair of Club&Country Marshalls - shiny speaker domes visible thru all of them. VERY LOUD! He had six Strats in a home built stand sitting behind him. Unforgettable moment for me! Of course I saw him many other times using many different amps and the Steel String Singers were the greatest sounding ones in his hands.

[@57Stratocat]

I met Stevie in 1980 at Crossroads in Nacogdoches, Tx. He was playing through two blackface Super Reverbs and the two aforementioned Vibroverbs. After the show, Stevie gave me a rig rundown - the Vibroverbs had the JBL's, thought the Super Reverbs had a mix of speakers, unlike what this video states.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

He had several Super Reverbs, and at least one had JBL's. Texas Flood was all JBL speakers, according to Cesar Diaz, but later used EV instead, because the JBL's kept getting blown-out, and the sound wasn't what he wanted.

[@matthewf1979]

I got to see the amps at the Grammy museum up close. Both of the 59 reissue Bassman’s had four EV 10’s and replaced plywood baffles. I’d guess the baffles were 1/2” thick. Those speakers are very heavy compared to(everything really)the Eminence Alnico 10’s they came with.

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

Outstanding work! I never knew that all of Stevie’s Fenders were given solid state rectifiers! I personally love solid state rectifier, as there always seems to be more headroom and much tighter low end. Stevie’s tone NEVER sounded farty at all.

[@shaunw9270]

That was a revelation to me too ! I was once offered a '59 Bassman reissue at a reasonable price, that I turned down because someone had changed it to solid state rectification...I remember thinking "who the hell would do that ?!" 😊

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

@@shaunw9270 Haha, it’s crazy what the term “solid state” can trigger in so many of us. The reason I like solid state rectification is because I almost strictly play “rhythm” guitar, a lot of open chords and power chords. I think the more direct tone that solid state rec’s provide lends itself to rock n roll rhythm playing. But I always assumed that solid state rec’s are the bane of blues/lead players’ existence! I thought that blues and lead players always want that “sag” and squishiness that comes with rectifier tube. This video has totally flipped that notion on its head!

[@jeffmaloney8701]

@@shaunw9270 The SSR was stock in Bassman reissue amps from their inception. It was in a socket tho and could be swapped out for a tube rectifier, along with required bias adjustment. I did it numerous times on numerous Bassman reissues and I can tell you that it completely changed the character of the amp.

[@shaunw9270]

@@jeffmaloney8701 Okay , I thought it was the opposite way around. Anyhow I didn't buy the one I was going to because of SSR tbh.

[@AllSpace]

NO MATTER WHAT AMP STEVIE HAD USED, HE'D ALWAYS GOT THAT SQUEALLY TONE, MIND BLOWING TONE!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed

[@imannonymous7707]

I think thats true, tone is in the hands and ears

[@justinparkerthewildwolf6394]

I always thought Stevie was going for a Hendrix sound. Which is funny because Hendrix doesn't have, a sound, he has 20 different sounds in each song

[@kenlee6126]

Love that tone that Stevie gave us ! Was chasing info about Cesar and there it was in your presentation... Thank you greatly for sharing!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure bro

[@Cajundaddydave]

Thanks for this really in-depth look at SRV many different rig choices over the years. Well done Goose!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks 🙏🙏🙏

[@beachcomber4141]

Great information on one of the greatest tone chasers of all time!!! Cheers!!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks indeed Eric

[@theax40]

Those Peavy Vintage amps are no joke. I had a buddy in high school so was huge into the blues and SRV along with his dad. They had a few of these amps and they sounded great. They also had an all original Super Reverb that was heavenly.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Yes I am sure those Peavys sounded ace

[@rosssoutherland8118]

@@TheGuitarShow Hey I used to own the very first (Fender Twin Reverb prototype) for many years. It also had a D-130 Speaker in it. Feel free to watch my video I did on the amp. Just look up my name Ross Southerland Fender Twin Reverb prototype. Thanks again and I always enjoy your videos!

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@rosssoutherland8118 that’s really interesting thanks I’ll check it out

[@roberthanson579]

That El Mocambo set is one of the best ever recorded, by anybody. It made me realize that I was a keyboard player. ;)

[@TheGuitarShow]

great comment Robert!

[@tombstoneslim7070]

If you’re looking for additional info there’s a fella in the Kentucky area by the name of Steve Wilson that was Stevie’s amp tech towards the last of Stevie’s life. Super amazingly nice fella and just a genius with amps and vintage gear. He now works with the Kentucky Headhunters. I can also attest that Mike Soldano is sheer genius as well. Been playing his amps for years. Appreciate you taking the time to put this video together!! Thank you!!

[@charmandrews]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6rJo4COnN-In80

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this info bro

[@tombstoneslim7070]

@@TheGuitarShow Very welcome!! Here’s a video of a guy that found him and visited his shop. Such a cool guy!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6rJo4COnN-In80

[@johnnolan4312]

Really appreciate all the work that into this video, IMHO SRV could play through anything and still sound like SRV thx for the video

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks John

[@MrAmptech]

I ended up with a Club & Country 2x12 back in the 1990's. It definitely gave you his tones.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Nice

[@Louis-h5p]

Historical info of Stevie and his sound. Tec talk mastering is tone coming from his soul amplified for all to enjoy ...Well Done stevie and the techs to help get the Stevie ray sound that we all enjoy and love .

[@fullclipaudio]

I really like that Stevie could play on a wide range of amps and still have a "signature" sound. I'm not surprised that the rectifier tube was replaced with diodes for touring. In the studio, which is my domain, I prefer the rectifier tube as I think it records better and heat and travel abuse are not an issue. Thank you for this most excellent video.

[@jupitermoongauge4055]

The El Mocambo tone was possibly the greatest electric guitar tone of all time. No need for the thin sounding Dumbles

[@jasonpatton9962]

No doubt about that!

[@ryanlittleton5615]

My personal favorite is Live in Tokyo 1985.

[@TheFakeNewsFrog]

You’re the first person I’ve heard describe a Dumble as ‘thin’. In fact, I’d argue that’s completely personal opinion based on absolute nonsense.

[@jonathonfuqua6730]

Thin Dumble lmfao

[@jupitermoongauge4055]

@@TheFakeNewsFrog ok, the Dumble sss wasn't thin per se, but because it was so damn loud and clean it ended up being that most of Stevies overdrive came from the tubescreamer gain being cranked more which made his tone thinner. Nothing played on the Dumbles sounded as good as the tones he was getting from cranking his Vibroverbs and his Super Reverbs earlier on in his career. The mythos behind his SSS's doesn't hold up in reality as any comparison recordings will prove. Don't get me wrong, Dumble amps are amazing and Stevie Ray is number 2 to only Jimi Hendrix, but as great as his tone was with the Dumbles, his earlier blackface tones were so much better , more interactive, juicier, warmer, shimmerier etc

[@FendCore]

A very pleasant and interesting story, well told 👍

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure

[@BedeLaplume]

​ Interesting documentary.. As usual.. At the end of the day, no matter how good the guitar is, the amp has the final word in the chain of tone.. Your friend Bob who must have spent a ton of money on really beautiful, excellent guitars also made that point in an earlier video... ​

[@goodtimefolkrock]

Fascinating stuff ......saw SRV several times thruout his career and so saw him play thru many of these amps .....how cool

[@TheGuitarShow]

Amazing thanks!

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

Nils is talking about an actual Peavey Classic 50, I believe. I used to own one. Heaviest amplifier I’ve ever had.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Okay thanks for this - I just thought it too much of a coincidence that SRV once owned a Peavy vintage and that he gave away a Peavy -

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

@@TheGuitarShow true

[@PaulSter]

Yep, I've had a few Peaveys. A Delta Blues 1x15. That was a heavy sucker! Sold it to a fellow Texan who gigged with it for many years somewhere in the Virgin Islands. But the all-time heaviest I had was the 80s 120w Deuce that a friend gifted me with. Cost me about $300-400 to get it back up to snuff. I didn't sell it out of respect for him, but man, that was not an amp I had any use of. Not just because it weighed a ton, was way too powerful, but because it just didn't sound all that great. It had those JBL looking speakers which I'll bet were more valuable than the amp itself. The phaser was pretty fun though!

[@davidbrucemusicvideo]

@@PaulSter true……

[@ReaA-nn2jx]

Thank you for a motherload of tehcy knowledge i never knew of srv's lineup . Also im happy to hear his gifting a ricky to my man - mr hubert sumlin - a real one. Good stuff / Bless your work

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@ReaA-nn2jx pleasure bro

[@howabouthetruth2157]

I had a dear friend who owned & operated a small guitar/amp shop ( and other instruments, gear, & components ) for years and he was one of the best local blues guitarists around central Florida. He gigged quite often. Being in business, he was always wheeling & dealing amps, gear, etc. So during one of his gigs back about 1995, he was playing through an old Marshall Country Gentleman ( I think that was it's name ) combo, BIG combo.......and man, did that amp bring the beef, with lots of headroom. One of his customers bought that amp rather quickly, ( no surprise there ), so I never heard him play through it again........nor have I seen or heard another one in person to this day. I have no idea if the amp was modded......but it sure sounded sweet.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this, I played one back in the 90s ...great amp actually

[@applesauceblues6952]

You may mean the Marshall JMP 4140 Club and Country. That's the only amp marshall made that would be similar in name and it's a combo amp. There's one on reverb for 1500$ ATM!

[@smellytele9629]

My buddy owns one of Stevie's Fender Vibroverb amps. It has a ton gain very early, like on two on the volume. My friend is opening a small music museum and has been buying gear owned by famous players. He's got one of Townshend's HiWatts as well. I haven't had a chance to play thru that one yet.

[@TheGuitarShow]

That's really interesting - thanks for the info

[@RezqRabbitVT]

The Soldano SLO is absolutely one of the best amplifiers of all time. So versatile. From pristine cleans, dirty blues, and high gain metal, the SLO has been killing it since the late 80s, and inspired many more iconic amps. Wish we could have heard him play through it

[@shaunw9270]

Brilliant video thanks Ramon , and now you have me thinking about Soldano too. I never knew they used 5881 valves, which I am a fan.

[@cubistone]

Among the greats, SRVs and early Van Halens tones are at the top of the heap. Both are sinewy and muscular. This video is likewise legendary and priceless. My journey for tone is satiated. Thank you.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Per an interview I read many years ago, Cesar Diaz tweaked Stevie's amps so they produced loud, clean and clear lows, with highs that contained plenty of breakup. Getting an amp to do that is not an easy thing--hence the diode rectification, beefier transformers, specific speakers, and a few small tweaks to the biasing and tone stacks.

[@m0j0b0ne]

I'd say that's a fair assessment, and it's a wonder SRV didn't use a Boss DS1 instead, as a treble booster to push the highs into saturation.

[@Scaredycat-dad]

Great video Goose! I always learn something when watching your show, appreciate the effort that you put into making these.

[@jltrem]

I had a friend in my working days who was always trying to give me gear he had and didn't use as he was a blues harp player. One item he was always trying to give me was a Peavey Vintage amp. The tweed had been painted black. I didn't take his offers because I felt it would be taking advantage of our friendship. Maybe I should have.

[@scottarivett496]

Peavey made some black ones. I’ve seen the 30 watt combo in black from the factory. Most of the bigger ones were always tweed.

[@theariesexperiment4642]

I've been a massive SRV fan for years. I never knew of the "falling out" with Dumble. Unreal.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for watching

[@hiroyukiogushi8550]

4:54

[@sixstringjc]

Thank you so much for making this video. As sought after as the Dumbles are, I can understand why he got put off by Dumble for charging for phone calls. RIP to both.

[@frantisca]

Back in the late '70s, I was gigging with another guitarist who played on a Silverface Deluxe Reverb. Later in the early '80s, he had put his hands by chance on an original vintage VibroVerb from a guy who sold it to him for a ridiculously low price. It didn't work and need service, but once the tubes and a few caps replaced, it worked like a charm ! I tried both in comparison and must say I still prefered the Siverface with its 2x12 Fender Specials over the Vibroverb with the 15" JBL. The front pickup on my Les Paul sounded fuller, at the verge of breakup on the Silverface, vs. more headroom but way cleaner on the Vibroverb. This is all passed stuff anyway, as I fucked up my hearing in the meantime and developed Tinnitus by now... PROTECT YOUR HEARING !!! Cheers René

[@harryprater9014]

Big Stevie fan... very interesting vid. Thanks !!

[@catherinepryce9023]

At 17:01, it was Mark Knopfler who started using the SLO100 first in 1988. Eric bought two from Mike Soldano after using Marks amps at sound check, as Mark was playing second guitar in Eric’s band from 1987-88. Just nit picking though, your video is excellent!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this Catherine - Im dong a MK video next!

[@PaulSter]

Great show! Thanks from Austin, Texas

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Paul!!!

[@mrthunder8190]

Wow...great information, love the photos too! This is the best, supported information I've ever heard on Stevies gear.

[@clydethecat6028]

Thank you for that lovely story about Stevie Ray Vaughans amps appreciated

[@bmcash3411]

It’s funny that the Marshall head at 14:22 is not a major but a regular plexi 100 watt head.

[@stephenmiller5023]

Great video & really well represented. I only saw Stevie play once , here in San Diego in 1983, when he played at San Diego State . It was in the Montezuma hall & we could freely roam around ( kinda😉) and I was intrigued by what amps this “guy “ blowing our socks off was using to get his tone. If my memory is correct ( almost 40 years ago now) I believe my Buddy Marty Dunaway commented he saw he was using the Fender Vibroverb amps and maybe a Fender Reverb deluxe . Again this was close to 40 years ago, but that night & that concert cemented my Love for SRV’s musical genius. I am grateful for the urging of my friends that particular night to go see “ This blues playing guy from Texas” . You can hear that show on KZbin , in one of the Bootleg tapes someone recorded. I have listened to it countless times and swear I can hear my shouts & yells on it 👍. Here’s to one of the Greatest guitarists who ever lived.

[@cornfilledscreamer614]

Excellent video! I remember seeing him in November of '89 in Atlanta with Jeff Beck. That particular night did NOT go well for SRV. I guess it was one of the main amps he was using just kept blowing and blowing and blowing. The guitar tech was on stage behind the amps almost as much as SRV was. They still did a pretty good job, but you could tell SRV was getting pretty pissed off (who wouldn't?) at the thing going out over and over. So glad I got to see him, though. Had no idea he experimented with so many amps...

[@beachcomber4141]

A good friend of mine and now SRV disciple told me that show in Atlanta with JB was the first time he had ever seen SRV play and it ripped his head off and sent him off on a lifetime love and study of Stevie. It must not have been that bad of a show!! He said Beck was great but Stevie just stole the show. One of my great regrets is that I never got to see my hero in concert.

[@cornfilledscreamer614]

@@beachcomber4141 I dunno about that. I've always been a fan of SRV, but quite honestly I'd have to say that Beck was in another world that night... Just my opinion, though... They were both great - that is certain!

[@beachcomber4141]

@@cornfilledscreamer614 Nice!! I so wish I could have been there to see those two share the stage. Saw Beck in 2016 I think open for ZZ Top and he was just phenomenal. Actually paid a lot for the ticket and got a private sound check with Jeff and his band. They did 4 songs for around 30 of us, and did People Get Ready. I could have left right then before the actual concert and been thrilled. Jeff is the only player I know of whose style keeps evolving into old age to that degree. Stevie was my man though, the day he passed was a dark day that still haunts me. One of the greatest losses to Guitar, and lord knows we have had a lot of them. Cheers brother!

[@cornfilledscreamer614]

@@beachcomber4141 Agreed. I was driving in my car when I heard SRV died - and just pulled over and cried. He was just sooooo good. Completely agree with you about Beck, though. Nobody will ever sound like him - and (like you said) he just keeps evolving... Two of the greatest!

[@beachcomber4141]

@@cornfilledscreamer614 I was in a blues band at the time, and Stevie was my absolute hero. My girlfriend called me and told me either Clapton or SRV had died. I sat down in front of CNN and when his picture came up, my heart and stomach just sunk. It took a few days to get back to some kind of normal, but my normal was never quite the same as my hero was gone. To this day it still makes me so sad as a part of my youth died when he did. He was really that good, and he was such a good person as well helping people with substance abuse recovery issues. Me and some friends nicknamed him St. Stevie. Two of the greatest indeed!!!!

[@syfman6]

Great video. I really enjoy your work. Thank you! 💚 🎸

[@jamesrickmanguitar]

THANKYOU FOR MAKING THIS! LOve it man, keep it going! (PLEASE MAKE A ERIC JOHNSON - GUITARS, AMPS, PEDALS PLEASE!!)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks James - I already did Clapton - but Ill do his pedals soon

[@jamesrickmanguitar]

@@TheGuitarShow Man im so sorry i dont know why i put clapton, Ive watched that video 100s of times lmao. I meant JOHNSON lol

[@Hugh_Manitee]

Damn. I had one of those Marshall 100w Club and Country amps. Sold it 30 years ago for $200. Heard Leslie West used them too.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Yes, I remember them also from the early 90s

[@Journey-of-1000-Miles]

I want to have my own personal amplifier technician. Cool video. Very informative.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks indeed

[@danemulligan]

My God... that was a mind-blower...

[@Worklikeyoushouldbe]

Stevie could have played through a playmate plus and still made it sound INCREDIBLE. 😉 nice video

[@kellybogues]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing. Hail SRV!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure!

[@carlmontney7916]

Really awesome video thanks for posting this. I always liked Stevie's tone better before he started using the Dumble amps. That said, in reality Stevie could use anything and sound great. RIP SRV

[@TheGuitarShow]

I agree with you although I loved his tone on the ODS amp before he had the SSS- thanks!

[@RustyTaylorGuitar]

The Marshall amp in the Grammy museum collection is a 1973-1974 Super Lead MK II not a Major. There are photos of the back of it online clearly showing this. I find this curious since these amps are definitely not renowned for clean headroom!

[@rikkousa]

Love waking up to your videos!

[@brucesguitardemos8197]

A lot of hard work has gone into this dude , much appreciated, brilliant 🤩

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks indeed Bruce

[@brucesguitardemos8197]

Im of to try a fender pro reverb black face tomorrow in the hope i can get that SRV sound ! Id be interested what your thoughts on this amp are . ITs got a single 15inch jenson , fx loop , gain stage , two channel , and about 20 years old

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@brucesguitardemos8197 sounds perfect to me remember SRVs sound came from a multi amp set up

[@Saurous3098]

Whatever SRV was playing for amps during the 'Live At Daytona Beach....especially 'Never Going To Give Up On Love' is the best strat tone I have ever heard....the whole D.B. 1987 is tone at its best.

[@rrswitch48]

Stevie was magic. BTW I remember either Guitar for the practicing musician or Guitar Player had a full page schematic of his gear/effects but I can't seem to locate it. Thanks for sharing this excellent run down!😀

[@scowell]

I've got a Marshall C&C 4140 I bought from Ray Hennig used... it had several problems, including speakers out of phase and a bad (post-PI) master pot. It screams now... with a Hammond output transformer and Tesla E34L's. Curiously enough, it had those red Goodmans speakers when I got it... but I put in a pair of Celestion G80K's. I had hoped it had belonged to SRV... I guess not! If you read Gerald Weber's books he talks about Billy Gibbons telling him that his secret is to have multiple different amps going.

[@TempoDrift1480]

Wow I didn't know the story about the phone calls. That's pretty wild.

[@ChristofferKeizer]

Awesome presentation, sir. Thank you.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you Christoffer

[@limpindug]

Jeezus buddy that was pretty comprehensive, I enjoyed the video, +1 am guessing the bottom line is Stevie liked to be heard😂. 👍🥃Respect to you.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks bro

[@KOBIDOJAPAN]

Very big thank you from Japan!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure, my favourite guitars come from Japan - ESP Navigator!

[@lancemccarty8230]

Peavey Classic 50 was made in the mid to late 90s at the main assembly plant in Meridian Mississippi.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks - My thinking is maybe SRV had given his vintage Peavy series away.

[@lancemccarty8230]

The Classic was the evolution of the Vintage

[@thaddeusfields4360]

Dude, I played a Fender Twin for one day, took it back to the store the next day, tried a Peavey Classic 50, took it home and loved it!

[@wildcolonialman]

Fabulous effort. Fabulous insight and thank you.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Simon

[@grene1955]

This video was brilliant! Thank you for doing it!

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure

[@jessek.beauchamp1356]

That explains why I have had years of trouble with my amps using Beefy Slinkies.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Could be!

[@frankhenicke348]

One amp you were not aware of that he used early on while playing in a band called KrackerJack in Austin. He used a Marshall 100 Plexi with a straight Marshall cabinet. This I know because at that time I was interested in getting a Marshall and was advised by a salesman at a music store in Austin that Stevie was selling his Marshall so I went and saw him in a club in Austin and talked with him about the amp which he was selling for at that time around 1971/73timeframe for $600. I passed cause he modified the Head. Man, we all make dumb decisions at times and to think if I had purchased it and kept it the value now would be through the roof. Life🎸

[@JuddLofthouse]

Excellent post ..thanks 👍

[@BCEpedals]

Hearing he played a Roland jazz chorus briefly made me chuckle 😂 had no idea.

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

Thanks! And yep you were the original. Kieth Williams likes to say no one was doing this so he started, but I remember your videos from way before his channel started.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks bro that means a lot!

[@larryn2682]

I owned a mid seventies Peavey Classic 50 2x12" for awhile in the eighties and can attest it had an all solid state preamp stage driving the 6L6 pair output.

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks

[@guitarandmore69]

I had an early 80's one, great clean sound. Wish I still had it.

[@chopperdeath]

Stevie could use most anything and still melt your face.

[@TheGuitarShow]

agreed

[@jensk4140]

Is it true that the vibroverb and the super reverb are the same amplifiers except for the output transformer's output impedance? (And speaker configuration ofcourse).

[@TheGuitarShow]

Yes those amps had very similar circuits Ill give a perspective on this soon.

[@Slugg-O]

Never imagined him with a Peavey. More proof that his sound came from his hands - and soul.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Great comment

[@hazor777]

Peavey’s do give a decent / AFFORDABLE version of the classic Fender “clean” sound, so makes sense he would have one in his arsenal

[@larspersson5492]

At least it wasnt a Peavey Bandit

[@sgtitters]

@@larspersson5492 bandits kick ass

[@justinlarsen2281]

Peaveys are awesome, especially their Tube amps

[@michaelb.42112]

This is very cool. Peaveys are Mississippi Marshall's. I always think of Dumble when I think of SRV.

[@kevinmurtagh4996]

I’m curious to know what you mean by “Mississippi Marshall”. Is this a known phrase, and I’m just naive? Or did you make it up?

[@michaelb.42112]

@@kevinmurtagh4996 Nope, that's what they used to call them. I saw it on another video or documentary about Peavey.

[@justinmoyer7278]

@ Kevin cuz their main manufactuary is based out of Mississippi!!!

[@lqr824]

4:49 I think Twin Reverbs had the far larger transformer and a solid state rectifier, no? It sounds like they were basically turning Vibroverbs into lower-powered Twins. Did he ever try a TR and if so, what didn't he like about them?

[@5150show]

Absolutely brilliant

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks bro

[@jotoy3328]

And great Pictures from him :*

[@Texasbluestunes]

the cover photo… I remember this day rather clearly…Stevie was in town at the Astrodome, and opened up that days game with The Star Spangled Banner. There’s a photo of SRV and Mickey Mantle.

[@GG-Wolfhound]

Yes those are Studiomaster "LeadMaster: amps. I own two of them. Fitted with a Fane 12L

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks

[@joserdiazalmodovar1898]

Awesome info ¡ thanks a lot . With all this gear he developed his tones but Stevie Ray would sound like himself on any amp God Bless Him ¡ 🎸🎸🙏🙏❤❤

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Jose and I agree!

[@ernestschultz5065]

The real master of the Stratocaster. Gone way too soon.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed Ernest

[@lancel71]

I've been a Stevie fan since right before his death in 90'. This was a very cool video!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you

[@chickenlickin3820]

God be with you Goose thanks for this man : )

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

[@geetarbube]

“A Short History”, eh? Now where have I heard that before? 🤔

[@cliverkay]

Brilliant and informative as usual !! Thanks !!

[@BrianKlobyGuitar]

Most awesome to hear about Stevie Rays amps.. thank you :)

[@jamesprice6381]

I was first builder for DiazAmplification after his passing, i stil have documentation on his Vibroverbs..Cheers...

[@TheGuitarShow]

Amazing James - would be great to chat sometime

[@roknrone]

Do you still work on amps? I'm into changing up my gear from a modern Fender Mustang head and cabinet and looking to get into some good blues tube tones and, frankly I'm freaked out by all the different amps out there. Any suggestions would be great appreciated. Thanks

[@Diazamps]

Damn Jim you’re still trying to profit off Cesar it’s disgusting…

[@stratolestele7611]

After I got my Leslie model 16 (same as the Fender/Leslie), I experimented with the best of my amps to power it, and landed on my '68 Super Reverb. What's funny is that I'm pretty sure my Leslie is also a '68.

[@azzuro195]

great report. thank you

[@kurtbader9711]

I saw him at the University of Buffalo Amherst campus around '84 and I'm pretty sure he was using a 1-12 Music Man. He complained about the hum, but I think that was mostly from the guitar.

[@TheGuitarShow]

nice

[@xx-dl2ol]

SHOUTOUT TO TOMMY! ... only playin his amps. best amps in the world imo nice vid man.

[@strat0871]

Thanks Ramon.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure bro

[@Guitar5986]

Fantastic video! Thanks!!