silvertone

[keymandoguy]

anyone have any experience with silvertone amplifiers. I found a 24 watt Silvertone amp at a pawn shop price $49 looks in pretty good shape. want to use that with a dynamic mike for mandolin. Indoor settings ( dont want to eletrify mandolin ) I have no experience buying mikes or amps . What do I need to watch out for ?Will this work for me Only other electrified instrument in band is Lead guitar everthing else is just miked thanks for input ! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[mandogrouch]

Keymandoguy,
If you have any electric guitar palyer friends, they'll want to steal it from you, keep an eye on it. Those are classic tube amps, very sweet for overdriven sound at low volumes. You may have to get new tubes and replace the capacitor, but it's a worthwhile investment, generally speaking. I would recommend a tech for the cap replacement, the tubes are widely available on line. I don't think it'll give you a clean accoustic sound, but it was easily worth $49.00.

[siren_20]

A guitar amp probably will not suffice for what you'd like to do. #Unless the amp has a specific microphone level input (and I believe some Silvertones were made as early modular PA units) you'll have to use an impedance matching transformer to take the lo-z mic XLR to a 1/4" mono phone plug. #Then, after you get the output caps, any bad resistors (or worse yet, an output transformer) and/or connectors replaced, you'll have a hell of a time trying to get decent volume without feedback. #Oh, and don't forget that the tubes that this thing takes will likely need to be replaced, and that locating a quiet, early octal-type base tube (like a 6SN7 or a 6SJ7, which are common preamp tubes for amps of this ilk) can be a real pain in the arse.
After all of that, it's going to sound like a microphone being played through a guitar amp...great for harmonica, not so great for mandolin IMHO. #Guitar amps are inherently fidelity-limited (due to the output iron).
Don't get me wrong here...this is a steal and you should snap it up if you play electric, then it's definitely worth it. These amps are absolutely wonderful investments. #I own a couple of comparable amps and they sound great for practice or small gigs once you get them humming (if a bit cranky at times). #But for a PA-type setup, there are much better things on the market, in terms of both fidelity and utility.

[Rob Anderson]

I agree with the above comments.
Old tube amps almost always need some work done to them.
Not a good amp for clean,acoustic mando.
Any of the Silvetone amps would a good deal at $50 unless the power transformer is blown.
Rob

[siren_20]

Even with a blown power transformer that's a bargain, you could always throw in an aftermarket supply, and that would afford better regulation, too. The main thing is the output transformer...if that's shot, good luck finding an exact replacement!

[johnsmusic]

Samick markets the Silvertone brand now and it is their lower end. So make sure that it is not one of the new ones just beat up. If so, it would barely be worth that price. John