Every guitarist has that one special guitar that they wished they had back. It might be because it was a sentimental gift, maybe it was sold to pay the bills, or maybe you just didn't realize how much you loved that guitar until it was gone. These are the stories of the ones that got away. Most of them are my own stories, but send me your stories as well and they just might get published here.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Model 780 Guitar Amp
Third up for amp week is a weird one I found at the swap meet for a whopping $10. Come to think of it, I think the guy would have paid me $10 to take it with him so he didn't have to lug it back home. This will be a short entry because there just isn't any information about this amp on the internet and I don't recall much about. However, what I do know about it is the only reason I bought it in the first place...the built in rhythm machine. That's right, all the standard rhythms at your fingertips: Waltz, Bossa Nova, Samba, Rhumba, Swing, Rock Beat, etc. along with a tempo control knob and a volume knob to control how loud the rhythm is mixed with the guitar.
I just couldn't help myself. I thought it might be fun to use to practice with at the very least. And maybe, just maybe it would be cool to make a whole CD of recordings utilizing the cheesy beats. Unfortunately, the quality of the guitar sound could not come close to the cool factor of the beat box section. Add that to the problem of it being rather large, and every time you picked the amp up, the front grill fell off with the beat box attached. The only markings on the amp were the model name on the front, Model 780. No brand on the back. No Montgomery Wards sticker on the inside somewhere. Nuttin'.
I have included a photo of my daughter, who was looking pretty sassy at the time, standing next to it for size reference. She was practicing her best "The Price is Right" modeling techniques. She's still slightly sassy, but the amp has moved on to greener pastures.
I actually sold this amp at a garage sale to a gentleman who spoke very little English. I tried to explain the amp to him and let him know what he was getting into, but he was too busy giving me $50 for it and trying to get moving on to the next garage sale to care. Or perhaps I needed a better translator than my hand gestures. Es muy okay, man! Adios!
UPDATE 2-3-09: I just found an auction on eBay that has allowed me to figure out this amp was made by Kay. Thanks eBay!
Labels:
garage sales,
guitar amp,
Kay,
Model 780,
The Price is Right
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4 comments:
Those amps sell for about $500 now, in Canada in anyways.
http://www.capsulemusic.com/retail/amplifiers.asp
I have a Kay 780 and to an untrained, unprepared musician, they would not know it from a blender. I also have a Delta Classic Les Paul style electric made in 1967 with 1959 Custom Gibson Humbucking Pickups and this amp sounds like about a 1959 Fender tube amp and I mean exactly. This guitar with this amp is the million dollar sound, and I have seen these amps go over 1K. Platinum T.
I guess I was unprepared and untrained. Who knew?
I found one of these amps at a guitar show in Ohio about two years ago and paid $100. I just couldn't resist. Come on an old amp with a built in drum machine, yes please. Here's a song I recorded with it.
http://soundcloud.com/johnaselin/zig-zag-alley
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