surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 06:04 AM
Well, I had the past 3 shows with a Teisco Soundport120 amplifier from 1968 I recently bought for Tom Kilauea. It is a 1x15 Japanese amp that was meant to be a solid state replica of a Fender Twin Reverb Silverface.
After a discussion with Tom about how trebly it can get I tried it and for the cost I bought it anyway. It is light, it is all original and in great condition. Definitely fun.
So in these 3 days I have carried that around instead of my usual configuration with the double showman 2x15 and reverb tank.
I spent some time testing this amp with reverb tanks and found out that when you give more MIX the volume drops. It does this both with new and old tanks, so after having a chat with Chris Venturas, Bjorn and Kilian we ended up thinking that was some sort of impedance problem.
So I went totally digital and used with this amp the Topanga pedal.
After having verified that I could not use the Shure transmitter I normally use (it makes the sound even a bit brigher) I went with normal jack cable.
Well, once this amps is understood you can make it sound pretty well. So that is the point: people in the audience is enjoying it more than the showman :D:D:D Funny but true.
So many people came to me congratulating for the sound which - to my ears - was decent but definitely cold. Very precise, as you would expect from this kind of amp made for Takeshi Terauchi music!
Well I wanted just to share this information. I am personally very attracted by discovering new amps, strange stuff sometimes and see how they sound. And the more I go on the more I understand that the sound you have out of an amp can be the best in your life, but it cannot be a realistic test until you have tried the amp on a stage and with the full band sound.
I am not sure I will continue "normally" to tour with this amp, I have no problems carrying the huge showman. But this experience gives me new interest in continue testing the solid state amps, and of course working more with my Quilter head too.
Now a different point of view to be considered. Surf Music is very much influenced by the amps and the instruments. I might say that a showman on stage is "part" of the show. People look at this because NOBODY is crazy enough to carry around old and big fender amps nowadays. So what instruments you use support the fact that you play instrumental music which normal audience don't event understand. Amps and instruments generate interest in the audience.
This might be a reason why in my normal touring I will continue using the showman. But in terms of sound and presence on stage, the showman is not all and not the only choice. And this is said by a real showman fan, someone who will NEVER ever sell his showman for anything else.
So. Are you looking for that Dick Dale tone on your bridge pickup? Go for a real tube showman. No other choice. But if you are a fan of 1963-1964 Twangy-Surfy-Astronauts-LivelyOnes style sound, well... you might have lots of fun with a 60s Teisco Amp!
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
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Gilette
Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 06:07 AM
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Teiscofan
Joined: Feb 21, 2011
Posts: 513
Ontario
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 07:33 AM
Thanks for the review of the Teisco Soundport 120! I have never seen one but a little internet reading indicates that they are really close to a twin reverb...thoughts?
Only other question is why is there a Fender logo on the front...might confuse some folks.
— I am not obsolete, I am RETRO.... 
Last edited: Mar 29, 2015 07:33:45
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 07:33 AM
Ah! Good to hear that the Sound Port works good for you Lorenzo!
I am a big fan of solid state amplifiers.
You know our Yamaha TA60 solid state amps from 1968 also. They sound nearly like a 61-63 Showman. Or for our ears mostly better.
check my video, just using the reverb of the amp which is not really good, but you can hear the LOUD and good clean sound maybe?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGr_X7bbouU
So, those old japanese solid states seem to be high quality!
Yes, it`s fun to check out those old amps! Even guitars are good, so we know of good Teisco, Guyatones, Yamahas.
...and, yes , when we play with a 61 Showman and the Yamaha TA60 on stage, no one is interested in the Showman. Mostly people ask for this Yamaha amp and they can not believe that it is from 1968 and a fucking solid state! Haha!
...and I remember our Kilaueas tour last year in august. When we played in San Francisco in the Elbo Room I played the Peavey solid state keyboard amp from the eighties... At last it sounded as always and the people danced!
have fun!
Sound Port go go! 
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 07:50 AM
Teiscofan wrote:
Thanks for the review of the Teisco Soundport 120! I have never seen one but a little internet reading indicates that they are really close to a twin reverb...thoughts?
Only other question is why is there a Fender logo on the front...might confuse some folks.
oh you are right. this is NOT the photo of mine, just one found in the internet to show the model. this guy probably liked to put the logo ;)
NO THE AMP COMES WITH NO LOGO
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 07:53 AM
Fender logo is uncool...
Put a "Surfer Joe Stay Stoked" logo on it!
Or just a sticker! That`s it.
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 08:04 AM
Here is mine... still in Tom's house
And then again on stage last Friday
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
Last edited: Mar 29, 2015 08:06:26
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CrazyAces
Joined: Jul 31, 2012
Posts: 4054
Buffalo, N.Y.
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Posted on Mar 29 2015 06:50 PM
Thanks for the report Lorenzo.
We've been looking into vintage solid state amps for a while now but haven't made the leap so this was very interesting.
15" speaker and Teisco - how cool!
Cheers,
Jeff
— http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
http://www.reverbnation.com/crazyacesmusic
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da-ron
Joined: Jan 02, 2009
Posts: 1307
The original Plymouth, UK.
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 02:54 AM
I never knew Teisco made amps. I never knew they made amps that looked so much like SF Fenders!
Lorenzo, if you ever see a MusicMan on your travels, be sure to give it a trial. I'm amazed at how good mine sounds, especially with a band - it refuses to get lost in the mix!
They did a 15" combo that I'd love to get a hold of!
— http://thewaterboarders.bandcamp.com/
Last edited: Mar 30, 2015 02:56:17
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simoncoil
Joined: Sep 28, 2012
Posts: 926
Berlin, Germany
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 03:59 AM
Very nice!
Over the years I also "collected" some good sounding solid state amps and did some research, on which ones would maybe work for surf music. The Teisco amp reminds me of the Pearl Sunflower, which you can find on German eBay some times:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/PEARL-Gitarrenverstarker-Amplifier-Vintage-Sun-Flower-Reverb-Vibrato-70er-Jahr-/121598648175?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_77&hash=item1c4fd81f6f
Pearl also was a Japanese label, so maybe they come from the same factory?
I also think it is interesting, that both Ralf and Lorenzo point out, that the audience seems to be curious about "unusual" looking amps. I guess nowadays most people in the audiences think, that the most widespread amps and guitars are also the ones that sound the best. I mean: You go to concerts and see all this bands playing Marshalls and Blackface Fender combos, and everybody has gotten used to the look of these amps. So when you see somebody onstage with a good sound but using stuff you never saw before, it is an interesting suprise. It's like somebody revealing a "secret weapon" for good sound.
— Los Apollos - cinematic surf music trio (Berlin)
"Postcards from the Scrapyard" Vol. 1, 2 & 3 NOW available on various platforms!
"Chaos at the Lobster Lounge" available as LP and download on Surf Cookie Records!
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Gilette
Joined: May 04, 2014
Posts: 734
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 06:40 AM
At the time these were sold you didn't want to be seen with them. The Teisco/Pearl/Guyatone (twin reverb)amps where all Japanese crap. If you couldn't afford a Fender or Marshall you'd rather lend one from a friend than to buy a crappy clone. Worst of all was the Teiscos and Pearls were solid state amps!
BUT:.... we were wrong. Although the sound of the amps differed from the Fenders, they were actually very well built. They held up on tour and proved to be very reliable. In fact, you'd be surprised how well you can play surf on these things. And they're still very cheap. A Guyatone Reverb Jazz differs very little from a Twin Reverb and can be bought at a third of the price. Worth a try if you're on a budget.
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supertonesurf
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 419
n.y.c.
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 07:12 AM
similar but different these I belive are Ecko amps
— Facebook pages theSupertones
or @ Timothy C Sullivan
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surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 07:17 AM
these are Elk not Ecko. these are quite amazing if you ask me. check Takeshi concerts in various videos of the 60s. The Astronauts I think were using these Elk Fender replicas when in Japan.
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
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Boost
Joined: Sep 24, 2012
Posts: 125
Antwerpen
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 10:39 AM
Yep Lorenzo, Elk amps are quit nice. I bought one some years ago and I realy like it. It sounds very bright and you have to dail the bass quit up, otherwise it's a bit thin. I got it for €300 or €350 and it's in good condition, the reverb sound quite nice, just need to fix the vibrato.
Not shure what year it is, I guess somewhere between 65-70, anybody here how know more about this amps?
Here are som pics.
— The Arousals
Los Venturas
The Hydrosonics (RIP)
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 11:05 AM
Ok, let`s put all japanese amps into this thread
Yes, the Elk amps look good! Never played one, they are ultrarare here in Europe.
On the Takeshi cover you can see a lot of Elk amps and Elk guitars! They made very cool looking replicas of Jaguars and Telecasters...and everything.
So I once had a Teisco Checkmate 100 head! This was a good amp. I played it live a few times with a 1x15 cabinet. Very similar to a Showman. The bad thing: This head was a really heavyweight. There were about 15 or more tubes inside working! The most funny thing was this Watt-O-meter! I made a video years before. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7SOrOuJb_c
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
Last edited: Mar 30, 2015 11:05:52
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surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 11:16 AM
I want to play only Japanese instrumental from now on. I sell all my Fender equipment. Anyone interested?
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 12:02 PM
No. Thank you.
I am not interested in any Fender gear...
Why should anyone?
I am searching for a Yamaha TA120 amp.
Oh fuck, and I need a Guyatone Reverb tank!
And I want 3 Elk Jaguars!
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 12:05 PM
...or better pure japanese clean sound like Terauchi sometimes.
So I don`t need a Guyatone Reverb tank.
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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surferjoemusic
Joined: Jan 01, 2008
Posts: 2107
Livorno
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 01:02 PM
HallmarkSweptWinger wrote:
No. Thank you.
I am not interested in any Fender gear...
Why should anyone?
I am searching for a Yamaha TA120 amp.
Oh fuck, and I need a Guyatone Reverb tank!
And I want 3 Elk Jaguars!
Shit I have a beautiful Jazzmaster for sale. I bought from a guy in Berlin. He is an asshole, but the guitar per se is ok...
— Lorenzo "Surfer Joe" Valdambrini
(www.surfmusic.net)
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HallmarkSweptWinger
Joined: Jul 27, 2006
Posts: 1284
Berlinesia, Germanifornia
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Posted on Mar 30 2015 01:13 PM
Oh!
I have three Fender Jazzmasters for sale.
I want three Elk Jazzmasters.
And an ELK ECHO amp:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH32fomsC7Q
— Twang cheers!
Ralf Kilauea
www.kilaueas.de
https://kilaueas.bandcamp.com/album/touch-my-alien
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