T1-RVT Thunder 1 Reverb amp - what do you think?

[Eric66]

I’ve been lugging this amp around since I got my Starfire II in 1966 (except for my 25,000 mile road trip June through September 1972 and my hitchhiking adventure the next year June 1973 through January 1974). I haven’t plugged it in and turned on the power for decades. There’s a reason I got that Music Man 212-HD 130 back in the mid 1970’s….

But now I’m curious about this Thunder 1 Reverb (T1-RVT), serial number 4113. Any information about it is appreciated - thanks in advance.

I saw the photo of the Guild brochure in the “Reference” thread above but it’s not legible and I’ve checked out GAD’s blog for the brochures but haven’t found any references.

 

[matsickma]

Well I got my first used T1 12 RVT also in '66 and the night before a local Youth Center gig the amp chassis got loose and dropped into the cabinet, busted one of the tubes and stopped working. I had no clue about how to repair it so convinced my mom to take to a large music store a few towns away and cosign a loan for a new amp. I took the T1 RVT along for some credit and ended up buying a new Kustom 100 2-12 amp with Tuck-n-Roll blueish-green padding. Paid $435 for it in '68!
Though I had the coolest amp around.

But over the years I missed that T1 RVT and the cool Speaker Driven Reverb circuit. So about 20 years ago I picked up a '65 model just like yours. Never did any maintenance or replacement of parts to it. Still sound like it should. However I did replace the stock Utah 12 speaker with a JBL D120. Just because I always wanted to do it when I had the original but didn't have the $. And it sounds great. I play that amp a little just about every week. Surprising variety of tone you can get out of it with the 3 input levels and the "pull" bright switch on the volume control. Plus the reverb out of the 8" CTS speaker is great and special. With the Tremolo on I'll do a quick version of Tommy James and the Shondels "Crimson and Clover" like our band played back in the day. Bottom line it is still a great amp to play. I also have a beige '67 model that is stock. However the earlier black model with the JBL really is the better sounding of the two.

So I suggest you break it out for some old-school tone that is different sounding from most of the amps of that era.

BTW...just got notified that Tommy James is on tour and playing in NE PA in early June!

 

[krysh]

If it wasn't powered on for decades, I'd better let a tech look over it while powering it up with an adjustable power supply.

 

[Eric66]

….. So about 20 years ago I picked up a '65 model just like yours…… Bottom line it is still a great amp to play.

So it’s a 1965 model - OK!
Any other info?

I remember those Kustom amps, wild!

 

[Eric66]

If it wasn't powered on for decades, I'd better let a tech look over it while powering it up with an adjustable power supply.

Yes, good advice - makes sense. But I don’t know if it’s worth it for me

 

[krysh]

Yes, good advice - makes sense. But I don’t know if it’s worth it for me

If not for you, then maybe for someone else....

 

[Nuuska]

Yes, good advice - makes sense. But I don’t know if it’s worth it for me

At least if you have not powred it up yet - DON'T do it without adjustable transformer to bring voltage up slowly first time.

Too many fine radios and amps have beed destroyed by simply turning them on. They may sleep for decades and be otherwise fine - but that very first turn-on will kill them.

Take my word for it.

Any half-decent repairman w adjustable trafo should charge max 20$ for turning it up slowly. And w any luck all might be fine - and the sale-value of the amp could be multiple of that fried w hard start.

 

[Eric66]

At least if you have not powred it up yet - DON'T doi it without adjustable transformer to bring voltage up slowly first time.

Too many fine radios and amps have beed destroyed by simply turning them on. They may sleep for decades and be otherwise fine - but that very first turn-on will kill them.

Take my word for it.

Any half-decent repairman w adjustable trafo should charge max 20$ for turning it up slowly. And w any luck all might be fine - and the sale-value of the amp could be multiple of that fried w hard start.

Yes, there’s no way now that I’ll be just plugging it in and powering it up. Wish me good luck in finding a $20 repair tech if and when. It’ll be $100+ just to have a look see at a reputable electronics repair shop in my area that I’ve taken some of my audio components to (without checking with a family owned musical instrument shop - which I need to check out being relatively new to this region, NW Houston suburbs, from northern NJ and NYC areas.)

In the meanwhile I’ll stick to my old Roland Cube-20 practice amp from the late 1970’s and that monster Music Man 212-HD 130.

 

[Eric66]

If not for you, then maybe for someone else....

Yes again, there’s no way I will be powering it up without having it checked out!

 

[Bill Ashton]

@Eric66 , did you purchase that amp new? Just wondering, as I got one which turned out to be a basket-case in the late 60's, very much like yours, but it had two CTS speakers in it (square magnets). While I did not know it at the time, she was probably the equivalent to a Princeton Reverb or similar low power amp...obviously different tone, but about that same power class.

 

[Default]

Great rock and roll amps, with killer distortion at a reasonable volume.

 

[Eric66]

@Eric66 , did you purchase that amp new? Just wondering, as I got one which turned out to be a basket-case in the late 60's, very much like yours, but it had two CTS speakers in it (square magnets). While I did not know it at the time, she was probably the equivalent to a Princeton Reverb or similar low power amp...obviously different tone, but about that same power class.

I did get new at the same time as my Starfire II back 1966. But I do not have any information or tech details on it. Maybe it was a 1965 model, I don’t know. I’m wondering how much “watt” output it has as well as other tech details, like speaker make and details, etc.

It was never a “powerful” amp and I always thought it was lacking in just about every category but fine to plug into at home for practice and learning at the time. Other than that, it seemed woefully inadequate especially compared to both the very portable Roland Cube-20 practice amp (I’ve taken it on flights stowed under the seat in front of me) and the Music Man 212-HD 130 behemoth, both purchased in the 1970’s after which I don’t think I even powered up the Thunder 1 Reverb…..

 

[Eric66]

Great rock and roll amps, with killer distortion at a reasonable volume.

That would be news to me…..

Maybe I will have to resurrect it eventually and look at it from a more mature point of view.

By the time these amps came out Fender was already dominating with their line of amps. Then Kustom, Standell (too much feedback for my Starfire), etc etc…

 

[Nuuska]

If all your service guys are that greedy - there's an alternative - get this one or similar.

38 bucks including delivery.

5 Amp Variac Transformer Variable AC Voltage Regulator Metered 500VA 0-130V | eBay

Specifications Model: TDGC-0.5KM Color: Red, Black Material: Iron, Copper Coil Surface Treatment: Vacuum Dipping Paint Style: Modern Shape: Annular Mounting Type: Free-standing Phase Number: Single Power Source: Corded Electric Plug: US Standard Input Voltage: 110V AC 60Hz Output Voltage: 0-130V...

www.ebay.de

To use it - turn voltage knob to zero - plug your amp into it and turn the amp ON - both main and standby - plug the unit into wall outlet - slowly turn voltage up - about one minute is fine - in general - the slower the better. Once successfully done the amp will operate normally.

 

[Eric66]

If all your service guys are that greedy - there's an alternative - get this one or similar.

38 bucks including delivery.

5 Amp Variac Transformer Variable AC Voltage Regulator Metered 500VA 0-130V | eBay

Specifications Model: TDGC-0.5KM Color: Red, Black Material: Iron, Copper Coil Surface Treatment: Vacuum Dipping Paint Style: Modern Shape: Annular Mounting Type: Free-standing Phase Number: Single Power Source: Corded Electric Plug: US Standard Input Voltage: 110V AC 60Hz Output Voltage: 0-130V...

www.ebay.de

To use it - turn voltage knob to zero - plug your amp into it and turn the amp ON - both main and standby - plug the unit into wall outlet - slowly turn voltage up - about one minute is fine - in general - the slower the better. Once successfully done the amp will operate normally.

Thanks!

 

[matsickma]

Been wanting a Variac for years so just bought one. I probably should have bought a higher current model but this will work out well for now!

 

[Default]

If you can put a solid state rectifier in a tube rectifier socket, that will be advantagious. The rectifier tubes don't work until the heaters get enough juice to do their job.

 

[Nuuska]

W tube rectifiers - more time turning voltage up after first 50V os so

 

[F30]

Super cool amp. I've been checking these Guild amps out on Reverb and Ebay.
The ones I've seen have a 2 tone grill cloth.
I bet if serviced it would be quite nice to have around in your studio. The face plate is in quite nice condition.

 

[Eric66]

Super cool amp. I've been checking these Guild amps out on Reverb and Ebay.
The ones I've seen have a 2 tone grill cloth.
I bet if serviced it would be quite nice to have around in your studio. The face plate is in quite nice condition.

Thinking…. ($$$)……
But it can’t even come close to the Music Man 212-HD 130 unless if fully restored it has its own sound characteristics. But my memory tells me there’s a reason I moved on from it. The T1-RCT is very heavy for an amp that lacks power ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

This photo shows the absolute best combination in my experience, my Starfire and this Music Man (which if I had been more knowledgeable the model with 1x12” speaker rated at 65 watts would have sufficed. But since I’m not a historian of Music Man history perhaps that 1x12” wasn’t in the market as yet.