Anyone familiar with Ampegs? (Gemini II content)

[AcheWater]

I received an old '66 Gemini II about a month and a half ago. I paid $430 (including ship/hand). It was shipped from a GC in New Jersey to my house Little Rock without having the chassis bolted on and damaged considerably. Even though I didnt buy insurance guitar center paid for all damages ($200+).

 

I put in $165, myself, to get 3 prong chord, remove death cap, have caps looked at and replaced, and have the 3 12ax7's (EH), and the 7591 power tubes (EH) replaced.

 

So the 6CG7 and and the 7199 are still original as well as the speaker, I believe. The speaker is unmarked drab grey with a huge magnet on the tailpiece. Very loose, bassy sounding.

 

A few Questions:

 

1. I heard this was supposed to be a "quiet" 30 watts. I can't get the thing past 3-4 o'clock without blowing out the other guitarist or my heavy handed drummer. I can't get it to break up at a reasonable volume either. I've hit it with a micro amp, an OD3, a SilverKiss Trinity, and my Rust Deluxe (5e3 clone). So how can I get this thing to breakup at prac./small gig levels?

 

2. When it does finally break up the bass is very loose and flubby. I've been placing an AC30 for some time now and don't know if the drastic difference int the tonal qualities of the amp are what's bothering me or if its a problem with the gemini itself?

 

Maybe I'm just too used to the AlNiCo blue "sound." Maybe I'm too use to the 2x12 sound compared to the 1x15 sound? Any recommendations.

 

Thanks. Sorry so long winded.

[Kap'n]

Blue Check Ampegs are fairly dark sounding amps. Their main guy, Everett Hull was a jazz guy and detested both rock and the Fender sound. They're also relatively clean until cranked.

 

Listen to Cracker's Kerosene Hat album for what that amp can do in a rock setting. Johnny's amp is a Reverborocket II, but they're pretty similar sounding.

 

Your speaker is probably a CTS 15"

[mrbrown49]

A speaker change will make a big difference. I changed the speaker in my gemini I and it really tightened up the bass.

[Brian Krashpad]

I never noticed any flubbiness in my roots rock side band lead singer's Gemini II, but he plays a Ric 620 with Hi-Gains, so there's not a lot of bass there anyhow.

[mrbrown49]

 

I never noticed any flubbiness in my roots rock side band lead singer's Gemini II, but he plays a Ric 620 with Hi-Gains, so there's not a lot of bass there anyhow.

 

 

Any idea what speaker he has in his. The stock speakers were notoriously underpowered for those amps when cranked. I'll bet his either came with a factory upgraded stock speaker, something ampeg offered at the time, or it was changed somewhere down the line.