Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Twinfan on December 15, 2008, 03:05:15 PM
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I'm off to Martin's after work tonight to pick up something rather special. He recently came across a vintage Martamp and we've struck a deal so I can buy it off him :D I'm clock watching now so I can get over to his to collect it!
I'll let Martin explain the story of the amp, and I've attached some pics too.....
"Hi Dave,
Here’s some pics of the early Martamp we were talking about. As I said, it was brought to me some time ago, found at a boot fair by a friend of a friend. Apparently the owner was clearing out a loft and came across it, and was unaware of it’s value! Of course, it wasn’t working then and needed a tidy up, but at £20 it seems to have been something of a bargain.
I’ve traced the history of it from Wilfred Martin’s (founder of Martin Radio Services, later Martamp) archives. As you know, Wilf was a keen guitarist, as well as a radio engineer, and often played on the US Air Force bases in East Anglia in the 50’s, where he became enamoured of the sound of the Fender amps brought across by the American airmen, as well as the tweed covering they used. He decided to assemble a few amps for himself and friends, being rare and hard to get hold of as they were in those days.
This amp was based on the circuit of the famous Leak 20W Hi-fi amp, which at the time was leading edge stuff, although Wilf has modified it somewhat in the search for that Fender sound. It was sold to Phil “Woody” Wood, who played with the Tornadoes for a while in the early 60s, but of course became famous with The Deltones on the blues boom later on in the decade. They often supported Fleetwood Mac, and Woody stood in on a few gigs with The Bluesbreakers when Clapton first discovered mind-altering drugs. Of course, it’s well known what happened to Woody thereafter; his early heavy rock band, Gossamer Fist, the move into prog in the 70’s, the chart hits (who can forget the instrumental “Migration”?) and later the alcohol, girls and drugs. The least said about his “techno” period in the 80s, the better.
I contacted Woody about the amp, and he was able to verify much of it’s history. He used it on tour exclusively for a few years, with a fender Twin as back-up, and jammed with many of the greats using the amp. Once, BB King played through it, and commented that it’s wail could make “a deaf man hear, and a blind man see. Lawd, yeah.”
Then it languished in a store room at Abbey Road for many years, superseded by 4 Marshall Stacks and later the short-lived endorsement deal with Music-Man, before disappearing. He said it was always the best sounding amp he’d ever had, and I offered to sell it back to him, but he replied that he’s quite happy now playing Lute and classical guitar in his Medieval themed band.
I’ve tidied the amp up a little, revalved it, changed the filter caps, and replaced a screw here and there, but basically it’s as it was.
I’ve had several offers from collectors, but I’d rather sell it to be used, so let me know if you’re still interested. I think somewhere in the region of £5k would be fine.
Regards,
Martin"
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/vintage1.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/vintage2.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/vintage3.jpg)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/vintage4.jpg)
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i thought martamp was a new company? :oops:
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Part of Martins 'relic' series is it? :P
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That looks COOL! Definitely gig-worthy now!!
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I take it that he is joking about the £5K....
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Very cool! I really like vintage stuff (look at the marks of beer's cups :lol:)
But I'm not understanding, who is Wilfred Martin and is Martin his son, nephew.... ?
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is this the same amp Woody used on the infamous 1965-68 siberian tour? i hear the glow from the valves kept them all warm in the mine. these modern power valves just don't have the longevity!
;)
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You might be able to get him to knock a few quid off as it is "used".
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Quite a history that lillte amps got. Dave if you are spending near 5K does this mean we get to buy the rest of your Martamp collection? Just joking enjoy!
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looks like a perfect match for the Tele, relic and price wise :O)
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Awesome! Love those knobs (I think!)
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Looks great
But why is there a part of me that feels like I'm on that programme "Call My Bluff"- for those old enough to remember it.
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But why is there a part of me that feels like I'm on that programme "Call My Bluff"- for those old enough to remember it.
What an awesome show that was! :lol:
But yeah- I smell a rat!!! :P :lol:
I bet Wilfred is Martin's middle name.
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Someone has a very vivid imagination :lol: very good!
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Vintage Martamp, £5k?..............Hmm, something not quite right here!
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I saw it when I went to pick up mine and it was in mid build, it looks even better in person!
The story was a fun read though ;p
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Yes indeed - there's a rat there to be smelled...
But the amp looks cool, despite my reservations about "relicing"...
Mark.
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Should've saved it until April 1st, but great story! :lol:
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I got a feeling that I was caught :lol:
Anyway, the beer's marks are still cool :D
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OK guys, time to come clean! :lol: Martin came up with the story, so I agreed to go along with it for a bit of fun :)
What actually happened was this.....
The 'relic' started out as the cabinet for my Martamp Deluxe, but in the final stages of applying the tweed, Martin over-dried the glue with a heat gun and burnt the front grille. Whoops. Then the glue on one top corner seeped through the tweed as it had gone on a bit thick, causing a big stain. Martin wouldn't sell the cab to me like that so he built a second one for my Deluxe, which was mint :)
He was going to put an amp of some sort into the sub-standard cabinet and use it himself as a gig backup and I suggested that he should 'relic' it. He started out on the top with some scuffs and stains and was quite impressed with how it looked! He sent me a few pics and I loved it, so a plan was hatched...
I offered to buy the 'relic' if he could build me an amp that I could use at rehearsals (with a couple of pedals) in a stripped down rig, something like a Deluxe but with 6L6s for more clean headroom and power. So that's what it is!
I sourced an old knackered Celestion G12H on eBay and sent it for a recone, so it now has a brand new 55Hz speaker (like the Heritage G12H). The knobs are from an old 50s radio, all the screws are mis-matched, there's a replaced/repaired pilot light, the toggles switches are different sizes etc etc. Martin's put a lod of work and thought into it! He relic'd the rest of the cabinet and there you have it. The one and only Martamp Relic :)
Looks great with the Tele, huh?
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Relics.jpg)
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Quite impressive work... Looks really like a beaten up amp... I would pay to have a amp like this... :D
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VERY cool.... can I have it?
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Great work. Im daft I would beleive anything. Though I did think 5k was steep.
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Like it....but would prefer pristine one..sorry
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No probs! I've got one of them too ;)
(http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r267/junkacct/Del1.jpg)
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*L* so how many now..and what styles (for example JTM45 etc)
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It is a brilliant job - very convincing. If you posted that on another forum (who aren't martamp clued up) then they would probably believe it ! looks very cool
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I've now got:
KT-66 (JT)M45 head with matching 2x12 (Celestion Golds)
KT-66 (JT)M45/100 with Master Volume head and matching 4x12 (X-pattern Celestion Heritage G12Hs and V30s)
6V6 (Tweed) Deluxe with Power Scaling 1x12 combo (Celestion Blue)
6L6 (Tweed) Deluxe Relic 1x12 combo (old Celestion G12H newly reconed with 55Hz bass cone)
KT-66 Orion Prototype head, all new twin-channel design
EL-34 Modified Laney Klipp head, SIR #39/Appetite For Destruction style Marshall circuit with switchable extra gain stage
Something for everyone there, and they cover the very varied home use/rehearsal/gigging requirements of both my bands.
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Ahh justification like it....but seriously if I had the money..
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That modded Klipp sounds interesting :)
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It is ;)
And it's LOUD!
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:lol: