I see a bunch of these on ebay at reasonable prices. I was tempted to bid on one this afternoon (the perils of window shopping), but I figured I should find out more. Other than the obvious joy of tinkering, how do these compare with some of the newer small tube amps such as the EVJ or the Fender Champ 600? I know it's really subjective, but are they worth the trouble? (I am interested in blues/blues rock..)
Thanks for all your subjective opinions.. also, any info on different models, and any particular model that's more noteworthy, is much appreciated.
--vink
"Life is either an adventure or nothing" -- Helen Keller
I have never played a Harmony myself, but you can go to Harmony Central and read reviews.
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/brand/Harmony
I do own a 1958 Premier Twin 8 that I love. These early amps were very simple designs. They didn't do much, but they often have tone to die for. This is why you are seeing so many reissues of early amps. Nothing fancy, just plug in your guitar and hear some awesome tone. But you can run pedals into these amps if you want modern sounds.
The only problem with these old amps is they may require some work. You may have to replace the filter caps and even the speaker (they age). But if you don't mind spending a little extra you can get yourself a great sounding vintage amp.
The Epi Valve Jr and new Fender Champ are attempts to go back to the early days when amps were simple but sounded great. Very nice amps.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
These old amps are killer. Jimmy Page recorded with old Supros, many artists use old Harmony, National, Magnatone, Rickenbacker and many others for their lovely overdrive- the very characteristic that made them undesireable to musicians looking for clean sounds pre-Blue Cheer. When overdrive became acceptable these amps started getting cooler. With the lack of higher end vintage amps and the prices being paid, the budget amps are looking better every day!
if I were to run across an old harmony I would grab it.
I agree, those old amps can sound great.
they are especially good in the studio with a good mike.
you do need to be careful in firing them up again.
parts can be old and stiff; broken or worn out.
all can be mended.
it is worth it.
Another thing- if these have the original tubes (and they often do) they are worth a chunk- they are usually RCA Blackplate tubes and are highly sought after by corksniffers. I have changed the tubes in one and paid for the amp and replacement tubes by selling the old ones.
I thought about paying for my Hammond organ by taking out the tubes in it, selling them on eBay and putting in the new ones that I've bought for spares. With some of the tube types in it, that would've covered it. Haven't gotten around to it, though.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
highly sought after by corksniffers.
Corksniffers! I love it!! :lol:
"Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard,
grow big, wear glasses if you need 'em."
-- The Webb Wilder Credo --
Corksniffers:) I'll be remembering that. I have 4 old amps. 2 knox, 1 silvertone and 1 kalamazoo. The 2 knox need to be rebuilt to be useful. The silvertone is very nice, single or double coil, and is a very competent amp with nice crunch cranked to its max 5Watts. The electronics really strike me as high quality.(not the case) I hear its similar to the old harmonys. Still deciding if its anything unique though. Now that kalamazoo has a single coil snarl to it that may truly be unique but it farts with a hunbucker so thats a dissapointment. If you buy without trying it better be cheap. They are all to old and too variable to know what you are getting. All mine are fun toys but as they get hyped and go into the $100+ range just go get a champ600 or valve jr. Both bitchin little amps, consistant, warrantied and easily modified with tons of hotrodding info.
I have a Harmony H303A and I absolutely love it. Totally worth the $130 I paid for it. Yes, they usually go for cheaper than that on eBay but this one was a closet classic, there was absolutely no tear and wear on that amp. It really shines when it's cranked but you'll need an attenuator to be able to play it at bedroom levels.
It's awesome and I highly recommend it.
