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Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 21:28:42 -0600
To: jc@lynx.bc.ca
From: Andrew Lee Franklin
Hi,
Saw your website after doing a search for Garnet amps. I just purchased a BTO model and it has no back panel. I was wondering if Gar Gillies had the layout for his cabinets available as well as the schematic for his bias circuit mod. Is his address the same as was laid out on your website?
Gar Gillies 706 St. Matthews Ave. Winnipeg, MB R3G OH1
Is the above correct?
I build and repair amps myself, took a look at your Univibe PCBs and such. I might want to purchase one of those in the future.
Thanks,
Andy Franklin
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Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 10:28:44 -0400
To: jc@lynx.bc.ca
From: Mitch Lane
Good day,
I just came across your web page dealing with Garnet amps and I couldn't agree more with your enthusiasm in describing their sound. About 7 months ago I picked up an old 50 watt Session Man head and 3X12 Garnet cab ( which seems to be an odd configuration in itself) and absolutely love it. I play an LP Standard through it and am more pleased with it than any other amp I've had.
What I'm writing you about is do you know how I might be able to get some info on the amp such as date of manufacture, original tubes that were in it ( I still have them and they still sound great !) as they are only marked Garnet 6CA7 and I just put Svetlana EL34's in and the old ones are a bit smoother, and what type of speakers were used in the cab.
I've been searching the web quite a bit but haven't been able to find very much info on these great amps and any help you can give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks and 'bye for now,
later, Mitch Lane Windsor,N.S.,Canada mitchdawn.lane@ns.sympatico.ca
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From: "B. Steinman"
I'm interested in buying a BTO amp. How much would you sell one of yours for, if you're willing to sell?
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Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 21:30:44 -0400
To: jc
At 05:14 PM 12/21/98 -0800, you wrote: >>
Hi Mitch,
>>
thanx for your email, I'm glad to meet another Session Man user (right on...) Since I picked up my Ampeg Gemeni I and the Garnet SM I haven't played my Marshalls and Fenders very much ...
>>
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Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1998 22:06:39 -0400
To: jc@lynx.bc.ca
From: "903886" <903886@ican.net> (by way of Mitch Lane
Hey JC, I recently received a reply about Garnet speakers from a gentleman name of Gilles from a posting I made on alt.guitar.amps newsgroup. I'm not sure if he could help you any on your research or not, but on the chance he could, I'm redirecting his reply to you. Good luck!
Mitch
Hi, Gilles from
From: ariel62@juno.com To: jc@lynx.bc.ca Subject: Re: Garnet Amplifiers Date: Thu, 05 Aug 1999 19:02:22 EDT
>Hi Karl,
Howdy...
>the very early Garnet amps have extremely nice output trannies and >gorgeous tone overall...
It was so painless to get a good sound from the start. Once I fixed the fuse holder, just setting the tone controls to mid position yielded a creamy tone... very touch responsive. Playing in various locations between my left hand and the bridge gave me all the tone changes that my other "fancy boutique" amps need footswitching for.
Dynamics? Gosh... from subtle and quiet all the way through hard playing, the amp tracked right along with it. Set for a decent rock crunch at medium pick force... the Garnet either cleans up with a light touch, or goes to ringing sustain for lead stuff. At times I almost felt I didnt need my stomp boxes. I probably wont part with my SLO or Plexi-reissue, but to get the kind of Touch the Garnet has I would need to be driving them much louder than is sometimes practical with my band.
If this thing said "Matchless" on the front, it would be a thousand dollar amp.
>I'm no expert on these amps but like you I have discovered >uncommon tone using these amps...
The Lil'Rock on ten is a wonderful thing to behold... cant wait to play a larger room so I can open it up a bit.
>I own an early SessionMan and an early BTO and they're both running >on EL34s, the tone on these is fantastic
I have just found a Garnet 100 watt four chanel PA head which is on its way to me. Kind of an odd format... but the plexi-PA heads were cool for guitar and I like odd-ball things. Four inputs... with volume and single tone control, then a section with with master volume, bass, and treble. 4-EL34's and 5-12AX7's... its a BTO-PA head. Should be fun... I am thinking of ways of using the inputs, such as a 1x4 switching router. Parallel stomp boxes could be big fun.
>(the BTO is very big sounding) both have plexi-like qualities...
The "page 98" amplifier? The built in Fuzz uses a tube stage, doesnt it? How do you like this aspect, do you find it useful? Musical?
>since I haven't seen or heard much about these Garnet amp models >(they just happen to land in my hands)
This has basically been what has happened to me. The first one was a fluke... basement of a music store, covered in dust. The BTO-PA was from a little searching... once I confirmed that the Lil'Rock was hip. They seem to be an undiscovered "vintage gem" and I rather like it. While I dont mind paying a fair price for gear (kharma, and all that) I find that 2500.00 for a trashed Fender Bassman or 25,000.00 for a Strat cut freehand with a bandsaw is just silly.
I am very much into the utility aspect, I want gear I can Play... and not have to worry that if it gets a scratch my "investment" just dropped in value 500.00
>it's hard to say where to look aside from calling up >mr. Gar Gillies himself since he buys and reconditions his early stuff
A resource I need to look into, Thanks. And... the Man himself would know best regarding service work or restoration. I like the notion of a one man operation... quality and craftsmanship.
>also, they're not for everyone - maybe for the select few with >mature chops and ears ... what kind of music do you play, effects ...
The current band is a "classic rock" format bar band. We didnt plan on that... its just the only kind of "top-40" I can stand. We do some newer stuff, but mostly late sixties and 70's stuff.
We're doing what we would do if nobody paid us to do it... and getting paid fairly well for it. I actually like the people in the band... and we're not trying to tap into a "formula for success". Bookings are now going into the next year... and I get to play whatever the hell I feel like, that works with the song. Go figure?
Effects? I usually play with two amps and a 1x2 router. Before the router are:
1) guitar into tubeworks realtube pedal (seldom used, but acts as a good input buffer. I found that if I put a solid state device first it loaded down the pickups too much.) 2) a MuTron octave divider 3) an echo device (Binson Echorec II, Klemt Echolette 5.1, or a Tel-Ray variable delay... depending on how I feel that night) 4) Ibanez Turbo tube screamer 5) into the routing box. The A channel goes to my rhythm amp, which is where the Garnet (or whatever) lives. If its a non-footswitching amp. I use either the Ibanez or the Realtube to crunch it up when needed. After the A side of the router I have a Dano chorus pedal.
The B side of the router goes into a Groove Tubes STP pre-amp which drives an old Altec Lansing power amp (2xEL34). I pile this on when I'm going for lead tones. The GT unit is the one with a pair of 6V6 output tubes which pumps into a "speaker" emulator... I run the 6V6's fairly hot to get some powertube sound, and then use the Altec to drive the speakers at a lower volume. It sound awful on its own, but really fills out the midrange and adds alot of tube singing when added to the A channel amp.
Thats enough of my yak'in...
Keep in touch, talk to me about your Garnets. :)
Karl