So when we last left off, we were talking about a 5-watt Natural Music Guild / Massie Amplifier called "The Vibe". Truth be told we've been working on another few projects (first was straightening the house, the other is a... another business idea and we'll leave it at that...). However, we do expect that now we should be able to update with increased regularity.

So as previously discussed, we've come to the conclusion that our "Natural Music Guild"-labeled amp is a 1959 Ray Massie creation. Here are some interesting things that we've found along the way...

We bring you the Natural Music Guild of Santa Ana / Massie Amplifiers "The Vibe" 5 watt amp.

Yes, there's been a hiatus in posting. We're pretty sure that for the most part, you don't care about the story why. Maybe we'll get to that in the coming days. It's a sad tale of a tragically flawed leader. Bye-bye KLBP.

So let's pick up at any old random spot... Actually this isn't a random spot, but it may seem that way to you... We've picked up a lot of tube amps in the past few months that we haven't shared yet. We picked up a few Marshalls. We picked up a VHT gone bad (and sold cheap!) that was going to start life as an 18-watter, but that we're going to turn into a 50-watt beast. And there are more still...

Amazing. Scott Weiland channeling Jim Morrison...

*Not an April Fools' story:

Throbak Electronics is a company that we've been following for a while. We were going to post something else, but we thought this story was too cool and felt we had to post it as soon as we could. In the wake of the Les Paul Estate Sale, Throbak has recently posted that they obtained yet another vintage Gibson pickup winder. This is *THE* pickup winder that Les Paul took from the Gibson factory when Gibson left Kalamazoo and relocated to Nashville.

So it's been a number of years since we first came across these recordings on YouTube. Most everyone is familiar with Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog". Presley reworked the song, "Hound Dog", originally written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, into a song about an actual dog. Big Mama Thornton recorded the original version in Los Angeles on 13 Aug 1952! It's much darker, much rawer, and typically appeals to those who aren't satisfied with simple pop sensibilities.

Big Mama Thornton's version of "Hound Dog":

So Pat Furlan has a really great Youtube channel showing him repairing and modifying lower-power (and a few higher power) tube amps. This particular amp is a GREAT sounding Gibson GA-5T, also known as the "Skylark". Watch a very competent tech describe his troubleshooting and fixing of a tube amp:

Garnet Amplification is a company that we doubt most people have heard of, but Garnet amps have DEFINITELY made music that most people (at least in our western culture) have heard. Fender and Marshall are the big names in electric amplification. Of course, there are other names you're probably familiar with: Ampeg, Peavey, Line 6, Randall, Crate, Ampeg, Roland, etc... The reasons you haven't heard of Garnet Amps are numerous: