what is a supro amp?

[capelton]

Ok, so Jimmy Page used one on Led Zeppelin's first album, but what is a Supro?

[Herec]

Its an american-produced amp from the early to mid 60's. IIRC, it was popular for lap steel/hawaiian guitars. It has a dark bluesy crunch.

If you google Supro Thunderbolt, you should find out more about it.

[Bluesgeetar]

Hello. Proud owner here of a 64 Supro Super 1606 and a 64 Supro thunderbolt. They are made by Valco in Chicago. They are strange indeed. I have had my thunderbolt and super a and b'd next to exact same models but with airline name on them or Gretsch. The circuits look the same and everything but the Supros for some strange reason were fire breathing beasts compared to other same amps but with a different name stuck on them. I still can't figure it out. It left the best amp tech in Seattle and Pacific NW and me scratching our heads.

[wyatt]

Valco was a company that got started in electric guitars about the same way everyone else did, during the lap steel craze of the '30's and '40's (I believe Valco got its start in the early '40's). Supro and Oahu were their own brands, but they also made Airline for Montgomery Wards, made the lap steels and amps for National, made the amps for Gretsch, and much, much later ('60's) even made some Silvertone amps for Sears. In '67 they were bought by Kay and in '68 Kay was out of business.

The Page amp, long rumored to be the Thunderbolt bass combo, is now believe to be the 1624, a '60's combo. There are a few clones out of it now. Other Valco favorites were their various 2x6V6 and 1x6V6 tweeds that were made across all of their brands, these were based on the same Western Electric schematics that Fender and Gibson used for their amps, but all of these companies devised their own tube compliments and ended up with their own unique wist on these designs; Valco, like Gibson, favored pentode power tubes, which gave a more touch responsive attack than Fender's dual triodes.

But Leo Fender built super sturdy, gig worthy amps, Gibson and Valco did not, but of these amps often used the cheapest parts available and were wired in a rats' nest of true point-to-point or terminal-strip construction; and their cabinets were ill-conceived and weakly built.

I'm a huge fan of Valco sound, but these days, I think I'll build my own.

[Brian Wallace]

This is Supro.

[ohmygodtheykilledkenny]

Hey! I've got a Golden Holiday too! It has issues, mainly I think the OT is on its last legs, the speakers are almost shot, and it has some severe microphonics issues.


Anyone make trannies for these, or do recones?


Travis

[Brian Wallace]

Let me know when the OT finally lets go and we can work out something.

I don't know about the speakers. I fear blowing mine.

How about some pictures of the old girl?

[Bluesgeetar]

Valco was a company that got started in electric guitars about the same way everyone else did, during the lap steel craze of the '30's and '40's (I believe Valco got its start in the early '40's). Supro and Oahu were their own brands, but they also made Airline for Montgomery Wards, made the lap steels and amps for National, made the amps for Gretsch, and much, much later ('60's) even made some Silvertone amps for Sears. In '67 they were bought by Kay and in '68 Kay was out of business.

The Page amp, long rumored to be the Thunderbolt bass combo, is now believe to be the 1624, a '60's combo. There are a few clones out of it now. Other Valco favorites were their various 2x6V6 and 1x6V6 tweeds that were made across all of their brands, these were based on the same Western Electric schematics that Fender and Gibson used for their amps, but all of these companies devised their own tube compliments and ended up with their own unique wist on these designs; Valco, like Gibson, favored pentode power tubes, which gave a more touch responsive attack than Fender's dual triodes.

But Leo Fender built super sturdy, gig worthy amps, Gibson and Valco did not, but of these amps often used the cheapest parts available and were wired in a rats' nest of true point-to-point or terminal-strip construction; and their cabinets were ill-conceived and weakly built.

I'm a huge fan of Valco sound, but these days, I think I'll build my own.

i used to have an old Oahu that clearly had Valco on the Chassis. Valco made for many brands. Sold that lemon to! That thing was a turd. But GC gave me a mint for it! The rumours of what Page used are many. A guy that met Page at a NAMM show said Page said it was a 66 Thunderbolt. I once had an interview text with Page where Page stated that he gave the most tattered and beat Supro he had to the Rock hall. he said he is not going to give his good amps to the Hall. He then went on to say that he had over 30 something Supro amps. So who knows!? Page does I guess. Had also read that he replaced the 15" with a new baffle board with a 12" mounted to it cause the 15" was a little to loose on the bottom and overall in tone. as for my experience I've tried many Supros back in my mental illness obsession with Page tone on the first 2 albums and the Thunderbolt get's the nail on the head for that tone on Z1. There are two versions of the circuit. The 64 I have is tube rectified and the 66 that Page told that guy he used would have been the solid state rectified circuit.

[ohmygodtheykilledkenny]

Alright, so the number on the OT is 5036, quite clearly. It's the only number I can see.

Overall the amp is in pretty rough shape, though she's gotten some TLC, the eletrolytics have been replaced, and she's had a retube, though I think the pre's have gone microphonic again.

I used to run her really hard, and I think that's what ate up the OT and speakers. Sounded phenomenol mind.

I have the day off wednesday, I'll try to get some decent pics put up.

Travis

[Puerco]

Are those oval speakers 6X9" ???
If so Weber makes replacement speakers for it, he might even do a recone.

[jasonG]

[quote="Brian Wallace"]This is Supro.

Is that an output tranny or a field coil?

[Brian Wallace]

Are those oval speakers 6X9" ???
If so Weber makes replacement speakers for it, he might even do a recone.

Yes, they are 6x9 speakers. Thanks for the info.

[Brian Wallace]

This is Supro.

Is that an output tranny or a field coil?

The OT is located on the bottom of the right 6x9 speaker. This amp does not have a field coil in it.

[jasonG]

This is Supro.

Is that an output tranny or a field coil?

The OT is located on the bottom of the right 6x9 speaker. This amp does not have a field coil in it.

Thanks for the info.

[SnorkelMonkey]

Valco made amps. They made tons of different models for different companies many of which are the same models with different company names on them. The Page amp is really plural. In an interview he stated he had something like 30, of many different models. He did some dates, and TV appearances very early on with a Thunderbolt. I believe that's where the "Page amp" Thunderbolt rumor stems from? Another old interview he stated something like a "small Supro" and in another "12" speaker" used on the early albums and later for some parts on IV if I remember it correctly? There was also some mention of the tremolo having been disconnected. There's been some speculation based on that information and the tone of the amp through the recordings that it's likely an S6424.