West Amps

Deadwood · Post by **Deadwood** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 10:30 pm

Any West amp fans here? I have an old West Avalon. Very loud and nice tone. Grand Funk used them for awhile.

62sg · Post by **62sg** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:16 am

Deadwood wrote:Any West amp fans here? I have an old West Avalon. Very loud and nice tone. Grand Funk used them for awhile.

Were these the same 'West' amps made here in Michigan in the 70's? I have heard a bit about them, and know Farner played them, {and possibly was involved in the development of}....but I really do not recall ever seeing any. Deadwood... Can you post pix???
Thanks....
John

BTW....Deadwood, have you seen www.westamps.com

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 2:34 pm

Yes those are them, you can find some about them here:

http://westlabs.com/Frames.HTML

-Andy

62sg · Post by **62sg** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:21 pm

Andy wrote:Yes those are them, you can find some about them here:

http://westlabs.com/Frames.HTML

-Andy

Hey, Andy....that is a great site, lotsa info on the scene from the 60's & 70's from right here in mid-Michigan..{I see you are just about 12 miles from me}. Have you ever played a 'West'?? I know the author that wrote the recent book about Mark Farner {Kristofer Englehardt, also Bay City, Mi}....and he told me Farner absolutely loves those West amps!!
Thanks for the info....
John
www.stoneagecustomcabinets.com

Deadwood · Post by **Deadwood** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:55 pm

As soon as I said something nice about this West head , it took a crap on me. I had it retubed and capped about a year ago and it was sounding real good. Now it has a distorted sound and no volume.No balls. I used this amp a lot during the late 70s and early 80s and then switched to Marshalls. Ive only seen 2 others like this and it was pictures. Tonight or tomorrow i will try to post some pictures.

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:20 pm

John,

I haven't ever seen a West in person but have been considering using the filmore schematic to build a 4xkt88 bass amp.

I must admit as well that I have yet to learn to play a cord, but love the vintage electronics stuff and vintage tone, and have always been into DIY sound stuff.

I grew up in Midland and my wife and I are in Bay City all the time.

-Andy

Post by **VelvetGeorge** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:17 pm

I've worked on two of Grand Funk's old West, an Avalon and a Grande (I think it was) both still in the GF road cases. Great stuff.

Nothing amazing going on inside. The whole PI section is a Dynaco board.

Very cool, none the less.

George

62sg · Post by **62sg** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:29 pm

Deadwood wrote:As soon as I said something nice about this West head , it took a crap on me. I had it retubed and capped about a year ago and it was sounding real good. Now it has a distorted sound and no volume.No balls. I used this amp a lot during the late 70s and early 80s and then switched to Marshalls. Ive only seen 2 others like this and it was pictures. Tonight or tomorrow i will try to post some pictures.

Deadwood...what a kick in the ass!! Hope ya get er' fixed..Looking forward to the pix, too.
John

62sg · Post by **62sg** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 8:38 pm

Andy wrote:John,

I haven't ever seen a West in person but have been considering using the filmore schematic to build a 4xkt88 bass amp.

I must admit as well that I have yet to learn to play a cord, but love the vintage electronics stuff and vintage tone, and have always been into DIY sound stuff.

I grew up in Midland and my wife and I are in Bay City all the time.

-Andy

Andy...when you get that amp done I'd like to hear/see it.
Talk to you soon...
John

Deadwood · Post by **Deadwood** » Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:27 pm

Guys, I can't get pictures to download from my camera. I think the USB port is screwed up. I'll get something figured out here.

purple · Post by **purple** » Wed Dec 21, 2005 10:54 am

westlab = west amp ?
and if it is like his transformer i won't buy it...
i order a 30w output transfomer, it send me about or two month after
(after told me that he lose my paypal payment) and there was three big damages when the transformer was here..
not in the travel because it was a good box and dave admitted this was

"The transformers all get a little dinged up because of the way the
manufacturer ships them to us.
"

then he send me another bell, but i test the transformer and the primary was dead, one of the wire was too short and not soldered..
this is not quality handmade and check ?
do it in mexico ? china ?
i'm very disapointed with this stuff.

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