Ampeg Gemini I Amplifier - 1965
By Larry Meiners
Since 1949 Ampeg has become well known for their line of amplifiers, especially for bass guitars. During the decade of the 1960s Ampeg designed a revolutionary and very popular combo amp called the "Portaflex". The amp cabinet housed the speaker and the amp's electronics were affixed to a reversible top panel. The component side of the panel was oriented such that during transportation the amp is safely stored inside the cabinet. During use, the amp head sits on top of the cabinet making this a truly portable amp.
Fast forward to the late 1980s when St. Louis Music acquired the Ampeg assets, brand and product line. Since then, Ampeg has produced a complete catalog of new and reissue amplifiers and other products.
Ampeg is well respected for bass amps, however during the 1960s their guitar amps were popular too. Ampeg claims their Reverberocket was the first amp with built-in reverb, marketed before Fender's reverb-equipped amps. The Reverberocket production began in 1961, about two years before Fender introduced their Vibroverb amp that was favored by the late Stevie Ray Vaughan.
It seemed during the early 1960s that most of the population of the world was consumed with the space race between the USA and the Soviets. The Mercury program started in 1958 was the USA's first efforts to put a man in space. The second USA space project was named Gemini and was announced in January 1962.
Many manufacturers were quick to jump on the trend of naming their products after successful space programs. Gibson sold a series of amps named Mercury starting in 1963. Ampeg was not to be left out of the name game and by 1964 began marketing the Gemini series amps, including the I, II and IV models. The production label found inside the early Gemini amp cabinets indicates that they were made in Linden, NJ.
Ampeg's Gemini series amps were configured as follows:
- Model I with one 12" speaker, rated at 20 watts, two channels
- Model II with one 15" speaker, rated at 30 watts, two channels
- Model IV with one 15" speaker, rated at 30 watts, one channel
The Gemini I model has nine knobs on the front panel in order as follows (left to right); Trem Speed, Trem Intensity, Volume 1, Treble 1, Bass 1, Volume 2, Treble 2, Bass 2, Echo (reverb) Channel 1. Along with the front panel knobs are four input jacks, two for Guitar and two labeled Accordion.
This Gemini amp with reverb and tremolo is covered in Ampeg's usual blue-checked vinyl covering.
Powering and controlling the amp are seven tubes as follows: two 7591, one 6CO7, three 12AX7, one 7199. The reverb tank location is not like Fender's later designs with the unit at the bottom of the cabinet. This reverb tank is located on the underside of a panel below the ends of the amp's tubes. A switch-able foot-pedal for Trem and Echo is standard equipment and held in place inside of the amp cabinet by a rectangular metal rod.
This Ampeg amp is also known as the G-12 model acknowledging the cabinets 12 inch, C12Q Jensen speaker.
Plugging in this amp with humbucking and single-coil pickup equipped guitars reveals a robust vintage tube distortion tone. This amp's Jensen C12Q breaks up nicely for rock and blues guitar sounds.
Plug in and play one of these vintage or reissue Ampeg amps and discover some different tones for yourself. Make some music magic while you're at it!
2002 © Larry Meiners All Rights Reserved