Rising Rockers

In an era when the sub-20-watt combo is arguably the most popular guitar-amp format, it’s worth remembering that several classics of the category emanate from the ’50s. And just as interesting as the well-worn favorites, several lesser-known alternatives were also born in the decade of rock and roll.

In the December ’24 issue, we examined a handful of alternative club-sized classics of the ’60s, but plenty of portable combos from the decade before are viable tone machines in smaller venues or for studio recording. And while any vintage-amp fan’s mind turns quickly to the Fender tweed Deluxe, Gibson GA-30, or maybe an early Vox AC15 from the tail end of the decade, plenty of other worthy makes and models can be found among their less-famous contemporaries.

Of course, when we’re discussing “club-sized” amps, that’s a definition that fits the majority of creations from the ’50s, or at least those that aren’t even smaller than this. For one thing, few makers were producing amps that went much past the mid-20-watt range at best, and many that did were still reined in by inefficient speakers and/or softly compressing circuits. So, there are quite few amps born in the ’50s that can be contained in your average 100-seat venue, making for broad pickings from the era.

1957 Maestro GA-45T

Owned by Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) in the ’50s, the same company that owned Gibson, the Maestro brand appeared on many of the conglomerate’s musical electronics products, as well as some pieces of gear that virtually paralleled Gibson models. This Maestro GA-45T combo, therefore, is a ringer for sure, and even something of a contradiction of the opening premise of avoiding the major makers, yet it presents enough quirks to sneak it into the fold. Made with a circuit that’s nearly identical to that of Gibson’s GA-40 Les Paul combo of the time – including its fat-sounding 5879 pentode-preamp tubes, the same 6SQ7-driven tremolo, and about 15 watts of power from a pair of 6V6GT output tubes – it was nevertheless promoted for use primarily with bass and accordion, and included a few significant design changes intended to suit those instruments… though these are still easily adapted to six-string guitar.

The most obvious of these is its four 8″ speakers rather than the Gibson’s single 12″, yet the cabinet is the same size and design (though adorned differently) and today’s players find it’s easy-peasy to bolt in a new baffle with the 12″ speaker of their choice. The Maestro also received an EQ section with Bass and Treble controls rather than the Gibson’s mere Tone control, and its output transformer is a little bigger (purportedly taken from one of the Gibson dual-6L6 models), likely to help it better reproduce its intended instrument’s bountiful low-end.

Plug in a guitar – especially with a 12″ speaker subbed in for the 4×8″ arrangement – and a GA-45T is capable of rich, warm cleans, and thick, juicy overdrive when pushed hard. Thanks to the 5879’s stout gain, they don’t fizz out as much as some 12AX7s or the like will in vintage amps when overdriven, and the entire package presents a robust tone that’s instantly vintage-certified while remaining extremely usable today.

’50s Flot-A-Tone Model 600

If you’ve never encountered the unusual Flot-A-Tone you might initially feel the last chunk of that name is ambitious (regardless of what a “Flot” might be), but players such as G.E. Smith and Ry Cooder have discovered the genuine glories of the tone contained within, so these combos aren’t entirely the bargain-bin finds they once were.

Flot-A-Tone amps were made in Milwaukee, from the late ’40s into the ’60s, and were sold by accordion importers Lo Duca Brothers. But like so many amps of the era, they proved well-suited to the electric guitar, as well.

Just about every Flot-A-Tone appears to be a bit different inside. Word is that the manufacturer built them “on the fly,” using whatever suitable components were handy at the time an order came in. The design features an upper-rear-mounted control panel, with an umbilical cord descending to a main chassis mounted in the bottom of the cab, which reveals a semi-rats-nest, point-to-point circuit job. This one carries 6SN7GT and 6SC7GT octal preamp tubes, two 6L6 output tubes, and a 5U4 rectifier, and puts out something in the region of 25 watts through a single 12″ speaker likely made by Jensen or Rola.

Despite the semi-random construction and circuit topologies, most Flot-A-Tones sound surprisingly good, with a meaty, smoky tone that so many early ’50s, octal-preamp-based amps are known for, but with a little more bite and definition than you might expect, and plenty of compression when you dig in. Crank it up and it’s easy to induce a throaty wail out of that tubey breakup, and while it’s not especially loud even for a supposed 25-watter, it’s enough for smaller clubs with a diplomatic drummer.

Late-’50s Watkins Dominator

Long a sleeper among American fans of classic British amps, the cat has been out of the bag on the Watkins Dominator for quite some time, yet it’s still a firm alternative amid the more influential designs of the era. An accordionist who set up a music shop in south London after returning from his service in the Merchant Navy in World War II, Charlie Watkins was among the earliest entrepreneurs serving the amplified-music community. He began buying basic guitar amplifiers made by other jobbers around 1952, then commissioned his own builds shortly after. The iconic wedge-front Dominator arrived around 1957, after its sibling Westminster had occupied the same cab from the previous year.

Watkins’ amps were rough-hewn compared to those from competitors like Vox, Selmer, and Marshall, but a look inside this Dominator reveals that it’s not badly put together. The component count reveals a handful of the beloved Mullard “mustard cap” signal capacitors that enthusiasts drool over in vintage Vox and Marshall amps, and other parts are generally of a good quality. The amp’s relatively simple and somewhat generic circuit – likely taken from general applications of the time – has also been plenty emulated over the years, too, purportedly inspiring the design of the original Marshall “18-watter” models that also used dual EL84s.

As for the sound, it might be described as “classic mid-sized British,” with chewy mids, sparkling highs, and plenty of warmth and depth. The tremolo is deep and hypnotic, too. And while there can be a bit of a “hole” in the middle of the sound stage from those two outwardly-projecting 10″ Elac speakers in the split-V baffle when you’re standing front and center, it makes for a room-filling tone once you get back a bit. It’s the definition of late-’50s/early-’60s British cool, and not a bad performer, either.

1958 Montgomery Ward Airline Model 8514

The Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog might evoke a more-nostalgic image for many guitarists with its iconic Danelectro-made Silvertone guitars and amplifiers, but Montgomery Ward came first as a company and as a mail-order catalog retailer, and its amplifiers were also being made by Nat Daniels’s Danelectro company before Valco of Chicago took over as supplier. Such is the case with this Airline Model 8514 combo, which is Danelectro through and through, yet with plenty of individuality to help it stand out from the catalog crowd. First on the quirks list is its 2 x 8″ speaker configuration, in a cabinet that could have housed a single 12″ or even a 15″ speaker, which would likely have made more sense in an amp deriving around 12 watts from a pair of 6V6GT output tubes.

A look inside the chassis reveals the somewhat helter-skelter circuit construction that fans will recognize in other Danelectro creations, yet which contributes to the raw, gritty character of these amps, rather than detract from their performance. Otherwise, the blueprint is standard for the day and not far off other mid-sized classics of the era such as Fender’s 5E3 tweed Deluxe. Daniels gave his own twist to most everything, though, and this Airline’s preamp opens up with a hotter 12AX7 versus the Deluxe’s 12AY7, yet that tube is reined in with fairly cold biasing and no cathode bypass cap. In addition, each of its two channels carries its own Tone control, and there’s onboard tremolo (labeled “Vibrato”) courtesy of a 6AU6 preamp tube.

Tone-wise, the Model 8514 delivers a sweetly lo-fi performance that’s high on character and low on headroom once you crank it up. Given its power and speaker complement, it’s suited to smaller venues (or miking-up) and makes for an interesting option in the studio.

1959 Ampeg Jet 12

It’s no surprise that an Ampeg sneaks onto most lists about under-sung vintage amps that offer great value. They were very well-built for the era, generally sounded extremely good, and can usually be had for a fraction of what the better-recognized classics are bringing.

Much of the reason Ampeg isn’t more often cited among the big-name collectibles of the late ’50s and ’60s stems from that fact that they were made for jazz, not rock and roll (as the late Ken Fischer, a former Ampeg engineer, reminded us in the December ’24 installment on ’60s club amps). The models that worked unexpectedly well for the rebellious new music – those that distorted easily – were drummed out of the catalog pretty quickly by jazz-loving company owner Everett Hull, after his favored musicians started complaining that they didn’t have enough headroom for the genre.

But there’s an easy way to root out the vintage Ampegs that will grind with many of the best of the tweed-era Fenders, Gibsons, and Valcos: look for the models with 6V6GT output tubes, and preferably also with more-common preamp tube types. Its circuit is somewhat closer to general-application amplifier circuits of the day than other Ampegs, yet it is far from generic in sound, looks, or overall performance. Its use of octal 6SL7 preamp tubes induces a slightly fatter tone at the start of the signal chain, which can break up sweetly when hitting the cathode-biased output stage hard. The 5Y3 tube rectifier enables plenty of the touch-sensitive sag we expect from amps of the day, and its Alnico-magnet Jensen P12S speaker translates the whole thing beautifully. Dial in the tube-driven tremolo (with just a Speed control and preset depth) and there’s a lot to love in a Jet 12 combo.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s May 2025 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.