Vintage Kustom Amp Serial Numbers
I put Eminence Delta 15's in mine (after somebody stole my JBL's which I had taken out at the time), they sounded good in that cab. Personally I would not match Celestions with that cab, just from my general opinion of Celestion 'sound'. The stock cap values are just OK, you could add more, though much over 10,000 uF is diminishing returns for the amount of power that amp generates. +1 on the JBL D140Fs in there.
The most notable merger happened with Gretsch, which at the time was owned by Baldwin. Aside from the Kustom brand, Kustom Electronics also began to manufacture an amplifier line called Kasino. The brand was established in 1972. These were internally the same as Kustom amplifiers but were covered with traditional material as seen on style amplifiers. Kasino amps were used mainly by country music performers who felt the regular Kustom Tuck-And-Roll Naugahyde models were too flashy. Another reason for establishing a parallel brand was simply to gain a greater share of the amplifier market. One distributor could sell the Kustom brand and one could sell Kasino without competing with each other.
That help at all? Oh yeah, the big K looks like this, but it is White and Filled In.
Kustom began to place a separate serial number on the cabinets about 1969. Ports The trademark. The only vintage Kustom Kombo amp I have.
Also, if I make my single 2x15 cab run at 4-Ohms, will the amp output properly, just to that 1 cab? Well C-64, you've surely had the crap on that second speaker. Over soon maybe. Zon6c-f I've completed the rehab and posted some pics of the Kustom X1-18B folded horn cab on the Acoustic site.
The only issues it has is when reverb is turned on there is feedback. Also the right bass knob makes noise when adjusting position. After position is adjusted there is no further noise made. All other knobs are in good order.
Last week I nabbed a cool Kustom Tuck N Roll bass amp. These amps were designed to use 2 cabs at a 4-ohm load. I have one cab, with two 16-ohm speakers in it.
The cabinets used wooden frames. All were covered in a vinyl material known as naugahyde that was applied using a tuck and roll covering design. Naugahyde is a trademark of the Uniroyal company which was Kustom’s supplier. Beneath the vinyl was a poly-foam sheet. This was similar to what was being used in automobiles from that era. These amplifiers/cabinets were works of art.
As original owner of 1971 K 200-B, I have some questions. BACKGROUND: In mid 80's I took my head in for service. The 'Brite' side would go dead when I engaged the 'brite' switch. Ths was my fave tone; Brite-side: Brite switch: ON. Bass: Full, Treble: Full.
Volume between 2-4. Any volume beyond this resulted in distortion equal to Jack Bruce/ Felix Papplardi. I have one cabinet with 2- CTS; total ohmage @ 8 OHMS. Head is rated @100watts R M S; 50WATTS WITH In those days, my Lifetime Waranty was still inm effect; service was completed for free.no questions asked.
Why is this and what are these worth today? Thanks, Bill in Jacksonville, FL. Hey Bill, Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise— Kustom amps are way cool. Many players think these amps sound great, and bands such as Jefferson Airplane and Creedence Clearwater Revival used them heavily in the 1970s.
The company was picked up by a conglomerate and changed hands a few times. Kustom PA The company was eventually sold to the Baldwin Piano Company of Cincinnati Ohio.
Check out the site here Bill in B.C. Custom53 said. I have a '66-'67 Kustom 'Frankenstein' era Amp. With 3=15' Speakers.
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Kustom Amp Serial Number Chart
The guitars came in different colors including natural, white, blue, wineburst aka watermelon burst, cherry-orange suburst, natural ash, black ash and white ash, and were produced with or without a Bigsby tailpiece. According to Doyle at the 1967 NAMM show in Chicago orders came flooding in which made it hard to meet the demand.
Hot Rod Cars are still a focus here, but the situation has changed dramatically. And yes the same man is responsible for both product lines. ( Since Kustoms are so iconic, there is a ton of information on the web regarding these artifacts and their very colorful and storied creator Bud Ross. Ever wonder what the connection was between Kustom and Kasino? And a gambling addiction? Promo branded halter-tops?
I should have the other 15 tomorrow, so I should be able to swap out the speakers tomorrow night. The silver lining in all this is I've had a good chance to get to know the amp and cabinet while trying to track down this rogue package. I've been using it for both guitar and bass, and liking it a lot. I feel like I will be able to make an informed decision as to which speakers I prefer. Zon6c-f: This rig will be gigged. I'm in a 7-piece oldies/covers/few originals band.
Other artists known for using the Kustom brand for live applications are,,, and. Some of the most famous Kustom P.A. Users include Creedence Clearwater Revival,,,,,,Alun Tan Lan(Y Niwl) and.” All of the original 1960s and 70s Kustoms are solid-state amps, so their appeal nowadays is mainly for their cosmetic a(e)ffect. These things were no slouches in the technical department, tho – the 250 and 500 lines shipped with optional JBL or Altec speakers (look for the silver dustcap on the drivers); furthermore, when you come across one of these things nowadays, they generally work well, which is more than can be said for most 40-year-old solid-state guitar amps. Pictured above is a German 1972 pricelist for the entire Kustom line. If there is enough demand I will scan and upload the entire thing. () ( A Kustom-Brand Police Radar gun.
The serial number for this unit is 79642 as advertised. The amp comes with the original Kustom black amplifier cover. This amp has been tested and it is in working order.
Today, Kustom amplifiers are considered fairly collectible and are preferred by some vintage enthusiasts for their solid-state tone. And musicians originally used these amps. Other artists known for using the Kustom brand for live performances are,,, and. Some of the most famous Kustom P.A. Users include,,,,, and. CCR toured from mid-1969 - 1972 using their own massive Kustom 400 PA system due to a lack of quality backline PA systems in venues at that time. As a result, CCR concerts were superior in sound quality, but the cost of transporting the equipment made touring a money losing deal for the band.
I understand this will use ~65 watts RMS. If I can put two 8-ohm speakers in there, it will do the full 100w RMS at 4-ohms. The amp is plenty loud as is, I think, but I did notice that Partsexpress has some factory sellout Celestion 15-inch woofers for a decent price, and I'm wondering if they would work in my cab. Can these be used in a bass amp cab? For starters, recap that amp before playing out much with it.those old power supply caps (the big silver cans at the bottom of your last picture) are far past their prime. And remove the 'death cap' and put in a 3-prong power cord. That cab (which appears to be actually from a later K250 rig) sounds best with JBL D140F's or similar speakers.
K k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k k Kustom III Bass At least the label kind of looks like that. I was just given one a few hours ago, so I got online to do some homework on it, and here I am. I just went to the VintageKustom.com site and looked up my serial. I have 209578, placing it early in 1979 production. What's your serial #? Check the bottom of the list, 'black tolex, black front/face' section, at These amps are somewhat coveted just for the preamp and fantastic tone control. There is a fantastic range of tone variations.
The “7” on the back means it has a model 7 chassis, which includes reverb, vibrato, and tremolo (the controls on the front also confirm this). Unfortunately, since we don’t have the catalog number (catalog numbers only appeared in catalogs and not actually on the amps), the only way to determine what speakers your amp is equipped with is to disassemble it.
Let's get back to the Ross Kustom line. In the 1970’s Kustom came out with a product line under the Kasino name that produced guitar/bass amplifiers and P.A. Shortly after losing the Kustom Company, Ross moved to Los Angeles and started Road Electronics which manufactured Road Amplifiers. These are fairly obscure, but they were definitely made by Bud Ross. For a brief while Kustom produced a line of it’s own guitars that were also made in Chanute Kansas.
And a gambling addiction? Promo branded halter-tops? Unsavory-looking plush toys? And police radar guns? Yes folks it’s all true.
These catalog numbers typically followed a number/letter format of X-XXL-X. The first number indicated the number of speakers [usually 1-4], the next two numbers indicated the size of the speakers [10, 12, 15, etc.], while the lone letter represented the brand of speaker [A for Altec Lansing, C for CTS, J for Jensen, and L for JBL]. Finally, the last number in the sequence indicated the aforementioned model number. Still with me? So, the “100” on the front of your Kustom tells us it’s a 100 series amp and has an approximate output of 50 watts.
One of the handles is missing the black plastic piece that is attached to the metal handle for comfort. The black material is starting to tear from the bottom front side of the amp. The amplifier has a stain to the front side. Amp comes exactly as pictured!, Brand: Kustom, Model: K150-7 See More.
I used to calibrate and fix police radar. Police radar was nothing but a revenue generator and Kustom’s salespeople sure as hell played it up to departments. That’s why I never had any moral compunction against building a police radar defeater that would make the radar read 30 or 50 when I powered it up.
Download the twelve-page 1972 Kustom Electronics, INC catalog for their 150, 250, and 500-series guitar and bass amplifiers. DOWNLOAD: Kustom amps, with their ‘tuck and roll’ sparkle-Naugahyde upholstery covering, are a true icon of the rocknroll amplifier. Bud Ross took the idea of RocknRoll=hot rods to its logical conclusion with these things. Tuck and Roll custom hot-rod upholstery Interesting how well the Rock-Music/Hot-Rod connection worked in the 50s/early 60s. Consider the Gibson Firebird and Fender Stratocaster guitars, both of which had direct aesthetic relations to youth-favored automotive designs of the times. At right: the 1953 Buick Wildcat ().
I also have a Peavey Max 115 and a Kustom KBA100 to compare with.and this old K200 seems right where it should be from a volume standpoint. Fed Ex seems to have lost one of my replacement speakers for the time being, so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern on that front. As far as your Bright input issue, I'd look at the caps and resistors on the jack and the ones associated with the bright/lo switch. Small update: Finally located my lost package. Kudos to Fed Ex and Parts-Express, they've handled it the way they should.
It was unlike anything Fender or Gibson made. Although Vox and Marshall would be on the scene in a few years, Kustom was to be popular until the company folded, because they were different.
Altec Lansing no longer manufactures guitar speakers. These new version amplifiers use Eminence speaker which are made in Eminence Kentucky about 100 miles south of Cincinnati Ohio.
This was the era when transistorized electronics was new. I can recall Dad bringing home this amazing small transistor radio. All of Ross’s amplifiers used only transistors instead of tubes. In the mid 1960's we didn't care if the amp had tubes or transistors. We wanted big, clean and loud.
Vintage Kustom Amp Serial Numbers
Kustom 200 Bass Amplifier, 100, two 15' speakers, cascade sparkle, 1971 History [ ] 'Kustom' was a brand and trademark of, a company founded in 1964 by in Chanute, Kansas. The main selling point of Kustom amplifiers was their unique appearance: Ross, Inc. Was the first to mass-produce amplifiers covered in roll and pleat, popularly referred to as 'Tuck-And-Roll', similar to hot-rod automobile upholstery popular at that time. The amplifiers featured circuitry instead of -based designs so common in the 1960s.
They eventually moved to a warehouse in the Delhi Township in the western section of Cincinnati. By the late 1980’s they had purchased the Kustom name and began importing solid state amplifiers with the Kustom name. Davitt and Hanser also came out with a large model tuck and roll model tube amp and P.A System. The amplifier looked and sounded great, but wasn’t a success, perhaps because it was made in China at a time that Chinese products were deemed inferior. Within just a few years, most major musical instrument manufacturers all sell Chinese manufactured products with their logo. In my opinion Kustom put this product out a few years too early. Recently Kustom revamped their line-up of electric tube and solid state amps and acoustic amplifiers. The amps are excellent, especially the Coupe models that have somewhat of a design reminiscent of tuck and roll on the amps topside.
Also, any chance a spec sheet or manual could be found online for this model? I am thrilled to have found this amp in such great condition. I had a Kustom 200 Bass amp in 1970 that I wished I had never sold. I feel like I got a piece of my youth back today. Sorry to ramble.
If not, someone on the Kustom site will probably have some. If you have access to a fax, PM me the number and I'll send you what I have. If you're a bit of a purist like me, I can direct you to a Bissel site that has the exact 3 prong cord 'storage' clip just like Kustom. A bit pricey, but. There are also directions for replacing the cord on the Kustom site using the search function.
That’s why I never had any moral compunction against building a police radar defeater that would make the radar read 30 or 50 when I powered it up. Every sales rep showed every department how to make a radar read whatever a cop wanted it to so as to stop anyone at any time on a speed pretext. Easy way was to point the antenna at the engine fan on the cruiser and rev the engine. They did make a few tube models which sounded about the same. The transformers were made by Enegren or Hisonic in Olathe, KS and were really beefy, the opt was copied from an Acrosound. Old Fenders had Triad OEM or Schumachers that were much less well interleaved and would distort nicely in the guitar frequency band whereas the hi fi ones only distorted with so much overdrive the screens were either clipping or white hot.
It made a little difference, but bumped up the ground hum too much. Give it shot on yours. For testing purposes, just use a guitar cord to chain the channels. Yes on the 4 ohm cab. Most of those Kustom heads are 4 ohm. The head doesn't care how it gets it, it just needs the total of 4 for maximum power and performance.
Probably best known for their unique tuck-and-roll amp covering that was offered in a variety of sparkly colors, Kustom was one of the first amp manufacturers to find success with solid-state technology in the 1960s. Hey Zach, I have one of these really cool Kustom amps (at least I think they’re cool), and I’ve always been curious about what the “100” on the front and “7” on the back indicate. It seems that no two Kustom amps are the same.
Does anybody have hard facts on how many of these guitars were built? And market prices for an original guitar with original case? I'm considering selling mine.
The perceived volume will be greater with two 8 ohm cabs, particularly if both are multiple speaker cabs. Long answer as to why that is. Bottom line - on the smaller powered heads, you want every bit of it used, so make sure you put 4 ohms to it.
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Below that, the Fender Stratocaster, designed in 1953 (). I wonder why no one has made a Honda Civic or Subaru WRX flavored guitar (or beat-making software interface WHOA maybe getting too far out there) The 1940 Chrysler Windsor, designed by Ray Dietrich () The 1963 Gibson Firebird, also designed by Ray Dietrich () ************* ******* *** From: “ and musicians originally used (Kustom) amps.
However, that service tech is no longer around and Lifetime Warnty is no longer in efffect. Questions: 1) Does anyone know which/ what component is at fault in my Brite Switch Section? [ very low volume is discernable when Brite Switch is engaged, BTW] 2) Is there any remedy/ upgrade of component to make my head sound 'better'? I have always heard that Kustom heads were 'loud', but Loud on mine means uncasseptable distiortion levels. It has never been able to compete with any guitar amp beyond say.Fender Super. Also, head is noisy. People say it's old school Solid state.'
Every sales rep showed every department how to make a radar read whatever a cop wanted it to so as to stop anyone at any time on a speed pretext. Easy way was to point the antenna at the engine fan on the cruiser and rev the engine. They did make a few tube models which sounded about the same. The transformers were made by Enegren or Hisonic in Olathe, KS and were really beefy, the opt was copied from an Acrosound. Old Fenders had Triad OEM or Schumachers that were much less well interleaved and would distort nicely in the guitar frequency band whereas the hi fi ones only distorted with so much overdrive the screens were either clipping or white hot.
Operated in a factory in. The company produced several models of guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, organ amplifiers, Guitars, Basses, and keyboards and P.A. There was also a line of guitars with pickups in a variety of colors, including the infamous Pink to Green sunburst that fans have affectionately named 'Watermelon Burst.' In an original promotion Kustom gave away 'Kustom Kats' with the purchase of an amplifier. The Kustom (The Nauga, or Naugie) Kats were from the same Uniroyal that Kustom used to cover their products. The original Kustom amps came in a variety of colors including Red Sparkle, Blue Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Cascade Sparkle (teal), Charcoal Sparkle (grey), Silver Sparkle (white), and Flat Black (which contained no glitter).
And Kustom offered this unusual covering with the option of seven sparkly colors: black, blue, cascade (blue/green), charcoal, gold, silver, and red. If you ever have a chance to see a vintage Kustom catalog, you’ll instantly realize why every Kustom amp appears to be different— the company offered nearly every possible configuration you could think of. Endless options are great, but trying to differentiate and identify Kustom amps can be extremely frustrating because three different sets of identification numbers were used: series numbers, model numbers, and catalog numbers. Series numbers are usually found on the front of the amp—under or behind the Kustom logo—and consist of values like 25, 50, 100, 200, and higher. Generally speaking, these numbers indicate the amount of power multiplied by two.