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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2020 1:42:46 GMT
We've touched on so many facets of musical gear that I figured it was time for a discussion about amplifier covers. For years, all that seemed to be around were those thin vinyl covers that came as an accessory with the old Fender blackface amplifiers. They were certainly better than nothing, but they did more to keep amps dry in the rain than actually protecting them from physical knocks that are inevitable on gigging gear.
I ordered a standard Fender Twin Reverb vinyl cover when I got my SuperTwin Reverb, but after that I wanted something better. I did a lot of research online before I bought any more, and I came to the decision to try Tom Palmer's D2F (designed to Fit) covers. They're heavily padded and actually offered some physical protection to the amps. I ordered one for my Vox VR-30 and was really impressed...Not just the overall quality, which was superb, but also the fine workmanship that meant the covers really fitted nicely. A while later, I ordered one for my 66 Fender Vibrochamp and again really liked what I got. When I finally settled on what I expected to be my last and ultimate guitar amp, it was my 1970 Twin Reverb which I installed in a custom head cabinet. Tom made me a custom cover for it, and I'm super-happy. I had hoped to eventually buy one of his covers for the 1968 dual Showman cabinet that I used with the Twin, but never got the chance. Tom passed away unexpectedly in 2017 and he's been missed by many people in the music industry. He was a real gentleman, and a great businessman who treated his customers like friends. I enjoyed talking to him and I miss him.
A few months ago, I thought about getting a cover for my small Ampeg bass amp that I used to take with me to a local acoustic jam circle where I served as their bass player. I looked at several covers made for the BA108 but found that virtually all of them came from the US and the prohibitive shipping cost meant that I'd have been paying as much to get the cover sent to me as the actual cost of the cover. I inquired on the Canadian Guitar forum, thinking that if I could get something that was made or distributed in Canada, maybe it would be more cost-effective. The name most forum members mentioned was Coveramp. It's a small company in Quebec, and I think basically a husband/wife effort. The quality seemed to be okay, so I priced a cover made for the amp. Turned out that the cost was around 100.00 plus shipping. I blanched at the idea of spending over 100.00 for a cover for an amp I'd paid 80.00 for. When I mentioned on the Canadian Guitar Forum that I didn't want to spend more than the amp was worth for a cover, I got some negative feedback from some people and one asshole went out of his way to tell me I was a cheap SOB. That's when I quit that forum for good...There are lots of places a guy can talk guitars without getting that attitude.
A couple of months ago, I found I was going to have to move and would no longer have the luxury of my landlord's Chevy truck to move my 2 x 15" JBL roadbox around. I decided to trade it for an Ampeg PF-210 HE Portoflex dual 10" cabinet. It was used but looked brand new and the guy who owned it had a Coveramp cover for it. It's a decent cover, made out of the heaviest Naugahyde I've ever seen, but bare-bones with no padding at all. I'm glad to have a cover for the cabinet, but it was nothing I'd pay premium money for. If I was going to buy a cover for another amp, such as my Altec Lansing 418, I'd probably be looking at the Tuki covers which are padded and reputed to be good quality.
So, how about you guys....Am I the only guy with a cover fetish or do you have some?
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 18, 2020 1:53:35 GMT
All my amps have d2f covers. The owner died (was it Tom?) and tne business closed. I have no idea where I would get covers now
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Post by zontar on Dec 18, 2020 6:15:40 GMT
I dont'' own any amp covers, my amps mostly stay at home--btu there have ben tomes I've wished ha d cover for them (like if it's raining outside & I want to bring them in--in those cases I've used garbage bags, rain ponchos, whatever was handy.)
But more than once I have considered getting some.
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Post by johnreardon on Dec 18, 2020 10:10:18 GMT
All my amps, cabs and PA stuff have covers. I use a UK company who make really great stuff. Perhaps more expensive than some, but great quality www.amplifiercoversonline.com |
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 18, 2020 13:22:43 GMT
If you bring the amps onto jobs a good padded cover is really a must. I'm certainly not into relicing my amps before their time
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Post by infant on Dec 18, 2020 18:56:00 GMT
I’m the only guy touching and carrying my amps so any damage to them is my own fault. I use the factory covers and my amps are still near mint. My old tweed Fender Blues Deluxe’s cover was starting to fall apart at the seems but the tweed still looked good when I sold it. When I bought my ‘79 Deluxe Reverb, it was a closet classic. The guy never gigged with it. When I sold my tweed BD, I bought the same nylon cover that they sell for the Deluxe Reverb RI to use with my DR.
I looked at those Coveramp ones out of Quebec and decided that they were too expensive.
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 18, 2020 20:08:54 GMT
I wonder how hard it would be to recycle an amp cover for another cab once you sell the amp?
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roxy13
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Post by roxy13 on Dec 18, 2020 23:59:19 GMT
I love Tuki covers. They have foam padding and heavy duty denier nylon fabric.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2020 5:17:28 GMT
I've always felt drawn toward Tuki covers. I've never seen one up close, but the way they're described makes me think they're probably at least a bit like D2F's. More to my taste than what feels like Coveramp's hide-of-the-buffalo feel, lol. I recently hear a criticism of a foam-backed cover, but I don't remember that it was a Tuki's cover. But, whatever it was, the foam was perishing with age. That was one thing I liked a Tom's D2F covers...It always seemed to have a nylonized barrier between the foam and the the outside air. I think maybe the Tuki's might be like that.
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Post by zontar on Dec 19, 2020 8:18:02 GMT
I wonder how hard it would be to recycle an amp cover for another cab once you sell the amp? Sell the covers with the amp? |
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Post by johnreardon on Dec 19, 2020 9:59:30 GMT
I wonder how hard it would be to recycle an amp cover for another cab once you sell the amp? Many cabs and amps are the same or very close to the same size. I have used the covers I buy on quite a few different combos. I try to order with a little bit of give in them, so they are flexible. |
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 19, 2020 15:59:55 GMT
I wonder how hard it would be to recycle an amp cover for another cab once you sell the amp? Sell the covers with the amp? Maybe I'm a cheapskate but I always feel that selling with the amp is just giving them away. Few people put a premium on the cover and good ones aren't cheap. Kind of like selling an amp with premium tubes. A Classic 30 with all NOS Mullards is not going to get you $1000. |
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Post by Die Bullen on Dec 19, 2020 16:00:53 GMT
I wonder how hard it would be to recycle an amp cover for another cab once you sell the amp? Many cabs and amps are the same or very close to the same size. I have used the covers I buy on quite a few different combos. I try to order with a little bit of give in them, so they are flexible. Yeah when my markbass goes I'm assuming the cover will fit the henricksen 112 cab i am getting |
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