It doesn’t really matter, of course. No one sounds quite like Jimmy Page (least of all Jimmy Page these days) and how an amp sounds on an album isn’t exactly how it sounds in a club, anyway. The difference between six inches of mic placement in a studio can make a great amp sound like crap and vice-versa. Yet, people pay through the nose for amps because they think they’ll sound like Jimmy Page if they buy them. Whatever.

But what’s missed in all this (sadly) is that there’s a reason Page dug the Supros in the first place. They sound great. Whether it’s the Thunderbolt, or the Corsica, or the Dual Tone (all claimed by various “experts” as THE AMP Page used), they, and many other models, are great sounding amps.

They are also, at this point, getting to be very expensive amps. And there’s nothing wrong with paying a grand for a Thunderbolt if you want one. They sound awesome for guitar, they’re loud enough for clubs, and they aren’t too heavy to carry. They are point to point (true point to point – not hand loaded circuit board like vintage Fenders. Not that either is better, but Fenders aren’t, technically, point to point). They’re well made, with good parts and, in general, tougher cabinets than other budget tone monsters like Danelectros.

But, some things have gone plain loco in the vintage market. Example A? People are paying over $4,000 for the Supro Dual Tone (AKA the 1624T). And while this is a killer amp, that’s just insane (unless I’m selling it, in which case, it’s worth every penny). Why are the prices so high for this model? You guessed it – it’s the latest that has been swept up by the “as played by Jimmy Page” tidal wave.

But let’s say you’re interested in tone. Not who played what. You want to sound like you, and you want a really cool amp to do it with, and you don’t have an extra 4 Large kicking around your wallet. What’s a tone freak to do?

Well, if you like the sound of that Supro (and it IS a sound worth having, no matter who owned, played, looked at or smelled the damn thing), try and find a circuit that’s similar and go from there. What gave that model Supro its unique and cool tone? Well, as they say, everything affects everything, but the main contributors to that tone machine are the pretty basic 12AX7’s in the preamp and the cathode-biased oddball output 6973 tubes. These have an overdrive all their own – not quite a 6V6; not quite an EL84. They definitely have their own thing going. Chime and midrange grit at the same time – and they’re largely responsible, I’d guess, for when people call these model Supros slightly Vox-like in their overdriven mode.

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier

What’s an affordable, well made, very cool and not ridiculously expensive amp that’s like the 1624T? I’d say you might want to look at the Univox 202R. The early version of this amp is true point-to-point (before 66 or so, it seems – there’s not a lot of information on Univox amps). Later versions are printed circuit board, like the great little Univox U45 amps (they are mini tone MONSTERS). But the circuit and cap and resistor values stayed pretty much the same. If you can, it’s always better to find the point to point ones, as they’re easier to work on and tougher built – but the PCB ones are good amps, too. Univox amps were made in Japan (all the ones I’ve seen) – most of the ones I’ve been under the hood of were made at the Guyatone factory, and then imported to the United States and branded with various names (see below for some of the other names for this amp).

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier

These are single 12″ combo amps with Reverb and Tremolo (both VERY nice – a good throbbing smooth trem and a cavernous verb). Chanel one has a Volume and Tone knob, plus the ‘verb and trem. Channel two has only volume and tone, but you can patch the two together for a fuller, raunchier sound. “Normal” and “Bright” inputs for each channel. Earlier models have the following tube lineup: 12AX7 (3), 6AN8, 6AV6, 6973 (2) and a 6CA4 rectifier.

I’ve seen them with ceramic Jensens that seemed original. Mine, a very early model, has a “Deerfield” ALNICO, (looks to be original) with no other markings or speaker codes (your guess is as good as mine – anyone know about “Deerfield”? Drop me a line). Most examples of the 202R have a gold control panel with big round black knobs that look like old Magnatone knobs. They are frequently two-tones, with a dark covering, then a white stripe in the middle, topped off by a handsome wheat-colored grille cloth. They’re lookers.

How does it sound? Pretty incredible. At low volumes it has a slightly dark, incredibly warm clean sound. Think of Peter Green’s tone on “Albatross.” Clean, but wooly. It can get bright, but you’ll need a Tele or a similarly bright guitar to coax that out of it. It’s got that classic mid-60’s budget American midrange-y tone to it that’s to die for.

Turned up and it really starts to release some beautiful overtones from the 6973s. These are a relatively strange output tube for a guitar amp. They were used mostly in old Wurlitzer Jukeboxes, but they make guitar amp appearances in some Supros, the awesome Magnatone 280s and 480s and a few Univox models. As stated above, they have their own thing going, and it’s a good thing at that. A very warm, yet raunchy and still creamy overdrive that cuts well through/with a band. Also, while 6973s were VERY hard to find for a while, and NOS examples were obscenely priced, Electro Harmonics is making a new version that sounds great and costs under 35 bucks a pair. The new EH tube is a lot like their highly respected 6V6 – nice and rugged with a very robust tone. So you won’t have to shell out ridiculous money to re-tube your new tone beast.

These are still available for under $400 with regularity. It will probably go up, as people find out more about the obscure brands (or, err, the MORE obscure brands) in their search for great 60’s tone on the cheap. But, even for a fair amount more than $400, these are great amps. For low volume work, they have a very impressive clean, and turned up they sound like garage heaven. Get yours now before Jack White or somebody discovers them. Or before I start a website saying Jimmy Page used it on EVERYTHING he EVER recorded!

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier (with Apto badge)

A final note about Univoxes and their various rebrands. The same amp could (and will, on eBay) frequently wear several names. There is, of course, Univox. BUT, you could find the same amp with a “Lafayette” badge. Mine has an “Apto” badge (imported to New York by the “Apto” Accordion Company). I’ve seen one that looked just like these with a Magnavox badge. So, familiarize yourself with the basic look of this model and ask questions about the tube lineup, and you may find yourself with a very cool Univox 202R. No matter what the name on the faceplate, the tone is something special. Happy hunting.

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier (with Apto badge)

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier (with Apto badge)

Univox 202R Guitar Amplifier from MyRareGuitars.com

I recently saw a later model (Blue faced) Supro Corsica going on eBay and the seller claimed THIS was the Jimmy Page amp…he was positive…everyone had it wrong…if you wanted THE TONE this was the Page amp. It, naturally, got the “question/comments” section crackling with replies (including, yes, I admit it, one of mine…I just can’t help myself sometimes) asking where this guy got his information, how did he know, and so on. He also claimed the Bluefaced Supros were EXACTLY the same (minus cosmetics) as the earlier Gray Tolex-ed models, which just isn’t true (I’m hardly a Supro expert, but just easy simple research will show you they often changed the guts over the years).

The upshot? The amp, which looked to be in so-so condition, sold for $450 amidst a series of increasingly angry and defensive responses from the seller about what idiots the people who were writing him were….Along the way, there were wonderful stories and theories about Page’s amp (it was destroyed in a fire, yet somehow is at the R&R Hall of fame…some have seen photos that prove it’s a Thunderbolt; some that prove it’s not…I half expected someone to say they had a photo where the grill cloth had the outline of the Virgin Mary head-banging in it or something).

And Thunderbolts (the most common, and probably correctly, Page-associated model) these days are drawing anywhere from $800 to $1,200.

And you know what? Page or no Page, cheap (ten years ago) or not cheap (today), they’re TOTALLY worth it. They’re very well put together (if not as easy to service as a Fender – but then, what, except for a Fender Clone, is?), have plenty of volume for a gig, take pedals well, and sound awesome without a pedal at all. It doesn’t really matter what Page played on those albums (or if and when Hendrix used a Supro), because IF YOU use a Thunderbolt, you will sound REALLY GOOD. And isn’t that the point of all this tone chasing us sick, diseased, deranged gear-addicted people do?

And, despite the enormous (and goody for all of us, I say) amount of boutique amps companies, there really aren’t many Valco-ish boutique amps out there. In the early 90’s, everyone seemed to be building a Fender Tweed copy (with variations, of course). Then, it was Fender Blackfaces. Then, the current 18-watt craze.

1960s Harmony 525B Bass Guitar Amp

And it makes some sense. With Tweed Fenders going in the 3-5 Grand range, why not pick up a point-to-point (or hand stuffed circuit-board) copy of one of those great amps for two thousand? But no one could build and market a Supro Thunderbolt clone, with high grade parts, for any less than the $1,000 you’d pay for an original with a cap job and a tune up. So, while their price has gone up (lots) in recent years, they are still something of a vintage bargain, and they’re awesome amp.

But what if you can’t scrounge up $800-1000 for that tone, let alone a couple thousand? Enter the Harmony 420 and the Harmony 525 bass amps (made by Valco in the, respectively, mid and late 60’s). It’s much like a Supro Thunderbolt, with some minor differences, on a budget. On a super budget. They can be found, with some regularity, in the $200 range. Wow! Well-built 60’s tube tone for that kind of price?

The 420 (in the black paper covering with the silver grill cloth) and the 525 (racing stripe!) are the same amp on the inside. They run a ½ of a 12AX7 for the preamp (leaving ½ unused for you gain-adders and modifiers), another 12AX7 as the phase inverter, and two 6L6’s for the output (all the same as the Thunderbolt). The speaker is a 15″ ceramic Jensen (ditto- same as the Thunderbolt).

Where they differ from their Page-ian (Page-esque? Page-larian?)brethren? A solid state rectifier and a different tone control (the Harmonys have separate 500k Bass and Tremble controls, while the Supro has a single tone pot) that makes it a little more constipated sounding than the Bolt (this can be addressed).

I snagged the one in the photo (posed with a beat up, amazing Harmony H-72) for 100 bucks from some clown who refused to ship it. Local pickup is always nice…especially when it’s all they offer and you are the local one! Turned out it was a pawn shop about fifteen miles away. This was a great deal – the speaker needs a recone, or I’ll probably buy a Weber Alnico for it, as I’ll gig with it and tend to get new speakers for that. Some minor (very minor) modifications to the preamp for more gain, new filter caps, and this thing is a sustaining singing overdrive blues/rock amp.

Even if you have no interest in picking up a soldering iron, you can buy these for around two hundred bucks and invest very little at your tech’s and get a vintage Valco-made amp with boutique tone for under $400. You can’t beat that.

If you can afford it, though, get the Thunderbolt, too. That tube rectifier sings. And, you know, it was on every single song Jimmy Page ever cut. EVER! He never ever ever ever recorded without his Supro! And, just so you know (and capture THAT tone), he always put it 18 inches to his left and 17 inches behind him, wore a paisley shirt whenever he played it and never ate hamburger the day of the recording.

And before that, Arthur pulled a sword out of this most legendary of amps and became king of England……and after that, the Supro Thunderbolt discovered America while looking for spice routes to Asia…and after that it wrote the Canterbury Tales. Or maybe I’m thinking of Communication Breakdown?

Bio: Rob Roberge is the author of Working Backwards From the Worst Moment of My Life (due Oct 10th), the novels More Than They Could Chew (Perennial Dark Alley/Harper Collins, February 2005) and Drive (Hollyridge Press, 2006). He teaches writing at the Antioch University Los Angeles, MFA in Creative Writing and the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, where he received the Outstanding Instructor Award in Creative Writing in 2003. He plays guitar and sings with several LA bands, including the legendary Punk pioneers, The Urinals. In his spare time, he restores and rebuilds vintage amplifiers and quack medical devices. For news and more info, visit & or email at either www.myspace.com/robroberge or www.robroberge.com

Rob’s Crazy eBay Finds: eBay Myths & Misinformation from MyRareGuitars.com