Guitar thread: Zinky

Shuie · 10-07-2005, 06:05 PM

I found this in a local shop last weekend and had to snatch it up. I needed a master volume amp and I had been shopping Dr Z and Naylor stuff. Stuff like this never comes up for sale here and I actually paid less for this than I would have paid for a new Fender Deluxe Reverb reissue from the neighborhood guitar center.

Bruce Zinky used to run the custom amp shop at Fender. This is one of those snooty point-to-point hand wired boutique amps that are all built by one guy who uses nothing but the best grade components. Kinda like a Naylor, early Matchless, Komet, Bogner, Bacino, etc. Im a total geek for stuff like this. I dont know how many of these have been built to date, but this one is very early (#29).

25watts, 1x12, channel switching, tube reverb, EL34 power section, 12AX7 preamp section, effects loop, and a master volume that doesnt completely change the way the amp sounds.

This is a very versatile amp. Its got more knobs and features than I need, but I really like it so far. EL34s are self biasing tubes so they can be swapped around for different tones pretty easily. The dirty channel on this amp is great. The reverb is typical high grade fender (same components) and is a nice feature even if I rarely use it. Build quality is typical high grade boutique amp perfection. 4,8, or 16 ohm impedance selector on the output so you could use it to power just about any cabinet. I'll probably never use the effects loop but its another really nice feature. The crushed blue velvet is a nice quirk also.

Les Paul · Les Paul's Garage

Very cool. Can't say I'd option for that velour finish but it's all about the sound anyway.

David · David's Garage

Cool. I'm just getting into this whole guitar thing. I bought an Epiphone Les Paul a while back. It's nice to pick up and practice every evening after a few hours working on the 930. I keep joking that I'm learning the first 12 seconds to every song I like. I guess after a few years it gets easier.?

Shuie · 06:23 PM

Its kind of kooky, but thats the way he does them. I think plain black Tolex costs extra

. Seriously, its an impressive little amp.

keep at it, shifter. As long as you are having fun with it. I couldnt pay a light bill if I had to play for a living but I'll never give it up.

yellowline · 10-07-2005, 06:59 PM

Nice.

I'm actually considering learning guitar. I haven't had music class since 8th grade (hated it and barely passed, so I need to learn the concepts of time, resding sheets quickly, etc.) But I do want to learn.

jim72911t · 10-07-2005, 07:43 PM

Cool. Zinky used to work right here in Chico at the local amp repair shop and has hot rodded many a friend's amp back when he was here. In fact, a few have mentioned that they had taken their amp in to be fixed, only to find out later that the amp had been Zinkified!

Looks like he's landed on his feet after the whole Fender Custom Shop ordeal.

Have you seen his cigarette pack amps? Too cool. If I can find one of mine, I'll post a pic.

Jim

Victor · 10-08-2005, 03:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jim72911t

Have you seen his cigarette pack amps? Too cool. If I can find one of mine, I'll post a pic.

Jim

YES! Go the "Smokey Amp" Here's my baby:

I'm sure that amp sounds unreal - happy playing!

Victor · 10-08-2005, 03:14 AM

...........and here's my other little amp posing with what I think is the world's sexiest guitar.

This month anyhow.

Shuie · 10-08-2005, 03:22 AM

JCM900? Nice. I loved my Marshalls, but I stayed with the single channel non master volume amps. Way too loud for the rest of the subdivision

ahhhh, string through body '58 Flying V clone. my favorite guitars!

Here are my current ones:

Tokai TFV
Hamer Vector #27

Victor · 10-08-2005, 03:49 AM

Yes - its the SL-X model with the gain control that goes all the way up to an unusable "20". Great sounding amp though.

Hey I noticed your Tokai a while back. Funny I was just looking at one on ebay down here in Oz. Starting is AU$900 (~US$530) so they must be pretty sought after? I love my Epiphone - got it for a steal too. They are THE most comfortable guitar to play...

Victor · 10-08-2005, 03:58 AM

Just checked out your Hamer V. Nice! Tell me, is "korina" just another word for a slightly denser balsa wood?

Shuie · 06:18 AM

The actual wood is 'African Limba'. I think Korina is a name for the finish. Its basically the African equivalant for Mahagony. My Tokai is bleached Mahagony but Tokai called it 'Korina'. The orginal Gibson guitars were made in Limba but called 'Korina'. Im not sure what the Epiphones are made of, but the finish on them is laminate. Neat guitars also.

The Tokai TFV thats on ebay right now is a really nice and original looking example, honestly. I'll be surprised if that one sells for less than $1k US. I bascially stole mine for ~$600 but its been modified and the serial number has been doctored. The Tokai Vs are rare and difficult to find. That will be a nice score for someone. Im really happy with mine. Great guitar company. The Japanese Tokai's are awesome guitars. Their selling prices are starting to reflect their quality. Id take Japanese Tokai over a Nashville Gibson anyday.

Victor · 10-08-2005, 05:39 PM

Yes - some of the Japanes stuff is truly magnificent. A buddy of mine has a "Orville by Gibson" Les Paul standard - awesome guitar for about 20% of the cost of the real thing.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

That's a nice amp and would sound great with a Rickenbacker, I bet! Do the knobs go to eleven??

MikeCT · MikeCT's Garage

Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.

[Nigel is playing a soft piece on the piano]
Marty DiBergi: It's very pretty.
Nigel Tufnel: Yeah, I've been fooling around with it for a few months.
Marty DiBergi: It's a bit of a departure from what you normally play.
Nigel Tufnel: It's part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I'm working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don't know why.
Marty DiBergi: It's very nice.
Nigel Tufnel: You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I'm really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it's sort of in between those, really. It's like a Mach piece, really. It's sort of...
Marty DiBergi: What do you call this?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, this piece is called "Lick My Love Pump".

Spinal Tap Rules!!

jim72911t · 10-08-2005, 09:40 PM

Mike, thanks for reminding me that I need to find my copy of Spinal Tap and throw it in the VCR when I go to bed tonight!

Don't point!

Victor · 10-08-2005, 10:54 PM

HELLO CLEVELAND!!!!!!

I have in my posession a commemerative dual 'Tap DVD - worth it. Very worth it.

deathpunk dan · 10-09-2005, 05:50 AM

nice amp- so is it all class A circuitry?? I would love to have something like that to mess with!

I use a 2205 series 86 JCM800 50w head live with either a mesa 1x12 or 1960A 4x12 slant w/celestion greenbacks....Trying to find a 1936 2x12 cab for reasonable money. I also really like the Mesa F series amps.