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VintageKustom.com is your source for literature and information on the tuck-and-roll vintage Kustom amps from the 60's and 70's, as well as their related products such as guitars and organs . We provide a webboard for help with kustom gear history, technical information and repairs as well as discussions with other collectors.

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Do I have something special here? Identification? [message #27935] Sun, 13 December 2020 22:43 Go to next message
LJR is currently offline  LJR
Messages: 2
Registered: December 2020
Junior Member
Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and I actually found this through a youtube video. I have had this Kustom amp head and dual cabinets for sometime now and I cannot find any information on it. I have found that it could be called a Frankenstein because of the big head of the amp? I recently had it serviced to replace the 2 prong power cable to a modern 3 prong because I have been shocked on 2 different occasions! The amps tech said it has the two big Mallory capacitors and other Mallory parts in general. He also believed the speakers are CTS. Everything is original and it is in immaculate clean condition. Here are some pictures of the amp.


imgur.com/a/6WRtGUE
Re: Do I have something special here? Identification? [message #27936 is a reply to message #27935] Mon, 14 December 2020 12:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
chicagobill
Messages: 2006
Registered: April 2003
Senior Member
Welcome to the place! That's a real nice amp you have there. It is a Frankie PA head with two PA cabinets. To me it looks like the 10 inch cabinets, but you would know better than I would.

If you go to the literature section of the site, you can find a catalog of the early Frankie amps. There is a page with the PA amps that shows the exact same amp that you have with a short description of the features. Originally your amp came with a Y-cord that allowed for the two cabinets to be plugged into the single amp output jack.

There once was a small paper serial number/model number/color label glued to the back panel, under the grille. Through the years they go missing for one reason or another. Yours would have been marked as a 745PA or 695PA.

Your amp is an earlier Frankie, as the words Ross and Inc on the front panel are spread apart.

Again, nice amp and welcome to the site.
Re: Do I have something special here? Identification? [message #27937 is a reply to message #27936] Mon, 14 December 2020 19:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LJR is currently offline  LJR
Messages: 2
Registered: December 2020
Junior Member
I appreciate the information and I was able to locate the picture. I'm amazed by how well this has been maintained over the years. Is this rare or hard to find at all? Is it worth anything from what you might have seen? I've been eyeing a jazzmaster for sometime now Very Happy I'm not sure I'd part with it as it hits all the right feels for vintage gear for me. Just curious!
Re: Do I have something special here? Identification? [message #27938 is a reply to message #27935] Tue, 15 December 2020 05:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
stevem is currently offline  stevem
Messages: 4774
Registered: June 2004
Location: NY
Senior Member
Wellcome to the site!

Just for your own info you need to make 5 post before I do not have to approve them first ( spam protect) after that they will just show up right when you post them.

One more tip bit of info on that amp is that only with both speaker cabinets hooked up will it output its full near 100 watts of clean power, if you run on just one cabinet which is ok to do the amp will only output some 50 watts of clean power.

Also of note about these early Kustom output sections is that they have no protection circuit like the later B series of amps have so if there is a short in the speaker cable used, or if you do the wrong thing and with the amp already turned on plug the speaker cable first into the amp and then into the cabinet, you then stand a really good chance of blowing the amp.

[Updated on: Tue, 15 December 2020 06:02]

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Re: Do I have something special here? Identification? [message #27939 is a reply to message #27937] Tue, 15 December 2020 19:27 Go to previous message
pleat is currently offline  pleat
Messages: 1454
Registered: June 2004
Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
I agree with StevenM, you have a early 1966 PA System. No Kustom logo on the speaker cabinets. I'd almost bet the cabs don't have handles on the side.

The columns house 12" speakers. Counting the T&R from top to bottom I get 28 pleats or 56" tall columns.

You have the same PA as my first Kustom PA we bought in the spring of 1966.

Don
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