The Sears amp with the most indie cred
Sears sold the Silvertone 1484 “Twin Twelve” from 1963 to 1967, and Danelectro built it. It’s a piggyback head and cab, somewhere around 50 or 60 watts into two 12-inch speakers, with tube tremolo and reverb. It was meant for a kid’s bedroom or a church basement.
Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Steve Turner were on them early. Jack White did more than anyone to make them expensive. Reverb’s page on the JHS clone runs through Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Vampire Weekend and The White Stripes and calls it about as indie as a vintage amp gets, which is hard to argue with. Premier Guitar’s review of the Jackson Audio version puts it in the backline of punks and garage bands.
It’s loose, a little hairy even when it’s clean, and it breaks up early. The low end gets flubby when you push it, which is charming right up until it isn’t.
Recording one
Don’t fight the looseness. Back the mic off a few inches from the grille, keep the gain lower than you think, and let the bass and drums carry the bottom. A 57 is fine. A ribbon a few feet back is better.
Watch and read
- Reverb: JHS Twin Twelve
- Premier Guitar: Jackson Audio Silvertone 1484 review
Gear in this post: Silvertone 1484 Twin Twelve
-- I mix rock, indie, punk, electronic, acoustic and Americana records. Got songs that need finishing? Here's how it works.
