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Welcome to the vintage Kustom amp site, VintageKustom.com. This site is dedicated to sharing the collective knowledge about the vintage Kustom Tuck-n-Roll Amplifiers of the mid 60's to early 70's, and their accessories. I am thrilled to have found this amp in such great condition. I had a Kustom 200 Bass amp in 1970 that I wished I had never sold. I feel like I got a piece of my youth back today. Sorry to ramble. Thanks for your time. Chuck 1) serial number - 46233 2) Model number - K1000-8 - (Kustom 100) 4) Color - Black.

The '100W Amplifier' - fixed bias

Produced for Vox by Burndept Electronics, Erith

June/July 1965, the immediate precursor to the AC100 Mk2

Serial numbers c. 430 - 724

In March 1965, the Vox Works / Burndept Electronics factory in Erith, already busy producing AC30s and AC50s for Vox, began making the cathode biased AC80/100, taking up the baton, after a brief hiatus in early 1965 when few amps were made, from Westrex in West London.

Some 130 AC80/100s rolled off the line at Erith, the last probably emerging in late May / early June '65.

Above, views of the Works. For further info, see this page.

Demand from the USA was the thing that drove production at the Vox / Burndept Works forward; and a good proportion of the amps produced were destined for export. More on this page.

What seems to have brought the fixed bias '100W Amplifier' into being was, on the one hand, a continuing process of design and development, and on the other, the feeling that the cathode bias AC80/100 was running too close to its limits in terms of heat generated and stresses placed on vital components.

Not only did the '100W Amplifier' run cooler by far, but it delivered a true 100W.

If adverse comment on the AC80/100 did reach England from the US, it will for the most part have arrived too late. By the time large numbers of AC80/100s did actually reach the States in the summer of 1965, Vox had already moved over to the new fixed bias circuit. Only a very few amps made by Westrex in 1964 seem to have been exported.

Indeed, if there were early whispers surrounding the AC80/100's perceived unreliability (ie. in late 1964 and early 1965), they will have come in the main from English bands, either at home or on tour. Whether the JMI repair registers contributed evidence is anybody's guess.

Above, The Who in Copenhagen, 25th September 1965, with six AC100s. At this date they are likely to be the new '100W Amplifier', less likely the AC100 Mark 2. One can tell that they are not cathode biased by the presence of two screws on the top edge of the backboard. Cathode biased amps had only one. It seems doubtful that these amps found their way back to JMI in one piece.

Components old and new

Many elements could simply be carried over from the AC80/100 - switches, jack sockets, voltage selectors, Erie resistors, and so on. No new supply lines needed setting up. Other components, however, had to be sourced anew, key among these being the transformers and elements of the bias circuit.

For its axial and main filter capacitors, Vox returned to TCC and Daly, which had been used briefly in late 1964, but set aside in favour of Dubilier, which had been used in the early AC80/100s.

As a side note, it is well to say that the chassis base, plain metal in the case of the AC180/100, was proofed again rust - 'passivated' - giving it a light gold appearance.

'100W Amplifier' Schematic

Dated 30th May 1965.

Just under three weeks after this, on the 17th June, a new schematic was produced: the 'AC100/2 Amplifier'. And eleven days after that, on the 28th June, the addition of the brimistor is recorded.

The addition of the brimistor required new holes to be provided in the chassis (for the two standoffs) behind the EL34 nearest to the choke.

As ever, click for larger images. At right, the holes for the brimistor standoffs (long since removed).

Vintage Kustom Amp Serial Numbers Dating

Around three hundred '100W Amplifiers' were produced at the Burndept works in Erith - serial numbers c. 430 - 730, all without the brimistor.

Although the dates given on the schematics are unlikely to correspond exactly with the start of production in the factory, the time lag between production and the drawing up of the schematics in these cases is not likely to have been great.

If we allow that production of the '100W Amplifier' lasted five or perhaps six weeks, approximately 10 per day must have rolled off the line.

Early to mid 1965 was an intense period of activity for Vox/Burndept, particularly in view of the orders received from the Thomas Organ Co. in the States, the first being in September 1964 ($1m) and the second, mid '65 ($2-4m). Both were reported in 'Beat Instrumental magazine.

Transformers

The transformers, instantly identifiable by their black shrouds, mark a departure from the Wodens of the AC80/100 and are of a new type and specification. They were not made by Albion (as has often been suggested) or 'sourced' by Geoff Johnson at Triumph.

It seems most likely that they were manufactured by a company that had close links either with Royston Industries (which owned Burndept and JMI), or with Burndept itself.

The mains transformer was marked '66775', the choke '66429', and the output transformer, at first, not all. In AC100 Mk2 amps, it is '66776'.

Transformers made by the same company were used in the range of solid state amps also assembled by Burndept for Vox.

Rectifier diodes

These were Mullard BY100 (also used in the AC80/100, the AC50, and AC100 Mk2). In August 1965, they cost 11s 6d each (retail) in old money, around £10 today in relative terms. But Vox presumably had a better (wholesale) price.

Main filter capacitors (100uf 500v)

Made by Daly Condensers of Ealing, West London (West Lodge Works, The Green, Ealing, W5), superceding the Dubiliers in AC80/100s.

TCC Capacitors

The higher value axial capacitors in the AC80/100s made at Burndept were for the most part gold-coloured Dubiliers. For the '100W Amplifier', the supply line changed to green TCC 'Micromites':

Pic. from the wonderful Mullard Magic website. Note the statement of 'Peak Working' and 'Surge' voltages.

The caps in question, as marked on the schematic (for which, see higher up this page), are:

C1 - 8uf, preamp main filter (but 16uf always fitted in practice).

C3, C4 - *25uf, preamp cathode bypass.

C9 - 32uf, preamp main filter.

C10 - 50uf, preamp main filter (but 32uf always fitted in practice).

C14 - 8uf 150v, bias smoothing.

* cathode bypass caps were TCC 'Micropack'

So far no amp has come to light with 8uf and 50uf main preamp filter caps. The values were evidently simply carried over from the 'AC80/100' schematic (and no AC80/100 has come to light with these values either).

Below, the Telegraph Condenser Company factory, Wales Farm Road, North Acton:

Pic. from the Britainfromabove website. The factory is printed dark in the photo, its environs slightly greyed out.

Bias circuit

For the smoothing capacitor C15 in the bias circuit, the schematic notes 0.25uf (an unusual value), 750v (an unusual rating). Hunts certainly made caps of these specifications, but evidently not in great numbers. The part actually used at the Burndept factory, however, was a blue/grey RadioSpares paper cap, 0.25uf, 1000v, well above spec., as in serial no. 531:

These came in packs of three, as in the pics below:

In later fixed bias amps - the AC100 Mk2 - one often finds RadioSpares mixed dialectic caps (polythene/foil) of 0.22uf, 600v. The change made little difference to the circuit operationally.

Zener diodes

Above, close-up shots of a zener diode temporarily removed from a '100W Amplifier' (serial number in the 500s, though lacking its plate on the back panel). Made by 'International Rectifier', 15v (part no. MZ15), and rated at 3/4W. Below a shot of an MZ14 zener (not used by Vox) with its original box:

Thanks to the experts in the vintage-radio.net forum for identifying the MV15 zener as being made by IR.

A design handbook for the zener diode was issued annually in the early 1960s by the International Rectifier Co. and is likely to have been available to the Burndept engineers. A subsiduary International Rectifier Co. Ltd factory was set up in Oxted, Surrey, in 1960.

Extracts from the handbook. In the far left column, the JEDEC equivalents.

Below, the standard arrangement of zeners in the '100W Amplifier' as in ( AC100 serial no. 531):

The 20v zener extends across the width of the board; the 15v bridges two adjacent tags.

Kustom Amplification or Kustom Electronics is a manufacturer of guitar and bass amplifiers and PA equipment and accessories. Since 1999, Kustom has been owned by the Hanser Music Group headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

History[edit]

'Kustom' was a brand and trademark of Ross, Inc., a company founded in 1964 by Charles A. 'Bud' Ross in Chanute, Kansas. The main selling point of Kustom amplifiers was their unique appearance: Ross, Inc. was the first to mass-produce amplifiers covered in roll and pleat, popularly referred to as 'Tuck-And-Roll' naugahyde, similar to hot-rod automobile upholstery popular at that time. The amplifiers featured solid-state circuitry instead of vacuum tube-based designs so common in the 1960s.

Ross, Inc. operated in a factory in Chanute, Kansas. The company produced several models of guitar amplifiers, bass amplifiers, organ amplifiers, Guitars, Basses, and keyboards and P.A. systems. There was also a line of guitars with DeArmond pickups in a variety of colors, including the infamous Pink to Green sunburst that fans have affectionately named 'Watermelon Burst.' In an original promotion Kustom gave away 'Kustom Kats' with the purchase of an amplifier. The Kustom (The Nauga, or Naugie) Kats were from the same Uniroyal Naugahyde that Kustom used to cover their products. The original Kustom amps came in a variety of colors including Red Sparkle, Blue Sparkle, Gold Sparkle, Cascade Sparkle (teal), Charcoal Sparkle (grey), Silver Sparkle (white), and Flat Black (which contained no glitter). Eventually the company branched out to produce organs, drums, microphones, and guitars.

Charles 'Bud' Ross produced the first Kustom amp which comprised two fifteen inch speakers mounted side-by-side in a horizontal white sparkle cabinet with and a non-Frankenstein head. The first amp was built for a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame and is now a featured display in the collection of Rainbow Recording Studios in Omaha, Nebraska. The company was owned by Bud Ross from 1964 until June 1972, when Ross sold it to Baldwin Pianos. The sale was finalized just prior to the 1972 Summer NAMM show where the metal/slant face Kustom amps were introduced. Later Bud Ross established a fairly lucrative business which manufactured police handheld radars. During the following years the factory in Kansas and the associated trademarks would change ownership numerous times. The most notable merger happened with Gretsch, which at the time was owned by Baldwin.

Aside from the Kustom brand, Kustom Electronics also began to manufacture an amplifier line called Kasino. The brand was established in 1972. These were internally the same as Kustom amplifiers but were covered with traditional Tolex material as seen on Fender style amplifiers. Kasino amps were used mainly by country music performers who felt the regular Kustom Tuck-And-Roll Naugahyde models were too flashy. Another reason for establishing a parallel brand was simply to gain a greater share of the amplifier market. One distributor could sell the Kustom brand and one could sell Kasino without competing with each other. Waylon Jennings was an early supporter of the Kasino line. Kasino amps were discontinued in 1975 when Kustom Electronics once again changed ownership.

Other parallel brands of Kustom Electronics were Klassic and Camco. Klassic was a brief venture that reputedly fell into trademark disputes with Peavey Electronics who happened to own the 'Classic' trademark. Camco was a brand used for drums.

Some affiliated companies and trademarks were Woodson and Legend. Woodson Electronics, Inc. from Bolivar, Missouri was an independent business entity founded by Mike Woodson in the early 1970s (around the same time when Kustom was acquired by Gretsch). Mike was Bud's brother-in-law and all amps and P.A. systems were manufactured in Bolivar. Several Kustom employees moved to Bolivar to work for Woodson. Legend hybrid amplifiers of Legend Musical Instruments, Inc. from Syracuse, New York were also manufactured by the Kustom factory. Reputedly these were engineered by Richard Newman (an employee of Bonne Music Shop) and a former employee of Woodson Electronics.

Kustom abandoned the tuck-n-roll upholstery in the late 1970s. Around the same time the company also changed its logo to a bigger letter 'K.' Mesa Boogie 'Mark' series amplifiers appeared in the late 1970s generating a huge impact. Everyone wanted to clone the popular design, including Kustom Electronics. Kustom's answer to the Mark series was a hybrid amplifier series called 'K-Studio.' The K-Studio was among the last traditional Kustom products, as subsequent Kustom trademark owners no longer had any affiliation with the old Kansas-based company.

Rockabilly and Motown musicians originally used Kustom amplifiers. Other artists known for using the Kustom brand for live performances are Creedence Clearwater Revival, Hoyt Axton, The Altamonts, Dusty Murphy, 3 and Sheryl Crow. Some of the most famous Kustom P.A. users include Creedence Clearwater Revival, Leon Russell, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, The Jackson 5, Carl Perkins and The Carpenters. CCR toured from mid-1969 - 1972 using their own massive Kustom 400 PA system due to a lack of quality backline PA systems in venues at that time. As a result, CCR concerts were superior in sound quality, but the cost of transporting the equipment made touring a money losing deal for the band.

Hanser Re-issues

Vintage Kustom Amp Serial Numbers Dating

Hanser Holdings, Inc. from Cincinnati, Ohio bought the bankrupted Kustom in the late 1980s. In 1994, Hanser produced some small solid-state amplifiers featuring tuck-n-roll covering under the Kustom brand. These amps were manufactured in China.

From 1999 to 2001 Hanser continued producing Kustom brand tuck-n-roll amplifiers including a full tube guitar amplifier, 100W and a 50W solid state reverb amps called TRT100 and TRT50, a 400W hybrid bass amplifier TRB400H, as well as 2x12', 4x12' and 2x15' speaker cabinets in original tuck-n-roll style. List prices were in 2000: $999.95 (TRT100), $899.95 (TRT50), $899.95 (TRB400H) $399.95 (2x12'), $599.95 (4x12'), $749.95 (2x15').

KrossroadSince selling Ross, Inc. Bud Ross has had numerous ventures in MI industry (including Road Electronics and Ross Systems). His only venture resembling traditional Kustom amplifiers was a brief venture with his son Andy Ross. The duo founded Krossroad Music Corporation in the early 1990s and for a brief period the company manufactured a series of solid-state bass amplifiers featuring traditional Kustom-style tuck-n-roll cosmetics. The amplifiers were even marketed with the Kustom Kat mascot. The venture proved unsuccessful, however, and within a few years the company had ceased to exist.

Kustom Amps Ebay

Guitars

As noted above, Kustom also produced a line of guitars in the 1967-1969 designed by Doyle Reading who also designed guitars for Wurlitzer. Model numbers were similar to the amplifiers of the time, with the K-200 being a semi-hollow body instrument with a cats-eye sound hole giving it a somewhat Rickenbacker-style look. It was equipped with two single coil DeArmond pickups, a bound neck, a steel nut, and a rosewood fretboard with multiple dot inlays beginning with four for each position marker below the 12th fret. The guitars came in different colors including natural, white, blue, wineburst aka watermelon burst, cherry-orange sunburst, natural ash, black ash and white ash, and were produced with or without a Bigsby tailpiece.

Vintage Kustom Amplifiers Website

References[edit]

Vintage Kustom Bass Amps

External links[edit]

Vintage Kustom Amp Parts

• Bud Ross NAMM Oral History Interview

Vintage Kustom Speakers