Price Paid: N/A
Features: 8
I traded my Silvertone 2x12 at Leo's Music in Oakland for "the little Vox amp" because I was going to school on the east coast. This was in 1967 so that pretty much dates it and me. The original speaker was blown out in '68 or '69 under the influence of Jimi Hendrix and was replaced with an Oaktron and eventually ende up in a closet for a number of years. In '94 Hal, at Guitronics replaced the original tubes (which are still good) with Sovteks and put in a Celestion G8L-35 4 ohm to replace the old Oaktron. I've used this amp on many occasions for over ten years. It's great for rehearsals with show bands and I've used it in recording sessions.
Sound Quality: N/A
For jazz, I use a '69 ES 175 with stock humbuckers, mostly no treble setting and just a little bass on the amp. For country, a Telecaster and the amp treble maxed pretty much gives it the needed spank. The distortion with everything maxed "these go to six" is kinda cool but only for single notes and bend up unisons. It certainly can rock with the Tele, although it helps to have an Overdrive Distortion pedal when seeking the ultimate fuzz.
Reliability: N/A
Dependable, but I don't it use it too much. Kinda like an old sports car that's been in the garage for awhile, great for cruising and tooling around, don't even try to red-line it and stray near a tow truck.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: N/A
Submitted by Glen Swarts at 03/11/2005 10:37
Price Paid: US $250 used
Features: 6
This is a review of a vintage US Thomas Organ Pathfinder model V1(01) tube amp made in 1965 judging from the code on the power transformer. It has a single 8" goldframe Vox label speaker and the tube compliment is 1xEL84, 2x12ax7, and 1 6V4 rectifier producing 4 watts. Controls are volume, treble, bass, speed and depth, and an power switch with no standby. There are two inputs, an RCA speaker jack and RCA tremolo on/off switch jack. The cosmetics are english style black basketweave vinyl with black diamond grillcloth, and the typical gold and white piping and gold facia. Circuitwise this is really more akin to a Fender Vibrochamp, than the comparably sized Vox AC-4. The tubes with the exception of the 12ax7 in place of the EF86 are the same as the AC4 though so you might say the Pathfinder is sort of a hybrid mix of a Vibrochamp and AC4.
Sound Quality: 8
I use it with a newish Epiphone Casino or 80's MIJ Telecaster with an Harmonic Design Super 90 and mini-humbucker. The sound is not exceptionally warm or shimmery though with the stock 8" el cheapo Thomas Organ Vox speaker you can't expect a whole lot. I plan on trying out a replacement or two soon, and will probably try it with a 1x12" extension cab with a weber Blue Dog as well. The tone stays pretty much clean until you get up to about 4-5 (of 6) on the volume knob, after which it produces a very clear yet grinding overdrive with the p-90's. The tone controls are a passive fender style circuit and don't really offer much tonal variation, particularly the bass control since lets face it the 8" speaker isn't pumping out much bass anyway. More variation is achieved with the guitar's tone control. With the single coils it really only starts to make any noticable noise after you turn it up to overdrive levels. The tremolo is quite different from smooth siney Fender style tremolo. It's not like an AC30's tremolo but is more squarewavish in sound. it gets pretty fast but not as slow as I'd like it. I've never played an AC4 so I can't make a comparison, but imo ot does sound similar to a Fender champ but without the flappyness that you can get when you crack the champ. I reckon this is due in part to the EL84/6V4 rather than 6V6/5Y3. As far as volume it's pretty low. I mainly wanted this amp because I wanted a low wattage tube amp to play and record with in my apartment. It's a bit too loud a crank it up except maybe during the afternoon hours or when the neighbours are out, I often use an overdrive or distortion pedal.
Reliability: N/A
US Thomas made amps aren't known for being the best made amps, but when you consider it's nearly 40 years old and still ticking I don't worry so much. If anything breaks down replacement parts are readily available so there's nothing that can't be fixed.
Customer Support: N/A
Thomas Organ co is no longer around but I'm sure any competant tech could make an repairs.
Overall Rating: 8
I was originally considering a TopHat Prince Royale when I found this amp because of the same reasons I bought this amp, low wattage and Voxlike in design. The Tophat costs more than twice what I paid for the pathfinder and an AC4 will run at least 3 times what I paid. Also when you take into account that a blackface Fender Vibrochamp of the same vintage is now selling for up to $500 I think the $250 I paid was a pretty good deal. I havn't seen one of these in a long time so I'm not sure what they typically sell for. The only features I could ask for (and could possibly get with modification) are reverb which probably wouldn't even fit in the cabinet (pedals are ok), an active Vox-style tone circuit, slower tremolo, a standby switch and 3-prong power cable, and UK style brown diamond grillcloth, and maybe a chrome stand, and a this paddleball game.
Submitted by Daniel Means at 04/25/2003 18:06
