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Post by slapback on Oct 31, 2015 11:03:46 GMT
Hi All,
This is my first post and I'm hoping someone may be able to help me over my latest proud acquisition,-a Pinnacle Twin 30 Head.What a beautiful sounding amp and equally well made!Just a couple of things intrigue me.
The Tolex covered plywood front fascia board below the control panel has one raw edge, as if it has been cut down from a larger covered panel or perhaps just the tolex removed to give relief when removing and refitting the panel.
The extension speaker socket has clearly had factory installed wires clipped.Presumably these wires went on to internally fitted speakers in a combo.
Both of these features are kind of at odds with the overall quality of the rest of the amp.So, my questions to anybody in the know is,-where these amps ever despatched from the point of assembly as heads and, if so, where they assembled by default to be combos and the above changes carried out to suit.
Or has a previous owner cut down a combo to a head?
The internal chassis and transformer are hand penned 0137 and the rear vented panel has a large laminated digit "1" applied.
Thanks in advance,
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Post by Charlie Hall on Oct 31, 2015 12:26:56 GMT
As far as I know the Pinnacle amps only went out as combos and this would explain the evidence of having been cut down. The amps did originally have internal wires connected direct to the speakers and these wires passed through a grommet on the chassis at one end.
I think Hank might have had some of these amps with laminated identifying numbers but I don't think they would have had a serial number too so I'm not sure what to make of that.
Regards,
Charlie
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Post by slapback on Oct 31, 2015 16:01:26 GMT
That's very interesting Charlie.
If the inked numbers I've referred to are serial numbers, do you know if there was a system employed?After doing some further internet searching I've found reference to, and a photograph of a "no 1 amp",which just happens to be a head, in the possession of Daniel Martin.The panel proportions seem the same and although it's a poor definition photograph, there seems to be a line of off- white filler along the bottom edge of the front fascia.This was on my amp also, to tidy up the raw edge of ply I previously mentioned.
Regards,
Brian.
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Post by Charlie Hall on Oct 31, 2015 18:42:51 GMT
0137 sounds like a possible serial number but I don't know why it would be written inside the chassis and nowhere else.
Daniel's Pinnacle was a combo when I modified it for him. I remember it well because it dropped on my foot by accident while I was working on it! Not sure if the head you refer to would have been the same amp.
Regards,
Charlie
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Post by fenderplucker on Nov 1, 2015 1:15:19 GMT
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Post by Charlie Hall on Nov 1, 2015 1:39:08 GMT
Hi Paul,
Thanks for that. It would make sense that Hank would have had one or more heads so they could have been situated off stage, although I wasn't aware of the existence of a head before. It seems like Daniel could have bought the head in addition to the combo.
I believe I have mentioned before that I was asked to modify all the recalled Pinnacle amps after issues were found with them but the chassis were already removed from the cabinets ready for me to work on.
It is beginning to look like the amp Brian has could be one that Hank used.
Regards,
Charlie
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Post by scanners on Nov 2, 2015 7:56:03 GMT
Hanks son has a Pinnacle amp seen here www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQIHOOrZFkQ I'm guessing he still has it, he plays acoustic with his sister these days, I just got back from Perth to Melbourne today actually, and they are playing at a bar on Melbourne cup day and I missed out seeing them Matthew |
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Post by alanmckillop on Nov 2, 2015 9:13:07 GMT
I'm pretty sure Ben didn't/doesn't own that Pinnacle. I can't remember the story, but did Robbo not own it at some time?
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Post by abbeyroadie on Nov 2, 2015 10:35:17 GMT
Hi Slapback,
I'm pleased to hear that you have a Pinnacle and it's good to know that they are still out there performing well. Sadly as you probably know Hank while on tour with 3 Pinnacles suffered some breakdowns after which we discovered the original engineer's omissions (and other mistakes) of not fitting a special circuit of Charlie's design when checking Hank's tour amps.
Thanks to Charlie all the amps were fixed including those as yet at the time not sold which in fact was the vast majority of all the units made.
I assume you purchased this amp from Jim in Manchester from a recent the well known auction site sale, I was interested in it myself for sentimental reasons and actually bought it through "buy it now" but there was some confusion over the speaker cab not being included and the sale was cancelled.
Sentimental reasons or not I did not re negotiate the sale any further to be honest it would not have been used anyway as I have what I consider to be the best "Shadows" amp I've ever owned made by Charlie and as heard at Ian McCutcheon's club earlier this year.
I too wondered about the No1 on the rear of the amp but came to the conclusion that it could not have been Hank's old No.1 although the numbers did look similar to those that were used as a temporary measure but were only made up on an old word processing program in the first place then laminated.
As you can appreciate after the failures on tour and despite 2 very good mainstream guitar magazine reviews the brand was much less attractive and no more were made than the original batch. After Charlie had fixed those already made and the current orders were filled any other parts including cabs and practically anything your could think of were sold off or disposed of mostly to the trade. The cabinet covering was genuine Marshall levant and could be bought if required and probably still can. Maybe this can explain the cabinet you have although there is no doubt that the amp is genuine.I suppose it would would be interesting to find out what happened to these amps but it borders on an impossible and complicated task considering the possible variations over time.
I can't shine any light on the amp that Ben used on Youtube as I can't open the internet link, we never sold him one however he did use a combo which we loaned him during the Fender Stratpack concert.
PA
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Post by scanners on Nov 2, 2015 10:43:17 GMT
Hi PA, That concert was the Fender anniversary concert, I thought I heard that Ben owned the Pinnacle and Hank owned the KCP Head and Cab? My mistake
Matthew
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Post by slapback on Nov 2, 2015 22:07:09 GMT
Hi Peter,
Thanks so much for your observations.The truth of the matter is I'm just pleased to have an AC30 style head that outperforms any other I have owned or played so far.I've just dug out my Guitarist mag from June 2006 to revisit the Pinnacle review there.I'm still intrigued by the amp in the photo of yourself and Daniel Martin though.As I said the proportions are the same as mine, and they both seem to share the bead of off white filler along the bottom edge of the front fascia.Would you know how the serial numbers were compiled?
Thanks,
Brian.
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