Standel Custom

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 10 Jun 2010 7:45 pm

I just came across one of these with a JBL D130. Is it my imagination or are these great sounding amps? Used it in the studio today and it was clear and punchy. Not quite sure what the contour does and the verb doesn't work. I'm thinking of making the guy an offer. Any insight on these things?

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 10 Jun 2010 8:17 pm

Bruce, that is a great amp. I have a pair of them. I set the treble on 9:00 oclock, bass about 3:00 oclock and the contour between 11:00 and 12:00 oclock. So simple to dial in and they sound as good as anything I have tried.
Jerry

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 10 Jun 2010 10:49 pm

I remember Big E saying that a push pull Emmons through one of these was his favorite tone combinations, another was his Bigsby through a tube Standel. Great sounding amps, Wes Montgomery used one too!

Ken Byng · Post by **Ken Byng** » 11 Jun 2010 4:18 am

I heard one at Bobbe Seymour's place a couple of years ago with a push pull going through it. Fabulous tone coming out of the JBL.

Jerry Roller · Post by **Jerry Roller** » 11 Jun 2010 6:44 am

Bruce, the only negative is that the Standel Custom has sealed modules making them hard to work on. They used plastic boxes with a circuit built inside it then filled with epoxy. They are different colors. If you buy the amp I would suggest you take it to Woody Woodell and have him check the reverb (if a working reverb is important to you). I'm sure he can determine if the reverb module is bad and tell him I have some of every color of the modules. If you need a module, tell me what color and I will send it to you or Woody or whoever you wish.
Jerry

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 11 Jun 2010 4:16 pm

Bruce,

JD Maness has used a pair of those (with a Yamaha 1005 analog delay/doubler) on just about all his sessions. Need I say more?

chris ivey · Post by **chris ivey** » 12 Jun 2010 12:14 pm

i used a custom 24 standel for years. at some point i changed out the altec 12's for a bw 15. lots of guitar players (danny holder) used them also in the 70's. they'd even face them toward the wall they were so hot!

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 13 Jun 2010 10:28 am

the Standel Custom has sealed modules making them hard to work on

Not mine. I have two 1970 Custom 15s and they have no sealed modules. Ken Fox has reworked both and they are my favorite SS steel amp of all time, for what that's worth. I LOVE the Altec 418B speaker. Better than a JBL in my books.

GREAT AMP.

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 13 Jun 2010 9:15 pm

Thanks to all of you. I just used this amp on a few sessions and it is sweet. i lost most of my amps in the flood so I will have the chance to be very selective in my restocking quest.
Cheers
BB

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 17 Feb 2022 6:05 pm

Reviving this old post to ask what makes them sound so good? Are there proprietary components in them? Are there schematics available? What’s the rated output?

Fwiw, I tripped over TWO old Sho-Bud amps a few years ago in west Texas that were incredible, but the owner(a fiddler) wouldn’t sell them.

Tommy Detamore · Post by **Tommy Detamore** » 18 Feb 2022 5:51 am

I’m not sure why from a technical standpoint, but there is a certain magic in the Standel sound. Hopefully Mike Brebes will elaborate on this for us. He has worked on several of mine and is “The Man” for Standels.

I currently have four Standel Customs and one extremely clean Sho Bud. I need to make some room but it’s hard to think about parting with any of them.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 18 Feb 2022 7:29 am

This is Standel amp with a ZB logo.

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 18 Feb 2022 7:50 am

The tone circuit is quite unique, and functions the same for late tube, hybrid, and solid state amps. The bass and contour(mid) are subtractive only. The treble is additive/subtractive with the null being around 9-10 o'clock, depending on how the knob is situated. So flat is would be the null point on the treble and bass/contour at full.

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 18 Feb 2022 8:29 am

Michael,
I really appreciate your post! Are there any schematics and BOMs available?

Thank you!!

Ron Funk · Post by **Ron Funk** » 18 Feb 2022 2:33 pm

Marty

The Standel Web Site has schematics, etc

http://standelamps.com/support/schematics/index.html

Really great amps if you're able to come across one.

Ron

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 24 Feb 2022 10:56 am

Just pulled mine out of the basement. Sounds really good!

Marty Broussard · Post by **Marty Broussard** » 24 Feb 2022 6:54 pm

A toy revived !!

Leslie Bull · Post by **Leslie Bull** » 3 Mar 2022 5:54 am

Just started play a steel last month.after years of it being in the closet.Pluged it into the smallest of my 3 Standells.Saw this post and.
It's a Custom XV.Had no grill cloth,so did it in red.The cool thing is it has a metal badge on back"Golden Nugget gambling hall,downtown Las Vegas"
Think it was a back line amp.The steel sounds just fine throught it.Very articulate.