This Tiny Amp Is a Total Sleeper

I bought ANOTHER Vintage Gibson GA5-t Skylark Amp, I love these little amps and they continue to prove to me the value of small guitar amps. A 5 watt 1x8 combo amp like this is super versatile and makes a great recording amp.

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Gear Used In Today's Video:
Roswell Audio Mini K47

Earthworks SR25 (affiliate link)

Universal Audio X4 (affiliate link)

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MY VIDEO COURSES:

The Complete Nashville Number System video course

Check Out My Guitar Tone Course Here!

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MY PRESETS & PROFILES:

Line 6 HX Stomp Presets

Line 6 Helix & Helix LT Presets

Kemper Profiles

Impulse Responses (Helix, Kemper, Iridium & AxeFx)

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MY SECOND CHANNEL:
Rhett Shull Studio

MY DISCORD SERVER:

DEACON KNIGHT (my band):

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THE BACKSTAGE JOURNAL PODCAST:

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SHIPPING ADDRESS:
5805 State Bridge Road
Suite G90
Johns Creek Ga
30097

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My Video Rig (affiliate links)

CAMERA:
-Sony A7III (affiliate link)

LENSES:
-Sony 24-105mm f4 (affiliate link)

-Sigma 35mm f1.4 (affiliate link)

-Sigma 50mm f1.4 (affiliate link)

LIGHTS:
-Neewer LED Panel Bi Color (affiliate link)

SOUND:
-Sennheiser MKH 416 Shotgun Mic (affiliate link)

-Universal Audio Apollo X4 (affiliate link)

-Zoom H6 Handy Recorder (affiliate link)

[RhettShull]

Whats your favorite small, low wattage amp?

[RCSmiths]

The fact that their quality is still so amazing 6 decades later is a truly wonderful thing. Just shows that they are true relics of guitar history.

[stevecastle]

Uh...Rhett... “you can’t use it for gigging.” 1973, I was touring and playing in clubs getting tired of lugging a Super Reverb with a Sun bass cab. We had a good PA system and I started using my 73 Fender Champ mic’d through the PA. Not only is it do-able, a small amp like the Skylark or the Champ can sound great, and it’s easier to lug than a big rig. Nice work and good info. Thanks Rhett!

[leftovernoise]

Just a week ago I found out my grandma is passing down my grandpa's 57 ga-5 to me. Should be here in a week or two. So stoked! It's gonna need a bit of work but it's going to sound amazing

[christopherb.]

That is one sweet sounding amp and YES Gibson needs to reissue these amps! 🤘🏻

[MatthewScottmusic]

Killer Rhett! I have a 1959 Gibson GA18T! Gibsons are great for the money..

[derekbatty]

Mr. Shull -- killer tone at 0:50! Me and my buddy are big fans of your videos and playing. Two summers ago I was itching to build another tube amp and had done the Tweed thing and 18 watt build. I told my buddy I was wanting to do a single-ended amp running an EL84 that could get semi-Plexi tones. A few days later he says, "Let's build Gibson Skylarks!" I ordered material and he build two boards for us. In short, mine is in a Carvin Tweed (a former Vintage 16) cab running a Weber Sig 12F and Hammond transformers. My buddy brought into the circuit the tone stack from an amp called "Checkmate 17, " which I believe was made by Teisco. We wired the amp to use the 6X4 recto tube but had issues and settled on diodes. My buddy rolled me an aluminum chassis and printed some amazing water decals for the gold front. I love this amp and it can roar when pushed! I pulled it out yesterday and started messing around with it and a Tele with P90s -- perfect combo! Anyway, wanted to give you a shout out and let you know there are other Skylark fans out here. Maybe I will post some pics to YouTube. If so, I will let you know!
Respectfully,
Derek

[SupraphonicsSurfCombo]

They are super special. Love my 60's 5-watt Supro Tremo-Verb. No pedals. Just plug right in a go.

[MinuteAxe]

I remember borrowing my friends 59 strat and 59 bassman for a gig. Wasnt grounded properly. When I stepped to the mic to sing the first line of Hallelujah (I couldnt make this up) ZAP!! I was out cold. Got some nice vintage burns on my lip too! Excellent video Rhett. -Mark

[cheycasters]

I still own the 1970 Super Lead amp I bought when I was 17 in 76, I just found a 1946 "Les Paul" Junior amp that is a GA 5 that has a oval speaker in it for a whopping $20 at a storage unit side of the raod stand. It fired right up and only has a newer two pronged cord installed looks like in the just had Ben Fargen service my old Marshall as it has not seen electricity for 35 also got two 4x12 cabs with 25w. Greenbacks with it. I got the whole full stack in 76 for another whopping I have owned it for 46 years... Im a young 63 now.. ;)-~

[rjb]

Nice. Here in England I bought a 1953 radio amp. It has radio, and an aux imput for mic. It looks like it was installed in a factory for the radio and PA for the workers. It has the original handwired components and valves. It is the best sounding amp I have.

[steampunkerjoe]

I have two of these I bought about ten years ago. Dimed out and close mic’d, they sound ten feet tall. Have a Ranger and a couple of other vintage Gibson amps. Vintage Fender too much $$$, Gibson vintage sounds great. Had a couple made stage ready up in Athens. I enjoy your channel Rhett. Keep up the good work.

[waynead]

I have a 1960 GA-79 (stereo- two 15 watt channels) that I've owned since the mis '60s. I still play it every day.

[danboylan]

I actually own a 20 year old Gibson GA-15 RV. It is arguably my favorite amp of all time. Great video!

[uptopmikep]

Gat a Weber speaker. They are killer! I’m sure Dave would agree. I just put one into my custom kit built Princeton Reverb and it is Amazing!

[ericcarpenter]

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times... always trust someone in an MC-5 t-shirt... even if it’s Dave. Congrats, that little amp is gonna rock your studio for a very long time. Oh, and before I forget, you are truly ballsy, if you keep putting that blue Novo in videos, Dennis is gonna remember you have it and demand it back. Btw. Got my shirt from the last show today, just waiting on the poster and some frames I bought and all 4 will be hanging in my little guitar office. Much love from Tulsa.

[CNCTEMATIC]

Nice. I like the way the tremolo gets overpowered when the power valves saturate, then it comes back in. Classic tone! My favourite small amp is not quite in the same category, its a hybrid: the Fender Superchamp X2. Very versatile. It's models of small Fender amps are awesome. More convincing than anything digital I've heard.

[tyleryoungblood]

The riff at 4:30 is absolutely nuts through this amp. In one of your previous videos you made a statement that stuck around with me “Bigger amps doesn’t necessarily mean bigger sound” actually I think it was your low watt skylark video? But ever since then I’ve been using my Champ DIY kit I built and you are totally right

[therainrunner]

Oh Man congrats! Skylark - my dream amp, recording beast, sounding massive! And this one mint condition... All the bests!

[thebean]

probably the best guitar tone i've heard in any gear demo