The Fender Super Reverb was originally introduced in 1963 and was discontinued in 1982. The Super Reverb was a Fender Super amplifier with built-in reverb and "vibrato" (actually tremolo). The original Super Reverb amplifiers were all-tube designs and featured spring reverb. Super Reverbs from 1963 through 1967 had "blackface" panels. The Super Reverb is commonly used by blues guitarists due to its ability to deliver loud, warm tube distortion through its four 10" speakers. It is also known as having a scooped mids tonality, meaning that there is less midrange and an emphasis of sparkly treble and full, round bass frequencies.
This amp has been received through Gregg Parker who had it in his possession since the end '70 when he received it from Gary Kellgren, Jimi Hendrix's original engineer and producer. In 1976, Gregg Parker met Gary through Buddy Miles at the LA Record Plant Studios. His guitar style, influenced by Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and fine-tuned after years of playing along Buddy Miles, Hendrix’s former partner in the Band of Gypsies, impressed Kellgren, who compared him to Hendrix.
Kellgren offered Gregg free room, board and recording time at the Record Plant in Hollywood, suggesting, he should return to the role of bandleader to put his own project together. During a Miles gig at the Hollywood nightclub Starwood, Kellgren introduced Gregg to his next manager / benefactor Victor, to take his solo carrer to a recording deal. In San Francisco with Bob Johnson in the producer chair (who had produced Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel and other CBS artists), Gregg worked on new material in The Pit (Sly Stone’s former studio) along with rising super group Fleetwood Mac. Johnson, Kellgren and his benefactor backed his desire for a power trio.
Around this time, Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springsteen and Crosby, Stills & Nash fame came to record at the Record Plant. He brought Jimi Hendrix’s old amp, a 1964 Fender Super Reverb amp, with him from the Electric Ladyland studio from New York (where Jimi left it), because he liked Hendrix’s sound and wanted to recreate it for his solo album. Shortly after the session, Kellgren, who had loved Gregg like a father, gave him the amp to record with, since he saw in Gregg the ‘new Hendrix’. Back on stage with Miles in LA for a gig, Gregg learned of the tragic death of Kellgren in 1977.
To focus on his solo carrer and own material, Gregg moved to his manager’s estate in the Bahamas, surrounded by music and film industry greats to further his skills and creativity, including Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, Jerry Wexler, Simon Kirke, Sam Peckingpah and Seymour Cassel.
Gregg finally founded Ozz, finished his material and signed with Epic in 1978 back in LA.
As the two guitars in our TYS collection, the amp, gave both Ozz albums ’No Prisoners' and ‘Assassin' their signature sound and helped them to obtain rock and heavy metal cult status.
Another great rock ’n’ roll story, of which we are proud to keep up the memory.
