I posted this about a year ago on a keyboard forum and we had a lot of fun with it there. Let's see what the gang comes up with over here!
Most Creative Use, Misuse or Abuse of an Amp, or Other?
I'll start us off -- here's my story....................
Back in the early 80's out at UMass Amherst, besides the Chopped M3 & Leslie 145, the Peavey PA speakers with mixer for the Crumar Performer & MiniMoog, I also had an old Ampeg guitar amp that was 250 or 300 watts that I used to use with an old Farfisa organ. We didn't use it all the time, but it was always available as a backup. Living in a fraternity, one day the president came to me and asked if I could "Help wake up the house at 7AM on a Saturday morning" as a full work day was planned, including scraping and painting the exterior, and all hands on deck would be needed. Getting 10% of the guys up at 7AM would have been tough enough on any Saturday -- as 20% probably weren't even home by that time...
Anyway, I had an old electric alarm clock that had one of those obnoxious alarm sounds (that ironically was probably based on the technology which led to the original Hammond organ tonewheels) -- that years before I had wired with a 1/4" output plug, so we could play music from the AM/FM radio through the amp. We sometimes used it outside for music, at reasonable volumes -- but never for the alarm itself.
So the plan was made, the trap was set, and at exactly 7AM the next morning............
WWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The power amp'd alarm went off!!
* I successfully work up the whole Pike house!
* And the sorority next door, plus the one across the street!
* And the four other frat houses and two private home in the immediate area!
* And soon after, the Amherst Police showed up with sirens and blue lights flashing, and I was told we (I) "Woke up half the campus and town........."
Oh well...........
So I got summonsed for Disturbing the Peace, which the Pike president gladly paid because the work day was a huge success and we got the house painted. The cops did take the Ampeg amp away from me -- they really wanted to take ALL of my gear, but after lifting up the Leslie, they put it back down and made me promise to "Never do that again!".
I recall I got the Ampeg back a few days later, but I had to go and fetch it.
Yup, that was the craziest thing I'd ever done with an amp.
Old No7
Most Creative Use, Misuse or Abuse of an Amp, or Other?
I'll start us off -- here's my story....................
Back in the early 80's out at UMass Amherst, besides the Chopped M3 & Leslie 145, the Peavey PA speakers with mixer for the Crumar Performer & MiniMoog, I also had an old Ampeg guitar amp that was 250 or 300 watts that I used to use with an old Farfisa organ. We didn't use it all the time, but it was always available as a backup. Living in a fraternity, one day the president came to me and asked if I could "Help wake up the house at 7AM on a Saturday morning" as a full work day was planned, including scraping and painting the exterior, and all hands on deck would be needed. Getting 10% of the guys up at 7AM would have been tough enough on any Saturday -- as 20% probably weren't even home by that time...
Anyway, I had an old electric alarm clock that had one of those obnoxious alarm sounds (that ironically was probably based on the technology which led to the original Hammond organ tonewheels) -- that years before I had wired with a 1/4" output plug, so we could play music from the AM/FM radio through the amp. We sometimes used it outside for music, at reasonable volumes -- but never for the alarm itself.
So the plan was made, the trap was set, and at exactly 7AM the next morning............
WWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The power amp'd alarm went off!!
* I successfully work up the whole Pike house!
* And the sorority next door, plus the one across the street!
* And the four other frat houses and two private home in the immediate area!
* And soon after, the Amherst Police showed up with sirens and blue lights flashing, and I was told we (I) "Woke up half the campus and town........."
Oh well...........
So I got summonsed for Disturbing the Peace, which the Pike president gladly paid because the work day was a huge success and we got the house painted. The cops did take the Ampeg amp away from me -- they really wanted to take ALL of my gear, but after lifting up the Leslie, they put it back down and made me promise to "Never do that again!".
I recall I got the Ampeg back a few days later, but I had to go and fetch it.
Yup, that was the craziest thing I'd ever done with an amp.
Old No7
