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Dating
Garnet Amps

Accurately dating these amps is difficult as no production records with serial numbers exist. The following guidelines define production differences that allow the placement of a given amp into a certain era and thereby provide an approximate year of production. It's not uncommon to find amps that fall between these categories that combine features from both eras.


Early Garnet Combo with Upholstery Cloth   Garnet Script Logo

1965-66

The Earliest Garnet Amplifiers

  • No Company or Model Name on black control panel
  • Aluminum Chassis
  • The Garnet Emblem is brass colored and underline has "AMPS WPG. MAN." molded in
  • Squared off corners of thin brass attached with small nails
  • Sharp cabinet edges

Early Era models represent some of the first production runs of Garnet Amplifiers. Gar had been building some amplifiers in the fifties, and had produced some P.A. amps in 1963-64, but regular production of guitar amplifiers by the Garnet Amplifier Company began in 1965. Most of these amps produced in 1965-66 were likely built by Gar himself.

 

1966-67

Getting Down to Business

 

  
BTO Bass Head
BTO Bass Head on Pro Lead 2x12 Cab

New Logo features block letters, the now famous Garnet "G", underline and brass plating. Few people outside Winnipeg saw the first script logo and so this one is considered the classic original by most.

Bass and Treble clefs, a classic Garnet touch, make their debut.

Amps from this era had their control panel lettering applied with Letraset, a dry transfer lettering system, which was then covered with a thin film of clear plastic. This plastic would wrinkle over the years making these amps easy to identify.

 


  • The Classic Garnet Knob


  • Brass Corners Attached With Screws
    Robertson Screws of Course!


  • Company Name on Control Panel
    No Model Name


  • No CSA Approval Logo
    Instead a "Special Approval"
    Label Was Applied to the Chassis


  • Cabinet Corners are Sharp
    Not Rounded

PRO Chassis

 

BTO Bass Head on Pro Lead 2x12 Cab 		 

 

1968-70

The Factory Amps

 

Full factory production was now underway. Chassis were assembled under Gar's supervision by assembly line workers while a full carpentry shop builds cabinets.

 


  • Classic Garnet Knob Retained


  • Model Names Now Included
    on Control Panel and All Markings Now Fully Silk Screened on High Gloss Enamel Paint


  • Garnet Conforms to Canadian Standards Association Requirements and CSA Labels Are Silk Screened on Chassis Showing Garnet's Registration Number "LR24510"


  • Chassis Have a
    Proper ID Tag


  • Cabinet Corners are Sharp
    Not Rounded

 

1970-80

The Chrome Emblem

 

  
BTO Lead Head w/Herzog on BTO Lead 4x12 Cab and Garnet Tele
BTO Lead Head w/Reverb on BTO Lead 4x12 Cab and Garnet LP

A new logo debuts with a slightly revised Garnet "G", no underline and a chrome finish. All clefs are chrome too and cabinet hardware follows suit with a bright nickel finish.

 


  • Nickel Plated Corners


  • Cabinet Corners Rounded


  • BTO Changed to Inverted Chassis
    Cooling is Improved With Chassis Mounted to Bottom of Cabinet


  • 1972-73
    Clefs No Longer Placed on Amplifiers
    Still Used on Speaker Cabinets


  • 1975
    A New Style of Control Knob is Used on All Models


  • 1975
    Horns No Longer Used on Speaker Cabinets


  • 1977
    All Combos Now Have Controls on the Front


  • 1977
    Special "Showbiz" White and Burgundy Vinyls Available on Some Models