Has anyone ever had an AIMS amp? Theres very little info, but I'm beginning to think they were somewhat of a western US type of thing. There's one for sale locally for 375, with 2 6550s (120W output power) with trem and reverb, and these things are ridiculously well built. I haven't got to fire one up, but this is the third or fourth one I've ran across locally in a year, and all of them were for sale for under $400.

Since I can't find much info, here's a recent ebay auction for a 200W PA head (that went for 350!):
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0226080160

never heard of em before. just from those pics though, it looks to be very much handmade, probably borrowing a lot from Fender (specifying 7025 and 12AT7, with transformer-driven reverb), and I can't tell for sure but the transformers look to be Hammonds, so in these regards it would be similar to Traynor.

only thing that I would say doesn't look good from those pics is the spatial layout. transformers right on top of each other, tubes *right* on top of each other, components crammed into a very small space, no fan to cool any of it (that I noticed anyway)... I might expect heat-related problems because of that, and especially if that amp claims 200W out of four KT88's.

i'd totally check them out at those kinda prices though, if I didn't already have about 600 Traynors and my own amp design to try and focus on.

were they assembled by children or something? seriously, who has fingers small enough to wire up those preamp tube sockets?!?

looks very interesting, for sure.

yeah, maybe because it's the PA that the preamps are close together. The transformers, well having them next to each other actually helps somewhat with noise, because neither the OT or PT are anywhere near the preamps and neither transformer is oriented in a way that would significantly increase noise low frequency distortion from magnetic inductance into a tube, although they are very close together otherwise.

I wish I could find more pictures. The amp here locally is in a similar nice condition (and a better layout since it doesn't have nearly as many preamp tubes.) Even if you didn't like the sound, they seem to be built very well otherwise that they could be good for modification.

BadComrade wrote:Reminds me of the Simms-Watts amps (probably just because of the knobs, though):

I thought the exact same thing, actually.

juice wrote:

BadComrade wrote:Reminds me of the Simms-Watts amps (probably just because of the knobs, though):

I thought the exact same thing, actually.

I had a guy come into my studio with a Simms-Watts amp, recently.

Holy fucking shit.

That thing was insane.

oh yeah....I ALMOST bought the AIMS version of a Twin Reverb which was very reasonably priced at a local pawnshop but....

..somehow I didn't....

sad, so very sad....for me

I had an aims dual twelve(basically their twin reverb) . it was a great amp, the 6550s give it a lot of clean headroom, it was claiming 120 watts out of 2 6550s. it had a really nice reverb and I think eminence speakers. I've seen alot of them go for under 200 bucks.

I think that randall was making or importing them or the company became randall or something. I don't remember. I know they were importing Japanese guitars at the time that are pretty swell as well. The Soledad Brothers play through the amps and have at least one of the guitars, my band opened for them once and they swore by them, that was the first I had heard of them. I ended up selling it cause I have a fender that does pretty much the same thing.

I just found an Aims Eclipsor amp head near me. The guy says he'll take $250 for it. I'm buying it.

I just brought home this Aims Eclipsor amp head. It's in almost new condition with hardly a scratch on it. All original tubes. Everything works except the pots are very scratchy. It's pretty heavy and seems to be built like a tank.

Here's a HC link- (it says its a combo but it's not)
http://reviews.harmony-central.com/revi ... Combo/10/1

It sounds really good. I'm very happy.

BadComrade wrote:

who's rig/awesomeness is that?