Amp inputs and channels

[cockroach]

Nostalgia ain't what it used to be...but I often get nostalgic and appreciate one particular feature on old amps back in the early days..without which many of us would have struggled to even get a group together..when even basic cheap gear was often too expensive- new or secondhand- for young people starting out..

I'm talking about the multiple inputs and channels which manufacturers of amps used to include as standard on most amps, and which feature is practically unknown these days on modern amps- apart from expensive reissues of old classic amps like Voxes, Marshalls and Fenders etc..

Even the smallest lowest power amps had at least two inputs, larger ones often had two channels with three or four inputs(luxury!!) and Voxes had THREE channels (SIX inputs!!! Plug the whole group in, guitars, bass, microphones etc!!)

The ultimate modern indulgence IMHO were/are amps like some modern Marshalls, Boogies etc, which had/have three or four separate channels which could be preset for tone changes etc...BUT ONLY HAVE ONE BLOODY INPUT!!!

You need at least two amps to even have a jam with your mate these days...

Sorry, I'm getting old and grumpy again...mumble, mumble...

[RayL]

Well, there's always the 'ten quid solution' - two jack sockets, two 470K log pots, two 270K resistors, one jack plug, 2ft of screened cable and a small plastic lunch box. They make a two-input, one-output mixer. You need to turn your amp's volume up a smidge* to compensate but you can now plug two guitars into your one-input amp!

* for overseas readers a smidge comes midway between a tad and a notch.