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Garnet Reverb

Available for use in Recording Studios

Not currently on exhibit

Artifact TypeReverb Unit

Manufacturer Garnet "Gar" Gillies amplifier-maker, electronic engineer, musician | 1921 - 2006

Manufacturer LocationManitoba, Canada

Designed and developed by Thomas “Gar” Gillies, this standalone reverb unit is an old-school version of what modern guitarists would refer to as an effects pedal. Like almost all Garnet gear, it’s a highly sought-after piece of vintage equipment that uses vacuum tubes rather than solid-state (transistor) technology to produce its iconic sound. Although many amps incorporate effects, separate units like this one can give users more direct control over the variety of sounds they want to make.

Donated by Brian Mills

Operation/FunctionStandalone reverb unit with 1/4" jack inputs and outputs, and two rotary switches for selecting the amount and characteristics of the reverb effect.Cultural SignificanceToday, Garnet amplifiers and preamplifiers are some of the most sought-after vintage gear, known for their sonic quality, reliability, and innovative characteristics, and often sell for far more than they were originally worth. They are especially important to the context of Canadian music in that they helped define a particular sound within the country. They maintained this association even while garnering greater popularity in the United States.Technological SignificanceThe tone and sound quality of Garnet amplifiers and preamplifiers have been compared to similar units made by Marshall (founded 1960 in London, UK), Traynor (formed 1963 in Ontario, Canada by Pete Traynor, founder of Yorkville Sound), and Fender (founded as a musical instrument manufacturer in 1946 in Arizona, USA, later based in California, USA). Though Garnet systems were not regarded as having a particularly wide range of tone – at least not to the same extent as their competitors – they have been hailed for their durability and reliable build. The Garnet Amplifier Company remained dedicated to producing tube-based equipment, with Gillies citing a warmth of tone that could not be imitated in modern technology. As a result, however, Garnet was not able to maintain as strong a presence in the market as technology adjusted toward transistor-based units, which were less expensive to manufacture and repair. Despite Garnet’s inability to keep up with the market and eventual closure of the company in 1989, however, Gillies’ point was not lost on the musical community: throughout the 1980s, even as constant developments and improvements were made to solid-state amplifiers, many musicians eventually returned to the tube-based units in search of the richer and more harmonically-lush tones that Gillies’ had believed would be lost in the transition. Vacuum tubes were the most widely used component in electronic devices until transistor-based technology took over amplifier circuits in the 1970s, nearly a decade after it was incorporated into synthesizers and related electronic instruments in the early 1960s. Amplifiers, and especially preamplifiers, are one of the only electronic devices that continued using tubes, as many attest to the superior sound quality they produce. Transistor-based amplifiers, though capable of producing a wider frequency range and generally cleaner sound, tended to exhibit a thinner tone. Tube-based amplifiers are capable of producing a multitude of sounds, but are high maintenance and require frequent replacement. Today, most high-end amplifiers employ tubes, while low-cost amplifiers tend to employ solid-state technology such as transistors. Some amplifiers, particularly those from the 1980s, employ a hybrid technology of a tube-based preamplifier, to achieve the desired tone, and a transistor-based power amplifier, to achieve the necessary power.Users/PerformersRandy Bachman (born 1943 in Winnipeg, Manitoba), guitarist, songwriter, and radio host, best known as the lead guitarist and one of the founding members of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Bachman began his musical career as a child, studying violin in the Royal Conservatory of Toronto system; he would later cite his affection for the sustain of string instruments as informative of his desired sound in the Garnet Herzog amplifier and distortion unit. In 1960, Bachman co-founded the group Al and The Silvertones with Chad Allan, changing the name in 1962 to Chad Allan and the Expressions, and again to The Guess Who. In 1966, Burton Cummings replaced Chad Allan as front man of the band. Bachman co-wrote many of the songs on the first three albums, all of which feature Garnet amplifiers: Wheatfield Soul (1968), Canned Wheat (1969), and American Woman (1970). The single “American Woman” reached number 1 on the U.S. charts in 1970, the first time this achievement had been earned by a Canadian group. Bachman left the group following the release of American Woman, citing irreconcilable differences in lifestyle. Bachman also recorded a solo album at this time, Axe, which was released in March 1970 on RCA Records. In 1971, he and Chad Allan formed the band Brave Belt, later changing the name to Bachman-Turner Overdrive, in reference to a Garnet amplifier, the Big Time Operator, or BTO. The group released their first album, Bachman-Turner Overdrive in 1973. Bachman eventually left BTO in 1977 to pursue a series of solo recordings and collaborations. Bachman was the recipient of an honorary doctorate from Brandon University (Brandon, Manitoba) in 2001, in 2005 he was awarded the Order of Manitoba, and in 2008 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The Guess Who received The Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2002.

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