I just picked up a an older silver Kustom "Frankenstein" Head, very cool. It's obviously a bass head, no effects. I've read that these basically were early K200 models. Any other info on them?
One question is that it has a tag on the back that says it is a "K250-2", which doesn't make sense. Did someone just add that to it?
Thanks!
I'm being told that I cannot post image links until I've posted more than 10 messages....
The "Frankenstein" heads were the first successful amp that Kustom came out with. They get the name due to the taller top front panel that makes it look like the Frankenstein monster's forehead.
The power switch and 2 fuse holders are located to the far right side of the front plexi panel, and the knobs are arranged in a triangular pattern. The right side channel is always plain, no FX, while the left side channel can have reverb and vibrato or just reverb.
While the no FX heads were sold mainly as bass amps, they work just fine for guitar as do the reverb only heads that were sold as PA amps. In fact the basic circuitry is the same in all of the heads.
The back of the amp is covered with a perforated steel panel that covers the power transistors. The serial and model number are on a label that is beneath this panel on the right hand side. The earliest heads had a white paper label, while the later heads have a foil sticker.
Most of the heads were given model numbers based upon the list price of the amp and speaker combinations, like J595. If you go to the literature section of the site, you can look up the catalog for the Frankies and see how it all works with the letter in the model representing the speaker brand.
The model K250-2 would probably not be found on a Frankie head. If you look at the catalogs you might get a better idea of what you have there.
Thanks so much for all the info! Yes, this is a Frankie head with no effects. Two channels, volume, treble & bass arranged in a triangular fashion. Power switch & fuse holders are on the bottom right. Someone must have removed the label showing model number & serial number, and "attached" that other metal tag with the K250-2 number.
It sounds fantastic!
pleat Messages: 1452 Registered: June 2004 Location: Belding, Mi
Senior Member
You will want to use a 4 ohm total load for the amp to produce it's full output. You can go above 4 ohms but not recommended to go below 4 ohms total load.
stevem Messages: 4733 Registered: June 2004 Location: NY
Senior Member
These early Kustoms have no protection circuit as the latter amps do as part of there output stage to protect itself from shorts! , in light of this be sure the speaker cable you use is a very good one and never have the amp turned on when you are hooking up that cable to the speaker cabinet side as that will make for a short to the output stage upon plugging it in.
Having the amp on and plugging the cable in on that end is not a issue.