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Description

"Fountain of Sound" Ampeg model JS-35. This 35-watt guitar amp came with high, volume, treble, and bass controls, three inputs, an off-standby-power switch, and a 15" Ampeg speaker.

-- four detachable legs so the amp lay flat like a table -- "mid-century" furniture style. The speaker pointed straight up supposedly allowing the sound to flow around like "a fountain of sound".

Inputs: Guitar, Instruments, and 'Mike' (very interesting qwirk that microphone input is labeled "Mike" on the amp.)

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Ampeg JS-35 Johnny Smith Fountain of Sound.

Comparisons

  • The Ampeg JS-35 Johnny Smith Fountain of Sound is highlighted as a desirable option for vintage jazz tones, compared to other vintage Ampeg models like the Jet or Gemini.

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  • The Fender Blues Junior is praised for its ability to produce a nice breakup, unlike other amps that remain clean, like the Roland Jazz Chorus.

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  • The Ampeg JS-35 is compared to the Gemini series, noted for having less mid-scoop than Fender amps and featuring exceptional reverb.

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Mods and upgrades

  • The Barnyard Junior pedal is recommended for achieving a slightly pushed, warm vintage jazz tone when used with clean amps, offering a hot, dirty sound.

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  • The Joyo American Sound pedal is suggested for adding a small amount of breakup to a clean amp, providing control over voicing and EQ at any volume level.

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  • For Blues Junior 4, modifications include tubes, speaker, filter caps, and bias adjustments to achieve a Kenny Burrell-like sound.

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  • A Gemini GV15 was modified with a head cabinet and a separate pine enclosure with a 15" JBL speaker for easier transport.

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Use cases and applications

  • The DV Mark Jazz 12 is noted for its clean, solid-state sound that doesn't break up, making it suitable for specific jazz guitar applications with potential OD pedal use.

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  • The Blues Junior is praised for its ability to break up nicely, making it suitable for home use without excessive volume.

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Setup and maintenance

  • Concerns are raised about Fender tube amps' stock Eminence 1x12 speaker quality and eventual need for cap and filter replacements to maintain performance.

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Features and functionality

  • The DV Mark Jazz 12 is praised for its clean, solid-state sound but noted for having less desirable digital reverb at higher settings.

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  • The Barnyard Junior pedal is highlighted as effective for achieving a hot, slightly dirty jazz tone, especially in front of clean amps.

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User experience

  • Owners express difficulty in finding a DV Mark Little Jazz to try, suggesting limited retail availability.

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Artist usage

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See how Herb Ellis uses Ampeg JS-35 Johnny Smith Fountain of Sound

Herb Ellis

Guitarist

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Verified via YouTube

Herb Ellis was an Ampeg endorser of note from the mid 1950s and into the 1960s. He can be seen using the Fountain of Sound on the back of the LP for The Oscar Peterson Trio At the Concertgebouw (one leg of the amp and part of the control panel is visible at the lower left of photo) and, interestingly, tilted at 45 degrees using only two legs in the film footage of The Oscar Peterson Trio in Brussels from 1957.

See how Johnny Smith uses Ampeg JS-35 Johnny Smith Fountain of Sound

Johnny Smith

Guitarist

The Benny Goodman Sextet

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Verified via Photo

Johnny Smith worked in conjunction with Jess Oliver of Ampeg to design the second incarnation of Smith’s signature amp in Ampeg’s professional “Guitaramp” series. The unique Fountain of Sound was named as such due its upward pointing 15”, high efficiency, JBL or Altec Lansing speaker. The idea behind the design was to use a higher powered amplifier — 35 watts RMS was a lot of power by mid to late 1950s standards — with the speaker pointed at the ceiling so that no one in the band or audience would have the misfortune of being seated directly in line with the amp’s speaker cone. Oliver also worked closely with Smith to satisfy his desire for a guitar amp with a flat frequency response. The Fountain of Sound had a closed back and a Baxandall tone stack more common to hi-fi sets of the day than to guitar amplifiers.

Album Usage

The Ampeg JS-35 Johnny Smith Fountain of Sound has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

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