Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hey everyone! It's been a long time since I've posted. I recently got myself a TR7 amp as a bedroom amp, and I love it! I have to say that it AMAZING for a bedroom amp! I think it sounds excellent in my 620. It competes with some 5W tube amps I've tried in the past. I feel like Rick was ahead of it's time with solid state amps. I read about the bounce-back power supply and what a cool idea that was to add some boost to a solid state amp! It's hard to crank it up when you live in an old house that was split up into apartments (yeah, it sucks). Paper thin walls! It quickly became my favorite practice amp. I'll make another post a little later with pics and a description of my TR7. From what I gather it was modded at some point (factory speaker seems to have been replaced with a Mesa/Boogie Black Shadow Vintage). I like the amp so much that I am already looking for a second one so I can utilize the Rick-O-Sound on my 620. I was browsing Reverb and came across this post:

https://reverb.com/item/555508-gem-rick ... 80-s-black

Can anyone shed some light on this particular TR7? I study Rickenbacker's a lot and I have never came across one branded as GEM. It looks almost identical to my TR7 and some text even reads Santa Ana on the front. I have seen Rick amps labeled as Electro, Road, and Symphonia Grand, but this one puzzles me. Anyone have any info on it? Thanks!

Zombie thread revival!

I just snagged this... it arrives today...

https://reverb.com/item/5213454-gem-tr7 ... -amplifier

It's a TR7 all right! Exactly the same except for that GEM name. Sounds fantastic! The knobs may be different I guess?

A friend of mine just picked up a GEM that looks like the TR7 and was asking me if it's Rickenbacker. So is it a Rickenbacker relabeled as GEM or was someone making the amps for Rickenbacker?

Are either of you guys concerned with the two-pronged electrical plug? I was — just overly cautious I guess — and installed a three-prong/grounded cord. Just vague concerns, but I was a lot more rambunctious a few years ago and just wanted to do it.

GEM was a line of private label amps we produced for someone else. These were variations of the TR Series amp line, according to the specs of the customer.

Cool, thanks!