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Post new topic Where was my Evans made?
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Author Topic:  Where was my Evans made?
Chuck Martin


From:
Clifton, Virginia
Post  Posted 9 May 2004 5:11 am    
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I have an Evans FET Custom 500 (serial #8551) with an address label that reads:
ECA, 448 Hohican Lane, Shreveport Louisiana. I think its mid-90s amp but I thought these were either made in Texarkana or in North Carolina?
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Roger Kelly

 

From:
Bristol,Tennessee
Post  Posted 9 May 2004 9:34 am    
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The Address... 448 Mohican Lane Shreveport, LA 71106 was Derrell Stephens in 1994 maybe still is?
The S/N suggests to me, that it was made late 80's early 90's. I have S/N 8913 and it was purchased Brand New 5/18/94 from a local Music Store.
I believe that some chassis were assembled and possibly shelved? and when an order came in, assembled, put in the proper cabinet, and with the proper speaker, and then shipped out.
According to information that I read on the Forum, the S/N 8913 denotes the year as 1989 and the 13th unit built or the 13th week of the year. However, I know that I bought the Amp Brand New in 1994, so there is "something wrong" with dates and Serial Numbers. Maybe someone can enlighten both of us on this subject Chuck?
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chas smith R.I.P.


From:
Encino, CA, USA
Post  Posted 9 May 2004 12:55 pm    
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I bought #8635 in 1990 from Darrel and it was ordered in 1990, so I question the year/unit/week designation. I also ordered it with a tweed cover and they thought I was nuts, but they would do it, if I got the tweed for them.
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Chuck Martin


From:
Clifton, Virginia
Post  Posted 9 May 2004 4:48 pm    
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The funny thing is that the address label on my Evans actually says "Hohican" which is obviously a typo. The speaker is a JBL E-130 8 ohms. I don't know if its a replacement speaker or not since I bought this amp used. Maybe this amp is a late Darrell Stephens model? Any other ways to tell?

Thanks, Chuck

[This message was edited by Chuck Martin on 09 May 2004 at 05:49 PM.]

[This message was edited by Chuck Martin on 11 May 2004 at 06:53 AM.]

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Graham Bland

 

From:
Tennessee, USA
Post  Posted 9 May 2004 6:11 pm    
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Chuck,
Hold on to that amp if Darrell made it (which he did) you won't ever find one better than that!!!!!!
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David L. Donald


From:
Koh Samui Island, Thailand
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 2:19 am    
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Evansville would seem logical!
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Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 5:06 am    
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Chuck - I have #8550! Derrell shipped that amp to me in about 1984 or 1985. At that point, Derrell had quite a few amps built, bench tested and ready to install in cabinets; however, he had no cabinet maker. His usual guy cut his arm very badly and was unable to work for quite some time. It took a while for Derrell to find someone else to construct some cabinets for him. I know I was going crazy with anticipation, waiting and waiting for my amp. I still have it and still love it.

By the way, I don't believe Darrell was offering JBL's at that point. He was having speakers built for him by Eminence.

------------------
Lee, from South Texas
Down On The Rio Grande

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Jerry Roller


From:
Van Buren, Arkansas USA
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 9:14 am    
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I have #8313 and the label states Nash, Tx. Anyone know who built it?
Jerry
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Tom Hodgin

 

From:
greensboro, n.c. u.s.a.
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 2:05 pm    
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I have never known an EVANS to be made anywhere but here in North Carolina...tom
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John Hawkins

 

From:
Onalaska, Tx. on Lake Livingston * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 2:53 pm    
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Jerry ,

I played Evan's amps for years even while Jim Evans was hand building them . I visited Jim at his home a few times in NASH, TX. It is a little town right before you get into Texarkana, TX.

I think I have that correct.It has been a long time ago . Darrell Stephens use to live up in that area also so maybe it was his address I'm recalling but I'm pretty sure it was Jim's home town address .

You got one of the best amps ever made! Either Jim Evans himself or Darrell Stephens who took over the company when Jim sort of retired,made the amp you have.Take care of it --they don't come any better than those early model EVANS engineered and designed by those two guys . John Hughey was a regular customer and owner of the early models and still plays through an EVANS pre-amp I understand .

John
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Ricky Littleton


From:
Steely-Eyed Missile Man from Cocoa Beach, Florida USA
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 5:00 pm    
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You are right. Nash is just west of Texarkana. When I had my amp shop in Texarkana, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Evans when I restored an old prototype Evans a guy had. Jim Evans is a super nice man.

Ricky

------------------
Emmons LeGrande - 8x4
Session 400 Ltd
Dan-Echo, E-Bow, Ibanez Distortion, Boss Comp./Sustain, Ibanez Auto-Wah, PX4 Pandoras Box

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Chuck Martin


From:
Clifton, Virginia
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 6:44 pm    
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Okay, here's a picture of the amp in question. This one has an 8 ohm E-130 JBL. Didn't these originally come with a 4 ohm speaker?

[This message was edited by Chuck Martin on 10 May 2004 at 07:45 PM.]

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John Hawkins

 

From:
Onalaska, Tx. on Lake Livingston * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 10 May 2004 8:50 pm    
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Chuck,
On your previous post on May 4 th , listed under this topic, I gave you Darrell Stephens' phone number. I would suggest you contact him for the info. you are asking for here.

Sorry-- I can only guess it was a 4 ohm but Darrell will know know for sure .

John

[This message was edited by John Hawkins on 10 May 2004 at 09:53 PM.]

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Harold Parris

 

From:
Piedmont, Alabama USA
Post  Posted 12 May 2004 6:50 pm    
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I have an olds Evans Hi-volt serial # 8016 that was made by Jim Evans. I just had Jim go through it last year and calibrate it to the origional specs. It is a sweet sounding amp. I retrofitted it with a new Evans digital reverb recently. The spring reverb circuit in some of the older Evans is known to hum sometimes, especially if the reverb input and output wires get routed to close to the transformer. That part of them requires a very delicate balance. In response to the serial number question, Mr Jim Evans told me that the first two digits were the year of manufacture and the second two is the number the amp is in line of production for that year. Mine was the 16th amp he made in 1980.

------------------
Sierra Session and MSA Classic Guitars, Nashville 400, Session 400, and Evans FET 500 HiVolt, and Gretsch Nashville Pro Steel Amps, Keith Hilton Digital Sustain pedal and Digital Sustain Box .
Harold Parris email hparris9@aol.com

[This message was edited by Harold Parris on 12 May 2004 at 07:57 PM.]

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Derrell Stephens

 

From:
Shreveport, La. USA
Post  Posted 21 May 2004 2:11 pm    
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Hey guys ... glad u r still using them ... I have 5 that I use, depending on where I play. I managed the comapany when all of the FET models were buit in either Texarkana (Nash), Texas and Shreveport, La. We sold the company to the Buffingtons at the end of August, 1994. I can not lay hands on the serial # info. If I run across it (not likely) I'll post it. Note: If you ever have to get an amp serviced, the date code is on the inside of the chassis beneath the power amo PCBA. Y'all keep pickin ... see down the road.
Derrell
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Chuck Martin


From:
Clifton, Virginia
Post  Posted 22 May 2004 3:19 am    
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Derrell, thanks for your posts. One question, were all of the FETs equipped with a 4 ohm or 8 ohm speaker? Mine currently has an 8 ohm JBL and I'm guessing that its a replacement speaker. By the way, regarding my other post on the Hybrid 300, I did contact Ed who e-mailed back that he did not have a schematic for that model.

[This message was edited by Chuck Martin on 22 May 2004 at 04:20 AM.]

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