The Beatles, Stockholm, 28th and 29th July, 1964
The lead-up to the Concerts
The Stockholm concerts were the first public outing for John and George's new black-fronted AC80/100s. They were paired with AC50-sized speaker cabinets containing 2x15" speakers. The "Dartford and Swanley Chronicle and Kentish Times", 31st July, 1964 - a rough and ready shot (below) - gives details of the new amplifiers. The sequence of events in late July was:
Week of the 20th - the two new AC80/100s and their accompanying 2x15" speaker cabinets (for John and George) were evidently ready. But they prove too loud to be tested at full in the Dartford Road factory. A disused airfield is envisaged, but one of the Burndept factories in Erith ultimately chosen for the final test.
Monday 27th - the two amplifiers, one serial no. 180, the other 179 or 181(?), and their speaker cabs shipped from Dartford to London.
Tuesday 28th - the amps taken to Stockholm for the two concerts at the Isstadion.
Thursday 30th - return to London.
At some point before the 9th August, the new 4x12" SDL speaker cabinets made ready.
The interesting thing about the piece is the inherent possibility, especially in the statements about testing, that the 2x15" cabs were also (ie. in addition to the amplifier sections) intended for the American tour - the "Hollywood Bowl". If that was indeed the case, then John and George must have expressed dissatisfaction with them, prompting JMI to come up with the new SDLs in the space of around a week.
The AC80/100 amplifier had been around for some time by late July 1964. It was tried and tested, but accompanying speaker cabs for guitar - non-existent up to this point - were not.
Photos taken from rear of stage during the Stockholm concerts show that the amplifier sections used there were indeed the ones taken to America just over a fortnight later.
"Dartford and Swanley Chronicle and Kentish Times", 31st July, 1964.
The Concerts
Two pics of the Beatles, Stockholm, 28th and 29th July, 1964, John and George with their new AC80/100s and large-box open-backed AC50 speaker cabs containing 2 x 15" Celestion speakers - see below. On the drum riser on the 29th, a Marshall JTM45 and 4x12 cab belonging to another band.
Probably the 28th July.
Probably the 29th July.
In all the major image repositories, pictures of the Beatles on stage at Stockholm are always said to be 28th July. Yet clearly the two different shows - one on Tuesday 28th, the other on Wednesday 29th - are encompassed. But which is which? The clue lies in this picture of "The Shanes", taken on stage very probably - note the qualification - before the show on the 29th, the Marshall just visible at right.
The Shanes taking Ringo's kit hostage.
Some details from Stockholm, Johanneshov Isstadion, very probably the show on the 29th July, 1964:
John's amp and cab, the AC50 behind it, and behind that the Marshall JTM45 (belonging to another band) on the riser.
George's amp and cab.
My good friend Tom dropped me a line saying that the speaker cabinets used by John and George at Stockholm in late July '64 doubtless contained 2 x 15" speakers. And yes, they do, or rather did. Below, the pic. of George's cab, inverted and given contrast.
One can see how large the cut-outs in the baffle were.
Tom noted further that the two cabs are in effect a sort of "expanded" AC30 extension cab rather than a "large-box AC50" ( though the idea for a new AC50 cab was clearly at large at this time). The AC30 "expanded" had two 15" speakers, with "heavy duty" on the labels:
A fine example with brown grille cloth.
Presumably what prompted the use of 2 x 15" drivers in the Stockholm speaker cabs was power handling. The Celestion T1074 (sprayed blue) and the T1109 (sprayed silver), which followed in May 1964, could handle 40-50 watts apiece - a reasonably good match for the new AC80/100 amplifiers. All three Beatles therefore had cabs with 15" speakers.
Below, an audio clip from the show on the 28th July:
Below, a detail from a shot taken from side of stage at one of the Stockholm shows. One can just see that George's speaker cabinet, which contained 2 x 15" drivers, presumably in company with John's (see the entries below), is open backed - an upper board and a lower board as in large box AC50 cabs. The connector is on the upper back board. Thanks to Tom again for spotting this.
The blue arrow points to the gap between upper and lower back boards.