Johnson Sound Systems of Manitoba circa 1951

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• I grew up in Brandon & was friends with Albert Johnson's twin sons Stephen & Bradley. I spend many hours of many days in the 1960's hanging around Johnson Sound System music store. I watched Mr. Johnson. put together many amps in the back of his store on Rosser Ave. My first guitar was purchased there & when I learned to play better a few years later Mrs. Johnson offered to sell me a new '64 Fender Stratocaster , an offer which I declined & am now sorry for. I always wanted one of the amps that were being made there but they were just a little out of my price range. I've managed to get my hands on a Johnson Mohawk & am quite happy with it , but if anyone knows where I might be able to buy any of the other models please contact me @ the above e-mail address.
  Nice website you have here. Take care. ---Ray Hall---

• Hi, see your comments Ray. I too came from Brandon. I wasn't old enough to recall Alberts shop there but I have a number of his amps. They are super clean and arent all bad in my opinion. Favorite is the M-4 Monarch combo. though. Ray Fox of Fox Vintage Amps in Georgia says there are a few around his area. Seems many went south with various players over the years. I also acquired a bunch of unbuilt chassis'
  ready to go and a Vibrante/Maestro cab that was never finished (needs tolex). Anyway, have a great day! (Contact me at the fenderbronco.com site)
  Doug

• I have a Johnson celestion combo 112 that's all original and even has a wooden footswitch with it. Is just like the one in the picture on fenderbroncos. Can anyone tell me anything about it? When was it made? I love the amp.

• Hi Joe, my 1x12 Celestion Combo has a P-44 Alnico 12 inch speaker in it. The speaker dates to Nov. of 59. Other parts inside point towards 63 or so but Albert ran an electronic parts shop so he may have used older stock stuff to use it up.
  My 1x12 Celestion Combo has 2 - 6CA7's in it. My other ones have 6L6's.
  All are tube rectified and the M-4 2x12 , has two tube rectifiers. (stinkin loud and clean!!)
  Doug

• Very nice. That sounds just like mine. Mine works very well sometimes, and othertimes makes quite a racket of popping and hissing. I'll have to have it worked on I suppose. It's a beautiful amp. I'd never hesitate to buy another if I found one. Thanks for your response!

• I would like to get my hands on a manual for Johnson Celestion. Is there such a thing?

• The Canucks were pretty sharp on amp design. I highly recommend anyone into guitar amps buy (or if truly destitute order from the library on interlibrary loan-a service to all tech heads because if they don't buy techie books they buy dry-vagina romance crap) "The How and Why of Guitar Tube Amps as "Gar" Sees It", written by the Garnet guy.

• Check out the "You Tube" video by the Cowpuncher band from Calgary.
  They have a song called "Bridesmaid".
  My old Johnson Celestion combo 1x12 makes an appearance on the vid.
  It is the brown one behind the lead singer Matt Olah.
  2-EL-34's. Sweet driven tone!
  Say what you will, Albert Johnson's amps were very musical.
  http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V7wZohbVRyE

• I went there in the early '90s and bought a record player stylus. There were vintage instruments on display & I recall the faded sheet music from the '60s & '70s near the front window. It was a time trip for sure.

• Looking for information and value of a 1959 Johnson Celestion Guitar Combo?