more music dreams

Then it´s the question in regards of the very very beguinning. In the year of 1965 my schoolday´s came to an ending and I started me first job in a music shop called "Pianomagasinet" in the rather small town of Trollhättan. 

NOHAB locomotive made by Trolls in Trollhättan

Jeteninge / Volvo Flygmotor

Know mainly for the production of Locomotives, Aeroengines and 2-stroke cars named SAAB.

SAAB made by Trolls in Trollhättan, her the desing o 

Bo Zolland

The area know as "Trestad" Three towns (not the beer) was also know for the extreme amount of pop-rockbands in the area. More then 350 different groups was in action hoping for a career in music. 

The Shop I worked in was one out of two similar shops in the area, one of them still exist called Rämjes Musik. Anyway among the popular items sold to the bands was natuarly the VOX amps. The AC30 and 50 was expensive but popular. Kind of top of the line - top of the dreams among the bands.

"Swede singers" during rehersal

Among the bands was a  group called the Swede Singers. A vocal group in the style of american Four Freshman. They didnt only sing, they was extremly talanted musicians. Maybe caused by their talent they soon was into building their own studio and why not build a realy nice amplifier.

So how did they do it? After a short discussion possibly they went to our musicshop and asked my boss and shopowner to borrow two amplifiers. Two Vox´s, AC30 and 50 left the shop and was brought back a week later.

As a result of this arrangement, together with some Tecnician´s from Förstärkartjänst-Trollhättan the New GROPE guitar amplifier was developed. A VOX-clone no doubt about it. In all main details the amp was copied. Even the cabinet styling was the same but excvlusivly made in Teak.

The GROPE guitaramplifier had two channels, and was fitted with two 12" FANE 16ohm speaker. There was no tremolo or reverb in the unit. App 35 units was produced and sold mainly in the Three Town area.

Ream weiv of the amp

A couple of weeks later the first amps was delivered to our musicshop. Among the bands buying this new amplifier was "Strömkarlarna" (backing band to the female singer Laila Westersund). As often as I could I fired up the amp and enjoy´d it. Natuarly I was one of those musicians hoping to buy this low priced VOX-clone. the fact still tells that ever since then I hav´nt even seen one of those amps. I contacted members from the Swede Singers but none of them did have one of the old amp´s. In my dreams i hoped there was a GROPE amp hidden in their closet.

At least one of those first amps broke down and was sent to the recyclingbuisness some years ago. SHIT!

Today for the first time in years I check´d the adverts on internet, and there it was. 

The great VOX-clone from Trollhättan. The GROPE guitar amplifier on sale at 11000,oo skr.

Who will buy this Amplifier, a true part of Swedens musical history. I dont have the money, only the dream.