The rarity alone puts these amps at mythical status, and this is the only one we've ever seen at CVG. The look of this particular amp is even more unique, as it was most likely one of the latest to ever be produced from Mr. Butts, featuring aesthetics from both the original EA-1 & the Rickenbacker M-30 that succeeded it.
This amp was purchased from the original owner, Billy Vann. Billy was a guitar and pedal steel player for Rem Wall and His Green Valley Boys. Mr. Vann and his new bride drove down to Cairo, Illinois the day after their wedding in 1959 to collect the EchoSonic from Ray Butts. Upon arrival, the amp was not fully finished and both Billy and Ray worked on the amp while their wives sat patiently by. 1959 is the tail end of EchoSonic amps being produced prior to Rickenbacker taking over production of the amp then to be known as the M-30 Ek-O-Sound Amplifier. This was his main amplifier until he passed in 2008. Much like Ray, Bill was also a tinkerer and he added notes to the inside of the cabinet anytime the tape was serviced, the speaker changed, or the output transformer was replaced. He made changes to the amp, which will be discussed further below. The inner left wall of the amp tells most of the story, dating all the way back to 1963.
Like every Echosonic holds it's share of history, this one has undergone changes as part of it's history. Collectors should take note the uniqueness of this amp having the chrome control plate of the M-30 Rickenbacker, with the cabinet and most innards of the EA-1 (along with circuit changes done by Mr. Vann). The tape path is very unique, and actually features an added echo length control - not present in any of the other EA-1/M-30 models! Anyone familiar with EP-2 units knows this is a very useful feature. A long pot shaft coming from the back of the amp mechanically controls the position of the second tape head, giving the option of quick, medium, or long delays.
Mr Vann's story with this amp is all part of a rich legacy of EA-1 users, featuring the likes of Chet Atkins, Scotty Moore, and Luther Perkins, just to name a few.
