One of the recording studios I do some work for had me pick up this old beauty: a Montgomery Ward 1958 Airline Amp.
The guitar I used for this Tone Demo was a Samick Artist Series 335 copy (Big Yellow)in Open D tuning (D A D F# A D). That's her on the left of the pic with the f - holes.
I recorded in Garage Band using a Global Audio Condenser Mic.
This amp is RAW. Turn it up, all the way up, and there is that THICK, SICK TONE used by bands like LED ZEPPELIN early in their career. Listen to "You Shook Me" from Zeppelin I and the tone is up front and in your face. The built in tremolo feature rivals that of the blackface 60's Fenders.
These amplifiers were budget guitar amps in the 1950 - 60s and sold through Montgomery Ward (!!!???).
They feature the same schematics as some of the more famous Valco made Supro amps most notably used by Jimmy Page on the early Led Zeppelin recordings. These amps can be heard on hundreds of classic rock, country, and soul hits of the time and are now prized for studio work when that tone is needed.