Vintage Tube Amp

Up for sale, a 1956 Fender Deluxe in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Re-tweeded decades ago, and with enough subsequent age to look very vintage-correct, this Deluxe features a freshly-serviced and very original circuit, a Jensen P12R speaker, and a matched pair of vintage RCA 6V6 power tubes. Few circuits are more desired and emulated than the narrow panel Tweed 5E3, and this amp delivers everything you’d expect from an amp from the last iteration of the Tweed line. Incredibly dynamic and harmonically rich, the Deluxe can be glassy and clear at low volumes, but for most players the magic is in this amp’s overdrive capabilities. Especially when connecting the two channels with a small jumper 1/4 cable, the interactive pair of Volume controls can dial in everything from fully saturated roar and snarl, to the particular sweet buzzy qualities with ideal midrange bite that you often times can’t coax out of any other Tweed circuit. This amp reacts well to a host of effects pedals and different guitars, but truly shines with the guitar plugged straight into the amp, using your volume knob to coax clean rhythm tones and singing leads with the twist of a knob. The circuit retains the original Triad power transformer, while the output transformer is a vintage-spec replacement manufactured by Schumacher (the company that produced Fender’s transformers at the very end of the Tweed era), dating to 1960. The original Stackpole pots are intact, with visible date codes from the 41st week’54. The preamp features the majority of the original yellow Astron capacitors, and the circuit has new electrolytic caps throughout, with F&Ts in the power supply. A modern three-prong power cable has also been installed. The tube set includes vintage matched RCA 6V6 power tubes, a Sylvania 5Y3 rectifier, and a pair of modern preamp tubes. The vintage Jensen P12R alnico magnet 12 driver has a deep green frame and Jensen foil sticker on the bell cover. The date on the edge of the speaker frame is from the 25th week of 1954. The tube chart is extremely clean with an “FG” date stamp which translates to July of’56, and this same “FG” stamp is present inside the chassis. The chrome on the chassis is bright and clean, and virtually all of the original white silkscreened text present. All of the original chicken head knobs are present too. The decades old retweed features the proper lacquered diagonal tweed, and the vintage-spec oxblood grillcloth has also been redone in the amp’s lifetime. The leather handle has also been replaced, secured with stock brackets.

Small Tube amp and speaker in metal case with handle. The piece has a foil label on the front that reads “Hollywood Film Company” with “Serial No 121″ and “Model AMP-1″. We believe this is a portable amp for syncing sound to film but unsure of its use. The amp does appear to have one Amperex Bugle Boy tube installed. The piece measures approximately 9-1/4 inches long, 7-1/2 inches deep including the protruding switches, and 6-1/2 inches tall including the handle. It weighs approximately 9 pounds. The fuse holder does not stay attached and my be broken and the speaker appears to have a tear. The top back left corner of the cabinet has a dent.