Vintage Tube Amp

I built this amp 6 years ago, but it’s too loud for me to open it up when I play in my house. I assembled it from a kit by Boothill Amps, so the parts are high quality. You can look at his website for more information. It’s a 5-watt 5F1 “Fender Champ” circuit. The speaker is an 8-inch, 4-ohm ceramic Warehouse G8C. I bought a tube set directly from Dave at Boothill Amps because he said that a USA-made tube rectifier would be more reliable and keep the amp at the proper voltages. The newer modern production 5Y3 tubes run at higher (hotter) voltages. Keep this in mind if you plan on replacing the 5Y3 rectifier (far left tube, V3) and/or the 6V6 power tube (middle tube, V2). He sent me a USA-made RCA 5Y3 (rectifier) tube and a USA-made RCA 6V6 power tube. These are vintage tubes, but I’ve read that rectifier tubes last a long time. The V1 preamp tube (far right) is a brand new modern Russian-made TOL-SUNG AX7. I will include these three tubes with the sale. The transformers I used are now difficult to find: a USA-made ClassicTone 40-18019 (Power Transformer) and a ClassicTone 40-18115 (Output Transformer). The pine cabinet is unbranded and came with the kit. It’s well-made and covered with raw (unlacquered) tweed. See photos and video for details.

Up for sale, a 1961 Fender Vibrolux in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original footswitch. Loaded with a full vintage tube set, this narrow panel tweed-era Vibrolux amp has the coveted 5F11 circuit, offering a range of dynamic tones to match its good looks. The sound is shimmering and harmonically rich, delivering round cleans and overdriven grit and bite higher on the Volume dial, cascading into ripping tube saturation at its highest settings. The tremolo is bias-based and has a strong pulse, with a smooth waveform and plenty of intensity and present percussive chop. The circuit features the original Triad power transformer and Schumacher output transformer (dating to the 46th week of’60). The preamp has a bevy of original yellow Astron capacitors, as well as two stock CTS pots dating to 1959 and’60 (two replacement pots are from the 1980s). The power supply has been professionally recapped, along with the smaller electrolytic caps in the preamp. A modern three-prong power cable has been installed. The tube set includes all vintage valves, with a Sylvania-branded rectifier and Telefunkens in the preamp. The tube chart is intact, noting the 5F11 circuit, stamped “KA, ” which dates to January of’61. The amp is loaded with the original Jensen P10R 10 speaker which has a dark blue/green frame, ribbed cone, stock bell cover and stamp on the edge of the frame from the 48th week of’59. The amp presents extremely well, and the original lacquered tweed is only modestly ambered, paired with the original oxblood/gold stripe grillcloth. The face of the amp retains its metal Vibrolux badge, and the leather handle is a vintage-style replacement. The chassis is positively gleaming, with bright chrome plating, all of the original white silkscreen text intact, and stock chicken head knobs. The original black molded footswitch for engaging the vibrato is included.