1970′s Sound City Bass 150. Electric Guitar / Bass Amplifier Head. He bought out most of the Sound City stock when the company went under in 1975. This amp arrived to me in working condition but had no front panel knobs on the potentiometers and I added it right to my collection. Recently (2026) I took it to my current amp tech and he slowly reshaped the filter cap cans with his variac. He also tested all the tubes for shorts, leaks, and trans-conductance. He cleaned and lubricated all the pots and jacks, replaced the power cord, powered it for an hour and checked operation. He says it’s now in great shape but will need a cap job. He noticed there is a substantial hum usually emanating from the lack of shielding on the wiring in the pre-amp and the power amp of the chassis (which is common with these amps). One way of reducing hum is to add more shielding. The more immediate issue and to help reduce the hum is to replace all of the filter capacitors. This amplifier has all the original hardware. You need to understand that the great amps of this era didn’t have master volume controls and needed to be turned up to get the sound you needed in a live situation. And they WON’T cover up your mistakes – they are true player’s amps that reward technique with clear note definition. Finally, please be advised that this is a true vintage guitar amplifier, that will hiss and hum as you crank it up-and it requires periodic maintenance and adjustments by a qualified amplifier technician that is familiar with vintage tube amps. Please understand what you are getting into. During the musical explosion of the 1960′s in London, it was common for music stores to design and build their own equipment for sale at the shop; each neighborhood retailer would try to outdo the other, along with a good bit of copy-catting, of course. This is essentially how Marshall, Orange, and Vox all came to be, and as happens in most free-market industries, competition would arise. Two of the rarest, loudest, and best-sounding competitors were Sound City and Simms-Watts. In the back of one of these West End shops, appropriately named Sound City, Dave Reeves would design and build the SC105 “One Hundred” model amplifier, a high-headroom 100-watt EL34 answer to the Marshall Super Lead “Plexi” head. The Sound City shop was owned by Ivor Arbiter, whose interest in music had been sparked by his father, Joe, a saxophonist with the British big-band led by Harry Roy in the’30s and’40s. The young Ivor began his instrument career working at saxophone repair workshops in and around Soho, and in 1957, he opened his own Paramount woodwind and brass shop on Shaftesbury Avenue-the street that marked the southern boundary of Soho. Ivor was an ambitious young man, and he saw further opportunities with the rise of pop music as the’60s came into view. In 1961, he opened Drum City at 114 Shaftesbury Avenue and the following year Sound City, which specialized in guitars and amps, at 24 Rupert Street. Ivor’s luck ran out with this particular portion of his operation in 1975, when a complicated set of business problems meant his shops-Sound City and Music City (by now in the Drum City location), and Modern Sound in Tottenham Court Road-were swiftly closed. It might serve the buyers purpose to bring up the power slowly with a variac since these used amp heads are over 50 years old and have not been used for a few decades. Our amp tech has only replaced the needed parts -(filter caps & power cords as specified) to just get them turned on and running for an hour. Please see a skilled amp tech before extended use. The operation of the amps requires that they be regularly serviced for optimal performance. Please remember these are vintage pieces, we cannot guarantee that they will not need service or more parts in their future; only some obvious parts were changed to get it working. Most of the parts are still the original old parts remaining which will be stated in our listings. We do not have any control on what was done by previous owners, but we try to write in detail any information we have. We cannot guarantee that all our information is 100% correct; it is our humble opinions and own musical knowledge. Please see photos and ask questions to make your own assessment. ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE PURCHASING! This discriminating collector has curated an incredible collection of guitars & amps since 1965. From a collector & player with an extensive musical history and knowledge. This collection has been stored and cared for impeccably for decades. Now, after all these years, he is ready to share his collection with other enthusiasts and wants his prized possessions to go to good homes and get played! Please follow our listings. LOTS MORE TO COME! We only sell to buyers that are established, verified.

Made in England vintage 1970′s Sound City 120B 120 Watt bass amplifier head. This head is a BEAST. Have built a loyal following over the years. He was afraid to plug it into a cabinet for fear that this mighty head might blow the speakers! I have since tested it out, plugging it into a Peavey 4×12 guitar cabinet. To my ear it sounded pretty good, and did not blow any speakers in the cabinet despite its power. Having been in storage for years I’m sure it could use some work. It has six (count’em six) EL34 power tubes providing the 120 watts, three of which of the legendary vintage Mullard EL34 power tubes, which I believe to be the original tubes. Of the 3 additional replacement EL34′s one is a vintage RCA, one a vintage GE and one a vintage Sylvania, all well respected tubes in their own right. All of the preamp tubes are Brimar (again, probably the original tubes). Two Partridge Transformer, which is what these heads originally came with. One does look newer so I don’t know if that might be a replacement. I can see that at least 3 of the pots have been replaced as they don’t match the rest. Some scratchiness in some of the pots. One of the knobs in the front was missing so I replaced that one with a “chicken head ” knob, which is the style of knob used on some Sound City heads. I used to sell a lot of guitar amps on here and in the past I would have taken a head such as this to an amp tech and would have paid hundreds of dollars to have them go through the amp and restore it prior to listing it. I will guaranteee it will power on. The general consensus (from what I’ve read in online threads) regarding these heads is that they could use some mods to improve their sound and playability, although there is some dispute as to the optimum mods that might be performed. Cosmetically this head is (in my opionion) in pretty good shape for a 40+ year old head. One small nick in the front bottom left section of the tolex but otherwise no rips or tears in the original tolex. Some wear in the top tolex and elsewhere. The white plastic “grounding” switch on the left portion of the back panel looks a bit stumpy–I don’t know if there was more there at opne time. I have priced this head taking into account the need for resoration and repair and would be listing it for MUCH more were it already restored. The item “VINTAGE MADE IN ENGLAND SOUND CITY B120 120W BASS OR GUITAR TUBE AMP HEAD” is in sale since Friday, March 26, 2021. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “rokinrichard” and is located in Brooklyn, New York. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Model: B120
• Country/Region of Manufacture: Great Britain
• Power: 120 W
• Amplifier Type: Head
• Brand: Sound City
• Suitable For: Bass Guitar

Made in England vintage 1970′s Sound City 120B 120 Watt bass amplifier head. This head is a BEAST and while these heads are not for everybody they. Have built a loyal following over the years. He was afraid to plug it into a cabinet for fear that this mighty head might blow the speakers! I have since tested it out, plugging it into a Peavey 4×12 guitar cabinet. To my ear it sounded pretty good, and did not blow any speakers in the cabinet despite its power. Having been in storage for years I’m sure it could use some work. It has six (count’em six) EL34 power tubes providing the 120 watts, three of which of the legendary vIntage Mullard EL34 power tubes, which I believe to be the original tubes. Of the 3 additional replacement EL34′s one is a vintage RCA, one a vintage GE and one a vintage Sylvania, all well respected tubes in their own right. All of the preamp tubes are Brimar (again, probably the original tubes). Two Partridge Transformer, which is what these heads originally came with. One does look newer so I don’t know if that might be a replacement. I can see that at least 3 of the pots have been replaced as they don’t match the rest. Some scratchiness in some of the pots. One of the knobs in the front was missing so I replaced that one with a “chicken head ” knob. I used to sell a lot of guitar amps on here and in the past I would have taken a head such as this to an amp tech and would have paid hundreds of dollars to have them go through the amp and restore it prior to listing it. I will guaranteee it will power on. The general consensus (from what I’ve read in online threads) regarding these heads is that they could use some mods to improve their sound and playability, although there is some dispute as to the optimum mods. Cosmetically this head is (in my opionion) in pretty good shape for a 40+ year old head. One small nick in the front bottom left section of the tolex but otherwise no rips or tears in the original tolex. Some wear in the top tolex and elsewhere. I have priced this head taking into account the need for resoration and repair and would be listing it for MUCH more were it already restored. The item “VINTAGE MADE IN ENGLAND SOUND CITY B120 120W BASS OR GUITAR TUBE AMP HEAD” is in sale since Friday, February 19, 2021. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “rokinrichard” and is located in Brooklyn, New York. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Model: B120
• Country/Region of Manufacture: Great Britain
• Power: 120 W
• Amplifier Type: Head
• Brand: Sound City
• Suitable For: Bass Guitar

Sound City 50 Plus Vintage Guitar Tube Amplifier Amp Head. Original Partridge Transformers, Recapped, grounded AC cord & plug. Great Conditions sounds good plays good. Clean Amp Head dates to early 1970′s. The item “Sound City 50 Plus Vintage Guitar Tube Amplifier Amp Head Partridge Transformers” is in sale since Monday, December 28, 2020. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “jpmetallurgical” and is located in Lynnwood, Washington. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Brand: Sound City
• Amplifier Type: Head
• Suitable For: Electric Guitar

Sound City B120, theoretically the bass version, but no real difference between them. The amp made famous in the modern age by Electric Wizard. Been recapped and a bunch of work done, still some hiss from the preamp, but manageable at the sort of volumes this should be operating at. Sleeve has been recovered not super well, but it functions. This one has Partridge transformers. Obviously this is a heavy lump, but I can have it couriered, would massively prefer collection though. The item “Sound City 120 70s vintage valve bass amplifier guitar amp EL34 SC120 tube B120″ is in sale since Friday, September 6, 2019. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “ampstack” and is located in Bristol, Avon. This item can be shipped worldwide.

Up for sale, a 1973 Sound City 120, new old stock and stunningly clean with the original transparent factory slip cover, extra Sound City badge and a couple accompanying factory tags. From the private collection of revered amp builder Mike Soldano, this Sound City originally surfaced via a buyout of NOS Sound City stock courtesy of Angela Instruments. Produced by Dallas Arbiter in the UK, and perhaps a brand best known for the early career of Dave Reeves before he founded Hiwatt, the Sound City 120 is an absolute powerhouse with a sextet of EL34 power tubes and massive Partridge transformers. This two channel (Normal and Brilliant) design features Standard and Attenuated inputs feeding independent Volume knobs and a global three-band EQ circuit which is entirely active. Unlike the EQ stages of most amps, each EQ knob in this lineup is active, and as you turn up Bass, Middle, or Treble respectively, you add gain precisely to that portion of the frequency spectrum, courtesy of an ECC83 (12AX7) triode attached to each stage in the circuit. It’s a unique system and a powerful sound sculpting tool not found on your conventional Marshall or Hiwatt. Beyond the EQ section the Presence knob governs high-end content at the output stage. The circuit is virtually untouched, and the turret board design retains all of the original mustard capacitors. The sextet of EL34 power tubes comes via a variety of manufacturers (Telefunken, Mullard, and Sylvania among them), yet all tubes were carefully matched and perform beautifully in the circuit. The preamp tubes are the original compliment with clean silkscreen graphics on the glass. Cosmetically, the amp is stunningly clean, and not to say that it hasn’t incurred a couple minor scuffs and nicks on the edges of the cabinet in the last four decades, but as the photos attest, this is an immaculate vintage example. All of the original knobs are intact with their transparent skirts, and the faceplate is clean as can be, accented by silver piping on the face of the enclosure. Check out our shop “Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, ” and please let us know if we can answer any questions! We use double thick boxes, 1″ foam, and industrial 1/2″ bubble wrap to ensure that your amp arrives safely. International orders will be declared as merchandise, and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please. The item “1973 Sound City 120 Vintage Tube Amp Head UK Arbiter, Soldano Private Collection” is in sale since Monday, August 5, 2019. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “mmguitarbar” and is located in Seattle, Washington. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Number of Channels: 2
• Model: 120
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom
• Amplifier Technology: Vacuum Tube
• MPN: Does Not Apply
• Compatible Guitar: Electric Guitar Amplifier
• Amplifier Type: Head
• Brand: Sound City
• Suitable For: Performance

Vintage 1970s Sound City 50 Plus Tube Amp in good condition. Amp sounds incredible with a big, british tone, similar to a Hi-Watt. Active EQ circuit makes the knobs very interactive. Cabinet has a big gash in it, but is solid. Very cool and works great. The item “Vintage 1970′s Sound City 50 Plus Tube Amplifier Head” is in sale since Monday, September 3, 2018. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Vintage Musical Instruments\Vintage Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “mwbutler” and is located in San Diego, California. This item can’t be shipped, the buyer must pick up the item.

• Brand: Sound City

VINTAGE SOUND CITY CONCORD TUBE AMP / AMPLIFIER DALLAS ARBITER England. Rare and wonderful 60′s/70′s tube amp with fantastic reverb, this amp works great sounds even better. All original except the fanes were replaced with 25 watt celestion greenbacks, a good move!! Has a replaced 3 prong power cord also (for safety). The item “VINTAGE SOUND CITY CONCORD TUBE AMP / AMPLIFIER DALLAS ARBITER” is in sale since Saturday, November 18, 2017. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “oceanman211″ and is located in east coast. This item can’t be shipped, the buyer must pick up the item.

• Brand: Sound City
• MPN: Does Not Apply
• Amplifier Type: Combo
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United Kingdom