Vintage Tube Amp

Up for sale, a 1965 Rickenbacker B9A 1×12 tube amp in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with its original matched set of RCA tubes. A notably rare all-tube vintage Rickenbacker amp, the B9A features the same silver tolex as Rickenbacker’s hardshell cases of the era, freshly serviced and extremely original, loaded with the original Jensen C12Q speaker. While this circuit was also marketed by Rickenbacker with different cosmetics/branding as the Electro E12, the Rickenbacker iteration is notably rarer, falling somewhere sonically and feature-wise between a Tweed-era Fender Princeton and Vibrolux. The single ended Class A design pushes around 7 watts via a 6V6 power tube and 5Y3 rectifier, with a touch-sensitive overdriven bite and sweet saturation. The 12 speaker and larger cabinet offers significantly more low end and tonal breadth than most single ended amps of the era, and the bias-based tremolo circuit has a strong pulse and dimensional quality. The circuit retains the original transformer pair and the bent brass chassis has all of the original CTS pots, with visible date codes from the 17th week of’65. The circuit was recently serviced and all electrolytic caps are viable. The tube complement includes all of the original RCAs, with a 6V6 power tube, 5Y3 rectifier, and 7025s (12AX7) in the preamp. The original Jensen C12Q speaker is in great shape, and the date code on the edge of the frame is from the 22nd week of’65. The amp retains its original smooth silver tolex, stamped Rickenbacker badge, and luggage-style handle. The polished chrome faceplate exhibits minimal patina, retaining virtually all of the white silkscreen text and the original quartet of knobs.

Up for sale, a circa 1948 Gibson BR-6 vintage tube amp in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Recently serviced, this BR-6 is the two-input version available from 1946-48, pushing 10 watts via a pair of vintage RCA 6V6 power tubes through a Jensen P10S speaker. The tone is warm and fairly dark in its voicing from 1-5 on the single Volume dial, gaining grit and overdriven roar pushing towards 10. The amp really shines when dimed out with the midrange character unique to octal preamp amps and a real gutsy, punchy sound that’s thick and saturated. The point-to-point circuit has been fully rebuilt with a pair of vintage Hammond transformers, new electrolytic caps and signal caps from the likes of Sprague and Mallory. The speaker is a vintage Jensen P10S alnico magnet driver (replacing the original field coil) with a clean Jensen foil label on the magnet and date stamp on the edge of the dark green frame from 1953. The amp retains its original smooth brown covering, made from the same material used on early’50s Gibson guitar cases. The enclosure is extremely clean, with very minor edge wear, and the textured gold grillcloth is equally as well-kept. The large “G” gold badge is intact central to the grill, and the faceplate has clean silkscreen graphics. Even the original leather handle is present and still viable.

Here is an amazing and beautiful Vintage 1950 Jensen P12R 12 Fender Tweed Deluxe Etc Guitar Tube Amp Speaker. Excellent cosmetic and working condition as shown. This was recently professionally re-coned with period correct components by one of the best in the industry and it sounds amazing. This will make a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection.

Here is an amazing and beautiful Vintage 1965 Jensen C12Q 12 Fender Deluxe Reverb Etc Guitar Tube Amp Speaker. Excellent cosmetic and working condition as shown. This was recently professionally re-coned with period correct components by one of the best in the industry and it sounds amazing. This will make a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection.

Here is an amazing and beautiful Vintage 1956 Jensen P10R 10 Fender Bassman Bandmaster Etc Guitar Tube Amp Speaker. Excellent cosmetic and working condition as shown. This was recently professionally re-coned with period correct components by one of the best in the industry and it sounds amazing. This will make a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection.

Here is an amazing and beautiful Vintage 1961 Jensen P12R 12 Fender Tweed Deluxe Etc Guitar Tube Amp Speaker. Excellent cosmetic and working condition as shown. This was recently professionally re-coned with period correct components by one of the best in the industry and it sounds amazing. This will make a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection.

VINTAGE Pair Tube Amp Speakers 1960′s JENSEN C12P 12 For Parts Repair Recone.

Up for sale, a 1946 Gibson BR-1 combo amplifier in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order. This rare Gibson dates to the earliest days of guitar amplification, produced in limited quantities, with only a few hundred made between 1946-49. This particular iteration is also notable for featuring a green felt stenciled “G” on the aluminum grill, an extremely uncommon feature only seen on select few surviving amps and likely only used in first-year examples from’46. The BR-1 is arguably one of the most important amplifiers of the early days of rock and roll, and was the amp used by Danny Cedrone to record the iconic solo on Bill Haley & His Comets’ landmark Rock Around the Clock, the first rock and roll song to experience significant commercial success. This BR-1 pushes around 12 watts and offers distinct voicings via two Instrument inputs and a single Microphone input. The Microphone input is far and away the most aggressive, quickly pushing into fuzzy, sizzling breakup, while the Instrument inputs have more headroom and retain clean, warm sounds with a very pleasing chug that evokes the earliest days of rock and roll, particularly when paired with a set of single coils. The Tone knob has a limited sweep: rolling it off results in a slightly gentler, spongy sound, and when opening up the control this amp really starts to sing, with a full-bodied sound and just a touch of natural gain. Or, roll off the Tone and crank up the Volume for a thick wooly heft and roar similar to a classic fuzz box, particularly via the Microphone input. The amp retains the original transformer pair, and the power transformer dates to the 17th week of 1946. The original 12 field coil speaker is present, with the output transformer mounted to the speaker frame. There are only a couple modern capacitors in the preamp, and a three-prong power cord has been installed. The tube complement comprises a pair of JAN Philips 6L6WGB power tubes, a Tung-Sol 5U4GB rectifier, and an RCA 6J5 preamp tube. The amp retains its original smooth brown covering with only minor edge wear, and gold “Gibson” text is silkscreened on the top edge of the amp’s face. The perforated metal grill plate is extremely clean, retaining the green felt-stenciled “G” and original trio of brown Bakelite knobs. The original leather handle is also intact.

Up for sale, a 1958 Fender “High Power” Tweed Twin 5F8-A in excellent condition and in perfect working order. This Twin features a very original circuit, rehoused in an replica speaker cabinet and loaded with a pair of era-correct Jensen P12N alnico magnet speakers. Occupying a very narrow window in Fender’s golden age, the 5F8-A Twin was the pinnacle of Tweed era evolution and unmatched in power and headroom, first available in late 1957 and retired by January, 1960. This example was made in January of’58, and the “High Power” iteration of the Twin is arguably the most highly sought after vintage Fender amp ever produced. A whole different animal than the “Low Power” iteration offered through most of the’50s, the High Power 5F8-A pushes 85 watts via a matched quad of 5881 (6L6GC) power tubes with a single GZ34 rectifier. Essentially the same animal as the 5F6-A Bassman, yet with four power tubes, more massive transformers and a 2×12 speaker configuration, the 5F8-A Twin has all the hallmarks of its Bassman brother, with a Mid control and four-input design, allowing both greater tailoring of the tone and the ability to jumper the channels for additional interactivity and gain. Incredible headroom, touch-sensitivity and rich, textured growl are hallmarks of this Twin. The trebles bite, yet with a smooth, harmonically-rich character, the midrange is gutsy, and the low end is broad and focused, with notable depth that interacts famously with a broad range of pickups. The circuit retains its original Triad transformers, and all of the original yellow Astron capacitors are intact in the preamp. The smaller electrolytics in the preamp have been upgraded with high quality Spragues, and the power supply has been recapped with Spragues as well. All of the original pots are present, and two additional 1/4 jacks have been added to the righthand side of the chassis. The inside of the chassis retains its “HA” date stamp from January of 1958. The tube complement includes a matched quad of Mesa-branded power tubes, with a Ruby rectifier and a couple vintage preamp tubes from the likes of Telefunken and Westinghouse. The speakers are a matched pair of vintage Jensen P12Ns with clean dark green frames and date stamps from’62. The cabinet is a modern replacement, faithfully replicating the materials and size of the original. The faceplate retains its bright chrome plating, and some of the original white silkscreen text is still present, along with all of the chicken head knobs.

Up for sale, a 1959 Fender Deluxe in excellent condition and in perfect working order, featuring the original Triad output transformer, original tweed, a freshly-serviced and very original circuit, and the stock Jensen P12R speaker. Few circuits are more desired and emulated than the narrow panel Tweed-era 5E3, and this amp delivers everything one expects 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 is very original, retaining the stock Triad output transformer, while the power transformer is a factory replacement from Schumacher (Fender’s primary transformer supplier in the’60s), dating to 1963. All but one of the original yellow Astron capacitors are intact, and the Stackpole pots have visible date codes from the 37th week of’57. The preamp and power supply features new electrolytic caps, cleanly sleeved in the original Minimite wrappers for a proper vintage look. A modern three-prong power cable has also been installed. The tube set includes vintage matched Sylvania 6V6 power tubes, an RCA 5Y3 rectifier, and modern preamp tubes. The speaker is the original Jensen P12R alnico magnet 12 driver with a deep blue/green frame and Jensen sticker on the bell cover. The date on the edge of the speaker frame is from the 2nd week of 1959. The tube chart is extremely clean with an “HC” date stamp which translates to March of’58. The inked serial on the chart matches the number stamped on the chassis too. 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 original tweed and oxblood grillcloth is intact, with ambering of the lacquer on the tweed, and modest edge wear on the enclosure. The original leather handle is present, secured with stock brackets.