vintage tube amps on a budget

[Ryguy]

It's astounding how many great sounding vintage amps can be had for well under a $1000. If you just stray away from the handful of really popular, collectible makes and/or models, you can get some great deals. In the last year, I bought a '65 Bassman, a Magnatone 440 Custom, a '59 Vibrolux, and just snatched up a '63 Tremolux (looking forward to getting that), and paid between $450-850 each. Incidentally, I bought them all here on TGP, and each transaction was smooth, and painless/cheap.

With a little reverb, the '65 Bassman through a 2X12 sounded pretty much as good as anything I've ever heard for blackface/silverface tone, for 450 bucks. It was also as loud as hell, but controllable.

The magnatone is like a drugged out, mean, older brother to a Princeton Reverb, and literally takes pedals than any amp I have ever played. No shit, it sounds like a 4x12 cranked with a clean boost in front of it, has nice warm reverb, and that wonderful freaky vibrato to boot.

The vibrolux sound fantastic, cleaner and quieter than a deluxe, with amazing tremolo. It screams cranked, but its not too loud. GREAT small club and recording amp. I use it together with the Magnatone and its probably the best tone I've had live in 15 years of gigging.

Looking around at the different oddball fenders, gibsons, ampegs, silvertones, etc., there are so many options available for more old-school tones, that it is sort of refreshing, given how insanely expensive vintage guitars have gotten. (except most Guilds!)

I actually am really eager to buy a Carr Rambler, and have no problem shelling out for a nice, new, handmade amp, but it's also nice to have an alternative.:BEER

[BadAssBill]

A Silvertone is a great vintage amp that can be had at very reasonable prices as well.

[Lou Brush]

Fender Blackface Bandmasters go for about $400. For a vintage handwired blackface amp with an AB763 circuit? That's f-ing unbelievable, imho.

[Leonc]

Welcome to the club Ryguy, heheh. Tons of amazing tone available on the cheap, eh? Love me old Fender, Ampeg, Magnatones and Gibsons! Yup, there are great Silvertones, Airlines, Danelectros, Guilds, et al still available for cheap too.

[mad dog]

No doubt, Ryguy. My Twilighter 260 (same as magnatone) thrills out of all proportion to the price tag. Same goes for some older Silvertones and Danos. Ampeg is in a special category of tone value. Geminis especially are so fine, really cheap too in contrast to other vintage stuff from that era.

[Leonc]

Michael - you've got to hear a nicely tuned old Ampeg Mercury! I've loved my Geminis but the Mercury I played a few months ago knocked me for a loop. Still kicking myself for not buying it...

[LowWatt]

Everyone shut up right now. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

It'll be our little secret.

[Ryguy]

Hey, its no secret, its just supply and demand, and its the collectors that jack up the prices. A guitar or amp gets hot, and prices skyrocket, like with the Harmony H44, that are going for crazy prices, when even a few years ago they were only a few hundred bucks.

I have actually been playing oddball amps for years, I am just happy that in this wacky market the deals can still be had!

Leon, I'm still looking for the perfect speaker in my MAggie! I liked the G12h30, but still am searching for a bit more sparkle. I have a Weber 15W Alnico Blue dog coming, see if that works.

[Jahn]

I love how the Magnatone sounds! An M15 "suitcase" version used by the Black Crowes was over at 30th street, I happened to come to the store the same day it arrived. The sound was HI-FI. Almost like playing through your daddy's stereo, not a grungy lil garage amp. Great in your face presentation. I don't think that thing lasted a week there before getting snapped up.

[mad dog]

Leon: I have heard a Mercury, a mint '59 or so example that I foolishly did not buy three years ago. In hindsight, a remarkably stupid decision. So I'm kicking myself too ... though that 6L6 Gem at the shop now promises to distract me nicely.

Jahn: 30th street also had an M10A a couple weeks ago. It's half of the M15. I have one. A real interesting amp, sort of the 18 watter from another universe. Even for Magnatone, the suitcase stuff was out there.