Gibson GA-20 on Craigslist, what do you think?

[YoungMansBlues]

So I was just browsing my local CL and stumbled on this:

http://charlestonwv.craigslist.org/msg/1096672779.html

I'm in the process of building a JTM45 clone, but I was planning on doing a 5e3 after that anyway, so would this be worth it? Should I try to talk him down? Any other words of wisdom?

I don't know if the 3-letter search thing was messing up my queries or what, but I didn't seem to be able to find that much info on here about them, so anything you know would be helpful. Thanks in advance guys!

[DanR]

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/sho...d.php?t=534815

Jump on it!!! $500 is a more than reasonable price for that amp.

[zerocharisma]

Looks nice! Try to play it before if you can. Price seems fairly reasonable but maybe see if you can try to negotiate without lowballing. I paid a little more for my '54 GA-20 a while back and I had no qualms about it--in fact, the pure tone I get with my LP or Strat plugged straight in is more than worth it. These are great amps that give the Fender tweeds a real run for their money.

[YoungMansBlues]

haha Dan that was actually about the only thread I saw when I searched for info, and it was what made me start seriously considering it. I'm going back to Charleston (I'm at school about 3hrs away in Morgantown) this weekend, so I think I'm going to see if I can arrange to go play through it and decide then. I've only heard good things though!

@zerocharisma - Since you own one, do you know if there are any differences in the circuit between the early and later models, aside from the preamp tube switch from 6SJ7 to 12AX7? I'm just curious to know how they relate to each other.

[snarkle]

Based on how clean it looks, I would have bought that amp already if I lived in Charleston...in other words, buy it!

(And if you don't like it, let me know...)

[CthonicEwes]

I'd say listen to it and see if you like it--if you like it, then $500 is ok. Also, the pictures kind of suck, but I wonder if it was retolexed--it's almost too clean from what I can make out. Maybe you could bargain down a bit based on originality. Does it have the original speaker? S/b a Jensen...Could be a great sounding amp. OTOH, if you like to build, then maybe a 5E3 might be what you should shoot for. Wouldn't it cost about the same? You'd have the satisfaction of doing it yourself. And it would be new.

[FredW]

I would look for an earlier one. the best years IMHO are 1955-1957

[michael.e]

I have a '59 Ranger. The model you are showing looks like a Ranger as well. 1-12" speaker with the transformer on the basket. I LOVE mine. Huge bass response and clarity. Not an enormous amount of headroom, but turn the amp up to about 5/8 of the way, back off on your guitar volume [good electronics make a big difference] and prepare to smile.

Great sounding amps...

[YoungMansBlues]

Yea if nothing else I can't wait to plug in and hear it. Never hurts to hear an ol' vintage rocker, regardless of if I decide to buy it or not and thanks for the heads-up on the tolex, I'll ask and offer accordingly! Is there any way that I can tell if it has been or not, aside from taking the sellers words?

Originally Posted by FredW

I would look for an earlier one. the best years IMHO are 1955-1957

What would make you want the earlier one more, out of curiosity? The only difference I know about is the preamp tube, is there something else that I'm missing?



ps - That is one bad ass tele! I love the inlays on the neck, are they a one off thing or something?

[michael.e]

Originally Posted by YoungMansBlues

Yea if nothing else I can't wait to plug in and hear it. Never hurts to hear an ol' vintage rocker, regardless of if I decide to buy it or not and thanks for the heads-up on the tolex, I'll ask and offer accordingly! Is there any way that I can tell if it has been or not, aside from taking the sellers words?



What would make you want the earlier one more, out of curiosity? The only difference I know about is the preamp tube, is there something else that I'm missing?



ps - That is one bad ass tele! I love the inlays on the neck, are they a one off thing or something?

Thanks! This is a production Fender GE Smith Tele. I LOVE it!!! I went in to a shop to pick up a CS Tele.. None of them really knocked me out. I was literally walking out, when the cut bridgeplate caught my eye. I was wondering why an Anderson was out on the floor, away from the high end instruments...
I plugged this thing in and it absolutely KILLED. One of the sales guys came in the back after I played it for a bit, wondering which Tele I had picked up, because he had not heard THAT one before. Huge sustain and chime. Beefy bridge pickup... Oi....

[CthonicEwes]

I'm not sure I would say 55-57 are the best years. I have a 62' Maestro (made by Gibson) that absolutely screams. I think the later tweeds (or at least mine) sound great. Also, there were a lot of different models and circuits that seemed to be constantly changing, so I'd also imagine some dogs were mixed in with the winners in any year. Really, you just gotta listen to it.

BTW, is the Model number really a GAP-20? I've never seen the P in the model numbers before. Is that a mistake? If not, can you suss out what P stands for?

[FredW]

Originally Posted by YoungMansBlues

What would make you want the earlier one more, out of curiosity? The only difference I know about is the preamp tube, is there something else that I'm missing?

It's just my experience after owning several GA-20's from various periods.

[huskerjohn]

If the amp is in good working order I think it's a great deal. I'd jump on it for sure. Those things sound pretty good. It's not equal to a vintage 5E3 IMHO, but it's still got major mojo more than worthy of the price.

[NatStrat79]

Originally Posted by huskerjohn

If the amp is in good working order I think it's a great deal. I'd jump on it for sure. Those things sound pretty good. It's not equal to a vintage 5E3 IMHO, but it's still got major mojo more than worthy of the price.

That's right the GA-20 is not the 5E3's equal...If you are after searing overdrive then the GA-20 comes out on top!

The GA-20 and the 5E3 are VERY similar amps circuit wise and they can be made nearly identical with a few component swaps. The biggest difference is the output transformer. The GA-20 has a smaller output transformer than the 5E3, this leads to more saturation and less low end. The GA-20 also has a microphone channel that has inputs that are un-attenuated, and it is HOT!

The weird thing is I've owned both a GA-6 and a GA-20 and while they were bother hotter amps than the run of the mill 5E3, both of them cleaned up better with the guitar's volume control than the 5E3.

[deeval]

I have a 1961 GA-77 and these gibson tweeds are outstanding value amps,they sound as good as any tweed Fender but the Gibsons have more headroom then alot of the similar Fender tweeds Ive played.
Great buy.