Original price of amps?

[Crowbar]

Hey do any of you old guys remember what these cool "vintage" amps cost when they were new? Say like the common Silver Fenders and such.
Just wondering.

[Flyin' Brian]

From the 1967 Fender price list. Before you start weeping, minimum wage then was $1.40 an hour.

These were list prices. The store I worked in sold everything at 40% off list.

Dual Showman $950
Twin Reverb $499.50
Bassman $430
Bandmaster $420
Super Reverb $420
Pro Reverb $399.50
Vibrolux Reverb $320
Deluxe Reverb $249.50
Princeton Reverb $174.50
Vibrochamp $74.50

[krall]

Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian

From the 1967 Fender price list. Before you start weeping, minimum wage then was $1.40 an hour.

These were list prices. The store I worked in sold everything at 40% off list.

Dual Showman $950
Twin Reverb $499.50
Bassman $430
Bandmaster $420
Super Reverb $420
Pro Reverb $399.50
Vibrolux Reverb $320
Deluxe Reverb $249.50
Princeton Reverb $174.50
Vibrochamp $74.50

Seems the Dual Showman was overpriced! You can buy a vintage one now at that price..

[Flyin' Brian]

Originally Posted by krall

Seems the Dual Showman was overpriced! You can buy a vintage one now at that price..

Remember that was with 2 JBL D130F speakers and $950 was list. They went out the door for $570.
A Dual Showman head was $480 and $288 out the door. Pretty hard to touch that today. There's a DS head on eBay with a starting bid of $1050.

[thosk]

I paid $179 for a new Ampeg Gemini II in 1966.
$325 for a new '66 BF Bassman in 1967.

[FFTT]

1973 Ampeg SVT with Dual CTS AlNiCo 8X10 cabs,
vinyl covers & dollies. $1500.00

[Johnny V.]

I think I paid $280.00 for a BF Pro Reverb in the fall of '67. Parents lent me most of the cash and paid I it off with paper route earnings over the next months.

[gillman royce]

Originally Posted by Flyin' Brian

From the 1967 Fender price list. Before you start weeping, minimum wage then was $1.40 an hour.

These were list prices. The store I worked in sold everything at 40% off list.

Dual Showman $950
Twin Reverb $499.50
Bassman $430
Bandmaster $420
Super Reverb $420
Pro Reverb $399.50
Vibrolux Reverb $320
Deluxe Reverb $249.50
Princeton Reverb $174.50
Vibrochamp $74.50

FWIW, in today's money, $600(1966) is worth $4,100.

[Guitar Dave T]

This doesn't address the price of these amps new, but from '76 to '84, I was able to pickup used blackface Super Reverbs in decent shape for $200. Grabbed a '64 in '76 and a '65 in '84 for that price.

[BluesLou]

In 1971 I picked up a 69 Princeton Reverb and Jazzmaster from a friend for $300.00 mint as new condition to.

[LSchefman]

I paid $550 for a then-new 1967 BF Bassman head and matching 212 cab. I think my 1965 Ampeg Reverberocket II 112 combo set us back around $250 or so.

My new '65 Mustang, loaded, cost $2500 out the door. No A/C or power windows back then. You walked into a dealership and gave them a cashier's check for a car in those days. No one I knew had a car loan, and leasing a car was unheard-of!

My high school band made $500 on a good weekend playing a Friday night and Saturday night job. That was $100 apiece, more than a lot of semi-pro bands net today, 45 years later. Work every other weekend and you could buy some serious stuff back then!

That's truly sad! Being a young musician wasn't a bad gig back in the day! The unions protected us and made sure we got paid.

[adaytonguitarist]

Bought my first real amp in 1976-77, she was a Lab series L6 w/4x10s
I believe it was around $450 and they were made by moog/norlin.

[pjd3]

My Dad picked me up a 1968 Twin for $100 in 1971. Do I wish I didn't sell it? Don't even get me started.

Phil

[silver surfer]

I picked up a 66 Deluxe Reverb around 1988 for $300. Sold it about 2 years later for about $500 and thought I did pretty well. Replaced it with a newer Super Champ (paid $125), which I thought at the time was more versatile and sounded a little better actually.

[pbmw]

I think I paid something like $500 for a 65 JTM 45 in late 65 or early 66
I think I paid $179 or so for my 67 Tele new and something like $220 for my 66 Stratocaster
I really wish I'd have hung onto the amp.