mr newhaven Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 hello out there!!!!!!!!! now here is my question to all of you gear head extraordinaires! i currently have a Modified Fender Champ 600 i bought the Mercury Magnetics Champ Kit (Trannies and choke...) and let me tell you this baby rocks! the kit cost more than the amp and after install it cost double what the amp is worth...but its not about the money its about the tone! haha regardless i love fender champs... and all small wattage tube amps... my question now is that im looking to add an actual vintage piece to my collection... (im still saving up to get the McCartney signed Epi Texan) but this is going to hold me over until i can afford it) im looking for a tweed vintage champ... where should i start? what should i look for? im not too knowledgeable when it comes to amps...and come to think of it guitars as well! haha so i know you guys wont steer me wrong... i initially wanted to get a princeton reverb...and might still but right now i want to get a real vintage amp...crank it to 11 and have at it! (my champ 600 goes to "12") hehe but there is something to be said about a 50-60 year old amp that just begs to be mine! help get me started please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 You should continue to look the way of the Fender Princeton, but an old vintage original one. It will have one volume and one tone control and no reverb. They have a 10" speaker too. Those old Princetons were used a lot in the early days of rock-n-roll. Also perhaps a vintage Deluxe is the way to go. That's my 2c worth. EDIT: it may help to buy a book about vintage amps or amp history in general - there is an amp book by aspen/pittman (I think, I'll have to check at home to be certain) that is a good history book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SolidGuitar Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 It can't hurt to try to find and old Gibson amp. I have a brown GA-20 that sounds amazing. Its very reminiscent of the Fender tweed amps and I don't see them go for too much on Ebay. I just saw a 60s gibson amp at GC for $250. Its worth a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I agree with djroge1. I too would love to own a vintage Princeton or Deluxe. There's always the issue of it having capacitors replaced or the tubes, but those are minor. Keep looking. Be diligent and your hunt will pay off. And do your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 the book idea is a great one... any suggestions?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichCI Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Vintage tweed Fender amps and, more recently Gibson amps, have really gone up in price although they might not be as expensive as last year with the recession and all. Also worth keeping in mind is that these amps are old and will often require some attention (repairs) to get them up to snuff unless you find one that's been serviced fairly recently. If you're set on a Fender tweed, another option you might not have considered is buying a brand new amp from Victoria. They make some really sweet reproductions that are probably built better than the originals. I've been drooling over the 5112 (5 watt Champ but with a 12" speaker) for a long time now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Rich is right when he says Victoria is worth looking into. Those amps are *****in. Take a tour of their websight. They break it down for you with sound samples and specs. It's a good sight to book mark too. I'm always going back there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr newhaven Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 nice input everyone! keep it coming... im especially interested in some books on amps...any suggestions? i'd like to widen my knowledge base a bit... im not concerned about condition of amps so much because i live near a handful of excellent luthiers/amp techs... thanks again in advance everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Californiaman Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 The Soul of Tone: Celebrating 60 Years of Fender Amps by Tom Wheeler, Keith Richards (Foreword by) About this title: From the same team who created "The Fender Stratocaster Chronicles" comes a book about the other side of Fender's legacy, the instrument amplifier. Revered as much as one's guitar, the Fender amplifier gets its due in his full colour richly illustrated book. It features over 400 images including legendary guitarists such as Eric Clapton, BB King, Neil Young, Pete Townshend, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters and **** Dale and two CDs featuring over 120 tracks that make terms and topics come alive. You can probably save yourself some money if you buy it from Alibris. The Soul of Tone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djroge1 Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 here is the book I mentioned: The Tube Amp Book - Deluxe Revised Edition Book and Disk Package (Hardcover) By Pittman Aspen for around $33. Check out this link too as gab kits offers different book: Gab Kits - Books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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