I need help with a Fender amp

[jkalsbeck]

i just got a Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp from my father in law.
It was sitting upstairs in his barn gathering dust.
He's never owned a guitar or played one and has no idea where it came from.
I cleaned it up and it seems to work. All tubes light up.

Anyway, here are the particulars -
Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp s/n A15691.
Production # 54 and PF is stamped on the tube chart inside amp.
Black box with a raised Fender logo on tweed face cover.

Has the original guitar cable and two button pedal - reverb and vibrato.

Any one have ideas on age and possible value?

Also, if i need replacement tubes where can I get those?

I plan on using it not selling it but need to insure it if it is semi valuable.

Thanks,

Jay

[darwinohm]

First of all Jay, does it have a black control panel with white lettering. This could very well be a Blackface and would be the last year of the Blackface. The stamped "PF" on the tube chart would indicate a build of June- 1966. You could also go on the Fender website under product dating and get some more information. If it is indeed vintage it would have some value depending on the working condition. Does it have a two prong plug? If it is from that time period there are parts available for most everything.-- Darwin

[KenC]

Jay,

That sounds like quite a score! I'm not an expert on Fender amps by any means, but according to Greg Gagliano's articles on dating them (http://www.superchamp.dk/papers/dating_ ... e_amps.htm) it sounds like yours might be from around '66 from the serial number.

Ken

[jkalsbeck]

It does have a blackcontrol panel with white writing.
It does work pretty well. the potentiometers (knobs) haven't been worked in a while so there is some noise there but when I plugged my guitar in it worked well. (Didn't try the pedal though.)

There is a "normal" side and a "Vibrato" side.

Normal is just 2 inputs labelled 1 and 2 with a volume, bass and treble knobs.

The vibrato side has the same plus reverb, speed and intensity knobs.

I just started playing guitar so I'm sure this is all way ahead of my ability but it's pretty cool to have.

[Dave_P]

After a quick search, looks like they are going anywhere from $1500 - $2500. It is quite a score, great sounding amp and very desirable if you ever decide to sell it. If you plan on using it regularly you should at least have the power cord changed to a 3-prong grounded type, it also sounds like the pots could use a cleaning. You may want to take it in to a tech to check the capacitors and overall state of the amp since it's been sitting so long. You'd hate to burn up a transformer on something like that. Just remember anything that gets replaced somewhat reduces value to some people, if you replace stuff keep the old ones, collect-ability wise all original is usually worth more.

Good Luck!

-Dave

[jwebsmall]

It may be hot?

[jkalsbeck]

Thanks, Dave. I'll make sure to do what you suggest.
I certainly don't want to burn anything out.

I'm sure it's not hot. He used to own a bar that had bands and someone probably forgot it there a long, long time ago.

[Ledergeist]

Jay,
Since you've already had it powered up, it must of looked in decent shape for a barn amp. For sure, have it looked over by your nearest tube amp guru. Make sure everything is up to par before playing it a lot.
Have them test the tubes for you as well, they may test all good.

Great story too, and remember,

(Chorus)

Without pics
It doesn't exist

BW

[jkalsbeck]

I'm playing it verrry sparingly.

The barn it was in isn't your typical cattle type barn.
It's more of a big heated storage barn with a finished upstairs where the amp was.
It was more dusty than anything.

I have pics but can't figure out how to upload them on here.

I used to be an electronics technician and I worked with lots of tubes in a radar set
but that was 27 years ago so those skills and knowledge are gone.

[Michael-GnL-Michael]

The barn it was in isn't your typical cattle type barn.
It's more of a big heated storage barn with a finished upstairs where the amp was.
It was more dusty than anything.

Not that this is describing you it only reminds me of an experience.

While working for FedEx I once dropped off a package at a house in the mountains while it was raining and to keep it dry I placed it in what appeared to be a barn. I left a doortag at their house and wrote "package left in barn." Calling FedEx and creating a trace the owner said they did not have a barn and could not locate the package. All I knew was that this was a building with a large opening without a door that contained stacked up bales of hay and smelled like horse s**t. There was a horse tied to a fence post right outside. I described it just like this and they said "Oh! that's our garage." They went out and found the package. Some people are a few steps too literal for this world.

[louis cyfer]

The barn it was in isn't your typical cattle type barn.
It's more of a big heated storage barn with a finished upstairs where the amp was.
It was more dusty than anything.

Not that this is describing you it only reminds me of an experience.

While working for FedEx I once dropped off a package at a house in the mountains while it was raining and to keep it dry I placed it in what appeared to be a barn. I left a doortag at their house and wrote "package left in barn." Calling FedEx and creating a trace the owner said they did not have a barn and could not locate the package. All I knew was that this was a building with a large opening without a door that contained stacked up bales of hay and smelled like horse s**t. There was a horse tied to a fence post right outside. I described it just like this and they said "Oh! that's our garage." They went out and found the package. Some people are a few steps too literal for this world.

i don't think too literal is the description you were really looking for