So what did YOU pay for your vintage fender amp.

[Easydog]

So what did YOU pay for your vintage fender amp. I see sf champs go for $400 regularly on ebay, & princetons w/ a starting bid of $650 all the way up to $1000. There is currently a tweed champ up to almost $1700.

Tdpri members seem to own alot of these amps & I was wondering if you all ponied up the big bucks for your amps? Or did you find some killer deal, right place right time type of thing. Or would you rather put your $ toward a Dr Z (or something of the like). Am currently in a financial situation where I am starting to look to replace my hrdx with something sweet. $1000 & under.

Thanks, Easy

[nick.s]

no killer deal but got a 74 champ for 200 plus the tech and a new speaker 200

own my SFTR for over 25 years and dont know how much it was (it was expensive for me at the time)

[skeksis]

not sure if talking about this is taboo, I expect you'll hear more from folks who wrangled great deals or got lucky... and less from folks who paid sticker at guitar center.

vintage fender I've had, all in the last 3-4 years:
tweed early 60's champ - can't remember but it was close to $200 (traded for closer to $400)
70's vibrochamp: $250 (sold for $300)
72 vibrolux reverb: traded well used DRRI + $200 (sold for $1000)
66 princeton reverb: $700, but had to put another $150 into it 'cause it had some (mostly cosmetic) issues. (still own, plan to keep???)

[Murphy Slaw]

My Dad found my 71 (silverfaced) Champ in a church dumpster. He was being a do-gooder in his final years, helping them, ect. He'd bought me a few Fenders when I was growing up, so he knew a Fender tube amp when he saw one. (that, and the fact I'm a tube horder)

The light didn't work. When I plugged it in, turned it on, I flipped it around and saw glowing tubes, I grabbed a cord, and my trusty Tele.

Bingo. It worked.

I sent ot off and had it brought back to spec by a guy I trust, except for a Weber, (the speaker had been changed).

After he died I realized it was one of the last things he gave me.

It's not for sale.

Best of luck.

Murph.

[austintele]

58 tweed champ $599.00 totally stock

60/61 gibson GA-79 stereo amp $599.00(these things are in the 2500-3000 range!)

70/71 princeton reverb $500.00 totally stock

84 marshall lead 12 $75.00

[Ricky D.]

A Tweed Deluxe (5E3) might work for you. If you haven't had the pleasure, I strongly recommend that you try one out. Big, fat cleans. A huge touch sensitive sweet spot, and a viscious overdriven sound. Quirky channel and control interactions that will have you experimenting for hours. Best of all, it has that wonderful Fender quality of being easy to set up. It always sounds good. I use mine with an EQ pedal in front sometimes. You can't get a Fender for <$1000, but there are plenty of builders out there who will sell you a nice one without breaking the bank.

These are real popular: http://www.littledawgamps.com/

I built a kit from Mission Amps. Good support, top quality components.

http://www.missionamps.com/5E3kit.shtml

[tdu]

Mine is kind of a crazy story. I bought a 1968 Princeton Reverb for about $600 a couple of years ago. I bought it as a player. The cabinet wasn't in great shape, and it had a 12" speaker in it. The Chassis was all stock though.

Now...UPS gets involved in the tale. They basically did in the cabinet shipping it here, and broke the reverb tank. The seller helped me with the claim, and UPS paid for a new reverb tank (i found a period correct Fender one) and a new Allen cabinet. They also refunded the shipping.

I sold damaged cabinet awhile later for $200 to an amp builder who wanted to repair it.

So I have a 1968 Princeton Reverb, in an Allen Cabinet with a Weber 12F150 that cost me about $400. It's not a collector's piece, but it's a really versatile amp with the cabinet and speaker. I prefer it this way. I love it.

[refin]

'56 Pro Amp---$75
'59 Tremolux---trade for guitar parts,about $150
'59 Bassman---trade for parts,about $150
'57 Deluxe---trade for guitar,about $125 (plus I got a Washburn Raven too)
Silverface Champ---$20

Not braggin',most of these were acquired in the '70s/80s....I did get the Champ about 3 years ago.They are still out there if you are willing to beat the bushes---I got a Magnatone Custom 460 for $30 at a yard sale about 2 years ago,with a Teisco thrown in!

[Easydog]

That lil dawg is pretty.
Cant seem to figure out a price though.
Nice wiring.

[Sidney Vicious]

Three years ago a mid 70's Champ complete and original and in excellent shape with a changed speaker $45.00 out the door at a New Orleans pawn shop.

Two years ago - on eBay - a complete bone stock and needing only a 12ax7 '68 Blackline Champ - $149.00 BIN - $25 for shipping.

[edgetone]

I've picked up three within the last couple of years. All were in good condition.

'74 Bassman Ten $325
'72 Musicmaster $135
'76 Vibro Champ $325

Put new speakers in the Musicmaster and VC. Would like to have a Deluxe Reverb...

[Texas Picker]

1968 Bassman head - $400

Old Fender 2x15 closed back cabinet - $200

[studio1087]

76 Silevrface Champ - $199 right here in the TDPRI Classifieds (about one year ago) needed new tubes and a new speaker. Looks nice.

[Bill]

From small to large, the vintage Fender amps I've owned at one time or another:

• '59 Princeton $350

• '81 Princeton Reverb $100

• '83 Super Champ $100

• '66 Deluxe Reverb $250

• '78 Pro Reverb $150

[TexGoneNW]

'60 tweed Bassman - $150

[G-P]

Easydog, I paid $800 for my 79 SFVR a few years ago now. Bought it at Old Town Music, downtown Portland. Probably a little high at the time, but Old Town Music isn't exactly the cheapest shop in town, but they do usually have a few old Fenders on the floor.

The 5E3 kit is a nice option if building your own interests you.

[younkint]

Okay, this was a looooooog time ago...

My 1965 Princeton was (I forgot exactly) either $13 or $26. The thing had a rattle/buzz, which I fixed when I got it home. The speaker mounting was loose. It's dead stock.

As I recall, I paid $45 or $50 for my Super Reverb (also dead stock). If I remember, it's a 1964 (?). It was being used to amp a pedal steel or an electric piano and the guy didn't like the sound.

Both of these are nearly like new. I still use both, but I never take them out. Seems like I've had them all my life sometimes... I nearly installed a master volume in the Princeton once - all my friends had new amps with master volumes and I liked that feature. Luckily, I never did do it.

At the time, I didn't consider these fantastic buys or anything. In fact, I felt I might have paid a bit much for the SR.

If we'd only known....

[urizen]

$250 for a '63 1/2 Fender Deluxe Reverb (in ALMOST mint condition)...

[urizen]

... 'course, that was in '67.

[urizen]

And I still have it (now merely in exc condition, albeit w/ a Celestion V 30, recommended by Billy Zoom 5 years ago, after the original had had 2 recones in its lifetime up to that point). Great amp.