$100 Flea Market Prize!

J. Hayes · April 4th, 2008, 08:31 PM

Here's a few shots of an old Gibson all tube amp I found at a flea market today. The front grill cloth and logo are missing and the speaker has one of those round metal grill covers on the front of it. This is one killer sounding amp which sounds great. It has a very nice tremolo. I researched it at another site and it's around a 1961 vintage and about 9 watts in the power range. I'm going to gig with it a little this weekend with a microphone in front of it to see what it'll do. Anyone else have one of these? The top plate says "Gibsonette Tremolo, model GA-8T"........JH in Va.

pchilson · April 4th, 2008, 08:32 PM

Way cool! Good find.

aznrambo481 · April 4th, 2008, 08:33 PM

careful with that old amp! you have the electrolycs checked out? what about a 3-prong cord? It's an awesome amp, but you should know that filter caps deteriorate over time and a non-grounded amp can zap you.

Aengland77 · April 4th, 2008, 08:37 PM

WoW! amazing amp find mate! I would lovveee to have an amp like that... but yeah, I would definately get it checked out..

Bill Ashton · April 4th, 2008, 08:56 PM

If I recall correctly, the Gibsonette runs its power tubes in parallel, sort of an odd arrangement, but is also supposed to sound very good. May well be Class A in the manner of a Champ or early Princeton...what are the power tubes, 6BQ5's ??

TeleTed · April 4th, 2008, 08:59 PM

awesome find!!! I played through an old gibson amp like that with my archtop and I've been searching to buy one ever since.

aznrambo is right too, I get zapped like crazy from my 68' deluxe. watch out for those... they hurt BAD!

teleman65 · April 4th, 2008, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznrambo481

careful with that old amp! you have the electrolycs checked out? what about a 3-prong cord? It's an awesome amp, but you should know that filter caps deteriorate over time and a non-grounded amp can zap you.

Some good advice there.

Sweet amp. Some of these old Gibsons are really nice amps and do really well with some TLC.
How 'bout some sound clips?

toadman · April 4th, 2008, 09:28 PM

SCORE!!! you lucky sunofagun!
last fall i ran into a guitar playing buddy of mine at the local fle market and he said "did you see the blackface Deluxe over there for $75?"
i said "No".
he said "neither have i. been looking for it for years!"

emisilly · April 4th, 2008, 11:03 PM

Man o man that truly is a score!!

BTW, I also live in Virginia Beach. What Flea Market around here did you happen to come across that???!!!

I am truly envious my friend. Congrats, and I hope it works out on your gig!

lewis · April 4th, 2008, 11:10 PM

Great find!!! Congrats!!!

Tim Swartz · April 4th, 2008, 11:59 PM

I think that one uses a pair of oddball 6BM8 (half pentode, half triode).

April 4th, 2008, 08:33 PM	#3 (permalink)
aznrambo481 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: La Jolla, California Age: 17 Posts: 2,885 6 Photos	careful with that old amp! you have the electrolycs checked out? what about a 3-prong cord? It's an awesome amp, but you should know that filter caps deteriorate over time and a non-grounded amp can zap you. __________________ Check out my bands, and feel free to PM me comments on them! The Eclectics (guitar/vocals) SLIP (bass)

April 4th, 2008, 09:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
toadman Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: andoverandoverandover,ct Age: 46 Posts: 1,090	SCORE!!! you lucky sunofagun! last fall i ran into a guitar playing buddy of mine at the local fle market and he said "did you see the blackface Deluxe over there for $75?" i said "No". he said "neither have i. been looking for it for years!" __________________ toadman the plank spanker www.slugnickel.com www.zydecohogs.com "The ultimate result of protecting man from folly is to fill the world with fools" Herbert Spencer

April 4th, 2008, 11:10 PM	#10 (permalink)
lewis Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,922 28 Photos	Great find!!! Congrats!!! __________________ "I'm a maestro, I'm a maestro," Taj Mahal, 8/20/05.

April 4th, 2008, 11:59 PM	#11 (permalink)
Tim Swartz Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Michigan - Tweenst the Great Lakes Posts: 1,904	I think that one uses a pair of oddball 6BM8 (half pentode, half triode). __________________

April 4th, 2008, 08:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
pchilson Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Loveland, Colorado Age: 51 Posts: 1,035	Way cool! Good find.

April 4th, 2008, 08:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
Aengland77 TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Peoria, Illinois(e) Age: 18 Posts: 45	WoW! amazing amp find mate! I would lovveee to have an amp like that... but yeah, I would definately get it checked out..

April 4th, 2008, 08:56 PM	#5 (permalink)
Bill Ashton Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Central Massachusetts Posts: 512	If I recall correctly, the Gibsonette runs its power tubes in parallel, sort of an odd arrangement, but is also supposed to sound very good. May well be Class A in the manner of a Champ or early Princeton...what are the power tubes, 6BQ5's ??

April 4th, 2008, 08:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
TeleTed TDPRI Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: new haven Age: 19 Posts: 34	awesome find!!! I played through an old gibson amp like that with my archtop and I've been searching to buy one ever since. aznrambo is right too, I get zapped like crazy from my 68' deluxe. watch out for those... they hurt BAD!

April 4th, 2008, 11:03 PM	#9 (permalink)
emisilly Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Virginia Beach Age: 40 Posts: 486	Man o man that truly is a score!! BTW, I also live in Virginia Beach. What Flea Market around here did you happen to come across that???!!! I am truly envious my friend. Congrats, and I hope it works out on your gig!