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Look out for original transformers/choke which can be dated from their codes, if the circuit is original and hasn't been modded and also if the caps that don't need replacing are still present.
I've had an old Deluxe Reverb for 7 years and a Super Reverb for 6. Had them both serviced by Marting at MJW which included new filter caps and a 3 core power lead. The Super was a bit of a mess when I bought it. Non-original, completely mismatched speakers. Chunks of tolex missing, jewel light smashed, faceplate dented all over.. sounded amazing though and was cheap ;-) The Deluxe was pretty much all original including the speaker and most of the RCA valves. I got that at a really great price as I didn't really know what I was buying then and just made an offer for what I thought it was worth.. Zero issues since I've had them both and they've been gigged quite a few times and played a lot at home!
Good luck! ;-)
Thanks for the info - really very much appreciated. The one I'm looking at has been retubed with GT's and I'm waiting for some gut shots, so not sure about the internals. The external condition is mint though and it is a 65 blackface.
Do you have any idea what would be a good price for such an amp?
Tubes aren't really a big deal. Try and get some pics of the transformers if you can and check the codes. I wouldn't be able to tell if it had been modded from a pic or otherwise but if it's a '65 it should have the blue molded caps if all original -
http://i.imgur.com/ftmcE5V.jpg
Price wise I'm not sure really. I've seen some good.deals come up and also some silly ones.. the silly ones sit for a long time ;-) It depends what you're willing to pay and if it's worth it compared to a clone or even the new '64 handwired version from Fender. Is there a price or is it down to.you to make an offer?
There's a 1969 Deluxe Reverb for £2150 on Ebay that's been there for a while. Overpriced in my opinion. A Vibroverb for £5995, again overpriced.
Good luck with your sale
I've had this particular one for sale, for a some good months now, with not a lot of interest. It is fully original, including speaker, and blue molded coupling caps. The only work done on it has been the electrolytic caps, which should be changed on most old amps.
It's priced below the 1969 model you just mentioned. But yeah what I wanted to emphasize is that just because something has been for sale for some time, doesn't necessarily mean it's a shit deal.
Now guitarists are spoiled for choice. It’s actually quite hard to buy a completely crap amp. Although making them sound crap is as easy as ever.
Same as with old guitars, there can be originality and reliability issues that I’d rather not have to worry about.
I will agree with @strat84 that old fenders are usually pretty reliable, as they're really easy to do maintenance on. But you can easily get a new amp that sounds just as good.
If we focus on blackface amps, more specifically. The only thing I found is sometimes a bit of in terms of matching the old ones is the reverb decay. For some reason the old reverb pans, just have a very characteristic decay that blends in with sound of the amp.
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
I have a 70s Orange and a modern MJW. Both are great amps and no hassle to own (other than the ridiculous weight of the Orange)
So after thinking about it overnight I think the best option is to get something newer but made to a very high standard. That way it should last me many many years with minimal fuss.
I've put a (refundable) deposit down on one of the new 64 handwired Deluxe reverb reissues and that might be the way forward. Otherwise something by a small builder might be on the cards. Open to suggestions as always!
My answer is always Carr, loved the Skylark I had (before I went modelling - guitar not a career change )
Wonderful build quality
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
This is the circuit of the 64 handwired reissue. Any thoughts?
In particular, I was interested to see what the situation is with regard to the tremolo - and whether it is the digital version. 'the Guitar Magazine' say the following:
"Fender has obliged by routing both channels through both the reverb and vibrato. To facilitate this, the opto-coupler tremolo circuit has been reconfigured to a Princeton Reverb-style circuit that modulates the bias of the power valves. The channel voicing has also been tweaked to emphasise the difference in tones, with a 50pF ‘bright cap’ providing a tad more sparkle on the second channel."
Does this mean that it is digital or not?