SCORE late 62 Bassman 6g6a restoration questions

[Ed_Chambley]

Yesterday I found an old Brownface Bassman.  Everything checks out and is all original except for 2 filter caps and power tubes.  Blond with oxblood without gold.  It has rough type blond tolex.  I got the amp for way less than its value and I would like to make it look new.  It has some barroom blemishes.  It has a 2 12's with Altec Lancing.  The cabinet is in worse condition cosmetically, but is rock solid.

My question is what are the things you should not do.  Things that will hurt value.  For instance, it could use a new faceplate and cleaning and the tilt back legs are missing from the cab.  Some general cleaning and polishing of the chassis.  It has no bias pot, just resistor.  Should I not drill a hole for a fender bias pot.

The amp was recently serviced by a respected company and sounds really great.

[LooseChange]

Don't drill. If you really need adjustable bias add a trim pot inside.
Recently serviced by a respected company and only two of the filter caps were replaced? All should have been replaced as well as all the other eCaps. (I count 12).

Don't mess with the face plate (part of the charm) and if you really need the tilt back legs, get new ones.

[Ed_Chambley]

Recently serviced by a respected company and only two of the filter caps were replaced? All should have been replaced as well as all the other eCaps. (I count 12).

Don't mess with the face plate (part of the charm) and if you really need the tilt back legs, get new ones.
[/quote]
I agree, but it was Andrews Amp Lab.  I know them well.  In this case the owner specifically requested this.  The guy was hurting for money and needed to sell the amp.  The 2 filter caps got it running.  He also had a Birdseye ES335 Custom shop Gibson shop maple which was part of the deal.  Needless to say my first offer to him was much smaller with the amp not working.

I have seen these heads restored and sell for as much as $1800.  Not sure of its worth as is.

Everything on the head looks in fantastic condition, just needs cleaning.  That is why I am asking.  Does it hurt value to replace the original caps and resistors if they are working?  For some reason I have read where people will pay more if it has more of the original parts.  If you replaced the faceplate it would look new, but would it hurt value?

[plexi50]

Great score. Love it and feed it miracle grow for amps only! Dont drill any holes. It is a very sweet and valuable amp. Keep it all stock except for the capacitors of course. Good luck!

[Willabe]

Dont drill any holes. It is a very sweet and valuable amp. Keep it all stock except for the capacitors of course.

Yep.

Glad you found it. I'm sure you'll give it a good home. Even if just for a short time.


               Brad      
            

[Ed_Chambley]

Dont drill any holes. It is a very sweet and valuable amp. Keep it all stock except for the capacitors of course.

Yep.

Glad you found it. I'm sure you'll give it a good home. Even if just for a short time.


               Brad      
            

It may be around a little longer.  I really like the thing, but I can sell it and have the 335 for free.  I really don't think I should sell a Blond Bassman tho.  It is such an easy restoration, but it is difficult for grill fabric for the cabinet.  It only has one bad place in it, but it is right top center.  Cigarette burn about 3/4th inch long all the way through the cloth.  That and the faceplate.  The faceplate is not aged, it had something happen to it.  It looks like someone cleaned it and dissolved a lot of the color.  It has you normal scratches around the input jacks, but there are places where it looks salmon colored.  Like something changed the color.  Kind of weird looking.

[HotBluePlates]

It is such an easy restoration, but it is difficult for grill fabric for the cabinet.

You should not touch it, until you've talked to 2 or 3 major vintage dealers (thinking like Southworth Guitars, Gruhn Guitars, etc). You might destroy $$$$ value even as you make it look nicer. Kind of like the antique gun market, sometimes pretty and new looking will kill value, to an extent that like-new but recovered is worth less ratty and original.

I don't know what these things go for now, and I don't have the pulse of the vintage market they way I did when I lived in Nashville. But I do know the old Princeton Reverb I used to own is selling for more than 4 times what I paid for it. I also know recovered, regrilled, reconed were all dirty words when I was buying/selling amps.

[Ed_Chambley]

It is such an easy restoration, but it is difficult for grill fabric for the cabinet.

You should not touch it, until you've talked to 2 or 3 major vintage dealers (thinking like Southworth Guitars, Gruhn Guitars, etc). You might destroy $$$$ value even as you make it look nicer. Kind of like the antique gun market, sometimes pretty and new looking will kill value, to an extent that like-new but recovered is worth less ratty and original.

I don't know what these things go for now, and I don't have the pulse of the vintage market they way I did when I lived in Nashville. But I do know the old Princeton Reverb I used to own is selling for more than 4 times what I paid for it. I also know recovered, regrilled, reconed were all dirty words when I was buying/selling amps.

Thanks for the leads.  I sent photos to Gil at Southworth.  He said clean it and replace nothing that doesn't have to be replaced, even caps and resistors.  Speakers are not a big deal, but I never know Fender offered Altec Lansing as upgrades, but he confirmed this.  Gave me some tips on cleaning and to look for an original brown faceplate, but also said I would probably never find one.  He said get the 6l6gc out and put back 5881.  I have heard good things about the new Tung-sol, so I guess I will rob my bassman build of the USA Tung-Sol's and get some new ones for that one.

This is my 4th amp which is considered collectable.  I have never considered doing anything to the others as they look new.  I really like a fresh new looking amp, but I guess I will have to get used to the charm LooseChange mentioned.

[HotBluePlates]

I sent photos to Gil at Southworth.  He said clean it and replace nothing that doesn't have to be replaced, even caps and resistors.  Speakers are not a big deal, but I never know Fender offered Altec Lansing as upgrades, but he confirmed this.  Gave me some tips on cleaning and to look for an original brown faceplate, but also said I would probably never find one. ...

This is my 4th amp which is considered collectable.  I have never considered doing anything to the others as they look new.  I really like a fresh new looking amp, but I guess I will have to get used to the charm LooseChange mentioned.

It's more $$$ to spend, but you could always build or buy new cabinets, and an exact-fit repro faceplate. Install your old chassis into the new skin and store the original stuff. That way you get the fresh, clean look, but haven't done anything to the original equipment.

If you sell later, you can put everything back to its original form. Heck, you may even decide you can build yourself a new amp/chassis that is the equal to the original.

Hoffman always asserted it's more expensive to build an amp than buy it. Which is true, until you talk about collectible amps. I've owned a LOT of vintage amps over the years, but I've sold them all off and only build what I want. Fortunately, I'm building copies of collectible amps so the cost tradeoff is justified.

[Ed_Chambley]

It's more $$$ to spend, but you could always build or buy new cabinets, and an exact-fit repro faceplate. Install your old chassis into the new skin and store the original stuff. That way you get the fresh, clean look, but haven't done anything to the original equipment.

If you sell later, you can put everything back to its original form. Heck, you may even decide you can build yourself a new amp/chassis that is the equal to the original.

[/quote]
I have already ordered a faceplate from Marsh and grill cloth from Mojo.  Tolex is perfect and the chrome is also.  I plan to do just that.  I am not one of those guys who like road worn guitars or amps.  I really like Nash Teles, but they do not make a new looking one.  I found some patent pending legs I had last night and they are in fairly good shape.

That Gibson Birdseye Maple ES335 is beautiful.  It did not have a scratch on it and still had the warranty card in the case with the strap.  I guess I am too old to be that cool.  I don't know what it is worth, but it doesn't matter.  It's a keeper.  Bone nut and perfect intonation on the G string which is unusual without reshaping the nut.  There is only one other guitar I want.  The Tough Dog Merle Haggard Tele.

I have way too many amps, but I have some collectables I will not sell as they keep going up.  I cannot believe what an original JTM45 in mint is bringing.  I have one as well as a 64 Super Reverb that has never been out of a house.  Also a 66 SR that is like new as well.  I cannot part with them yet.  I have been thinking of selling the JTM45 and the 66 SR, but I will never sell the 64.  My father bought it new and when I turned 25 he said the amp was wasted on him as he never was a serious player and he gave it to me to gig with.   I never have.

It is cheaper to build an amp than buy one if you are building the amps like we build.  The new Fender Eric Clapton models cost way more than you can build one for.  I have played all 3 and they are nice. 

I agree it is cheaper to buy an amp, but look what you are getting.  I have 3 amps I gig with.  An Egnater Tweaker, an old silver twin that has chunks out of the cabinet because I cannot lift it easily any more. and the Princeton I just completed about a month ago.  I like the modern features in today's amps, but hate PCB.  Nothing against the tone per-say, just a pain to repair and you will be repairing them.