I have my grandmother’s guitar amp she got in the late 60’s (Yes, she could Jam).
Looks to be a “Champ Amp” the Model is 5F1.
The electric wire to the outlet is very stiff. I’ve not plugged it in because I don’t want to damage it but I guess I need to know if it works? The top metal plate is corroded as you can see in the picture.
Does anyone know about old Guitar Amps?
Thanks,
BHive
Sweet! I love it! I don’t know much about them, but personally, I’d see what happens when you plug it in. I wouldn’t be surprised if it needs some new tubes (which are not expensive) and cleaned or replaced pots.
You may want to check prices on it as it may be worth more than one would guess. I had a little vibro champ (a little fender practice amp) when I was a kid. As an adult, I wanted to pick one up again for a nostalgic practice amp… they were ridiculous in price. I ended up getting a new amp as the nostalgia wasn’t worth it to me. Also, if you care about value, don’t try to make it look new (at least before checking). Legitimately old looking stuff is usually worth more than one returned to like new condition. As I was typing, I got curious… pulled the 5F1 up on Reverb, and saw prices from $2000 to over $4000!!!
You mentioned the stiff power cable… you could probably ring that out to make sure it doesn’t have a short in it before plugging it in.
Dont know about the electronics, but I believe it would be well worth your while to have it repaired. I had a Fender Champ that I bought in 1977, new for 115 dollars. Absolutely loved it. Wish I never sold it.
I’d replace the stiff cable, chances are the insulation will not be good after all these years and there would be a risk of fire. I used to have an old guitar amp that regularly blew an internal 5 amp fuse, I spent a small fortune getting it repaired until the repair guy had a guilty conscience and showed me how to fix it. If you power it on and you get no response check for a little capsule fuse likely as not it will have a black screw cap… Check on YouTube, you are bound to find some nerdy guy in England messing about with old steam radios, amps and TVs. Good source for spare parts valves, resistors, capacitors etc.
I know there can be deadly voltages on tube amps. Someone will probably correct me and say “No, it’s the current that will kill you” but I’d reply “yeah, but it’s the voltage that pushes the current” especially when you provide a path to ground with your body. I agree with replacing the old power cord and giving it a good visual check for any burnt or damaged components before plugging it in. Also remember components such as capacitors can hold changes for a period of time after it’s turned off. Do some research and take your time.
I was thinking about this a bit while I was out doing other things. I love the moth eaten schematic! You could build that thing from scratch with that! Looks like 3 tubes (probably less than 100 for a set).
