Noah Miller
From: Rocky Hill, CT
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Posted 5 Apr 2015 10:01 am
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The usual rotating wheel of gear: Ampeg comes in, National goes out...
This is one of the last Valco-built amps, a model that was first cataloged a few months before Valco went bankrupt in mid 1968. It's identical to the Gretsch 6170 Pro Bass, similar to the Harmony H420 (except with a mostly closed back) and also the last Supro Thunderbolts (except with separate treble and bass controls). The amp runs on two 6L6s and two 12AX7s plus a diode rectifier, and it puts out 35W through the 15" Jensen ceramic speaker. The amp is all original save for the knobs and the flanges holding on the power transformer (the transformer itself is original, but the flanges must have broken or rusted through at some point).
The amp has been serviced and sports a grounded power cord. It's very quiet at idle. The amp doesn't break up much, but it has probably the best cleans from any Valco amp - glassy and clear, with a wide frequency range. Unlike the Supro or Harmony versions, this amp actually works pretty well for bass due to the mostly closed cabinet. Of course, it works great for steel or guitar as well. There's just some minor wear; overall it's pretty clean for a vintage amp of its age.
$450 includes Paypal fees and shipping in the US.
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