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I am looking at a 1961 Fender Pro brown face amp. I will try it out in a day or so. Anyone with any experience with these amps?
Thanks John
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06-14-2016 05:08 PM
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great amp...like a 1/2 twin...2- 6L6 power...but even better, as it has the great fender harmonic vibrato...and 15" speaker
cheers
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I had a 50's Pro, one 15" spkr I got for free after fixing several amps instead of taking money.
After 20 or so years of playing it, I restored it. The wire insulation had turned to dust but Leo KNEW this might happen and EVERY WIRE in it as formed to have a large air gap so it wouldn't short some 50 years in the future.
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You have found THE amp! There is really no finer amp than a brown face Pro. I have extensive play time on it, the blackface Pro, the Pro Reverb, the Vibroverb, and I own a tweed 5c5 pro. The best is the brown face. Great jazz amp!
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I have had a 6g4 super for 40 years. I got it for peanuts back it the days when Fender was still making SF amps and nobody wanted an amp that was 2 generations old and didn't have a 3-way tone stack. It has the same electronics as the 5g4. It is an outstanding amp. I think that the Pro/Super are right in the sweet spot when it comes to the power range needed for a live jazz gig. I've never been a fan of small-bottle amps for jazz.
The big decision that you'll have to make is whether you want to buy the amp as a museum specimen or as a player, and how much you are willing to pay for vintage mojo. Some of the PM that's required on these old amps is absolutely necessary for reliability, but will decrease the amp's value as a museum specimen because there are VAH out there who fuss over things like original caps and solder joints that demonstrate the amp's original construction. If you manage to find a museum specimen, it will cost more than a player. an amp that's not museum grade on the inside should be a lot cheaper.
Personally, I'd just buy it, restore it, and play it. but given the way prices have been going skyward on vintage amps, a reproduction is also a viable option. There are repro amps out there that will put you in the same ballpark sonically, so you don't have to buy vintage unless you really want vintage... it's all about what you really want.
Condition is everything. 2 weeks ago I passed on a 6g12 for $1200. That sounds like a steal, but it was priced that way because it was really rough. And at $1200 it still wasn't a bargain. The pink tolex had been bleached to white, it was shredded and ugly, and it needed to go. No matter what, that amp needed a new skin, which immediately hurts it's desirability. It also needed some serious electronics work ... it had a missing lamp, control knobs broken off, and who knows what else was wrong inside. And the price was just stupid high for the amp's condition. I could have done the work but I decided to pass on it because I'd rather pay more to buy something better. But somebody didn't hesitate to buy it as it was, paying the full asking price just for the mojo factor. Now they're pumping money into it and I'm sure they're happy to be doing so. It all depends on what you want. Even though the browns are great amps, I'd try not to get carried away by excitement and pay too much for one of them.
Good luck!
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The Pro is in nice clean condition with no mods except for a 3 prong plug. Has the orig. transformers and choke. It has an orig. Jensen speaker and the Astron caps. I have a very good local amp tech who has told me what to check out and who can do any service as needed. The guy wants 2000.00 but I think I can get it for $1800.00 or a little less. The best part is I just sold an old Dodge truck and a few parts and I can easily afford the amp. My wife, my friend and my amp tech say buy it!! It would not be gigged but not a collector amp either as I will play it as long as I can at home and in my friends studio. I have a 1964 Tremolux with several different cab/speakers. I also have a 1964 Reverb unit so I am good with no reverb. I am looking for something with more headroom and punch than the Tremolux. You are all doing a great job of talking me into a new/old amp. keep up the good work.
Thanks John
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sold! haha
go get it
congrats & enjoy!
cheers
ps- with the outboard reverb, the 15" speaker, and the killer harmonic trem..you have all the classic early 60's fender tones covered!!!...& the 6l6 power section will give you great headroom...Last edited by neatomic; 06-14-2016 at 07:53 PM. Reason: ps-
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That's why they call us "enablers."
Originally Posted by powerwagonjohn
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I think you just bought yourself an amp. Seriously, it is going to be unbeatable.
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I have has one for years. Great classic jazz tone, great value. Very different to your 64 Tremolux. The 15" Jensen moves a lot of air and creates major head room. Later amps like the Tremolux are way too bright for jazz. Any 15" fender tube amp is a winner and tend to be better priced and in better shape than rockier models. And surprisingly light on your back.
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_All_ of the 15" Fender amps are classics, IMO. The best, however, is the Pro Amp. Fender designed it to be its top-of-the-line. In the 50s its position was eclipsed by the Twin Amp, but the Pro remained a favorite with working musicians.
The guy I play with all the time in a blues duo took a cash plus amp swamp of a TV front 5C5 Pro Amp for his blackface, 15" Vibroverb--from a guy who had a huge SRV fan boy thing. The 5C5 was mint, down to all original guts and the speaker nuts never having been loosened...a real museum piece. He had me evaluate it. Wow! Perfect amp for what I do--but I would never "work" a museum item, so I built my own. I sure do love the 5C5.
Overall, I would prefer a brownface. Everything the tweed does, the brownface does even better.
If you buy the amp, enjoy it. AFAIC, it is the pinnacle of Fender amps designed to amplify jazz guitars.
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I had one for quite awhile. Mine was not pristine, had a 4 ohm OT from a bandmaster reverb. Not great. I had an Allen amps 8 phm Tp35 installed. A huge improvement. Big, warm sound from this amp. Only downside for me was it sounded better loud than at lower volume. I needed something more flexible. No rap on the Pro. I love "15 speaker amps, and that Pro is one of the best Ive trid.
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The deed is done! I picked up the amp yesterday and I think you guys nailed it. It sounds absolutely fantastic. I have never had an amp that sounds like this one. It has been fully serviced about a year and a half ago. He gave ma about 15 electrolytic caps and a few resistors that were changed out along with the old power cord. The transformers and choke are all orig. The only think changed out is the Jensen P12N as it's date coded for 1959 and has the bracket for mounting a transformer to the frame. The amp looks to be a 11/61 build with no tears in the grill cloth and only a couple minor scuffs in the tolex. Now I have to do my Dodge work and install a stove and microwave for the wife. The amp is calling me!! Thanks for all the encouragement. John
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Bee-you-t-full! I have an original brown tolex Vibroverb. You're gonna love that Pro! Congratulations, and play it in good health (after you finish your honey do list)!
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beautiful condition!
I'm still kicking myself for not buying my friend's 1960 Concert a few yrs ago.
that amp sounded so good I didn't even miss the reveb.
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Looks like you got a really nice one! congrats!
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nice, congrats!! Originally Posted by powerwagonjohn
i take it you mean jensen p15N?
looks great with tank on top...enjoy
cheers
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Yes, your correct, it's a Jensen P15N. I thought about putting a JBL D130F in it since I have a couple, but the Jensen sounds so good I don't think I will mess with it for a while. I see a couple 1961 P15N on E-bay and figured I could sell the 1959 Jensen to someone who could use that particular speaker with the OT mount on it. It would be nice to have a proper dated speaker but to me it's a player not a museum piece. Now I am inspired to clear out some of the extra stuff laying around.
Thanks John
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a jbl d130f would be great in there!
cheers
ps- from lansing forum post
Fender amps equipped with JBL's, had an "F'' suffix attached . According to Harvey Gerst, Fender started to offer JBL's during the introduction of their Showman series in '61Last edited by neatomic; 06-16-2016 at 04:01 PM. Reason: ps-
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Your GSR Starfire will sound great through that amp.
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Yup, I was doing that last night until the wife gave me the eyeball and said to turn it down. Now she is off with her girlfriend and I have the house to myself. You know what I will be doing!
Thanks JohnLast edited by powerwagonjohn; 06-16-2016 at 09:41 PM.
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I had one (mine was a '60) for 30+ years. A previous owner had put in a Radio Shack speaker, which I eventually replaced with a JBL D130F. It was VERY loud and clean; it basically did not distort. The tone controls had lots of range, and the tremolo sounded like a phase shifter. For my needs these days, it's too big, heavy, and clean, though, and I traded it away for a silverface Princeton Reverb. Originally Posted by powerwagonjohn
John
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"I traded it away for a silverface Princeton Reverb."
ouch, I hope it wasn't a straight trade
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It was actually. At the time, as near as I could tell the values were close (big amps are tough to move in my neck of the woods), and I'd had mine listed for a long time before the trade materialized. No regrets on my part. I got what I wanted, and so did the other guy. I paid $250 for my Pro, and got 30 years use out of, so it's tough to complain. Originally Posted by wintermoon
"I traded it away for a silverface Princeton Reverb."
ouch, I hope it wasn't a straight trade
John
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Tone is a matter of taste. I had a concert and a very good friend had a pro. Both sounded very dark and muddy. Lacking presence or chime. After that I concluded I'm not fan of the Brown era amps.
Oh, O also built an exact replica of the brown Vibroverb, a little better sounding to my ears, but still to dark and lacking dimension.....
Try it out, if you like it, go for it.
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