Gibson EH-150 Tube Amplifier (1938)
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Gibson EH-150 Model Tube Amplifier (1938), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 9138, tweed fabric covering finish.
This is a well-worn and fabulous-sounding example of the world's first great guitar amplifier, Gibson's EH-150. These early Gibson amps went through a number of style changes; this is the ca. 1939 variant built into a larger slightly arched-top cabinet with rounded upper corners. The gold/brown tweed cabinet cover has orange and black vertical stripes in the center, with a black script Gibson logo in the lower right hand corner. The square lower cabinet edges have leather corners and round hard rubber feet. The front speaker aperture is covered by a black metal grill.
The removable latched back reveals the deco-styled control panel which lays out left-right with an on/off switch, fuse, microphone volume, instruments volume, 1 mic and 2 instrument inputs, and a tone control switch (bass and normal). The original field coil 12" speaker is still in fine condition. This was the premier professional amplifier of its day, as used by Charlie Christian and a host of other 1940s greats, and is still a wonderful and unique-sounding amp today.
Height is 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) width, and 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically this amp is slightly ragged but still in decent shape for its age (more than 85 years along now) with a nicely smoked patina and a decent amount visible wear around the corners and some scuffs on the front, but less than many of these for eight decades on earth. One of the front leather corners is missing a piece and the original handle appears to long ago have been supplanted by a metal variant. The control panel is nicely clean overall with only moderate amounts of corrosion on the metal hardware.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original. The Gibson-branded "High-Fidelity Ultrasonic Reproducer" (A/K/A field-coil speaker) is original, professionally reconed it sounds and tests great. The power, choke and output transformers are all original, bearing the codes T40069, T40070 and T8790, respectively. Both pots appear to be original as well. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This amp is quickly becoming a shop favorite, it is a fantastic sounding example. The EH-150 is a perennially sought-after amplifier by players as well as collectors, the first really professionally accepted amplifier with a distinctive and versatile sound that remains unique 80+ years later. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is a well-worn and fabulous-sounding example of the world's first great guitar amplifier, Gibson's EH-150. These early Gibson amps went through a number of style changes; this is the ca. 1939 variant built into a larger slightly arched-top cabinet with rounded upper corners. The gold/brown tweed cabinet cover has orange and black vertical stripes in the center, with a black script Gibson logo in the lower right hand corner. The square lower cabinet edges have leather corners and round hard rubber feet. The front speaker aperture is covered by a black metal grill.
The removable latched back reveals the deco-styled control panel which lays out left-right with an on/off switch, fuse, microphone volume, instruments volume, 1 mic and 2 instrument inputs, and a tone control switch (bass and normal). The original field coil 12" speaker is still in fine condition. This was the premier professional amplifier of its day, as used by Charlie Christian and a host of other 1940s greats, and is still a wonderful and unique-sounding amp today.
Height is 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) width, and 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically this amp is slightly ragged but still in decent shape for its age (more than 85 years along now) with a nicely smoked patina and a decent amount visible wear around the corners and some scuffs on the front, but less than many of these for eight decades on earth. One of the front leather corners is missing a piece and the original handle appears to long ago have been supplanted by a metal variant. The control panel is nicely clean overall with only moderate amounts of corrosion on the metal hardware.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original. The Gibson-branded "High-Fidelity Ultrasonic Reproducer" (A/K/A field-coil speaker) is original, professionally reconed it sounds and tests great. The power, choke and output transformers are all original, bearing the codes T40069, T40070 and T8790, respectively. Both pots appear to be original as well. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This amp is quickly becoming a shop favorite, it is a fantastic sounding example. The EH-150 is a perennially sought-after amplifier by players as well as collectors, the first really professionally accepted amplifier with a distinctive and versatile sound that remains unique 80+ years later. Overall Very Good + Condition.