Fender Vibroverb 6G16 Tube Amplifier (1964)
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Fender Vibroverb 6G16 Model Tube Amplifier (1964), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 00433, brown tolex covering finish.
Another first for our showroom is this very rare Fender Vibroverb, one of Fullerton's great lost classics. Th is 6G16 model was Fenders first amp to feature an onboard reverb effect and less than 600 examples were made of this particular iteration. In production for less than a year it has now become one of the most collectable of all vintage Fender amplifiers.
Unlike the later black panel Vibroverb amps, the 'brown-era' model 6G16 was designed with two 10" speakers as opposed to a single 15". Having the spring reverb and tremolo together was a first for Fender at the time that would set the pattern for the 1960s and beyond. This Vibroverb features two channels, one normal, one bright, with volume, treble and bass controls for each. The bright channels is armed with the above effects with controls for reverb and tremolo speed and intensity. The dual-6L6 power section yields about 45 watts into a pair of Oxford 10" 10K5-5 speakers.
This particular amp has a serial number 00433 and visible part numbers indicate it was made around early 1964. The amp bears a 6G6-B Bassman tube chart, which was not an uncommon incident around this era of Fender. Not only is this one of the rarest Fender amps, it is spectacular sounding as well with a real growl when pushing those two 10's hard!
Height is 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm.), 25 1/4 in. (64.1 cm.) width, and 9 in. (22.9 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically, this amp is in fantastic shape for its age. The brown tolex covering only shows minor signs of wear and some small scuffs around the lower corners. The faceplate shows minor wear as well and a slight deformation near the pilot light but is otherwise very clean and retains all its stenciled lettering. The grille cloth is original and in excellent shape save for two minor tears along the upper edge and one small puncture around the lower right area. The original metal Fender emblem is present. The original upper back panel has been recovered and the lower is an accurate reproduction. The original handle and its hardware and chassis straps are very clean and show little-to-no signs of corrosion. The original tilt-back legs are also present and in great condition.
Electrically, the amp is nearly all-original. The two Oxford 10K5-5 speakers bear the codes 465-413, dating them to the 13th week of 1964. Both speakers have been professionally reconed and sound fantastic. The power, choke and reverb transformers are original and bear the codes 606-314, 606-307 and 606-250, dating them to the 14th and 7th week of 1963 and 50th week of 1962, respectively. The Schumacher-made output transformer bears the code 606-049, dating it to the 49th week of 1970 and based on its part number (017450) is likely a Fender-spec replacement part that covered several models. All pots appear to be original and the amp has otherwise seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This is a spectacular example of one of the most desirable Fender amplifiers ever made, and one that is getting very hard to find! Overall Excellent - Condition.
Another first for our showroom is this very rare Fender Vibroverb, one of Fullerton's great lost classics. Th is 6G16 model was Fenders first amp to feature an onboard reverb effect and less than 600 examples were made of this particular iteration. In production for less than a year it has now become one of the most collectable of all vintage Fender amplifiers.
Unlike the later black panel Vibroverb amps, the 'brown-era' model 6G16 was designed with two 10" speakers as opposed to a single 15". Having the spring reverb and tremolo together was a first for Fender at the time that would set the pattern for the 1960s and beyond. This Vibroverb features two channels, one normal, one bright, with volume, treble and bass controls for each. The bright channels is armed with the above effects with controls for reverb and tremolo speed and intensity. The dual-6L6 power section yields about 45 watts into a pair of Oxford 10" 10K5-5 speakers.
This particular amp has a serial number 00433 and visible part numbers indicate it was made around early 1964. The amp bears a 6G6-B Bassman tube chart, which was not an uncommon incident around this era of Fender. Not only is this one of the rarest Fender amps, it is spectacular sounding as well with a real growl when pushing those two 10's hard!
Height is 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm.), 25 1/4 in. (64.1 cm.) width, and 9 in. (22.9 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically, this amp is in fantastic shape for its age. The brown tolex covering only shows minor signs of wear and some small scuffs around the lower corners. The faceplate shows minor wear as well and a slight deformation near the pilot light but is otherwise very clean and retains all its stenciled lettering. The grille cloth is original and in excellent shape save for two minor tears along the upper edge and one small puncture around the lower right area. The original metal Fender emblem is present. The original upper back panel has been recovered and the lower is an accurate reproduction. The original handle and its hardware and chassis straps are very clean and show little-to-no signs of corrosion. The original tilt-back legs are also present and in great condition.
Electrically, the amp is nearly all-original. The two Oxford 10K5-5 speakers bear the codes 465-413, dating them to the 13th week of 1964. Both speakers have been professionally reconed and sound fantastic. The power, choke and reverb transformers are original and bear the codes 606-314, 606-307 and 606-250, dating them to the 14th and 7th week of 1963 and 50th week of 1962, respectively. The Schumacher-made output transformer bears the code 606-049, dating it to the 49th week of 1970 and based on its part number (017450) is likely a Fender-spec replacement part that covered several models. All pots appear to be original and the amp has otherwise seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec.
This is a spectacular example of one of the most desirable Fender amplifiers ever made, and one that is getting very hard to find! Overall Excellent - Condition.