Fender Vibroverb 6G16 Tube Amplifier (1963)
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Item # 12408
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Fender Vibroverb 6G16 Model Tube Amplifier (1963), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 00325, brown tolex covering finish.
A rarity even in our showroom, this very rare Fender Vibroverb is one of Fullerton's great lost classics. This 6G16 model was the first Fender amp to feature an onboard reverb effect and a ground-breaking design at the time. This early brown Tolex version was in production for less than a year and is now one of the most sought-after of all vintage Fender amplifiers. Fewer than 600 examples were made of this early iteration, compared to many thousands of most popular Fender amplifiers.
Unlike the later black panel Vibroverbs, the "brown-era" model 6G16 was fitted 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 professional amplifiers for 1960s and beyond. This Vibroverb features two channels, normal and bright, with volume, treble and bass controls for each. The bright channel 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 00325 and visible part numbers indicate it was assembled in early-1963. 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! We have had very few of these through the shop, but each one has been an absolute killer amplifier that fully lives up to its exalted reputation.
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, 60 years and counting. The brown Tolex covering only shows minor signs of wear and some small scuffs around the lower corners. The faceplate shows a fair amount of scuffing overall, most notably around the input jacks, as well and a light deformation near the pilot light. All the original knobs are nicely preserved. The grille cloth is original and in great shape overall save for a handful of small punctures. The original metal Fender emblem is present and nicely intact, as is the original handle and its hardware free of any significant corrosion. The chassis straps appear to be newer replacements, however, the original tilt-back legs are present and in great condition. The amp comes with a vibrato/reverb footswitch that may be original with a newer connecting cable.
Electrically, the amp is nearly all-original. The two Fender-branded Oxford 10K5-1 speakers bear the codes 465-311, dating them to the 11th week of 1963. Both speakers still bear their original cones and test and sound fabulous. The power, choke and output transformers are original and bear the codes 606-251, 606-247 and 606-241, dating them to the 51st, 47th and 41st week of 1962, respectively. The reverb transformer appears to be a slightly later replacement CBS part, dating to early 1968. This was likely a factory or dealer repair and all things considered a very minor alteration. All pots appear to be original with visible codes dating to early 1963. 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 amp in particular bears a very nice (and valuable) set of new-old-stock RCA and GE preamp tubes and Tung-Sol 5881 power tubes.
This is a spectacular example of one of the most desirable Fender amplifiers ever made, and one that is getting very hard to find in any condition! Overall Excellent - Condition.
A rarity even in our showroom, this very rare Fender Vibroverb is one of Fullerton's great lost classics. This 6G16 model was the first Fender amp to feature an onboard reverb effect and a ground-breaking design at the time. This early brown Tolex version was in production for less than a year and is now one of the most sought-after of all vintage Fender amplifiers. Fewer than 600 examples were made of this early iteration, compared to many thousands of most popular Fender amplifiers.
Unlike the later black panel Vibroverbs, the "brown-era" model 6G16 was fitted 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 professional amplifiers for 1960s and beyond. This Vibroverb features two channels, normal and bright, with volume, treble and bass controls for each. The bright channel 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 00325 and visible part numbers indicate it was assembled in early-1963. 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! We have had very few of these through the shop, but each one has been an absolute killer amplifier that fully lives up to its exalted reputation.
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, 60 years and counting. The brown Tolex covering only shows minor signs of wear and some small scuffs around the lower corners. The faceplate shows a fair amount of scuffing overall, most notably around the input jacks, as well and a light deformation near the pilot light. All the original knobs are nicely preserved. The grille cloth is original and in great shape overall save for a handful of small punctures. The original metal Fender emblem is present and nicely intact, as is the original handle and its hardware free of any significant corrosion. The chassis straps appear to be newer replacements, however, the original tilt-back legs are present and in great condition. The amp comes with a vibrato/reverb footswitch that may be original with a newer connecting cable.
Electrically, the amp is nearly all-original. The two Fender-branded Oxford 10K5-1 speakers bear the codes 465-311, dating them to the 11th week of 1963. Both speakers still bear their original cones and test and sound fabulous. The power, choke and output transformers are original and bear the codes 606-251, 606-247 and 606-241, dating them to the 51st, 47th and 41st week of 1962, respectively. The reverb transformer appears to be a slightly later replacement CBS part, dating to early 1968. This was likely a factory or dealer repair and all things considered a very minor alteration. All pots appear to be original with visible codes dating to early 1963. 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 amp in particular bears a very nice (and valuable) set of new-old-stock RCA and GE preamp tubes and Tung-Sol 5881 power tubes.
This is a spectacular example of one of the most desirable Fender amplifiers ever made, and one that is getting very hard to find in any condition! Overall Excellent - Condition.