Gibson EH-150 Model Tube Amplifier (1936), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 2910, tweed fabric covering finish.
This is a very well-preserved and fine-sounding example of the world's first great guitar amplifier, Gibson's EH-150. This amp is the 1936 variant, a monumental improvement from the fairly primitive predecessors, and what would set the foundation for the better known "round shouldered" versions to follow. This "second revision" EH-150 is still in a smaller rectangular cabinet without the domed upper edge that became the model's signature look. 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 compact square cabinet has leather-covered corners and round hard rubber feet, with a leather-covered handle at the top. The round front speaker aperture is covered by a black metal grill.
The detachable latched-on back cover reveals the chassis mounted on the bottom with a deco-styled control panel. This lays out left-right with an on/off switch, fuse, "echo speaker" output jack, microphone volume, instruments volume, a microphone input and two instrument inputs, as well as the "bass tone" switch, changing the low-end response of the amp. Many of these were firsts for what was featured on a compact professional amplifier. The Echo feature is a particularly novel idea: the true "Echo effect" is obtained by keeping the amplifier with its built-in speaker near the player and the extension "Echo" speaker at an approximate 35-foot distance, preferably further from the audience and to either side. The slight soundwave lag time creates what Gibson called "a new and beautiful effect". The dual 6N6-G push-pull power section puts out around 15-20 watts into a 10" field coil speaker.
This EH-150 is a fairly early iteration of one of, if not THE most popular professional amplifier of its day, used by Charlie Christian and a host of other 1930s-40s greats. It remains a wonderful and unique-sounding amp today.
Height is 14 in. (35.6 cm.), 15 1/4 in. (38.7 cm.) width, and 7 1/2 in. (19 cm.) deep.
For its age this amp is very nicely preserved, showing only modest wear overall. The fairly fragile cabinet covering only has minor scuffing and overall sports a very attractive amber patina. All the leather corners are in good shape and still intact, some showing some typical wear and a bit of cracking on one. The original leather handle is still holding together, although sporting a fair bit of surface wear and missing leather around one of the end-balls; that said, it still has life left in it! All the latches work and the interior paper lining is also intact throughout the inside of the cabinet. The cabinet itself is structurally sound and sturdy with no cracks or open seams.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original. The 10" Admiral-made field coil speaker is original to the amp and sounds great. The amp also retains its original transformers; power transformer is a branded Thordarsson, marked 7896. Pots are original as well and this little Gibson has otherwise received our typical routine maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic caps, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and power tubes biased to spec. The pilot light holder has been replaced.
Overall, this simply a phenomenally well-preserved early pre-war amplifier, still sounding fantastic and celebrating its 90th birthday this year! Very Good + Condition.
