1963 Supro 1688TN tube amp - vintage Valco w/ tremolo. Jensen Vibranto speakers

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1963 Supro 1688TN tube amp - vintage Valco w/ tremolo. Jensen Vibranto speakers:
$1239.00

Vintage 1963 Supro 1688TN - A Valco classic with that awesome tube tremolo. So much fun to play - sounds amazing and definitely loud enough for gigging!

Major features:- Original RCA grey plate preamp tubes
- Two matching Jensen Vibranto 12 inch speakers with original cones
- Stand-by switch setting (many Valco amps didn\'t have a standy-by)
- Serviced, biased, and ready to go - stage or studio. Impressive volume!
- Unique and cool \"spare tube holder\"
- Serial number plate (Valco moved to stickers in 1965)
- Second owner
- Fantastic Tremolo
- Original transformersThis amp has been used and enjoyed for many years and well cared for. I\'m the second owner. I acquired it from the son of its original owner who was a working musician. This early example is the same, schematically, as the Supro 6688, except it\'s tube rectified for that awesome sag when driven hard. This 1688TN produces a glorious vox-like chime (except with more mid-focus and grit) that cascades into that early 60\'s rock and roll growl at higher volumes. The are two channels, each with two inputs that all sound distinctly different. Channel 1 (Bass Channel) has an unused 12AX7 triode that could be put to use - just like the Supro 6420 Thunderbolt. Channel 2 (Guitar Channel) has a bit more gain and treble, along with the amazing tremolo. Each channel will go into saturated overdrive easily when cranked - even with my single coil tele. You can also bridge the channels together for a thick 3D tone.
The screen printed faceplate is in good condition and you can read almost everything, except the on-off-standby switch lettering is pretty worn. Yes, it has a factory standby switch!The preamp section is untouched and all orignal. All of the old carbon comp resistors tested with within reasonable spec.There is no crackle, buzz, or weirdness, so none of the coupling caps were changed either - to retain that vintage vibe.
The original filter caps were still good, but have been bypassed for safety and reliability with high quality Nichicon caps. The Mallory can cap was left intact for an OEM appearance. The death cap was removed and a grounded power cable was properly installed for safety and reduced hum. The amp is powered by a 5U4 rectifier and a pair of 6L6GCs in a cathode biased push-pull configuration. The 6L6\'s have been re-biased back to original spec and the cathode bypass resistor also replaced.
The giant transformers are original and are the same part numbers as found on the famed Supro 6420 Thunderbolt.
All 4 preamp tubes are vintage grey plate RCA 12AX7\'s. The rectifier is a vintage Philips/Sylvania 5U4GB, and the power tubes are Tung-Sol reissue 6L6STR\'s. All tubes test great on my calibrated Hickok TV-7 tester and will be removed and bubble wrapped for safe delivery to you.In the last picture, you\'ll see something I\'ve never seen before - a spare tube holder! The original owner didn\'t remember if the tube holder was factory-installed or not.. Cool, nonetheless. These 12 inch Jensen Vibranto speakers (look them up!) are a huge asset to this amp and are awesome sounding and very rare and sought after. Even though they have bell covers typical of 50s alnico speakers, these are ceramic magnet speakers. The cones appear original and the code on both speakers is \"3012B16W6\". They are more robustly built, sound fantastic, and have a higher power rating, and are superior to the typical C12PS\'s found in most mid-60s Valco amps.

Since I no longer gig, it needs a new home as I\'m just a bedroom guitarist these days and this is too much amp for me.
Due to weight and the fragile nature, shipping to CONUS (Continental U.S. only)Have questions? Need more photos? Just let me know..This is a saleso offer to win! I am not a frequent er, but I have stellar response and have had the same user name since 1999!! Also, I ship FAST!
My terms:PayPal onlyContinental US sales only - NO OVERSEAS SHIPPINGNo returnsI reserve the right to remove offers from low response, bad response, or non-paying buyers.