Going to see a tweed amp today. What should I look for to be sure it’s legit?

**fartattack** · 10-02-2018, 10:19 AM

Hi guys

Like I said, I’m going to see/play a tweed amp today and I’m not super well versed in them. I know a lot about blackface and early silverface but don’t know about tweed, really at all.

What should I look for to be sure it is what he says it is? I know to look for obvious things - condition of cab, speaker code, chassis code, etc., but is there anything else I should keep an eye out for?

Thx - Mr. Attack

**joe2758** · 10-02-2018, 10:58 AM

what up man!?

**Greentone** · 10-02-2018, 11:08 AM

This:

Going to see a tweed amp today. What should I look for to be sure it’s legit?-55dlxguts-jpg

Not this:

Going to see a tweed amp today. What should I look for to be sure it’s legit?-guts-5e3-jpg

The latter is pretty wiring, but it's all new components and a new, gussied up wiring scheme. It will sound great, but it's not original. The first circuit is all original and worth significantly more--original speaker, too.

**Greentone** · 10-02-2018, 11:09 AM

I take it back. The first has had two power resistors replaced (the blue ones below the big capacitors). Still, it's worth $$$.

**ThatRhythmMan** · 10-02-2018, 11:32 AM

Here is an all original deluxe. I’m pretty sure it runs as quietly as the day Lupe finished it.

**Gitfiddler** · 10-02-2018, 04:31 PM

This little tweed gem sounds pretty good for its size, but likely not what OP is looking for.

**Little Jay** · 10-02-2018, 04:45 PM

Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan

Here is an all original deluxe. I’m pretty sure it runs as quietly as the day Lupe finished it.

....if the caps don’t leak meanwhile (and I’m pretty sure they do).

**ThatRhythmMan** · 10-02-2018, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Little Jay

....if the caps don’t leak meanwhile (and I’m pretty sure they do).

Michael Clark has inspected it and everything is within spec. He says he couldn’t build a new one that is more quiet, and I believe it. I have four Clark Amps.

**Little Jay** · 10-02-2018, 06:34 PM

Originally Posted by ThatRhythmMan

Michael Clark has inspected it and everything is within spec. He says he couldn’t build a new one that is more quiet, and I believe it. I have four Clark Amps.

Wow, amazing..... I only read stories about those red Astron caps leaking like crazy. Not to mention the brown paper electrolytes. So the exception confirms the rule I guess!

**cosmic gumbo** · 10-03-2018, 02:32 AM

Unless I was an amp collector, I wouldn't really want an amp with 58+ year old caps to play music.

**sgosnell** · 10-03-2018, 09:35 AM

Collectors, of anything, care less about utility than about originality. It seems to me that people who collect have something not quite right about them, whether it's cars, Hummels, or anything else.

**fartattack** · 10-03-2018, 09:41 AM

well fellas, i like all this originality talk, but unfortunately i have to work with the amps i buy.

and yes collecting stuff is fun, but playing guitar is more fun!

**Greentone** · 10-03-2018, 10:17 AM

f-attack,

I hear you. I play with amps I built...plus a bunch of Polytones. OTOH, a guy I played with for 25 years was a vintage collector/dealer. Consequently, I got to play...and play out with a BUNCH of very collectible Fender, Gibson, and Gretch amps regularly. I was his tech when it came to authenticating such amps.

The sound of some of these vintage amps--particularly early 50s Pro, mid 50s Harvard, and mid 50s Vibrolux amps--was incredible. The stuff I built was also outstanding and I never worry about dinging such an amp, etc.

It sure was a pleasure partaking of such a great collection though, let me tell you.

**fartattack** · 10-03-2018, 10:29 AM

that sounds like the perfect situation for learning about what lots of people seem to want a lot of knowledge on!

i've always wondered about situations like that - did you know you were learning a lot and the info/experience you were getting was going to be so valuable later? i've been in situations like that playing-wise where i kinda thought 'well i gotta go do this gig that i don't really want to do' and then you do that for a few years then its done and you realize what a valuable experience it is?

you said 25 years, so i'm assuming you probably did

Also look what else its done - you get to answer peoples questions about some very specific stuff and people really want to know about. I (and lots of people on here) appreciate your time and knowledge.

Cheers to Greentone!!!!

**Greentone** · 10-03-2018, 11:26 AM

Main thing is that I miss my friend. He died suddenly last winter. No more regular gigs with him after 25 years of steady rolling.

**fartattack** · 10-03-2018, 12:36 PM

That's terrible. I'm sorry for your loss.

**Greentone** · 10-03-2018, 02:02 PM

Thanks. He was a terrific guitarist, friend, and a consummate collector. I learned a tremendous amount about guitars and amps from him.

He would often drop off great guitars with me for six months at a time for me to evaluate and report back to him. (He didn't play jazz and wanted feedback on guitars of that sort.) The L5, ES-300, ES-175, etc., guitars I had were terrific.

Three guitars I had under that arrangement that are especially memorable: (1) a 1937 Gibson ES-150 with CC pickup--no notch under b-string. (2) A 1938 Recording King M5 (equivalent to a L7) with a Roy Smeck pickup attached (same as CC). (3) A 1979 Gibson ES-175/CC with rose colored double-parallelogram inlays and factory gray/silver case. Each of these guitars was very special and played/sounded fantastic. The pleasure of having them around the house was very seductive, musically.