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"63 AMPEG BIG M, Vintage Original, 6L6's, USA 15" Jensen, Amazing Tone - $790 (Vancouver)
condition:
excellent
make / manufacturer:
AMPEG
model name / number:
Big M (M15)
size / dimensions:
25 Watts, 15" Speaker
QR Code Link to This Post
THIS BIG M: Physically, this vintage original Big M is in great condition! You likely will not find a nicer original amp for being 60+ years old. Nothing is modified, missing, or broken and everything works like it is supposed to. The plywood cabinet, tolex, grill cloth, hardware, and speaker are all original, very clean, and in great working shape. Check out the pictures closely.
THE DETAILS: The electronics are the best part. In August, I had the amp completely gone through by Mike LaBar Electronics. The values of each component were individually measured and replaced where needed. Everything is up to factory spec. The only changes made were replacing the 2 prong power cord with a modern 3 prong and the original Tremolo footpedal was given a new cloth braided cord. New power tubes were installed as described below.
TUBES & POWER OUTPUT: The Big M uses two 6L6 power tubes cathode biased. There is no need to re-bias when changing power tubes. Multiple pairs of power tubes were tested sonically and for measured output. A new pair of Shuguang 6L6GC sounded best with clean headroom, balance, and a strong bottom-end. Power output measured 27.8 watts RMS, enough to kick ass! If you want, with this sale I’ll include the former power tubes, a pair of 1970's RCA 6L6's.
The three preamps tubes are the octal based 6SL7. Two of the three tubes are the ORIGINALS from the factory! They sound great without any microphonics. This model tube remains readily available for purchase and reasonable prices.
SPEAKER: its a 15" Jensen C15N Alnico 5, the original USA made speaker. It is in excellent shape, works surprisingly well and is fairly lightweight making the amp easier to transport.
TONE AND PLAYABILITY: The sound of this amp blew my mind! I didn’t think the 1958 design would sound very good. I was wrong! Its dead quiet when idling and the overall tone and performance is amazing! Its plenty loud when turned up. The tone is clear, balanced, and warm yet edgy when needed. The amp has plenty control over EQ. The 2 channels sound very different from each other and the individual tone controls do a lot. However, the channels can be linked with a jumper patch like the early Marshalls and then there is infinite possibilities over the sound. The Tremolo is sweet and there is lots of clean headroom when cranked. Overall, it is a perfect pedal platform. In short, this BIG M has tone! Ya gotta hear it!
This is a very useful quality vintage amp that works great on stage, in the studio, or at home. It is priced to sell. Come check it out!
$790 Cash
Not interested in trades
Text is best. I'm in Lincoln City but the amp is in Vancouver