So, what do I have here?
- Thread starter GilmourD
- Start date
Deep Eddy
Argle Bargle or Foofaraw?
No rat turds. Just dirt and gunk.
It's been sitting in my parents' attic. I bought it about 10 years ago intending to restore it and never did.
I wish I knew what the previous owner did with the fourth speaker.
Help!I'maRock!
Mediocringly Derivative
It's a Gibson Ranger. 
Hey, if somebody gives me a Benjamin I'd profit. LOL
I'm not expecting it to bring in 12000 series JMP100 money, but it's gotta be worth more than a Line6 Spider. LOL
Wyatt
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Best bet to to sell it to someone who'll go ga-ga over the Gibson name but doesn't know much about their amps. As a tech, I wouldn't take it for free. It looks like it'll need $100-300 toward restoration. I think people can buy mint ones for $400-600, which makes selling a restored one really hard.
The problem is the '60's Gibsons were built horribly...they actually riveted on parts instead of bolting them on and the components used were not only under-sized they were dirt cheap in quality, cheaper than parts anyone might have been able to buy over the counter back then.
It's a real shame you don't have all four speakers, those CTS alnicos are probably the most valuable parts on the amp. You may have gotten $200 for a quad with good cones ($400 if they were Fender branded).
The problem is the '60's Gibsons were built horribly...they actually riveted on parts instead of bolting them on and the components used were not only under-sized they were dirt cheap in quality, cheaper than parts anyone might have been able to buy over the counter back then.
It's a real shame you don't have all four speakers, those CTS alnicos are probably the most valuable parts on the amp. You may have gotten $200 for a quad with good cones ($400 if they were Fender branded).
mikesr1963
Gonna walk my dog, you?
If I knew about that amp and could do my own work I may consider it a find. In my position however, I wouldn't touch it. You make or loose money when you buy it.
So, what would you do if the amp were in your possession and you didn't have the means (meaning no time or money while having the ability) to restore it? Should I pull it apart and not feel bad? Or am I a terrible person if I pull it apart and sell stuff separately?
Kerouac
weird musical dildo
I'd try to sell it to an antique shop or somewhere that would repurpose it as a decoration. Hipster musicians love that shit.
Wyatt
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Does it work?
If so, I would clean it up some; find a cheap 10" 8-ohm speaker (it takes four, wired in series-parallel for a total 8-ohm load); do a bare minimal cap job (filter caps and bias cap...nothing expensive, IC's or Nichicons); re-tube; and play it. They were built like shit, but many Gibson amps sounded great. It'll serve you better as a player for a while. If you can prove the tool will do the job, and if it sounds relatively good, eventually someone local will buy it....in the meantime you get some equity out of playing time.
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To be honest, I'm not even sure. When I got it there was only one of the pair of 6L6GCs in it. The funny thing is that it's completely unlabeled. Everything else seems to be from the factory (the oddball 6EU7 preamp tubes and the single 12AU7, as well as the other oddballs for the reverb driver, etc.).
Wyatt
Kick Henry Jackassowski
The 6EU7 is little more than a 12AX7 with a different pinout. Toward the end of the tube era, RCA was hoping a new tube with less competition would hold them over, so they invented the 6EU7 and paid several companies like Gibson to incorporate it, but tubes were already obsolete has a household item. A nos RCA 6EU7 is easily as good sounding as a nos RCA 12AX7, but they only cost $20-40.
Seems like a bit of a gamble...someone may have been cannibalizing it because it didn't work anymore.
Seems like a bit of a gamble...someone may have been cannibalizing it because it didn't work anymore.
So... See what shape the speakers are in and maybe sell them?
Wyatt
Kick Henry Jackassowski
1) Pull the remaining power tube...plug it in and turn it on. See if it lights up.
2) If it does NOT light up...you could say screw it or invest in new fuses (you can't always see when they are blown) and try again.
3) If it does NOT light up then...I wouldn't invest anything else in it.
4) If it DOES light up...if you have a spare 6L6GC, you can put power tubes in and fire it up with speakers (preferably known good ones) and see if it makes noise. Not worried about matched pairs or biasing at this point, just seeing if it's worth salvaging.
5) If it does NOT make sound...see step 3
This can be going down a rabbit hole...if it works, it'll need investing in new filter caps, but then you may find a scratchy pot or crackling plate resistor, etc. Or, you may recap it and get 15 years solid service from it.
2) If it does NOT light up...you could say screw it or invest in new fuses (you can't always see when they are blown) and try again.
3) If it does NOT light up then...I wouldn't invest anything else in it.
4) If it DOES light up...if you have a spare 6L6GC, you can put power tubes in and fire it up with speakers (preferably known good ones) and see if it makes noise. Not worried about matched pairs or biasing at this point, just seeing if it's worth salvaging.
5) If it does NOT make sound...see step 3
This can be going down a rabbit hole...if it works, it'll need investing in new filter caps, but then you may find a scratchy pot or crackling plate resistor, etc. Or, you may recap it and get 15 years solid service from it.
I'll let you know what happens.