Fender Bassman 6G6-C Head & Cab 1964 w/ Original Covers

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

We've done it again - bringing you this historic and very rare Fender 6G6-C!  There's a lot to go over below, so let me tell you right off the bat - this amp sounds outrageously good and it runs perfectly!

This head and cabinet pair is a fantastic example of Fender’s transitional “blonde/early blackface-era” Bassman design, delivering big, punchy tube tone with incredible clarity and headroom. 

The 6G6-C circuit sits at an important point in Bassman evolution, and it is one that sort of hides from you - read on to find out why.  The amp is highly coveted by those who know!

Vintage Guitar Magazine published a piece on this model.  The brown version of the amp highlighted in this article is actually hiding out in our shop!  I'll follow with some excerpts from the article, but first let's talk about the particulars of this example.

The amp is unbelievably clean, thanks to the original and also-rare white Victoria Luggage Co covers.  The circuit was nearly 100% original when it arrived here.  The all-important transformers are original, as is the tolex and grille cloth.

As I always do, I treaded lightly as I did some necessary maintenance. Electrolytic coupling caps, filter caps, and the bias cap were all swapped out.  Two of the filter caps were changed previous to my tour of the chassis.  I didn't have the value in stock, and they look solid, so I left them in.  All the caps I changed were re-housed inside the original capacitor sleeves.  This model received blue-molded bypass caps, and all of them perform perfectly.

I swapped the two-prong cable for a grounded one - a nice gray cable with an authentic look.  I noticed that the original fuse holder had an issue - it was extremely difficult to get the fuse out, and once out, it was hard to get it back in.  I changed the fuse holder out.

All the original parts are included with the amp.  Tubes were tested.  The pots, tube sockets, and jacks were all cleaned.  

No speaker cable included.

The speakers are interesting.  Both are dated appropriately to 1964.  Looking from the back, the left speaker is a Utah.  It looks like it has never been moved from the amp.  The other is an Oxford.  There are signs at the mounting screw locations that this one has been mounted with larger washers behind the screws.  I assume that the Oxford in not original to the amp, but who knows.  The date codes on the two speakers are within 13 weeks of each other.  Who knows, maybe Fender put these mismatched speakers in this cab.  

"Several times in these pages, we have discussed the way Fender plowed through circuit changes in most of its amps, introducing modifications at breakneck speed in the name of “perfecting” tone and performance. The practice led to some fun for the true train spotters, namely in the discovery of transitional circuits barely acknowledged in the wild.

One such rarity was presented recently by musician and Fender amp collector Tommie James, who had an inkling that his brown 1964 Bassman head was not only different, but special.

One such rarity was presented recently by musician and Fender amp collector Tommie James, who had an inkling that his brown 1964 Bassman head was not only different, but special.

One such rarity was presented recently by musician and Fender amp collector Tommie James, who had an inkling that his brown 1964 Bassman head was not only different, but special.

One such rarity was presented recently by musician and Fender amp collector Tommie James, who had an inkling that his brown 1964 Bassman head was not only different, but special.

While most guitarists running through ’60s Bassman heads do use the Normal channel, James agrees with Hunter that there’s some magic in the odd Bass channel on the 6G6-C.

“To my ears, the Bass Instrument channel of the 6G6-C is louder, cleaner, and has a warmer tone than Bassmans that preceded and followed it,” he says. “It’s also the last Bassman with a Presence control, which makes a difference when dialing-up the exact tone you’re seeking.”

In addition to interesting and short-lived quirks of the 6G6-C, the Presence knob and control layout that accompanies it this far into an otherwise new era of Fender design present curious anomalies that apply to the ’60s Bassman range in general. The tube chart in James’ Bassman is stamped with an “NH” date code for March of ’64, by which time Fender was well into the early black-panel design. The panel on this Bassman is indeed painted black rather than the dark brown of its predecessors from earlier in the ’60s, though it’s a black-panel in name only and otherwise laid out according to earlier models. In August of ’64, the AA864 Bassman brought the model properly into the blackface era and did away with the Presence control, as well."

As with all amplifiers at Mahar’s Vintage Guitars, it has been fully inspected, photographed accurately, and professionally evaluated to ensure dependable performance.

We buy, sell, and take trades.

Be sure to check out the other cool guitar related stuff on our site
Fender electric guitars - vintage & used
Gibson electric guitars - vintage & used
The largest vintage & used guitar amplifier selection in Northern California
Vintage & Used Effects Pedals

Excerpts from real online end-user reviews:
“The Bassman is one of the greatest amp designs ever.” – The Gear Page
“Incredible punch and clarity.” – TDPRI
“Perfect platform for blues and classic rock.” – Harmony Central
“Huge sound and amazing dynamics.” – Reddit r/GuitarAmps
“A true vintage Fender powerhouse.” – Ultimate Guitar

SPECS:

• Case/Cover?: Original Covers for Both
• Color: Blonde 
• Dimensions: Head - w 22" x h 8" x d 9"   Cab - w 30" x h 21" x d 11.5"
• Weight: Head - 36lbs   Cab - 54lbs
• Watts: 50 Watts
• Date: 1964
• Where is Date Noted?: Serial#, Codes
• Speaker 1 Brand: Original Oxford
• Speaker 1 Size: 12"
• Speaker Code: See Pics
• Speaker 1 Cone: Original
• Speaker 2 Brand: Non Original Oxford
• Speaker 2 Size: 12"
• Speaker Code: See Pics
• Speaker 2 Cone: Original
• Power Transformer Brand/Codes: See Pics
• Choke Transformer Brand/Codes: See Pics
• Output Transformer Brand/Codes: See Pics
• Extension Speaker Out? Yes
  
• Reverb or other effects?: No
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6
• Power Tube Brand: Phillips
• Preamp Tubes: 4 x 7025/12AX7
• Preamp Tube Brand: RCA
• Filter Caps: Replaced
• Pedal: No
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Tolex/Tweed: Original
• Grille: Original
• Knobs: Original
• Handle: Original
• Power Cord: Grounded
• Notes: Chuck, check pics for originality and codes of speakers

Shipping policy:

When you purchase this item you are hereby agreeing to this shipping policy. We remove tubes from amps that could be damaged in shipping.  These cases require the buyer to re-install them on delivery - it is very easy with this amp, and we label them so you know exactly where to put them.  We do this because we have experienced shipping issues in the past, and this is our prevention measure.  Vintage amps are sold as-is because they can need service intermittently.  Everything is tested here in our shop on the way into our inventory, and again before shipping.  We will cover shipping damage, but we cannot be responsible for the failure of vintage components in 20-to-50-plus year old amps. Shipments will require signature on delivery, no exceptions.  If there is damage, the buyer must retain all packing materials intact and picture them immediately and send them to sales@maharsvintageguitars.com.  Less than 1% of our shipments are damaged in transit, and we are committed to making sure your item arrives safely, but we are taking these additional measures to make sure you are happy with your purchase.