Gretsch 1959 6161 Electromatic Twin Valco Black Excellent Condition

No sales tax for US customers outside California.

This vintage Gretsch is amazingly clean and very original.  It is the perfect example and it sounds awesome!

Every vintage Gretsch amplifier was built by Valco — the Chicago manufacturing company that also produced amplifiers sold under the Supro, National, Airline, and Oahu brand names, and whose circuits formed the sonic backbone of American club and studio playing through the 1950s and early 1960s. The Gretsch 6161 Electromatic Twin is nearly identical to the Gretsch Roundup and the National Trem-o-Tone under different cosmetics — the same Valco point-to-point circuit, the same output tubes, the same speaker complement, finished and badged for the Gretsch dealer network. Gretsch's prominence in the late 1950s was built on Chet Atkins' endorsement and George Harrison's adoption of their guitars; the amplifiers that accompanied them carried this Valco DNA throughout.

The 6973 output tube is the defining characteristic of the late-1950s Electromatic Twin circuit. The 6973 is an American octal tube with characteristics similar to the EL84 — bright, lively, and harmonically rich at low-to-moderate output levels, producing a warm clean tone that moves into smooth, articulate overdrive as the volume climbs rather than clipping abruptly. Paired with a 5Y3 tube rectifier for supply voltage sag and three 12AX7 preamp tubes for the signal chain, 14 watts from this circuit sounds larger and more present than the wattage suggests — a characteristic Valco circuit behavior that makes these amps consistent favorites for recording applications where controlled volume with real tube character matters.

The speaker complement is the most distinctive aspect of the 6161's voicing: two 6x9" Rola Alnico elliptical speakers and one 4" Rola Alnico tweeter. The elliptical drivers produce a different tonal spread than any standard 10" or 12" speaker configuration — described consistently by players who know this amp as more focused in the midrange, different in character, and a genuine secret weapon for studio work where that specificity of voice is an asset rather than a limitation. All three original Rola speakers are intact with original cones. The tube-driven tremolo is musical and correct.  The tremolo control knob on the top of the chassis adjusts the tremolo intensity.  There is a knob on the under side of the chassis that controls the speed.

The power cord has been upgraded to grounded three-prong. Original power and output transformers. Original pots, tolex, grille, knobs, and handle. Original RCA 5Y3 rectifier tube and Sylvania 6973 power tubes. No case.

SPECS:

• Case/Cover?: No
• Color: Black
• Dimensions: 23'' x 14'' x 8.5''
• Weight: 25 lbs
• Watts: 14 Watts
• Date: 1959
• Where is Date Noted?: Codes
• Speaker 1 - 3 Brand: Rola Alnico
• Speaker 1 - 3 Size: 2 6x9", 1 4" 
• Speaker Code: See Pics
• Speaker 1 - 3 Cone: Original
• Power Transformer Brand/Codes: See Pics
• Output Transformer Brand/Codes: See Pics
• Extension Speaker Out? No
  
• Reverb or other effects?: Tremolo
• Rectifier Tube: 5Y3
• Rectifier Tube Brand: RCA
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6973
• Power Tube Brand: Sylvania
• Preamp Tubes: 3 x 12AX7
• Preamp Tube Brand: ?
• Pedal: No
• Pots/Codes: Original
• Tolex/Tweed: Original
• Grille: Original
• Knobs: Original
• Handle: Original
• Power Cord: Grounded Upgrade
• Notes:

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.