Fender 1950 Pro 5A5 Tweed TV-Front 15" Jensen 6L6 Excellent

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Perhaps because I am obsessed with vintage amps, our shop has become the place for pieces you never see, like this rare and very early tweed Pro.  The amp came in with a 1955 Stratocaster.  Both had sat dormant since about 1990.

The amp went through a local repair shop in the very early 70s, which left a stamp inside the cabinet and orange drop caps in place of the original coupling caps.  We brought it up slowly on our Variac.  Everything worked, but there was a good deal of hum and some fizzy bass, so we dug in and got it right with quality components throughout.  It runs nicely now and sounds incredible!  The octal preamp tubes are a bit microphonic, but that is standard.

The transformers and speaker are original, and the tweed and grille are in amazing shape.  You just never see early Fenders in this shape.  The handle is a hand-made replacement, the nicest I've been able to find.

The Pro-Amp is the unsung hero of the tweed era.  It was Leo Fender's flagship professional amplifier from the late 1940s, the one working musicians chose when they needed the most Fender had to offer.  The 5A5 is the earliest circuit in the TV-front Pro series, used until roughly 1951, and a 1950 example is among the oldest surviving TV-front Pros in any condition.  The TV-front cabinet, named for its squared-off panel that resembles a 1950s television, is the visual signature of the earliest Fender production.

The 5A5 pairs a 6SC7 octal preamp tube with a cathode-biased pair of 6L6G power tubes, saturating into a woody, harmonically rich overdrive.  It is pristine and articulate for country and jazz, and warm and complex when driven hard for blues and rock.  Playing slide through one is magical.

The 15" Jensen Alnico 5 is original (code confirms week 7 of 1950) and was professionally reconed before it was stashed in 1990.  Both Triad transformers are original, and the filter caps are new.  The INST pot is a correct late 50s replacement; the other two are original.  The chassis carries stamps and signatures of a repair shop right here in Chico, CA.  RCA 6L6 power tubes, RCA 5U4 rectifier, three RCA 6SC7 preamp tubes.  No case.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Date: 1950
• Where Is Date Noted?: Serial#, codes
• Weight: 38lbs 0.5oz
• Dimensions: w 22" x h 20" x d 9-1/2"
• Watts: 18 watts
• Case/Cover?: no
• Covering Material: tweed
• Covering Color: tweed
• Covering Original?: tweed
• Cabinet Material: pine
• Cabinet Condition: excellent
• Cabinet Repairs/Changes: none
• Cabinet Original?: yes
• Grille Style: brown cloth
• Grille Condition: excellent
• Grille Original?: yes
• Baffle Material: pine
• Baffle Condition: excellent
• Baffle Original?: yes
• Baffle Repairs/Changes: none
• Chassis Material: sheet metal
• Chassis Condition: excellent
• Chassis Original?: yes
• Chassis Repairs/Changes: none
• Knobs Original?: yes
• Handle Material: leather
• Handle Original?: no - it is a beautiful reproduction!
• Speaker 1 Brand: Jensen Alnico 5 
• Speaker 1 Size: 15"
• Speaker 1 Manufacturer Code: 220
• Speaker 1 Date Code: 007
  
• Speaker 1 Cone Original?: no, reconed
• Speaker 1 Condition: excellent
• Speaker Original?: yes
• Power Transformer Manufacturer: Triad
  
• Power Transformer Model Number: 6516
• Power Transformer Original?: yes
• Output Transformer Manufacturer: Triad
  
• Output Transformer Model Number: 1846
• Output Transformer Original?: yes
• Reverb Onboard:  no
  
• Tremolo Or Vibrato Onboard: no
• Pedal Included?: no
• Rectifier Tube: 5U4
• Rectifier Tube Brand: RCA
• Power Tubes: 2 x 6L6
• Power Tube Brand: RCA
• Preamp Tubes: 3 x 6SC7
• Preamp Tube Brand: RCA
• Potentiometers Original?: 2 original, INST pot changed
• Filter Caps: replaced
• Internal Repairs: yes
• Power Cable: grounded upgrade
• Accessories Included: none
• Documentation: stamps and signatures of repair shop in chassis
• Smells?: none
  

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