First, I want to say that I LOVE this amp, but I just have way too many amps right now, so this one's up for sale, a 1967 Fender Showman with a matching 1965 tone ring cab.
I have completely gone thru this amp from top to bottom and it is in excellent condition. As some of you may know, I've been repairing/restoring vintage Fender amps since 1973 and have tested, checked, and replaced every component that I found necessary to get this one back up to 100% factory spec. If you're looking for a completely original one, this is not it, but if you're looking for one that is working to 100% factory specs, please read on, and click on the pics to see larger pictures of this wonderful amp.
The Cosmetics:
The tolex on both the head and cab is 100% original and is in excellent condition for it's age (the head's tolex is near perfect). I replaced the grill cloth on both the head and cab with aged OEM Fender grillcloth. The head has a new reissue control, but all of the other hardware (handle, logo, corners, knobs, chassis straps and screws are original to the amp date the 35th week of 1967 (one of the last blackfaces made). The speaker cabinet is a 1965 showman cabinet with new OEM corners and tiltback legs. The logo and and screws are original as well as most of the sphinx glides (feet). The speaker is an original '60's JBL D140F with its OEM cone and sounds perfect. The thumbscrews that secure the head to the cabinet are new OEM Fender reissues.
The Electronics:
The Head:
The head's AB763 circuit has been completely professionally gone thru using the best USA components available. All of the filter caps have been replaced with Sprague Atoms and are the stock values). Any resistors that needed replacing were replaced with carbon comp (just like the originals), and Mallory capacitors used for the some of the coupling, eq and cathode bypass caps in the preamp circuits. The 1967 power transformer and choke are original to the amp (same date code stamp as the chassis) however the output transformer is a genuine Fender Schumacher made in 1970. I actually prefer this output transformer over the original since it has output taps for the original 8 ohms speaker, as well as a 4 ohm tap, essentially making this head both a Showman and a Dual showman. The AC cord was replaced with a three prong grounded cord, and since the ground switch is no loner needed, the switch is now used to switch between 4 and 8 ohms. All of the pots, jacks,tube sockets and swtiches have been cleaned with Caig De-Oxit gold and all of the tube sockets have been retensioned to ensure perfect operation for the next 40 years. The tubes are recent reissues from JJ, and the bias has been set to factory spec.
The Cabinet:
I've owned a lot of these Shoman cabs over the years, and one thing that I've found is that their double tone ring baffle's bracing joints can become loose (the glue dries out), making them buzz and rattle. This one's baffle was completely reglued (see pic below) and doesn't rattle or buzz the slightest . The build code markings on it are still on the back of the baffle, and new grill cloth was installed.
So, if you're looking for a point-to-point, cloth wired, handbuilt vintage blackface Fender Showman that you want to take out an gig or record with, without fear of having reliability issues, and captures not only the tone and sound of the original, as well as the vintage appearance, this just might be the one for you. This one is not meant to be a 'closet queen' or a museum piece, but rather a working musician's amp.
This amp will be carefully packed and shipped in two seperate boxes and insured for a flat rate of $150 via Fedex ground in the contUSA.
asking $1400 + $125 shipping in the conUSA (or free if you want to pick it up in SoCal (Thousand Oaks). paypal accepted.
