Help Identify a Vintage Amp

[jgk]

I found this amp for sale at a cheap price, but trying to find some more info on it. All I know is its a Truetone and looks like its from the 60's.

Any guesses what model Truetone this might be?

I mainly want to know if its a tube or ss, but I haven't been able to contact the buyer yet.

[Thornton Davis]

Solid State.

TD

[jgk]

Originally Posted by Thornton Davis

Solid State.

TD

Thanks! How can you tell?

[jlepre]

I seem to remember seeing those amp for sale as beginner amps. I would say probably about 15 watts.

[jlepre]

Come to think of it, that may actually be a guitar amp.

[fdeck]

I wonder if the badge spells out "Wards Airline"

[thumpbass1]

The general consensus among those who pay attention to the oddball and budget end of the vintage amp world, say that this brand was primarily sold through Western Auto. Yes even an auto parts chain store jumped in on the cheap electric guitar and amp retail market back sometime in 60's through the early 70's. I can remember seeing cheap Teisco Del Ray guitars and Checkmate branded amps and such, in the local pharmacies and dime stores of Omaha during the early 70's, so an auto parts chain store selling budget musical gear back then isn't that bizarre of a notion as one would think. My very lazy and quick and dirty research says that a company named Jaytronics or somebody like that, made the brand, most of it solid state stuff, but there are reports a few low wattage tube amps out there too.

[KramerBassFan]

I'd pass. Unless you can get it super cheap (wayyyy under $50 usd) and unless you are into that kind of stuff.

[1n3]

Yeah, that's Western Auto's brand and logo; also used on radios. Don't know more than that.

[SurferJoe46]

Isn't that the old Western Auto badge? I have an old WA bench grinder that has the same logo on it.

Interesting that WA may have sold guitar amps - no? I never saw any - but then who was looking for an amp when you're there for points and a condenser for your 1946 Ford tractor.

[teemuk]

Yep, Truetone was a brand of Western Auto Supply products. Back in the 1960's - despite the name - that chain of stores had, however, branched to selling pretty much everything, with auto parts being only a small fraction of their business. Believe it or not, they likely made much more cash by selling things like firearms.

Anyway, they bought this stuff from bunch of various manufacturers that made this kinda stuff as OEM. Cheaply. As far as I know, Truetone electric guitars were manufactured by both Kay and Harmony, Kay also made them some tube Truetone amplifiers.

These amps, on the other hand, look like they were made by some other company. An Italian one maybe?

I'd pass it unless it costs $10 to $40. The stuff is basically analogous to buying a cheap amp from Wal-Mart and being old doesn't make it any better. (I wonder if similarly 50 years from now people will wonder what the heck are those low power "First Act" amps and if they're worth something). Most of this stuff is "hit or miss", by slight chance it may sound good at private jamming/recording sessions but other than that it's pretty unsable and more of a novelty of owning a vintage item. You'd be better off spending the same money to about any modern inexpensive amp, which (when bought used) costs about as much as these "vintage marvels".