It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 9:09 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:49 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:53 pm
Posts: 349
What do you guys think? I'm considering making an offer but not sure what's a fair price.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/msg/2935862424.html


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:20 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Mid '70s, nothing hacked, clean and complete, the Weber Sig as a bonus.

I'd say four bills was fair.

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 5:29 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:29 pm
Posts: 614
Location: SW Ohio
That's a pretty clean looking amp. I think $400 is a fair price - particular for a market as large as St. Louis. You could offer $350 or $375. But then again, if you want this amp and are worried it might escape.... just pay the buyer's asking price and be done with it. I can't see that amp lasting too long.

For comparison -
I got my Vibro off of CL last summer. Mine's a 1973 - it certainly isn't as clean as the one you're looking at. Mine needed some minor repair (bad pot/a couple of filter caps replaced). It also had been recovered. Well done, but not necessarily correct. I paid $250 - with the repairs ($45) and a new Weber speaker I installed a week or so ago - I have about $365 into mine. I also found mine in a small market CL (Lima, Ohio) - so there weren't as many buyers competing for the amp.

So on second thought..... you better run and get that amp - $400 is a good price. :lol:


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:17 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
djwhitjr wrote:
What do you guys think? I'm considering making an offer but not sure what's a fair price.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/msg/2935862424.html



+1 djwhitjr...I almost called on that one myself. You near St. Louis? PM if you like.

T2Stratman

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:03 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:53 pm
Posts: 349
T2Stratman wrote:
djwhitjr wrote:
What do you guys think? I'm considering making an offer but not sure what's a fair price.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/msg/2935862424.html



+1 djwhitjr...I almost called on that one myself. You near St. Louis? PM if you like.

T2Stratman


I PM'd you. 1st time I've done that but pretty sure I did it right.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:16 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
djwhitjr wrote:
T2Stratman wrote:
djwhitjr wrote:
What do you guys think? I'm considering making an offer but not sure what's a fair price.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/msg/2935862424.html



+1 djwhitjr...I almost called on that one myself. You near St. Louis? PM if you like.

T2Stratman


I PM'd you. 1st time I've done that but pretty sure I did it right.


Got the PM...replied.

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:40 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:53 pm
Posts: 349
Probably should have asked this in my original post. How do the older Vibro Champs sound in comparison to the new XD Champs? Same sound or different? I'm not a big fan of multiple "effects" on amps and not sure if these features affect the amps overall sound when not used.

If this has been covered in another post feel free to drop a link.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 7:45 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Small vintage Fenders such as the amp mentioned in this thread's topic line are known affectionately as "porch weasels".

That other......thing......you referenced is merely a "patio turd".

:mrgreen:

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:03 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:53 pm
Posts: 349
Retroverbial wrote:
Small vintage Fenders such as the amp mentioned in this thread's topic line are known affectionately as "porch weasels".

That other......thing......you referenced is merely a "patio turd".

:mrgreen:

Arjay


I actually laughed out loud! Nothing funnier that farts and turds. Evan at age 37, unless you sharted, but that's a whole other story. :lol:


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2012 11:08 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
Posts: 6544
That's a very good deal, indeed! I love all of my Champs. Best thing, besides tone... all parts (including good cap cans) are readily available. A word from my experience, invest in a good rectifier (like an NOS GE, RCA, Sylvania, etc). Good NOS or high testing used 5Y3GT are still available. The best are GE 6087. You can still find them at good prices---a very nice, slow warm-up tube.

TAD 6V6GT and selected JJ 6V6S & Tungsol or Mullard RI 12AX7 are some of the new made tubes that work well in this amp. But, only if it needs new tubes.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:02 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:29 pm
Posts: 614
Location: SW Ohio
djwhitjr wrote:
Probably should have asked this in my original post. How do the older Vibro Champs sound in comparison to the new XD Champs? Same sound or different?


I've owned both...... being nice.... no comparison. Without taking up anymore bandwidth on the subject (You can search for my earlier posts :D ) The vintage amp is head and shoulders above the new XD Champs.

Hope you can grab that amp before its gone. And if you get it..... we are expecting photos and comments. :lol:


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 4:34 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2010 9:53 pm
Posts: 349
For $300 and a used EQ pedal I brought her home! Has a Weber Signature Series Alnico speaker in it. Came with the original speaker too. Not sure about the age of the tubes but it sounds great none the less. Seller claimed it is 76', said he bought off some old guy a few months ago. Had to sell it cause he is out of work. Anyway to tell if the year is correct?

Only thing left to do is tell the wife. :D :lol: Here are a few pics. The quality isn't that great cause I had to use my phone.

Image

Image

Image

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:33 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Find the EIA codes stamped on both of the amp's trannies and post them. Those will reveal an approximate age and "birthday". It could very well be a '76 due to the cosmetics which remained relatively unchanged during the '75 through '78 era.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:40 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Nov 14, 2007 1:29 pm
Posts: 614
Location: SW Ohio
Great purchase for $300.

Tubes burn out from wear and tear. You can replace them with NOS tubes. They don't affect the value of the amp.

You can date the amp by various codes on the components. The easiest to see might be the speaker code. Here a link that will explain how to read the various codes. IE: A speaker code might be 4657539, which translates to:

465= Oxford
75 = 1975
39 = 39th Week of the year

You can also post the speaker code here and someone can help you with the dates.

- edit..... seem Arjay and I are posting at the same time. :D


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Is this a fair price for a Vibro Champ?
Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:41 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:10 pm
Posts: 5646
Location: Gateway to the West
DJ...Great Find and nice deal you got...you won't regret it, they are fine amps and have just a bit of extra gain over the Champs. Now we will have to find time to jam with that sweet little amp.

T2

_________________
-----------------------------------------------------------
What time is it? It's Fender Time.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 20 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: