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Topic: Fender Tremolux model 5E9-A 1959 pre CBS |
Brad Malone
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 10 Oct 2018 7:33 pm |
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I have a Fender Tremolux Amplifier..it was made in 1959 in Fullerton, California...it has 6 tubes and a 15 inch Jensen concert speaker..do any of you know what this is worth?.I see some crazy prices on Ebay...TIA
Brad
P.S. I bought it new in 1959 for my Fender 1000 steel and put it on the shelf when I went to a D-10 and a solid state amp with a 15BW inch speaker.
Last edited by Brad Malone on 14 Oct 2018 5:06 pm; edited 6 times in total |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 11 Oct 2018 12:28 am
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| It’s worth crazy prices without question. |
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Chris Boyd
From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
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Ben Elder
From:
La Crescenta, California, USA
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Kelcey ONeil
From:
Sevierville, TN
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Posted 12 Oct 2018 8:17 pm
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| Are you entertaining offers? |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 12 Oct 2018 11:31 pm
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| If it works half as good as it looks, it’s worth some thousands of dollars! |
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William Rasch
From:
Vermont, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 7:12 am
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| If that amp has the original electrolytics in it I would be very hesitant about powering it up. Just a word of caution. It does look to be in excellent original condition |
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Brad Malone
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 8:44 am Fender Tremolux 5E0-A Guitar Amplifier
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| Marc, thank you for your reply....Kelcey, yes, I would like to hear any offers...William, I played a few songs through the amp three days ago...It is very quiet when it is turned on...I would like to sell it to someone who would try it out before he buys it so he would be happy with his purchase. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 11:09 am
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Current book price is $3500-4500 in excellent condition. But see below, please.
DO NOT turn it on again! Seriously - those years of storage have crystallized the filter capacitors. I may have sounded fine, but in less that a half-second one of those caps could blow, burn out the power transformer and lose you at least $1-2,000 in vintage value.
In order to pay it the filter and bias caps must be replaced, the power cord changed to a grounded one and probably a few incidental parts replaced as well. THEN it would be worth the price range shown above. But as-is it's in a premium condition.
That's a collector amp, especially if you have the original cover. I can connect you with a VIntage broker that handles those types of sales, either through want lists or auction houses. It's a bit hard to tell if it's just a bit of dust or wear at the corners, but regardless it's near-mint.
You'll have a difficult time getting a premium price selling it yourself IMO. Even with a vintage broker or dealer getting a percentage of the sale they know the market and the buyers. I don't want anything out of this (and I wouldn't even tell someone you were contacting them). I'd just like to see you get the best deal you can selling it.
PM or email if I can help. Beautiful amp! But again - PLEASE don't turn it on! You'd be taking a huge chance. I've had to repair amps where that has happened and it's very sad.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Chris Boyd
From:
Leonia,N.J./Charlestown,R.I.
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 12:32 pm
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Addendum - JUST got the new Vintage Guitar Price Guide in the mail today. Some up, some down and seems to be partially based on player desirability - blackface Fenders are up and almost all tweeds, including the Tremoluxes, are down a bit. Still highly-valued, especially in this type of collector's condition.
I should note the Price Guide prices are "dealer retail" guide prices and not what dealers buy for, since they obviously have to make a profit. Private party sales are usually quite a bit lower. When looking around for information the one thing to ignore is Reverb.com asking prices, which have nothing to do with actual selling prices!
IMO going through a reputable broker or dealer would get the best return with the least hassle, especially since it's in long-stored condition and it's dangerous (to its health) to even turn it on. Experienced vintage dealers understand this.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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J Fletcher
From:
London,Ont,Canada
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 1:49 pm
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| Beautiful amp for sure. Looks like the speaker baffle has either been replaced , or it was never painted black at the factory. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 3:01 pm
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I have 4 tweed Fenders - the backs of the baffles on 2 ('52/53 and '55) are raw wood, 2 ('57 and '60) are painted black. I'm pretty sure the boxes are original with the exception of the upper back panel on the '55 Deluxe.
Nice amp. I miss my '58, which like an idiot I sold in the early 2000s. I agree with Jim's assessment on retail value in excellent condition - low 3000s to low 4000s, they have gone down slightly the last couple of years. But they were pretty inflated - they're actually quite a bit simpler circuits than later Fenders with reverb and so on, and thus easier to clone - lots of excellent but reasonably priced clones out there competing with them. But never doubt it - a tweed Tremolux is a very cool amp indeed.
Best not to turn the amp on again without having a tech go over it. But unless you decide to get that servicing done before selling it, you may have to briefly turn it on to convince a prospective buyer that it does, in fact, work.
You may be able to get what it's worth selling it yourself if you're patient and have an idea what it's worth. IMO, selling to a dealer for resale is generally not the way to get the most money. Most dealers I know will pay about 60% of retail, maybe 70% if it's something really cool. And they will typically argue that it needs servicing (which is true, but they'll typically want more discount) unless you get that done yourself. Auction houses I've dealt with take, typically, 25% from the buyer and another 10-20% from the seller - again, netting you about 60-70% as compared to selling to a retail customer. Maybe a consignment (running typically 20-25% fee) would be a good approach.
So it is my opinion that if you sell to a retail customer at nice discount over what they'd have to pay in a vintage shop, it could potentially net you more money and make a buyer very happy.
Whatever you do, take your time, don't let anybody blow smoke in your face. You have a cool amp that a lot of people would like to get their mitts on.  |
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Brad Malone
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 13 Oct 2018 3:57 pm re. Fender tremolux model 5E9-A
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Jim S and Dave M., you guys are real gold, I appreciate the time you both have taken to give me some good advice. I would like to sell it to someone who would come to look it over and try it out before purchasing. Your advice about not turning it on again before an Amp tech. does a check will be heeded. Again, thanks a million for your replies.
Brad |
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Ross Shafer
From:
Petaluma, California
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Posted 14 Oct 2018 7:20 am
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ooh, I want this bad! Bought one from a closing recording studio for $150 back in 1970 ish....then in '74-'75 when I decided rock stardom was not gonna happen, I traded it and some other things I'd kill to still own for a pair of stereo speakers....still have the speakers....ain't 20/20 hindsight wonderful?
If you land on an as is price, please let me know. Any interest in trades?
best of luck selling this beaut! |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2018 11:30 am
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Something smells.
After requesting help and several people offering solid advice - he sold it. Today. On eBay, and for less than even dealers might have paid...ad he's a new seller with zero feedback.
Something seems awfully strange about the whole scenario now. I wondered about the 16 year old pictures.
I seem to be running into more and more situations where I advise people out of kindness, wanting absolutely nothing, only to have the advice ignored or the whole thing to end up some sort of scam.
I think this one may have done it for me, and I'll just help people I know. Unfortunately it's usually newbies that really need help, but I just can't keep beating my head against a wall like this. This guy's NOT a newbie, though - which makes the whole thing even more bizarre.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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William Rasch
From:
Vermont, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2018 11:51 am
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| Well he has close to 1400 posts here on the forum, maybe he'll chime in. Pennsylvania location on ebay adds up. If it's legit he could have gotten more. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 14 Oct 2018 12:25 pm
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I'm not sure what Pennsylvania has to do with it.
What bothers me is the posted thanks to a couple of us; a PM message asking for help/connection with a broker;
Yet ignoring the advice he supposedly appreciated by listing it on eBay at a weirdly cheap price and selling it while the background work & broker connection he requested was being done.
1400 posts or zero - IMO it's rude. As I said I never take a dime from helping folks, so when they say one thing and do another - wasting quite a bit of others' time in the process - it gets you thinking "why bother"?
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 15 Oct 2018 12:29 pm
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I heard from Brad and got more info -
He posted it on eBay but didn't understand the ins and outs of payment time periods and such, and also before having full value information. It appeared he though he could cancel it if the buyer didn't pay right away - so he has a couple days to wait before he can even file a complaint, and about a week before it can be cancelled.
So chances are it's been sold.
He wasn't trying to pull a fast one - I'm sure of that. And the pictures are current - he used an old camera and hadn't fixed the date.
I'm connecting him with a reputable vintage broker in case the sale doesn't go through. It's a very unusual situation and one that's tough to handle as a direct sale.
Probably won't matter anyway.
_________________
No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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Steven Paris
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 15 Oct 2018 9:21 pm
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Looks like it sold on eBay for $2,500......
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Emmons & Peavey |
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