Bill Ashton
Senior Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2006
- Messages
- 4,429
- Reaction score
- 1,037
- Location
- North Central Massachusetts
- Guild Total
- 4
Yesterday while passing through Worcester, I stopped at our favorite guitar store in the heart of New England to pick up some LaBella strings...looking to the back of the store from the counter I nearly soiled myself :shock: ...either they had taken in a Carr Rambler or...or...could it be? YES! A Guild 99-J
Well, after a longing discussion with SWMBO over the cell, I called them back and asked them to hold the piece for me. After a long drawn out morning, I was able to get back...Rivera 55-Twelve in hand to put on consignment...for a close examination in daylight.
She was not nearly as pristine as I thought her to be...although can't say you could find one much better...silver grille cloth is squeaky clean and tight as a drum. Handle pretty good, tolex or whatever outstanding, though around the bottom getting worn...due to 3 bad feet Cranked her up with a lovely G & L ASAT CLassic (in antique white with dead-turtle PG) and WHOA! Guess there ARE 6L6's in this puppy, nearly took my face off...loud, proud and clean. Alas, bit of a hum, though more like one was playing under flourescent lights...uh, I was...tremolo doesn't work But overall very very nice. No cover, no footswitch. Brought into the store by a son-in-law, the owner having passed...was he a "jazzer" I asked...the Polytone sitting next to her answered that question.
Well, what to do. Price negotiable? Yes, they will call the owner. Should I or should I just take it...I had already planned on a cap job, so had that figured into the selling price, but because the tremolo didn't work I offered $50 less...a few minutes later, it was mine.
Got her home and find a GZ34 rectifier (made in Holland, no other markings), pair of JAN/Sylvania 6L6WGB's, an RCA 7025, JAN Sylvania 12AX7WA and a Magnavox (!!) 12AX7/7025. Store repairman butchered some caps into her, cannot tell whether this is for the power supply filter or not, and do see one electrolytic getting ready to sh%t its load (see the fiber board, far right hand side. Based on the last, I don't know if I dare play it much more tonight.
I believe the speaker to be an Oxford (12L5N-2), and she sounds very good, tight bass at least with the tele. Will need a 3 wire cord and plug, and it is overfused with a 4 amp slo-blo.
So, just have to decide whether I should order up the caps from Mouser and get to it or bring it to my local tech...don't know if I will sleep well tonight :lol:
Well, after a longing discussion with SWMBO over the cell, I called them back and asked them to hold the piece for me. After a long drawn out morning, I was able to get back...Rivera 55-Twelve in hand to put on consignment...for a close examination in daylight.
She was not nearly as pristine as I thought her to be...although can't say you could find one much better...silver grille cloth is squeaky clean and tight as a drum. Handle pretty good, tolex or whatever outstanding, though around the bottom getting worn...due to 3 bad feet Cranked her up with a lovely G & L ASAT CLassic (in antique white with dead-turtle PG) and WHOA! Guess there ARE 6L6's in this puppy, nearly took my face off...loud, proud and clean. Alas, bit of a hum, though more like one was playing under flourescent lights...uh, I was...tremolo doesn't work But overall very very nice. No cover, no footswitch. Brought into the store by a son-in-law, the owner having passed...was he a "jazzer" I asked...the Polytone sitting next to her answered that question.
Well, what to do. Price negotiable? Yes, they will call the owner. Should I or should I just take it...I had already planned on a cap job, so had that figured into the selling price, but because the tremolo didn't work I offered $50 less...a few minutes later, it was mine.
Got her home and find a GZ34 rectifier (made in Holland, no other markings), pair of JAN/Sylvania 6L6WGB's, an RCA 7025, JAN Sylvania 12AX7WA and a Magnavox (!!) 12AX7/7025. Store repairman butchered some caps into her, cannot tell whether this is for the power supply filter or not, and do see one electrolytic getting ready to sh%t its load (see the fiber board, far right hand side. Based on the last, I don't know if I dare play it much more tonight.
I believe the speaker to be an Oxford (12L5N-2), and she sounds very good, tight bass at least with the tele. Will need a 3 wire cord and plug, and it is overfused with a 4 amp slo-blo.
So, just have to decide whether I should order up the caps from Mouser and get to it or bring it to my local tech...don't know if I will sleep well tonight :lol: