Gretsch Model 6152 Compact Tremolo/Reverb Tube Amplifier (1967)
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Gretsch Model 6152 Compact Tremolo/Reverb Model Tube Amplifier (1967), made in Chicago, serial # D-8363, textured tolex finish.
The 1964 Gretsch catalog featured a "Compact" line of amplifiers designed for home-use practice, especially handy for the thousands of guitar-boom kids happily essaying Beatle songs in the garage. These three models were all single-speaker 5 watt tube amps with an 8" speaker. The most basic model, the Compact 6150 had no effects, the Compact 6151 featured on-board tremolo, and this top model the Compact 6152 featured both tremolo and spring reverb. This made it quite lavish for a supposed practice amp at the time, with a sound sure to be the envy of the rest of the band in the garage! By 1967, this model was upgraded with a taller cabinet and a more robust 12" speaker.
In this period Gretsch amps were built by Valco in Chicago and are well engineered, sturdy and great sounding. The 6152 features three inputs, two "regular" and one "bright", master volume and tone controls as well as separate tremolo and "reverberation" controls, each with their own external footswitch jack. A single ended 6V6 power section yields around 5 watts into a single 12" Jensen speaker, a combination that is fairly rare among the myriad of other 5-watt practice amps of the era. The spring reverb and the lovely all-tube tremolo are effects normally only found in more powerful pro-grade amps at the time. This circuit is basically identical to the better known Supro Tremo-Verb 6422TR and versions of it be found in several other Valco-made models branded Silvertone or Airline from the same era.
Height is 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm.), 20 in. (50.8 cm.) width, and 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.) deep.
This is a nicely preserved amplifier with only moderate signs of wear. The Gretsch "airline" covering is in pristine condition, only showing very minor scuffing around the corners and edges. The grille cloth covering is in excellent shape overall; it is taut with no notable tearing and shows only very minor staining and wear. The white plastic Gretsch logo is intact as well. The faceplate is nicely clean with little-to-no signs of corrosive staining, but the stenciled lettering is showing a fair bit of wear. The "G" logo chrome Gretsch knobs are the correct style but newer replacements. The amp retains its original handle and the hardware shows some corrosion.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original; the original Jensen C12R bears the code 220-724, dating it to the 24th week of 1967. The power, output and reverb transformers are all original to the amp, bearing the codes 524-6707, 524-6701 and 524-6631, dating them to the 7th and 1st week of 1967 and the 31st week of 1966, respectively. The original "shoe box" reverb tank is also present. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and biased to spec.
This is nicely clean example of a really wonderful "all-in-one" low-power amplifier that sounds truly fantastic! Gretsch amps of this era are often underrated; they are the equal (sometimes literally) of the more highly regarded National or Supro branded models built by the same factory, and have that extra tang of Gretschiness that adds some mid-60s eye appeal. In our lower volume world today this is a real find in a deluxe recording or low-wattage performance amp, and would make a great match to a period Brooklyn-made guitar to capture "That Great Gretsch Sound"!. Overall Very Good + Condition.
The 1964 Gretsch catalog featured a "Compact" line of amplifiers designed for home-use practice, especially handy for the thousands of guitar-boom kids happily essaying Beatle songs in the garage. These three models were all single-speaker 5 watt tube amps with an 8" speaker. The most basic model, the Compact 6150 had no effects, the Compact 6151 featured on-board tremolo, and this top model the Compact 6152 featured both tremolo and spring reverb. This made it quite lavish for a supposed practice amp at the time, with a sound sure to be the envy of the rest of the band in the garage! By 1967, this model was upgraded with a taller cabinet and a more robust 12" speaker.
In this period Gretsch amps were built by Valco in Chicago and are well engineered, sturdy and great sounding. The 6152 features three inputs, two "regular" and one "bright", master volume and tone controls as well as separate tremolo and "reverberation" controls, each with their own external footswitch jack. A single ended 6V6 power section yields around 5 watts into a single 12" Jensen speaker, a combination that is fairly rare among the myriad of other 5-watt practice amps of the era. The spring reverb and the lovely all-tube tremolo are effects normally only found in more powerful pro-grade amps at the time. This circuit is basically identical to the better known Supro Tremo-Verb 6422TR and versions of it be found in several other Valco-made models branded Silvertone or Airline from the same era.
Height is 17 1/8 in. (43.5 cm.), 20 in. (50.8 cm.) width, and 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm.) deep.
This is a nicely preserved amplifier with only moderate signs of wear. The Gretsch "airline" covering is in pristine condition, only showing very minor scuffing around the corners and edges. The grille cloth covering is in excellent shape overall; it is taut with no notable tearing and shows only very minor staining and wear. The white plastic Gretsch logo is intact as well. The faceplate is nicely clean with little-to-no signs of corrosive staining, but the stenciled lettering is showing a fair bit of wear. The "G" logo chrome Gretsch knobs are the correct style but newer replacements. The amp retains its original handle and the hardware shows some corrosion.
Electrically, the amp is nicely original; the original Jensen C12R bears the code 220-724, dating it to the 24th week of 1967. The power, output and reverb transformers are all original to the amp, bearing the codes 524-6707, 524-6701 and 524-6631, dating them to the 7th and 1st week of 1967 and the 31st week of 1966, respectively. The original "shoe box" reverb tank is also present. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, a grounded 3-prong power cord, cleaning of all sockets, pots and jacks and biased to spec.
This is nicely clean example of a really wonderful "all-in-one" low-power amplifier that sounds truly fantastic! Gretsch amps of this era are often underrated; they are the equal (sometimes literally) of the more highly regarded National or Supro branded models built by the same factory, and have that extra tang of Gretschiness that adds some mid-60s eye appeal. In our lower volume world today this is a real find in a deluxe recording or low-wattage performance amp, and would make a great match to a period Brooklyn-made guitar to capture "That Great Gretsch Sound"!. Overall Very Good + Condition.