Gibson EH-150 Tube Amplifier, c. 1938
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Item # 9727
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Gibson EH-150 Model Tube Amplifier, c. 1938, made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 7741, tweed fabric covering finish.
This is a truly superb example of the world's first great guitar amplifier, Gibson's EH-150. These early Gibson amps went through a number of style changes; this is the ca. 1939 variant built into a larger slightly arched cabinet with rounded off upper corners. The gold/brown tweed cabinet cover has orange and black vertical stripes in the center, with a black script Gibson logo in the lower right hand corner. The square lower cabinet edges have leather corners and round hard rubber feet. The front speaker aperture is covered by a black metal grill.
The removable latched back reveals the deco-styled control panel which lays out left-right with an on/off switch, fuse, microphone volume, instruments volume, 1 mic and 2 instrument inputs, and a tone control switch (bass and normal). The original field coil 12" speaker is still in fine condition. This was the premier professional amplifier of its day, as used by Charlie Christian and a host of other 1940s greats, and is still a wonderful and unique-sounding amp today.
Height is 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) width, and 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically this amp is in excellent shape, with some visible wear but far less than most of these for its 80+ years on earth. The rather fragile luggage-style paper covering features a nice dark amber patina, showing only minor signs of wear, most notably a couple darker marks on the front and side top edges of the cabinet. The leather corners are all present and nicely intact, as is the handle, which shows some tears to the paper wrapped covering, but still has life left in it. The amp even comes with the original linen cover, which is in great shape as well.
Internally, the amp is nicely original. It retains all the original transformers as well as the field-coil speaker, which appears to have been reconed at some point. It tests great and sounds fantastic. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, as well as install of a modern 3-prong grounded power cord, all sockets, pots and jacks cleaned and biased to spec.
This little amp is quickly becoming a shop favorite, and is a perennially sought-after amplifier by players as well as collectors, with a versatile sound that remains unique 80+ years later. This is one of the finest we have had both sonically and cosmetically. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This is a truly superb example of the world's first great guitar amplifier, Gibson's EH-150. These early Gibson amps went through a number of style changes; this is the ca. 1939 variant built into a larger slightly arched cabinet with rounded off upper corners. The gold/brown tweed cabinet cover has orange and black vertical stripes in the center, with a black script Gibson logo in the lower right hand corner. The square lower cabinet edges have leather corners and round hard rubber feet. The front speaker aperture is covered by a black metal grill.
The removable latched back reveals the deco-styled control panel which lays out left-right with an on/off switch, fuse, microphone volume, instruments volume, 1 mic and 2 instrument inputs, and a tone control switch (bass and normal). The original field coil 12" speaker is still in fine condition. This was the premier professional amplifier of its day, as used by Charlie Christian and a host of other 1940s greats, and is still a wonderful and unique-sounding amp today.
Height is 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) width, and 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm.) deep.
Cosmetically this amp is in excellent shape, with some visible wear but far less than most of these for its 80+ years on earth. The rather fragile luggage-style paper covering features a nice dark amber patina, showing only minor signs of wear, most notably a couple darker marks on the front and side top edges of the cabinet. The leather corners are all present and nicely intact, as is the handle, which shows some tears to the paper wrapped covering, but still has life left in it. The amp even comes with the original linen cover, which is in great shape as well.
Internally, the amp is nicely original. It retains all the original transformers as well as the field-coil speaker, which appears to have been reconed at some point. It tests great and sounds fantastic. The amp has seen our typical maintenance and servicing, including replacement of all electrolytic capacitors, as well as install of a modern 3-prong grounded power cord, all sockets, pots and jacks cleaned and biased to spec.
This little amp is quickly becoming a shop favorite, and is a perennially sought-after amplifier by players as well as collectors, with a versatile sound that remains unique 80+ years later. This is one of the finest we have had both sonically and cosmetically. Overall Excellent - Condition.