Standel Artist All Tube / Hand Wired 1964

1964 Standel Artist combo amp. All tube, hand wired, 15" speaker, 30 Watts. A true players amp. Great tone. Swampy tremolo. Serviced by Bakos Amp Works, Atlanta, GA. This is an every-day players amp. Amazing tone and a terrific pedal platform. Ernie Ball casters attached to bottom. Grill cloth has been replaced. Minor nicks in the tolex, but nothing you wouldn't expect from a 60 year old amplifier. Rear panel replaced with chipboard for protection. Original handle hiding under padding. From one of the great west-coast amp manufacturers of the 1960s.

Contrary to what some fledgling vintage guitar and amplifier enthusiasts may think, amplifier brands other than Fender were made in California during the ’50s, the decade some consider the golden age of electric guitars and amps in the Golden State.

The early Standel amplifiers made by company founder Bob Crooks presented a formidable challenge to Leo Fender’s company, since they were played by some of the most famous players of the time, including Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, and Hank Thompson. Travis’ Standel amp can usually be seen at the Vintage Guitar booth during L.A.-area guitar shows cosponsored by VG; displayed courtesy of its current owner, veteran California luthier R.C. Allen.

Some of the innovations the early Standel amplifiers featured, including:
1. Separate bass and treble controls (instead of one tone control).
2. Constant current.
3. Open-weave “Hi-Fi” grillecloth.
4. A 15″ JBL D-130 speaker (Standel was the first company to use JBL speakers in production model amplifiers).

Own a piece of history!