Gibson GA-20T. Buy With Your Ears... Not Your Ego. 1958

If you're looking for more bang for your buck, let us examine, if you will, the counterpoint to my point.

Yes, that would be the vaunted Fender Deluxe.

First up, a clean tweed Deluxe in comparable condition is going to cost you two times what this Gibson will. Yet both were born during the golden age of American tube amplification. Both feature a pair of 6V6 output tubes, tube rectification, glorious touch sensitivity, and enough vintage tone to make modern boutique builders rich.

So what specifically are the differences between this 1958 Gibson GA-20T and a tweed Deluxe?

Not nearly as much as the price tag would have you believe.

The biggest difference?

Our need for acceptance.

And the need for acceptance generally falls into three categories:

• People pleasers.
• Those who care little for what others think.
• Those who vacillate between pleasing others and pleasing themselves.

In this example, it's numbers one and three that drive the market.

Number two?

Well... he doesn't give two sh*ts.

About this amp?

Why not.

This 1958 Gibson GA-20T is exceptionally clean, retaining its original Jensen Special Design speaker and original transformers. Somewhere along the way, this elderly lady found herself in need of fresh electrolytics and was granted them by a competent amplifier technician. Frankly, at nearly seventy years of age, she's earned a little medical attention.

Tone?

Think warm cleans, thick midrange, smooth breakup, and one of the sweetest tube tremolos Gibson ever produced. Blindfold most players, and they'll simply tell you it sounds like a great vintage American tube amp.

Condition? Exceptional.

Electronics? Fully functional.

In closing, history has a funny way of rewarding those willing to color outside the lines. If you're chasing tone instead of a logo, this Gibson may be one of the smartest vintage amplifier purchases you'll ever make.