1961 Fender Super 6G4-A Brown Tolex

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These Supers... Man, they're good! This one is completely serviced and ready to go!

This amp is an early example of the 6G4-A circuit, a revision of the initial 6G4 that uses two 5881 output tubes as opposed to the earlier 6L6GC's and the revised harmonic tremolo circuit that added a 6th preamp tube to the mix. The A-revision also addresses the original front-panel layout decision which put the volume control third, now dubbed the "venter volume", after bass and treble. This design received immediate backlash from players who found the volume control placement utterly confusing and the layout was changed to the more intuitive and now classic "volume, treble and bass" order.

The amp is in great shape with the only bummer being that the handle was changed. At some point, someone put a later handle on it, drilling a couple extra holes in the top of the cab. The original handle hardware was eventually returned to the amp with a replacement "dogbone" handle.

You'll see that the transformers are all original, as is much of the internal circuit - including the beloved, original yellow Astron caps.

Filter caps have been replaced, an important maintenance step. It appears that one of the original Jensen speakers was reconed at some point. The tremolo circuit needed a little work on arrival and is now working perfectly. The power cable was changed to a new, grounded cable.

A bias pot was installed in the circuit. The work was done unobtrusively with no new holes in the chassis.

Everything about the amp dates it to 1961 with the exception of one internal potentiometer, which is from very early 1962. This explains the 6G4 model number on the label

Some Fender Super amp history:

The Super evolved from the so-called Dual Professional, "often cited as the world's first twin-speaker amplifier," which was introduced in 1947. The Dual Professional had two slightly angled 10" Jensen speakers, and had two 6L6 tubes producing 18 watts. It was renamed the Super in the fall of 1947.

The amplifier's circuit was changed in 1955 (until then it was identical to the Fender Pro, except for the speaker configuration) when the 6L6 tubes were exchanged for 6V6 tubes; the 1958 5F4 model was again equipped with 6L6 tubes, so its circuitry was again almost identical to that of the Pro (5E5-A model) and the Bandmaster (5E7 model).

The 5F4 model had Presence, Bass, and Treble controls, and separate Volume controls for the microphone and instrument inputs. It used 12AY7 pre-amplifier tubes for "more clarity and headroom" than a 12AX7 would. A fixed-bias output stage and split-phase inverters helped the Super overdrive more quickly than the Fender Bassman and produce a sound that, according to Vintage Guitar's Dave Hunter, "in the estimation of many a vintage-amp fan, is among the sweetest and most delectable of any amp ever made."

In 1960, the Super Amp was redesigned along with the remainder of the Professional Series of Fender amplifiers. Accordingly, the 5G4 Super Amp was clad in light brown tolex and outfitted with a forward facing control panel. The chassis contained a larger circuit with 5 preamp tubes to support a new onboard vibrato circuit. The Super, however, was the only one of these updated Professional amps to retain its tube rectifier, giving it a unique sound more akin to the preceding tweed 5F4 design. By the end of 1960, the vibrato circuit was beefed up again resulting in the 6 preamp tube model 6G4 followed shortly after by the 6G4-A.

This latter model (6G4-A) is the most common design lasting from mid 1961 to 1963 until the Super-Reverb Amp was debuted. The 6G4-A however typically sports standard brown tolex with wheat colored grill cloth and delivers approximately 40 watts of power. During this time, the 2-10" speakers were either Jensen AlNiCo or Oxford AlNiCo models. The output transformer was an initial weak point in the design as they tended to short out and fail under the increased power after 1958 when the Super regained its 40 watts of muscle thanks to the return to 6L6/5881 power tubes. As a result, Fender began using Woodward-Schumacher 4-ohm transformers (stamped 125A6A). These transformers had thicker gauge wires than the previous Triad version (stamped 45216) and handled the higher power with less stress.

Case/Cover?: No
Color: Brown Tolex
Dimensions: H19" x W24" x 10.5"
Weight: 45lb
Watts: 40w
Date: March 1961
Where date is noted: Tube Chart - KC
Speaker 1 Brand/Model: Jensen P10Q
Speaker 1 Size: 10"
Speaker 1 Code: 220014
Speaker 1 Cone: Looks Re-Coned
Speaker 2 Brand/Model: Jensen P10Q
Speaker 2 Size: 10"
Speaker 2 Code: 220014
Speaker 2 Cone: Original
Power Transformer brand and/or codes: 8087 (Triad)
Output Transformer brand and/or codes: 125 01A / 606107
Choke Transformer brand and/or codes: 45216
Reverb Transformer brand and/or codes: N/A
Extension Speaker Out? Yes
FX Loop?: No
Reverb or other effects?: Vibrato
Rectifier Tube: GZ 34
Rectifier Tube Brand: New JJ tube
Power tubes: 5881 x2
Power Tube Brand: GE
Preamp Tubes: 7025 x2 / 12AX7 x2 / 7025 x2
Preamp Tube Brand: GE, RCA and JJ
Filter Caps: Replaced
Pedal?: No
Pots, codes: RA 137 6036 / 32032
Tolex: Brown
Tolex original?: Original
Grille: Oxblood
Grill Original?: Original
Knobs: Original
Handle: Re Pro w/extra holes
Power cord: Changed to a grounded cable.
Notes: