I had one of these once. Let's remember, I bought it in a used music store in New Bedford, back in the early 90's. I paid 400$ for it. Claimed Magic Dick once owned it, LOL, what the heck would he be doing in New Bedford?!
It had serious mojo and looked terrific. I used it for a couple of years. Great tone, nice amp for practice and recording. It struggled as a performance amp and would get overwhelmed by other amps. Also, it was old and hissed and popped and needed too much TLC. I finally sold it at a lost when the power transformer konked out. Get the guts checked before buying (skip simmons) and don't fall in love with the mojo too quick. I prefer my 58 Fender Deluxe over this amp, only because it has been more dependable. But all these relics are best kept at home. They are over 50 years old, so they are bound to fail.
Last week I played at a jam and the harp guy had a Premier Twin 8. It was a super amp, sounded great but in competition with two guitar amps, bass, drums, its sound was lost. Yes, it was miced up, but it didn't cut the mix. Another adorable amp, w/ serious mojo that got outflanked on stage.
For a first amp, get a dependable unit, or you will be spending more time being an expert in fixing stuff than playing. But then again, I am done with collectibles. As for being worth, 1000-2000, that's sounds awful high, but whatever.
Last Edited by on Aug 23, 2011 6:47 AM
@Happy Honker The GA 40 is one of if not the most sought after amp Gibson made. If it is two tone brown and Les Paul on the front it is worth about $1000 in mint condition. They sell between 400 and 800 most of the time. If you can get it at a resonable price and then send it to someone to have made road worthy. That would be one of the best amps you'll ever own! If its in a shop then it needs work. Thats not a big deal. Ask some repairmen what they would charge to make it dependable. Figure that into the price and then decide. If you don't send it to someone it will be just as 6SN7 said. its bound to fail. I have a 1958 Gibson GA 20 that is perfectly dependable with original sockets and transformers. The sockets in my amp are so tight its hard to take the tubes out! @6SN7 Didn't Magic Dick grow up in Worster MA.? Or he went to college there. I can't remeber now, but thats not that far away. He may have owned the amp in the late 60's.
@chromaticblues Dick was born in New London and went to school in Worcester before breaking w/ J Geils. I never have seen him use an amp like that, but I guess you never know. This was not a vintage music shop where hippies hung around jammed, it was a pawn shop that sold instruments and other valuables in a port town. I wouldn't pick just anyone to fix one of these or any vintage piece. You will probably pay the same to have Skip fix it (less the shipping) then the guy next door. Good luck with the amp, it is a mojo monster.
Two tone ga40 amps have a circuit board with components mounted on both sides. Servicing requires removal of all of the pots, jacks etc from the control panel and flopping the entire board over. A well known expert harp amp builder declined to work on mine. So, servicing will likely be expensive. Al Forbes in Charlotte NC fixed mine perfect.
I've lusted after that amp for a while - but I've got an old amp compulsion that could use some medication. I love my BR9 and just got it back up and running after F-n it up running without the speaker plugged in. Gibsons are well built and still cheaper than their tweed fender cousins. They sing. ----------
@jimr Yeah your right about that. MY amp is a GA-20T. Which has the exact same layout as the two tone GA-40. You are right about finding someone to do it also. Due to the fact Fenders are so popular most good tube amp techs would rather work on them because its easy. The truth is any GOOD tube amp tech can rebuild a GA-40. You just have to find one that wants to. If it was me I'd buy and wouldn't think twice! @6SN7 yeah I knew it was something like that. I either didn't know or forgot he grew up in New London though. If it was a pawn shop and not an old music store than you are probably right. Odds are he has never seen it. Wouldn't it be cool if that was his first amp and never played out with it. You should have called him and asked. Heay you never know. He might have wanted it back if it is true!
