I have a chance to buy a Beltone AP-12 amp. It is 1960s, looks to be in very good condition, it is in working order but I have no chance to try before buying.
My internet search tells me it has a 8" speaker and is about 8 to 10 watts. Sold in Canada but likely made in Japan.
Anyone out there have any experience with these as a harp amp?
Asking price is $200 which seems reasonable as vintage amps do not come up for sale very often close to me.
I don't have any personal experience with one, but I know a harp player who has a Teisco similar to that one, and Teisco was who made Beltone. His sounds pretty darn good. I don't think you'd go wrong with the Beltone, from what I'm reading about it, but it's always a shot in the dark if you don't get a chance to play it first before buying.
The one thing I'd be careful of on that particular model though...it uses a 6X4 rectifier. There's nothing wrong with that at all, hell Kalamazoos use them too. But the 6X4 is no longer in production and NOS specimens are going to run out one day. Same thing with the 6AR5 power tube. Good news on that however is that they weren't used in anywhere near as many amp models as 5Y3's were, so the NOS 6X4's and 6AR5's out there for sale today aren't all that costly. ---------- Hawkeye Kane
Last Edited by on Aug 01, 2012 9:22 AM
This would be my first vintage amp. I don't really need it but like the idea of vintage and this one really looks nice. My problem is there are no local amp techs within 200km of my home and from what I have read on the our forum it seems that most amps of that age would require some new parts.
Maybe, but you'd be surprised at how durable and long-lasting some amps and their parts can be. I just went over to my bandleader's house today on my lunch. He just scored a Lectrolab R500 from around 1957. It is in pretty awesome working order and sounds great! ---------- Hawkeye Kane
