1967 Super Bass - Price / Original?

[JoeyJones]

Hey guys,

so this 1967 Super Bass popped up on Reverb, and since I'm located in Europe, it's interesting to me:

https://reverb.com/item/81505052-1967-marshall-jmp-1992-super-bass-plexi

The owner has attached gutshot pics. Can you see from the pictures if it's all original?

And more importantly; if it is indeed all original, how fair do you think the price is? 7700€ ($8,300) seems a little steep for THAT condition, no?

Best
joey

 

[tomsvintage]

Not all original. First glance the AC cord is hardwired and bypasses the original Bulgin plug. Other changed components non sympathetically. Let the real experts chime in

 

[Ned B]

This final edition of the Drake equipped 100s with the 1202-132 OT is in my opinion one of the most desirable periods of production and worth a premium. It looks like there has been some abrasive clean up on the chassis and transformers that kind of ruins it for me.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Looks like one that has been maintained as a working amp with no great regard for keeping it fully authentic. A working man's amp.
But not butchered, and fully restorable to be more correct if you want. The transformers show signs of having been abrasively cleaned.
The screen resistors are not original, neither are any of those IC electrolytics. (Cheapest brand you can get, too.)

It's definitely restorable. It's a great candidate for that. Aside from the added hole for a power cord, while leaving the Bulgin socket intact, I see no alterations to the chassis. And what an unusual choice that was!

In my opinion that's FAR too high a price for a working man's amp. Even if it is a '67, I don't think it's worth 8K. Half that, MAYBE.

 

[Brewster]

These amps are like a survivor car and should be left ALONE with patina for all to enjoy. Trying to refresh an vintage item ends up reducing its value and overall appearance.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

By restorable, I mean, putting it back to more correct parts specs. Pulling out the low quality IC caps and putting in better ones. Replacing the bathtub screen resistors with proper Welwyn green vitreous ceramic wirewounds. Not stripping it down and replating all the steel parts or anything like that.

It can be brought back to being MORE correct with appropriate parts easily enough.

 

[JoeyJones]

Looks like one that has been maintained as a working amp with no great regard for keeping it fully authentic. A working man's amp.
But not butchered, and fully restorable to be more correct if you want. The transformers show signs of having been abrasively cleaned.
The screen resistors are not original, neither are any of those IC electrolytics. (Cheapest brand you can get, too.)

Thanks, that's really informative!
The parts you mentioned that were changed - would you say they drastically alter the sound?

 

[Matthews Guitars]

No.

 

[playloud]

This one has been on Reverb for a while (and at much more ridiculous prices). The seller 'relisted' it recently, which is why it says it has only been up for one month.

In that time, a couple of similar era (1202-132) amps have sold. Another Super Bass went for around US$6k, and a Super Trem for a bit less. Both were at least as nice as this one.

 

[79JMP100]

At that price, he's obviously not in a hurry or desperate to sell it. The scrubbed iron on the output transformer is a deal breaker for me on a vintage transformer. The recap was done inexpensively, but that's nothing you could not remedy. The fact that good photos were provided up front is nice, but the price point makes it a firm no...

 

[Derrick111]

By restorable, I mean, putting it back to more correct parts specs. Pulling out the low quality IC caps and putting in better ones. Replacing the bathtub screen resistors with proper Welwyn green vitreous ceramic wirewounds. Not stripping it down and replating all the steel parts or anything like that.

It can be brought back to being MORE correct with appropriate parts easily enough.

No, those DCC sandblock screen resistors are original. They can be found used for a short period of time from about late '67 to mid '68 by Marshall. People have to be careful what they think is original and not, because over time, they "restore" out the unique differences and oddball features by following a generic "norm".

Either way, I agree with @Ned B about the abrasive cleaning of transformers and chassis... it ruins it for me. I also feel that there is something messy about the wiring and especially the main board. Those resistors just don't seem factory installed to me and could possibly be restoration parts. Not altogether sure about that, but it was certain;y touched up poorly and the parts are installed very sloppy which isn't typical for Marshall. Credit to the clean, meticulous work of the ladies at Marshall.

 

[echoplexi1974]

The abrasive cleaning looks like sandpaper to me. That's too bad. I wonder if there was a safe approach to undue it?

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Thanks for the info on the DCC block resistors. Didn't know that!

Looks to me like MOST of the solder connections have been redone. They're way too clean and shiny to be 57 years old. Not a big deal, actually probably it's a good thing from a purely functional point of view, but something to know if collector grade is your grade.

 

[Derrick111]

Thanks for the info on the DCC block resistors. Didn't know that!

Looks to me like MOST of the solder connections have been redone. They're way too clean and shiny to be 57 years old. Not a big deal, actually probably it's a good thing from a purely functional point of view, but something to know if collector grade is your grade.

Yea, in fact I recently found some photos of Marshalls being assembled around that very time and was stoked to see them here pretty clearly. The internal smoothing cap arrangement, Torotor switches, and short lived block rectifier in this photo makes this era indisputable, although these photos are from Marshall themselves who have established the year. Plus you see pinstripe cabs in other photos of this shoot so not too far into 1968 at latest.

 

[AtomicRob]

Noticed the band name "Cartoone" stenciled on the back... I'm always curious when I see names stenciled on, didn't know of this band myself but apparently they were active '67-70, had Jimmy Page play on their album, and toured with Zeppelin in America. So who knows, that amp might have some stories to tell. Not that it necessarily means anything in value but just interesting to see that.

 

[jave276]

All in all its a good looking amp. I really like these ones! Personally I play the 50W Bass which is my fav. I am in EU and have several 50W Bass, I can let go of one in case you're interested. I also may sell my 100w Super Lead. Anyway, If you'd like to, send me a message and we'll talk. Cheers J

 

[playloud]

Noticed the band name "Cartoone" stenciled on the back... I'm always curious when I see names stenciled on, didn't know of this band myself but apparently they were active '67-70, had Jimmy Page play on their album, and toured with Zeppelin in America. So who knows, that amp might have some stories to tell. Not that it necessarily means anything in value but just interesting to see that.

Yes, I wondered about that. But as the amp is in France, and "Cartoon" in English is "Cartoone" in French, it wouldn't be surprising for another band to have had that name.

Ignore me! (And Google Translate)

 

[nickfox]

But as the amp is in France, and "Cartoon" in English is "Cartoone" in French

Are you sure about that?

 

[AtomicRob]

Hmm. Digging deeper, I see the guitarist from Cartoone was Les Harvey, who met an untimely end - "on 3 May 1972, he was electrocuted in front of a live audience when he touched a microphone that was not earthed while the fingers of his other hand were holding the strings of his guitar." So hopefully that's NOT his amp...

 

[Matthews Guitars]

That's NOT the kind of electrifying performance a guitar or bass player wants to give to his audience!