I Found a Mutilated 69 Marshall, is it worth it??

[Marcomel79]

Man they just went crazy with that silicon. And the brown stuff. Never seen anything like that

 

[Jay Doherty]

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price would be?

less than $1k. I would walk unless it’s a steal and you want a project, which can be fun. But thinking with so much of this changed, at what point is it no longer valid to call it a “‘69 Marshall”?
For reference, I bought an almost completely original and very clean 71 Bass (Canadian export with laydown) for $2500 a few months ago.

 

[Theresa]

too much

 

[Popper]

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price would be?

Did someone hide chocolate inside that thing???

 

[Bat Pup]

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price would be?

If it works and sounds good, go for it but I wouldn't pay over $500.00 for it.

 

[saxon68]

I believe the first thing to do is to get it to a really good and experienced amp tech and find out what the cost will be to have all of the work done, then find out if the current owner has the original OT , Mercury can rebuild it if he has the trans. I had a 50 watt 69 and it was all original but I bought it in 1973 for $100 and it was the pickiest amp I ever owned as far as speakers went. It hated every 4X12 cabinet I plugged it into but I finally plugged it into an Altec single 15 in a POS home made cabinet and man that little beast just sang! never had quite enough headroom for everything I wanted but very nice grind. As far as resale and value originality is everything when dealing with vintage gear

Like I said, I wouldn’t touch it myself. I don’t have the skills or desire to make it into something great again. I’ll happily buy a nice one that someone I trust has restored.

 

[neikeel]

I can fix it but would not pay more than £500 max

 

[Xenrelic]

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price would be?

Aw man, I love stuff like that!

If it were me I would offer no more than 1000. Snatch that thing up and go to town with a rebuild. It looks like the Iskra resistors are mostly there, so you just need to order a set of mustard caps, some new F&T filter caps, an amazing sounding output transformer like the Pacific Audio Magnetics 50 watt Marshall OT. Start with removing all the bullshit inside and you're good to go. Maybe throw a polarity switch in place of that crap next to the power switch. This amp is totally saveable. I think there's even a guy selling repro brushed metal faceplates on reverb and ebay for these. After that I'd just recover the cab and grab a new logo to lightly age and pop on the front.

If you're a tech and savvy with rebuilds, this is a dream project.

 

[Derrick111]

an amazing sounding output transformer like the Pacific Audio Magnetics 100 watt Marshall OT that you can buy off Antique Electronic Supply.

I'm interested in your experiance with these transformers. I have not used one yet and don't know anyone who has. What has been your experiance ith them and how would you compare it to others currently available?

After that I'd just recover the cab and grab a new logo to lightly age and pop on the front.

I would leave the cab/tolex alone. It is original and in pretty good shape already. It has value as is.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

I'm the guy who sells faceplates, both metalface and plexi. I don't sell them on reverb. And I make them. (They are made for me by my subcontractor shops.) I do sell them on ebay and will also deal direct, usually the contact starts with a private message.

 

[Valvelust]

I found a 69 Marshall, was owned by local musician that gigged with it for 30+ years. Little is left of the original besides the lay down transformer and the choke. It was gooped with RTV and some reddish brown stuff on the power transformer. It even has a Fender output transformer. So what do you think a reasonable price would be?

Now if there was ever a term to better to describe it as "cobbed" like Dawk used to say...... That would fit the bill.

If you pass, pm me and I may take the challenge.

 

[Pave Dog]

I have never seen modifications like that. Has the tremolo circuit been removed and the speed and intensity knobs turned into post and master controls? Also an effects loop, a tone enhancer mod that has been removed and, the ohm selector is gone and it has a fixed 8 ohm output? This amp has really been through some changes. How does it sound?

You’re correct on the additional controls, no effects loop. It is a good sounding amp, not great but good. He wants $2.5k for the amp and won’t come down except a couple hundred. It is way too much in my opinion

 

[playloud]

You’re correct on the additional controls, no effects loop. It is a good sounding amp, not great but good. He wants $2.5k for the amp and won’t come down except a couple hundred. It is way too much in my opinion

Wish him the best of luck with that.

 

[Matthews Guitars]

2500 for that?

Some people just don't have a clue.

 

[neikeel]

You’re correct on the additional controls, no effects loop. It is a good sounding amp, not great but good. He wants $2.5k for the amp and won’t come down except a couple hundred. It is way too much in my opinion

 

[Matthews Guitars]

Be sure to show this thread to the owner of that poor butchered mess!!!

 

[Beryllium-9]

It would be a shame to buy that amp when the current owner loves it so much. Its probably best that he hangs on to it!!

 

[Xenrelic]

I'm interested in your experiance with these transformers. I have not used one yet and don't know anyone who has. What has been your experiance ith them and how would you compare it to others currently available?

I would leave the cab/tolex alone. It is original and in pretty good shape already. It has value as is.

Pacific Audio Magnetics is my fav company still in business that is making stuff worth while these days that you can easily get a hold of. Heyboer would be second choice for vintage paper layer wound, but I find these work better with modern high gain amps as they have a bit of an edginess in the top end. Mercury would be another modern sounding choice with a nylon bobbin, but the tone isn't quite right to me with those. Merren and Marstran were doing okay stuff for a bit, but I'm not sure people can get a hold of those guys unless you're ordering in bulk and it's worth their time.

Pacific Datasheet

Store Link

Pacific to me has the most correct tone to the original Drakes and were honestly slightly better sounding to me than the originals. I've actually replaced a few blown '73 and later '79 output transformers with the Pacific 100W Marshall iron that was available at CE Distribution and Antique Electronic Supply and that iron sounded phenomenal. I think New Sensor/Electro Harmonix sells the same exact Pactran 100W Marshall OT's for much cheaper than CE Distribution if you have a business account with them. The only thing with the CE and EHX Pactran version is the end bells have a taper at the bottom and the wire colors aren't correct, but the new Pacific iron you can buy on the Pactran site has the correct end bells and wiring colors.

EHX Link

 

[Derrick111]

Pacific Audio Magnetics is my fav company still in business that is making stuff worth while these days that you can easily get a hold of. Heyboer would be second choice for vintage paper layer wound, but I find these work better with modern high gain amps as they have a bit of an edginess in the top end. Mercury would be another modern sounding choice with a nylon bobbin, but the tone isn't quite right to me with those. Merren and Marstran were doing okay stuff for a bit, but I'm not sure people can get a hold of those guys unless you're ordering in bulk and it's worth their time.

Pacific Datasheet

Store Link

Pacific to me has the most correct tone to the original Drakes and were honestly slightly better sounding to me than the originals. I've actually replaced a few blown '73 and later '79 output transformers with the Pacific 100W Marshall iron that was available at CE Distribution and Antique Electronic Supply and that iron sounded phenomenal. I think New Sensor/Electro Harmonix sells the same exact Pactran 100W Marshall OT's for much cheaper than CE Distribution if you have a business account with them. The only thing with the CE and EHX Pactran version is the end bells have a taper at the bottom and the wire colors aren't correct, but the new Pacific iron you can buy on the Pactran site has the correct end bells and wiring colors.

EHX Link

Wow, I am really happy to hear from someone with actual experience with these and the others you mentioned... the comparison was quite helpful and your assessment of Mercury is in line with mine. Does the PAM transformer from CE fit the original mounting screw holes exactly the same (is it a 100% fit drop in replacement for 60s/70/s/80s output transformers or is some modification required? I am going to pick one up for a JCM800 repair I am doing. Too bad the wires aren't color coded the same, but that's not really a big deal. Sounds like a great transformer that has been under most people's radar on par with Marstran and Merren (what I consider the two current best). I don't have much experience with Heyboer to say though...

 

[Pave Dog]

2500 for that?

Some people just don't have a clue.

The problem is that people go on Reverb and look up 1968 Marshall and assume that theirs is worth the same. Most of those listings don't sell for their asking and I don't remember seeing one butchered like this one.