Ever find one that needed nothing? - Time Capsule '65 Silvertone 1482

[Riffraff]

I found a real beauty on Craigslist this summer. When I contacted the seller he told me he had found it while cleaning out the home of a relative that had passed away. He said it was in a spare bedroom that was used as a storage area. He said he grabbed a box thinking he could use it to pack and found the amp inside it. I told him I was very interested and would be by in the morning to see it. What I found when I got there was even more than I hoped for.

This is the box he was talking about.



How often do you see a vintage piece of equipment in it's original packaging? I never have up until this point.
The amp looks like new. I have to keep reminding myself it's 46 years old.




Point to point wired......



Fresh Silvertone labeled RCAs throughout



It sounds just as good as it looks too. Here are some clips of it.

Silvertone 1482 - Miranda Gun Powder & Lead.wmv - YouTube

1482 tremolo Hell on Heels - YouTube

Silvertone 1482 - Foo Fighters My Hero.wmv - YouTube

The amp basically sat in it's original box for the last 46 years. It's definitely not something you find very often. The TV style box is so different and cool looking and the amp sounds amazing. It's the perfect little backseat jam amp. I’ve got to say, I'm REALLY enjoying it. Here is the craziest part of all, it's dead quiet and as punchy and alive sounding as a brand new amp

[Jazz P Bass]

That is so cool.
Time Capsule.
The box alone is probably worth big bucks.
I would love to know the story behind "why" it was never used.

[JoeM]

That's amazing. My very first guitar amp was that very model. Got it used from a friend in 1970.

[Chuck H]

I don't want to be the $h!t disturber here, because it's truely one of those rare "grandpa's closet" finds, but...

Just because it doesn't seem to have any issues doesn't mean the old electrolytic caps are trustworthy. I've seen decades old amps pulled from the shipping box and plugged in only to fail very soon after. Using the amp without replacing the electrolytic caps is running the risk of damage to your outstanding find. If it were me I would just replace the caps and save the old ones for time of sale. Believe me when I say that you truely don't want to find out I'm right the hard way.

Edit: I would probably remove and save the original speaker and tubes also. The old glues used to make those speakers can get brittle with age. I wouldn't turn the amp up loud with the original speaker. Tubes last forever unused though. You'll be much better off if you ever want to sell if you take this advice.

And thank you for sharing your amazing find.

[Tom Phillips]

Great find. It's nice to see verified original construction and parts details.
Any chance that you could share hi resolution photos?
Regards,
Tom

[Riffraff]

=Chuck H;231971]I don't want to be the $h!t disturber here, because it's truely one of those rare "grandpa's closet" finds, but...

Just because it doesn't seem to have any issues doesn't mean the old electrolytic caps are trustworthy. I've seen decades old amps pulled from the shipping box and plugged in only to fail very soon after. Using the amp without replacing the electrolytic caps is running the risk of damage to your outstanding find. If it were me I would just replace the caps and save the old ones for time of sale. Believe me when I say that you truely don't want to find out I'm right the hard way.

Edit: I would probably remove and save the original speaker and tubes also. The old glues used to make those speakers can get brittle with age. I wouldn't turn the amp up loud with the original speaker. Tubes last forever unused though. You'll be much better off if you ever want to sell if you take this advice.

And thank you for sharing your amazing find.

I was thinking the same thing and bought the caps and a grounded cord to do the swap. I was all ready to do the change out when my ratshack iron went south. I have to order a replacement iron. Meanwhile a bunch of collectors advised to leave it alone. Then I started to wonder and asked some techs. I got mixed responses but a few that really know their way around vintage tube amps said if it's not being gigged and it's showing no signs they would also take a wait and see approach with this amp. I wanted a player, not a museum piece so I have to figure out what I'm going to do. I've been playing it once a week for a few hours at a time for the past two months and it's still dead quiet and sounds as punchy and alive as a brand new amp. I once had a Sound City L120 that I put away for a decade and when it came out of the closet it had all the classic filter cap issues so I know the signs very well. I did a full recap on that one myself. I wonder, is something like this worth more to a collector factory fresh and never touched by an iron post production than serviced but coming with all original parts? I would think untouched would bring a higher price. If so I need to decide if I'm going to keep it to play or flip it for another amp.

[Riffraff]

Great find. It's nice to see verified original construction and parts details.
Any chance that you could share hi resolution photos?
Regards,
Tom

Sure, I'll try attaching a bigger gut shot photo.

[Diablo]

Wow, that thing's perfect. Enjoy it.

[Riffraff]

Larger gut shot attached.

[R.G.]

I have a strong opinion.

I wish I had enough money to buy an elephant.
... er, what do you want with an elephant?
I don't - I just wish I had the money.

Play it just once more, onto a video recorder to document full function and sound as it is. Then quit playing it. It's absolutely going to need repairs sometime, so 'freeze' the current good function. Vend it to collectors possibly through a vintage dealer or on line to get the best price, using the video as documentation. Sell at best price.

Buy a player/beater with part of the money, and buy beer with the rest.

[Chuck H]

Definitely more my mentality on this. Call Aspen Pittman, he'll probably knock three people over for the chance to pay twice it's value. While I don't go in for the museum piece ideology, that amp IS one. Let it remain that way and get something really fine and useful with the fat sale price. As a user amp it's not the top of the heap. Those amps never were. But as a collectible it's top scratch. Why not get a player and let that amp be a collectible.

[dai h.]

funny. That's what I thought (take the money and let a collector deal with the "problem" (continued risk and "ruining the value" by taking a precautionary approach), but one factor is that it isn't, say a 5F6-A Bassman, or Marshall JTM45-100 in a box (meaning, yes it is in amazing condition, but whether the amp will command a (white) "elephant" sum is a question mark). I would rather be safe (3-prong, new alu electros, etc.) but people do have different priorities with 'magical unblemished vintage purity' maybe more important to some.

(p.s. I guess not exactly the white elephant situation but does present a "damned if you do and damned if you don't" conundrum)

[Jazz P Bass]

Play the amp!
Enjoy it.
Rock on!

[Chuck H]

Play the amp!
Enjoy it.
Rock on!

OR...

Play the amp!
Be sure not to electrocute yourself because it has a two prong cord!
Fix it when the electrolytic caps go POP...OOOoooozzz (and hope no irreplacable original parts are damaged)
Enjoy it!.. Other than the whole electrocution and exploding components part.
Rock on!.. Anytime both you and the amp aren't dead.

EDIT: No flames please. Mostly toungue in cheek.

[imaradiostar]

If it were my choice I'd sell it. I had a maggie with the neat vibrato circuit that wasn't a museum piece and I sold it because I knew the guy I was selling to wanted to play it. For me it would have collected dust so it went to a loving home.

You could get good money for that and buy any of a number of really playable but "pre loved" amps that you could play without guilt. You could even get the same model and fix it up a bit and have money left over!

Karl at the Guitar Barn in PA might be interested- call him. He generally has a few old amps of that style and vintage. If he didn't want it I bet he'd know someone who does.

jamie