What to do with this head?

[mfwalker1]

Hi all.
I've just picked up this on fleabay:
Goldentone Vintage Valve Amp Head Project - eBay, Standard Amps, Amplifiers, Musical Instruments. (end time 04-Feb-10 19:24:34 AEDST)

It's a Goldentone 40W or 60W head minus all the componets (box and chassis only!)
What to do with it?

I want to build a 20-40W amp with Reverb and Trem (tank in the speaker cab - 2x12").
I spent a little too much on the item (oops!) So I'm looking to keep costs down.
I could attempt to re-build the GT circuit (1755-1759) however the transformers are expensive (A$200.00 for the power transformer).
Wondering if I could go a cheaper option by using Fender replacement parts...

For starters I'm considering:
1. Vibrolux Reverb.
2. Marshall 6M40
3. Gibson GA-19RVT
4. ELK stageman 30 (don't see too many Jap clones on the forums!)

Thoughts and suggestions?
Regards, MFWalker1

[axpro]

A buddy of mine had a cool ELK bandmaster clone when we were kids (20 years ago) it had seen much better days (and knowing what i know now, probably needed a cap job and some new tubes...) but sounded pretty good!

[olddawg]

It depends on what you want. I would build a hot rodded 50 watt JCM 800 in it with a better reverb. It would be a real sleeper. But that's me.

[J M Fahey]

I think you could have bought a non-working Goldentone, at some pawnshop/Salvation Army/whatever for that price or not much more, it would have solved 80% of your problem.
You would have had to repair it, of course, or build a new preamp re-using a lot of what you got.
With what you bought, you only have about 5% of an amp.
EDIT: not to sour your day, but I found on EBay-AU a *working* Goldentone combo, with reverb and, obviously, speaker (and cloth, knobs, everything) for AU$75 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! , some AU$25 less than what you paid for an empty cabinet, empty rusty chassis, no front panel, full of poorly hand drilled holes.
Just my proverbial two cents.
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/vintage-ampli...item3a576c53db

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

Ouch... give the guy a break... maybe he's a novice.
How many other gurus have never made a little purchasing mistake?
I wish I could have some of my goofs back.

[olddawg]

Ouch... give the guy a break... maybe he's a novice.
How many other gurus have never made a little purchasing mistake?
I wish I could have some of my goofs back.

I agree. And...the eBay amp is a small combo probably 15 watts (looks like EL84s or something close), And... it's still 5 DAYS OUT. It will probably go for much more than that. A decent cab and chassis for a 50 head will cost you over $200 nowadays, so it isn't a total rip. One man's junk is another man's treasure. It's no more than a bar tab on a hot night.

[Tom Phillips]

MFWalker,
No worries. You got fair intrinsic value for the price you paid.
Based on the cost for a bare chassis and a cab you are well on your way to a fun project.
Cheers,
Tom

[mfwalker1]

Hi. Yep a noob here. One build so far - a 5E3 Ceriatone. Got the bug now.
AU$100 is probably too much - agreed. Ebay can be an addiction...
But then a vibroverb chassis is AU$145.00 new here. And then you have to build a box.
Co-incidentaly the 'suitcase' GT mentioned is identical to one I used to own many years ago and stupidly gave away!
Still weighing up the options.

[J M Fahey]

OK, sorry, no harm intended and no offense implied.
My full apologies to MFWalker.
I want to state clearly that I was really pissed off by the guy who *sold* "that" in such condition.
I get very angry at people who takes advantage of beginners and naïve people in general; I'm sorry if some of that anger colored my answer to somebody who, clearly, is the loser in this deal.
The EBay description was absolutely misleading, it implied a vintage amplifier, it just was not so.
By the way, I have long been a fan of the peculiar Aussie amps, and think they were the only ones to successfully tame the lowly 6DQ6 into good practical Guitar and Bass Amps.

[Bruce / Mission Amps]

OK, sorry, no harm intended and no offense implied.
My full apologies to MFWalker.
I want to state clearly that I was really pissed off by the guy who *sold* "that" in such condition.
I get very angry at people who takes advantage of beginners and naïve people in general; I'm sorry if some of that anger colored my answer to somebody who, clearly, is the loser in this deal.
The EBay description was absolutely misleading, it implied a vintage amplifier, it just was not so.
By the way, I have long been a fan of the peculiar Aussie amps, and think they were the only ones to successfully tame the lowly 6DQ6 into good practical Guitar and Bass Amps.

A gentleman's response.

[custom_amp_30]

So, do you still own that Elk Stageman? Can you post some pictures of it?