Ampeg R-12 Rocket (1961)

Compact, lightweight, and handsome, this clean 1961 Ampeg R-12 Rocket is an amazing vintage combo worth every penny

1961 Ampeg R-12 Rocket 1x12 12-Watt Combo just in from the family of its original owner!

Not too long back, a local customer brought us their father's old instruments that were tucked up in an attic. This '61 Rocket was one of them, and judging by its condition, it looks like a forgotten relic!

Ampeg introduced the Rocket in the 1950s with great success, and that followed well into the 60s with the evolution to the Reverberocket. This transitional Rocket was made in the same year that Ampeg debuted its reverb-equipped sibling. With its Random Navy Flair covering and wide panel cabinet style, it had a distinctive look that would set itself well apart from Fender and Gibson. The Rocket and Jet combos are nearly identical from this period, sharing the same tubes, cabinet, and speaker. However, the Rocket added three separate input for Guitar, Accordion, and Mic, as well as an intensity controlfor the vibrato circuit, which was excluded from the Jet. Putting out roughly 12 watts via a pair of 6V6 power tubes, the octal preamp provides a rich and chimey tone that breaks up wonderfully when pushed.

These are fantastic recording amps and ideal for players in the Americana, Folk, Country, and Rock realms who want a different flavor of the mid century American amp tone. Considering they sell at a fraction of the price of Leo Fender's creations from the same year, Ampegs like this are some of the very best values in vintage guitar amps.

This nearly untouched attic amp was just gone through by Stan Day, who replaced the original two prong power cord, some caps, resistors, and tubes, and swapped the dry rotted handle for a nice replacement. The original Jensen P12S sounds great, and the original "doorstop" vibrato footswitch is clean and functional.

**Please Note: All vintage amplifiers - regardless of service history - contain electronic components that will eventually require replacement or repair. This is often unpredictable and should be expected as a vintage amplifier owner. We are not responsible for additional service upon receipt. We also do not guarantee tube life.**