Gibson GA-8 Gibsonette (1960)
Vintage
The secret's been out on these for a while now, but thankfully Gibson built enough of these firebreathers so that there's an occasional chance to run into one as clean and original as this.
The GA-8 Gibsonette is - for all intents and purposes - Gibson's answer to Fender's Champ. No, they don't quite sound the same, but they satisfy a particular demand and meet it in amazing fashion. Running a pair of 6V6 power tubes in parallel as a single ended circuit essentially doubles up the power output while still providing that harmonically rich and grinding breakup that a lot of old SE amps have. Leave your overdrive pedals at home with this one! The Gibsonette was nearly 10 years old by the time this '60 made it off the production floor, but its evolution was met by continual change, both schematically and cosmetically. It could be argued that the years from 1958-1961 are some of the more desired, and you probably wouldn't be wrong. We tend to disagree as well.
The slightly larger cabinet and slanted baffle design that Gibson introduced to this model (and a number of others) in late 1959 are particularly great. Although not known for having much in the way of bass response, the amp has that Tweed-like resonant swirl thing going on that you'll often find in 5E3s and Princetons from the 1950s.
This is one of the cleanest and most complete examples of a GA-8 we've come across, with a beautiful Blonde/Vanilla tolex and Oxblood grill, and even an intact baffle badge! The chassis is clean and legible with some soft patina to the chrome plating, and the always-cool suitcase handle still has its original tweed insert and Gibson label! Even the original instruction manual is included!
**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.**
| Power | 8-9 Watts |
| Controls | Volume / Tone |
| Switches | Power On/Off |
| Inputs | 1/2 |
| General | Finger-Jointed Pine cabinet |
| Covering | Original Tolex - Original grill cloth |
| Tubes | (2) 6V6 | (1) 12AX7 | (1) 5Y3 |
| Speaker | Original Jensen 10J11 |
| Transformers | Original |
| Service History | Recap / 3-prong cable |
| Dimensions | 20" x 16" x 9” |
| Weight | Approx. 25lbs |
Every instrument is thoroughly checked and set up before shipping fully insured via UPS with tracking to your door. We reuse boxes and materials to cut waste when they meet our protection standard.
Inspect it, play it, and if it isn't right, contact us within 48 hours of delivery to arrange a return or one-time exchange. Returns are subject to a 5% restocking fee, and the buyer covers shipping both ways.
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