Question:

I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" speaker installed (its the biigger box version). What is an amp like this worth? Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break the rules of this group?

Response:

> I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group?

What I would do is price it against what a similar vintage Princeton would go for and then go a bit lower.  I think what you’ll find is that people who are going to be interested in that type of amp are going to prefer to get an original Fender.  Additionally, while it might be a very nice amplifier, it’s home brew and doesn’t have an automatic resale value like a named brand would. One thing I’ve learned from reading this group and doing some other research is that building your own amplifier has to be a labor of love as it actually costs more to DIY than buy a production model. Since your amp is an unknown, I think your best bet is to sell it locally where potential buyers can check it out and hear what it sounds like in person.

Response:

> I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group?

Ebay seems to be the forum to maximize your sales price.  Unless you "have a name" and a following, you might want to set a reasonable reserve so that it doesn’t go too low.  I’d be hesitant to bid without a written return policy.  If you state the following, you’ll probably have the best shot:  "I’m so convinced that you’ll love this amp that I’ll gladly return your purchase price if returned in original condition within X days of your receipt.  Bid with confidence!"

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group? >What I would do is price it against what a similar vintage Princeton >would go for and then go a bit lower.  I think what you’ll find is that >people who are going to be interested in that type of amp are going to >prefer to get an original Fender.  Additionally, while it might be a >very nice amplifier, it’s home brew and doesn’t have an automatic >resale value like a named brand would.

I agree.  The name brand should sell more, even if the homerolled amp is better by all accounts. >One thing I’ve learned from reading this group and doing some other >research is that building your own amplifier has to be a labor of love >as it actually costs more to DIY than buy a production model.

Good points.  And these things are always worth more to the seller, than the amp market because of the personal involvement. Where the real amp might have some investment value, it’s very understandable that the homerolled amp doesn’t. >Since your amp is an unknown, I think your best bet is to sell it >locally where potential buyers can check it out and hear what it sounds >like in person.

I’m not sure if that’s completely true that it’s the best bet.  But if you can decide what it’s worth, then why not try to sell it on the local market? If it doesn’t sell locally, the internet (usually means Ebay) exposes the amp to a much wider market. If you can find a buyer on aga, it might be a whole lot less hassle than dealing with Ebay. fwiw, I don’t have a clue what it’s worth. Pete — I still have room to think. Bring me more information! –Dr. Cerebral

Response:

> I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group?

Easy way to find out.  Put it on Ebay with a starting price of a dollar and no reserve.  Whatever it sells for, that’s what it’s worth! Chris

Response:

>fwiw, I don’t have a clue what it’s worth. >Pete

How much is invested in the amp in parts? Pete — I still have room to think. Bring me more information! –Dr. Cerebral

Response:

A home-built tweed champ clone with a crap speaker swapped in went for $255 on E-bay recently. I guess you have a tone control and you did put in a bigger speaker. So maybe you can get $300 or so on a good day if they really like the tweed look as well as sound.  But if $50 more gets a blackface champ, why should people buy yours? A home-built plain cabinet 5F2A w/10" went for $250.

Response:

> What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group?

  There is no stinking rules in this group !   Don’t  expect to get what you put into   it in cost back. Post some photos some where  and let’s see what it looks like, You never know.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->What is an amp like this worth? >Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that > break >the rules of this group? >   There is no stinking rules in this group ! >   Don’t  expect to get what you put into >   it in cost back. Post some photos some where >  and let’s see what it looks like, You never know.

Hi, Yup. No matter how well done, home brew or assembled kit never bring back the cost involved. For me I just do it from now and then for fun. If I sell, I never forget this long standing fact in real world. Having fun in itself has value(?). I’d think so, LOL. Tony

Response:

> What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that > break > the rules of this group? >   There is no stinking rules in this group ! >   Don’t  expect to get what you put into >   it in cost back. Post some photos some where >  and let’s see what it looks like, You never know.

There’s no rules… except, no postie no pikky here. __ Steve .

Response:

Hi,     The old Princeton was a nice little amp. If you used all new parts and the repro transformers, the amp is worth what any of the new reproduction Fender Champ or Princetons are worth. But, it will not be worth as much as an original. Such an amp is probably worth around $350.00 or so. Since it is new, and if you did a real professional job on the amp, it could be worth more, especially if you sell it with a warrantee like Fender does when you buy one of their new amps. But if you sell it as – is and it is a rather amateur looking job, you may only be able to  recover the cost of parts. Make sure you have several detailed pictures of the amp and offer it here first. See if you get any bites. I don’t think it would break the rules but maybe I’m wrong. What’s the worse they could do? I mean it is a guitar amp and this is alt.guitar.amps.     If you put it on ebay, have a reserve of at least the cost of the parts. A tube amp is worth at least that.                     Bill B. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth? > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or does that break > the rules of this group?

Response:

> I built a replica of a Tweed Fender Princeton (5f2-a), and have been > thinking about selling it. Its a handmade all tube amp built very close to > original specs (a few small voltage adjustments made to compensate for > modern household line voltages). It is housed in a beautiful Tweed covered > combo cab with a really nice shiney chassis, and has a jensen Alnico 10" > speaker installed (its the biigger box version). > What is an amp like this worth?

Whatever the market will bear on a given day. As Bill B. says, it’s worth at least the cost of the parts.  If you used a quality cabinet, a good chassis (e.g. WeberVST), and good transformers (e.g. Mercury Magnetics), that sum could be quite a bit. If your soldering is up to snuff, and your layout is careful, it will be worth a little more. No, it won’t be worth nearly as much as an original tweed Fender, but if you’re using the same parts as everybody else, and the workmanship is good, the quality should be roughly the same as any boutique 5F2. As others have said, though, the lack of a track record and warranty will lower the price. Expect around $300-$400 if all is in perfect shape. > Should I offer to sell it here before putting it on eBay, or > does that break the rules of this group?

Rules? Here? Ha! Of course not. Offer away. Either way, good pictures are a requirement. Regards,   –E

Response:

>A home-built tweed champ clone with a crap speaker swapped in went for > $255 on E-bay recently.

Just over a year ago I paid $250 for a SF Champ on eBay that had been gutted and rebuilt. It looks stock, but when the Volume Knob is in, it runs through a BF Tone Stack, and when the Volume Knob is pulled out, it runs through a Tweed Tone Stack. It has replaced my BF Champ as my around the house noise maker. See ya, John

Response:

     I have a friend with an 1965 newport, It has a BB with a 2bbl stromberg carb, I am guessing it is a 383, anyway the car has a 8 3/4 rear end and runs good, he wants $200 for the car.  I really don’t need the car but would buy it if the motor and rear end had some value, I don’t no the HP or anything, can someone tell me what motor and if its worth 200? —

Response:

>      I have a friend with an 1965 newport, It has a BB with a 2bbl stromberg > carb, I am guessing it is a 383, anyway the car has a 8 3/4 rear end and > runs good, he wants $200 for the car.  I really don’t need the car but would > buy it if the motor and rear end had some value, I don’t no the HP or > anything, can someone tell me what motor and if its worth 200? > —

Hi Chad,   I gave a ‘66 Newport to my brother with the same setup; I had the car several years.  The 383 2-bbl put out 270HP those years.  Couldn’t tell you if the car is worth $200 without a description but it probably is. BTW, where is the car located?  If you decide you don’t want it and it’s driveable I may be interested, as those Chryslers are among my favorites.  Thanks, — 608