Having some fun with this little guy today!

[Amp360]

I paid $456 for this little map on eBay a couple of days before Thanksgiving back in 2010.

The person I bought it from literally put it in a cardboard box with no shipping material and mailed it to me. I got it the next day (IIRC), but the power tubes had fallen out and broken. It was also painted black, but I got a lot of the paint off.

A year or so ago I finally brought it in to the guy who fixes my maps and he did a bang-up job on it. I had a narrow pannel tweed Deluxe, but I traded it away. I liked this one better anyway.

I doubt it's worth much with the paint and changed grill, but I think the repair was maybe $150, so for about $600, it has made its cost back, and it's fun to play!

Here are photos to how it arrived:

 

[GStone]

I paid $456 for this little map on eBay a couple of days before Thanksgiving back in 2010.

The person I bought it from literally put it in a cardboard box with no shipping material and mailed it to me. I got it the next day (IIRC), but the power tubes had fallen out and broken. It was also painted black, but I got a lot of the paint off.

A year or so ago I finally brought it in to the guy who fixes my maps and he did a bang-up job on it. I had a narrow pannel tweed Deluxe, but I traded it away. I liked this one better anyway.

I doubt it's worth much with the paint and changed grill, but I think the repair was maybe $150, so for about $600, it has made its cost back, and it's fun to play!

Here are photos to how it arrived:

If it's a real '50s Fender Tweed it's probly worth well over $600, even in its current condition. You can probly source the correct replacement grill cloth although it will be new. I'd leave the old Tweed covering in place now that you stripped the black paint off it. Check with your tech and see what they say about making it original more or less. Even if you don't want to sell it, it might increase resale value for your heirs or whoever.

 

[Amp360]

The guy who fixes my stuff is more into fixing things so they can be used vs keeping things historically correct with things like grill cloth. He's an older guy who is more into reliability than collectability, which is why I like him!

I don't see myself changing anything on this because it sounds excellent. Plus, I'm more of a player than a collector

This is a genuine Fender. I believe it's from 1949 IIRC.

 

[corpse]

My map guy in Atl was that way too- and I never wanted to offend. Great guy who just "got" how electricity effected musicality in dem wires and glass.
He retired or got disgusted a couple years ago.
I wonder what it did in it's life?

 

[Amp360]

That's the best way in my experience. It makes it a lot more fun to just get great gear to play vs worrying about the details!