Fender

In February 1956, Buddy Holly and the Crickets drove 90 miles northwest of their Lubbock, Texas home to the newly-built Norman Petty Recording Studio in the small town of Clovis, New Mexico.  Dismayed by their failure to score a hit with songs recently recorded for Decca Records in both Texas and Nashville, the band decided to change gears and give the upstart studio a shot.  During those sessions, due to Petty’s flexibility, Buddy was allowed to arrange and perform his songs in the manner he saw fit; as opposed to indulging the whims of the conventional-minded record company producers who had wanted to tame his performing style.  Two of the defining elements of Holly’s exciting new sound were his ’55 Fender Stratocaster and a 1950 Fender Pro Amplifier that just happened to be the studio’s house amp.  It was the perfect example of a happy accident.  The 15 watt, tweed amp’s tone was as impressive as that of the famed guitar itself, and the pair, along with Buddy’s prowess an accomplished rhythm/lead player, combined for a sound that helped define guitar driven rock and roll.  A major factor in this tone was the amp’s 15” Jensen Alnico 5 speaker, which accommodated both the glassy treble and thundering lows of Holly’s percussive playing style.  The soon-to-be-phased-out octal preamp tubes also yielded a much warmer and rounder sound than that produced by the more modern 12AX7 variety used by Fender to this day.  These attributes led Holly to use this amp on all of the Cricket’s classic records, and consequently the Pro has become known as the amp for the Buddy Holly sound.

Originally designed as a steel guitar amplifier (as were most early Fenders), there were two instrument inputs, but the Pro-Amp also featured two ¼” High-Z microphone inputs. These additional high impedance mic inputs were essential for many early country artists (the primary Fender users at the time) who needed to be able to play and sing through their amps, given modern PA systems were still years away.  As a result, early Fender “tweeds” were usually placed in front of the performer, hence the backward facing controls.  The Pro’s early use as a PA notwithstanding, it was a delightful guitar amp, and has legitimately earned its rank as a true Fender legend.

Condition

This particular 1951 example is identical to the 1950 studio amp, in terms of original features, circuitry and cosmetics. Ten years prior to its arrival at our store, the amp had been serviced by a local shop where it had received a new (but period appropriate) output transformer, new tubes, and a new handle. Yet, upon our evaluation, it was clear that the amp had reduced output and was probably in need of some other service; so, as is our practice, we took the amp to our preferred outside tech, who went over the amp in detail. He noted that an issue with the phase inverter which incorrectly wired for a 6LCS pre-amp chart, so he restored the wiring to properly match the 6SC7 wiring as indicated on the amp’s chart. Additionally, the power switch was faulty and was thus replaced with Carling 110-63 Toggle SPST Power Standby Switch (PN. 4111402), and a .001uF capacitor was also replaced.  Otherwise, all solder joints were checked and re-flowed as needed, pots and sockets were cleaned, and the amp was setup (i.e., biased with full diagnostic) and burned-in such that this Pro-Amp is now in excellent working condition.

From a cosmetic standpoint, the cabinet has aged-appropriate wear, with the tweed exhibiting a good bit of distressing.  However, there are no major tears or issues to report on the covering or grill cloth. As is typical of amps of the period, the control plate has some oxidation and pitting on the plating, but the lettering is quite intact.

On a side note, a compliment of extra tubes (possibly the originals) is present, although it is unknown whether they actually function or not. Also rounding out the package is a working vintage Shure PE585S Hi-Z dynamic microphone that is in excellent condition. We are not sure of the exact year of the mic; but, rest assured, it IS definitely vintage!  VERY GOOD+ to EXCELLENT Condition.

• 15 Watts Tube Amplifier
• Single Channel
• (2 ) ¼” Instrument Inputs, (2) Hi-Z ¼”Microphone Inputs
• Instrument Volume, Tone, and Microphone Volume Controls
• Original Jensen Alnico 5 Concert 15” Speaker
• Lacquered Tweed Covered Pine Cabinet (Original Cabinet and Covering)
• Original Brown Grille Cloth
• Replacement Leather Handle
• (3) Sovtek 6SC7 Octal Preamp Tubes,
• (2) JJ 6L6G Power Tubes
• (1) 5U4GB Rectifier Tube
• Replacement Carling 110-63 Toggle SPST Power Standby Switch (PN. 4111402)
• Non-Original Period Appropriate Output Transformer
• Non-Original Cover