G UITARTRASHORTREASURE
B LUE BOOK PUBLICATIONS
Classic Gibson Amps
Hey Zach!
I’ve got a Gibson Les Paul GA- 40 amp
and I’m looking for some information. I’ve
done some research, but I can’t find much
information other than some online forums.
Can you give me a little of the history
of Gibson’s amps and what this thing
might be worth? Also, how do these
amps compare to Fenders?
It isn’t due to the fact Gibson produced an
inferior product. In fact, many players agree
that Gibson amps are as good if not better
than certain Fender models. If you look at the
overall vintage market for guitar amplifiers,
the priciest examples were mainly produced
Fender changed a design, the amp was typi-
cally given a new name – the Deluxe went
from the 5A3, then the 5B3, to the 5C3, etc.
When Gibson changed a design, it went
largely unnoticed. In fact, several variations
will exist on one model without any notice or
change in schematics. It is interesting to note
that many Gibson amps are actually very simi-
lar in design to Fenders.
Thanks,
Harold in Omaha
Hi Harold,
It looks like you have an oldie-but-goodie
here! The Gibson GA- 40 “Les Paul” amp
was introduced in 1952, and by the time
the Les Paul name had been dropped on
products by Gibson in 1962/63, it had
undergone five major cosmetic altera-
tions. The version you have was produced
roughly between 1955 and 1957 and is
the second version of the Les Paul amp.
It features a 12” speaker, two 6V6 power
tubes supplying 14 watts, two chan-
nels, tremolo, and five controls; Voicing,
Volume 1, Volume 2, and Depth and
Frequency for the tremolo circuit. The
logo is supposed to read “Gibson 40,”
but most of it is missing, which is not
uncommon on these amps. Your amp
hasn’t had an easy life, and based on
the overall average condition, it is worth
between $800 and $1000. An excellent
example could bring as much as $1500.
Fender also had some big name endorsers
on their side – Bill Carson, Buddy Holly and
Freddie Tavares. Gibson really only had Les
Paul. This is all speculation, but it speaks
to Fender’s effectiveness in promotion as
well as making a great product. Also if you
look at both companies’ amp lines currently,
Fender has hundreds of SKUs in guitar and
bass amplifiers while Gibson has two lonely
models. Regardless, vintage Gibson amps are
a relative bargain when compared to their
Fender counterparts.
I agree that there isn’t much information
about Gibson amps out there. However,
check out the third edition of the Blue Book
of Guitar Amplifiers for some additional infor-
mation and current values. Although several
authors have made great works about the
Gibson company and their guitars, little has
been devoted to their amplifiers. The good
news is that this may change in the future.
A colleague of mine has been working on a
database for a Gibson amp book. The plan-
ning is very preliminary and I’d love to hear
from you, the reader, to see if this sounds like
something you would like to read.
I’ve always found it fascinating that
Gibson amps are not more popular and
collectible than they are currently. After all,
Gibson preceded Fender in the amplifier
market by more than ten years, introducing
the EH- 150 in the mid-thirties. Leo Fender’s
first amp was the K&F model in 1945. Based
on overall value, Gibson is generally regarded
as the premier guitar builder of the 1950s
and 1960s. Besides the unique GA- 79 and
GA- 77 Vanguards, most Gibson amps can
be found for under $1000. Even the larger
amps – the GA- 30 and higher – command less
than $2000 while a comparable 1956 Fender
Deluxe is worth double the amount of your
GA- 40. Why?
in the late 1950s or early 1960s – a far cry
from either Fender or Gibson’s first efforts.
Overall, Fender amps are more successful
than Gibson, and I attribute much of that suc-
cess to marketing. Fender’s marketing was
outstanding whereas Gibson’s bordered on
non-existent. Think of all the vintage Fender
ads you have seen. Now try to recall a vintage
Gibson ad. Don Randall did a heck of a job
selling Fender amps as well as working along-
side R&D to develop new products.
Remember, just about any Gibson amp,
including your GA- 40 Les Paul, is an afford-
able treasure!
Another setback for Gibson amps is that they
are not consistent with one another. When
Zachary R. Fjestad
is the author of the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, Blue
Book of Electric Guitars, and the Blue Book of Guitar
Amplifiers.
Questions can be submitted to:
Blue Book Publications
Attn: Guitar Trash or Treasure
8009 34th Ave. S. Ste #175
Minneapolis, MN 55425
800-877-4867
bluebookinc.com
guitars@bluebookinc.com
