# Amps at the curb for pickup



## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

One thing that has always puzzled me is when the city has a heavy pick up. I have yet to see a amp at the curb. If I had a dollar for evey TV set on the street I would be rich. I have even drove around established neighbourhoods looking for a thrown out vintage Fender but have yet to see anything. Where do they all end up ? Any good stories?


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I think I must get to them before you. I've been loading up on vintage fenders by showing up at various curbs at 4am. Seriously, I've never seen a vintage amp at a curb. Everybody is catching on to value now (which is good) so it is unlikely that you'll be picking up a drip edge off the curb anytime soon.


deadear said:


> One thing that has always puzzled me is when the city has a heavy pick up. I have yet to see a amp at the curb. If I had a dollar for evey TV set on the street I would be rich. I have even drove around established neighbourhoods looking for a thrown out vintage Fender but have yet to see anything. Where do they all end up ? Any good stories?


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

I have not even seen a 100 dollar practice amp. Vintage Fender would be a bonus. You know the son played back in the seventees put it in the crawl space and moved out west. Now the old man is cleaning out the basement and out on the street it goes.


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## kat_ (Jan 11, 2007)

I found a footswitch for a Marshall last week but no amp to go with it. I needed a footswitch to use with another amp I have, so it worked out well.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I found a Korg tuner sitting on a bus bench a couple of weeks ago. It was filthy and looked like it was run over a few times but I turned it on, sang a note and it worked! I cleaned it up and will donate it to our community league guitar program.


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

As a kid I would go scavenging in the early morning on pickup-day. I often scored TVs and radios and would repair them just to learn about them. Dangerous stuff at times but lots of fun. 

I'm sure that I never saw a guitar amp, but there was a gigantic radio in a floor standing cabinet with a magic tuning eye. Now that was cool.

Nothing good in the last decade or so.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Lots of fridges at the curb.


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## Shark (Jun 10, 2010)

More likely to see a guitarist on the curb than his gear. I'd pass on them, though; guitarists take a lot to restore to good condition.


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## zdogma (Mar 21, 2006)

I've posted this photo before. This gem was found on the curb:


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

Well, that's a pleasant surprise. Nice find.


zdogma said:


> I've posted this photo before. This gem was found on the curb:


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi zdogman,



zdogma said:


> I've posted this photo before. This gem was found on the curb:


I recognize that. It was my brothers'.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

> I recognize that. It was my brothers'.


sweet Doobie Brothers joke. took me a sec.
I checked the geography of each of you to see if it was likely, then it 'hit' me.


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## bolero (Oct 11, 2006)

my brother found a peavey bandit 1x12 @the curb on his way to work a couple weeks ago...squeals like a stuck pig, but the speaker looks decent, it's a "sheffield"

was going to use it as a keyboard amp, haven't brought it to the repair guy yet though

looks like this:

View attachment 4699


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hey puckhead,



puckhead said:


> sweet Doobie Brothers joke. took me a sec.
> I checked the geography of each of you to see if it was likely, then it 'hit' me.


And let's agree that the first person who says that "The Doobie Brothers" is a joke gets kicked to the curb. ( <-- desperate attempt to bring the conversation back to the original topic. )


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

I was going to say that even if you don't like the amp, you could always crush it up and smoke it... I wonder if it has a Cannabis Rex speaker...


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

> And let's agree that the first person who says that "The Doobie Brothers" is a joke gets kicked to the curb.


that rule is just allright with me.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Not curbside.. but at the dump I salvaged this little beauty.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I'm loving the mojo of that amp. Is it operational?


shoretyus said:


> Not curbside.. but at the dump I salvaged this little beauty.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

zdogma said:


> I've posted this photo before. This gem was found on the curb:


So they were Takin' it to the Streets, and you took it from the street?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

zdogma said:


> I've posted this photo before. This gem was found on the curb:


There were no "brothers" to go with that?


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## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

I posted a "dump find" thread when I got this litle baby but here it is again, yba-1 not Shur of the year because of conflicting parts and serial # but it is awsome! It had paint all over it and a loose transformer connection! But it howles now! (I had to buy the cabs) lol


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

You would date it by the serial number. If it has older or newer parts in it, it was still built when the serial number says it was.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

My GF scored me a 2x12 Garnet 'stencil' amp on the curb one day. Loaded with a single EV SRO 12/L... thank goodness there was only one, the thing is a boat anchor. Gotta love a gal that will have your kids and keep an eye out for amps for you!


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Friend of mine found a SS Marshall and 410 cab by the curb....head is nothing special but the cab works fine.


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## Keefer (Feb 15, 2011)

The only amp I found by our bins is a Northern Electric Model PA-14A #12191. It's an all tube, hand-wired point to point P.A. from the 50's. It powers up, and I've traced all the wiring, checked the caps and pots, heaters. I plan on converting it to a guitar amp once I find the schems and time. They're so hard to find. 

It runs off of 1) 6AX5GT, 2) 12AX7's, 1) 6AV6 and 2) 6CM6's.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

looks like this:

View attachment 4699
[/QUOTE]

My first "real" guitar amp was that model.

It's a wonder I kept playing at all.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

-ST- said:


> Hey puckhead,
> 
> 
> 
> And let's agree that the first person who says that "The Doobie Brothers" is a joke gets kicked to the curb.


c'mon now, we can't kick a man when he's down. anyone who could diss the doobs HAS to be a complete dumbass, and would definitely be down on his luck.

[video=youtube_share;VETB1VcbYdU]http://youtu.be/VETB1VcbYdU[/video]


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Intrepid said:


> I'm loving the mojo of that amp. Is it operational?


Yuppers... very very nice


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## Shooter177 (Aug 8, 2012)

jb welder said:


> You would date it by the serial number. If it has older or newer parts in it, it was still built when the serial number says it was.


I understand that but the serial # is on the cab and the year that the serial # indacates, does not match any of the internals, even still it is a great sounding amp! And all it cost was 60$ for a tech to put a new cord on(after a shocking realization)


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## Guest (Sep 10, 2013)

Not an amp, but, I pulled a old pressboard guitar case out of the garbage. 
I was surprised that it had weight to it. This is what was in there. 
Homemade(?) with pearl of toilet pickguard/rosette and headstock veneer.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I was told by a client to throw out their vintage fender champ that was water damaged and mouldy (it reaked). 

I had it cleaned - i hot-boxed it with a hydroxl generator. I did a quick demo on youtube and sold it within the month. 

I told you guys I was lucky.


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

Hi adcandour,



adcandour said:


> I was told by a client to throw out their vintage fender champ that was water damaged and mouldy (it reaked).
> 
> I had it cleaned - *i hot-boxed it with a hydroxl generator*. I did a quick demo on youtube and sold it within the month.
> 
> I told you guys I was lucky.


What is "hot-boxed it with a hydroxl generator"?

I did a couple of searches and didn't find anything that seemed applicable.

Thanks!


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

-ST- said:


> Hi adcandour,
> 
> What is "hot-boxed it with a hydroxl generator"?
> 
> ...


It's like an ozone generator, but its safe to use (it just takes 3 times longer to work). It changes the make up of odour particles by adding ions to the molecules and neutralizes the odour.

I put the amp into a large plastic bin to concentrate the effort of the generator - kinda like hot boxing.


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## Intrepid (Oct 9, 2008)

I thought you and the amp were getting high with the hotbox thing. You learn something new everyday.


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## Cups (Jan 5, 2010)

We bring our own garbage to the dump. Luckily there is an electronic recycling section where I found a Fender red knob "Twin" (not working but the chassis cab and some parts are salvageable) Fender J.A.M (working but the cab was returned to the garbage) a couple of tube radios that, one day, I plan to convert. A Lowery powered (tube powered) speaker cab with a coveted Jensen 15" speaker inside. I even found a tube cap tester.

I've salvaged less sexy items too but won't bore you'all with 'em.


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## -ST- (Feb 2, 2008)

At the municipal recycling centre for electronics here, there are big signs "No Scavenging" and the works glower at you if you do any more than put whatever you brought, down. 



Cups said:


> We bring our own garbage to the dump. Luckily there is an electronic recycling section where I found a Fender red knob "Twin" (not working but the chassis cab and some parts are salvageable) Fender J.A.M (working but the cab was returned to the garbage) a couple of tube radios that, one day, I plan to convert. A Lowery powered (tube powered) speaker cab with a coveted Jensen 15" speaker inside. I even found a tube cap tester.
> 
> I've salvaged less sexy items too but won't bore you'all with 'em.


So salvage = scavenge, and there's none of that allowed here.


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## elliottmoose (Aug 20, 2012)

gtrguy said:


> My GF scored me a 2x12 Garnet 'stencil' amp on the curb one day. Loaded with a single EV SRO 12/L... thank goodness there was only one, the thing is a boat anchor. Gotta love a gal that will have your kids and keep an eye out for amps for you!


Aww, lucky guy! I'm just glad my lady doesn't throw out my gear (though she is known to have made things 'disappear'...) some day while I'm at the office. 

Both nice finds.

Best I've done was some Rode mics at an estate sale for $10 each.


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## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

Why didn't you just tell the client that you thought that you could address the issues with the amp?


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

-ST- said:


> So salvage = scavenge, and there's none of that allowed here.


I bet salvaging is an employee perk - these days, maybe even a paycheck.


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## hardasmum (Apr 23, 2008)

Somewhat related I turned up to work one day and saw some co-workers pushing six Studer A820 tape machines off the loading dock into a dumpster.

I actually jumped in the dumpster thinking about saving one (they were in complete working order) but reconsidered when I imagined what my wife would say when I wheeled it into our apartment.


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

Oh, no, you should have jumped. They may be beasts but you can still find Ampex tape for those things and the sound quality would make any audiophile or producer pee their pants...


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## Greg Ellis (Oct 1, 2007)

-ST- said:


> At the municipal recycling centre for electronics here, there are big signs "No Scavenging" and the works glower at you if you do any more than put whatever you brought, down.


We have the same policy at work, and it's the stupidest thing. It's garbage folks, no longer wanted. Why does it matter if I take it away?


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

I have a bit of a success story!

I have a friend who watches what's being thrown out in the public waste system, and he's always letting me know about musical stuff passing through that he can grab for me. 

Almost all of the stuff he tells me about is near-to-total junk. The amps are almost always tiny, cheap, and irreparably damaged.

However, a couple years ago he grabbed me a 1970s Ampeg B410 Bass amp that's pretty sweet! It's a solid state, 4x10 combo, with a carpet-like exterior (instead of tolex). It's big and heavy, but comes with two back wheels so it can be easily tilted and rolled around. It sounds great and works perfectly! I've used it a bunch since!

Here's a pic of one I grabbed off the net...


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## jayoldschool (Sep 12, 2013)

After two years of lurking, I figure it's time to start participating. This is a perfect thread to begin with.

Bear with me, it's going to be long...

Here's my amp at the curb story. About fifteen years ago, I was driving through my neighbourhood on garbage day morning. I noticed something that caught my eye in a pile at the end of the driveway at one of the houses. Pulled over, and went to check it out. I saw immediately it was an old guitar amp, with twin speakers. Threw it in the trunk, then put it down the basement when I got home. I hadn't played guitar for a couple of years, so it wasn't really on my priority list. Fast forward a decade and a half, and I've gotten back into guitar. Decided to go dig out my garbage day find and see if it was worth fixing up. After a little research (the internet is better now than when I found it), I find that I have a 1963 1474 Silvertone Twin Reverberation. All the original tubes were in it. It was missing the speakers and grille cloth. Once I knew what I had, I decided that it must be resurrected (restoration was probably not possible). I took things apart, and started to see what needed attention. Right away, I found that all the original caps and resistors were in place. One output transformer was changed, and had been hooked up with some suspect wiring. Luckily, at the same time, I discovered our member "Nonreverb" and spoke with him about going through the wiring. Dropped off the chassis, and he simply wrote "make it work" on the ticket. His price was very reasonable, too. True to his word, when I got it back, not only did it work, but once reassembled, and hooked up with a pair of correct repro Jensens, it sounds incredible. Great tone, lush tremolo, and breaks up nicely. Even works with a generic Marshall-style footswitch. 1484/5s have become popular due to Jack White and Dan Auerbach, but the 1474s are a really nice circuit with four 6L6s and shouldn't be overlooked. 

Here's what it looked like when I began:



Chassis out for inspection:



Non-original Hammond OT. Nonreverb had an extra original Silvertone OT that went back in its place.



Classic point to point goodness:



While Nonreverb was doing his thing, I got busy with a pair of Jensens, and some new grille cloth. Silvertone cloth is unobtanium, so I went with aged silverface Fender material. Looks decent.



The casualties that were replaced. Tubes, caps, resistors.



Check that date code... I believe this amp was sold at Simpsons-Sears in Canada a little longer than in the US.



Back together, still need to make a back panel:



Front view:



Can't afford a 1963 Strat to pair with it, so I thought a good choice would be a Classic Series 60s. Great guitar for the money.



Thanks for listening, hope you enjoyed!


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## Clean Channel (Apr 18, 2011)

Well that's the best first post I've seen in a long while! Welcome!


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## Gunny (Feb 21, 2006)

I had one find in the last 15 years - an empty 2x12 no name guitar cab. I sold it for $50 as is. I also spotted an unloaded 4x12 no name cab but couldn't be bothered fixing it up. It was not in good shape. Otherwise, absolutely nothing!


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## bluzfish (Mar 12, 2011)

jayoldschool said:


> After two years of lurking, I figure it's time to start participating. This is a perfect thread to begin with.
> 
> Bear with me, it's going to be long.../QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

smorgdonkey said:


> Why didn't you just tell the client that you thought that you could address the issues with the amp?


Sorry I'm getting to this so late:

We perform contents remediation all the time, and it's very expensive. We throw out a lot of stuff, because it is more expensive to clean. This was the case here. I did it on my own time, because I just couldn't throw it away. It would have been pretty expensive (and not worth it) for the client. Further, due to the porosity of the amp's materials, I couldn't guarantee it would clean properly.


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## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

On a similar note, I had a laugh earlier this year when I read a Kijiji 'Curb Alert' for a free keyboard stand on a street not far from me, including a picture at the curb, and the location on the street map. I can't recall if it was later the same day, or maybe the next day or two, another ad appeared on Kijiji for the _same stand_, with a different pic, and a map location on the same street, _but a different location_, asking $20. Get it?


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## deadear (Nov 24, 2011)

I get it J-75. I have a like new mountain bike that I have put on Kijiji that my neighbour put on the street. Only problem is he is always out front of his house day and night. Going to be real awkward when a buyer shows up to test ride the bike.


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## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Got another one recently... a buddy of mine was buying some PA gear from a guy and he asked if my buddy wanted a 2 x15" speaker cab that he was about to put out on the curb. My buddy brought it to my place and asked if I could put it to use- sure I said. So we cracked it open to find 2 EV SRO15 speakers... seems I'm a magnet for free EV speakers! 1 x SRO/12L and a pair of SRO15 so far....


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

gtrguy said:


> Got another one recently... a buddy of mine was buying some PA gear from a guy and he asked if my buddy wanted a 2 x15" speaker cab that he was about to put out on the curb. My buddy brought it to my place and asked if I could put it to use- sure I said. So we cracked it open to find 2 EV SRO15 speakers... seems I'm a magnet for free EV speakers! 1 x SRO/12L and a pair of SRO15 so far....


Colour me jealous, I'd love a 2x15 cab like that!


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