Gretsch 6150

Volume knob--that's about it boys.

This is a GOOD rating of 7. Cranked up all the way or just below and using a Mooretone 62 strat replica I can really get close to Page's tones from the first two Led Zeppelin albums. It does NOT blow away a Champ as I've got a 64 Champ as well, just sounds different. Totally different. Can get really nice Rolling Stones sounds as well. You are not going to get Priest or Maiden unless you've got a stomp box, and I don't even know about then. Excellent recording or just fooling around amp.

Built really solid. I would never travel without a backup if recording or gigging, but if I had no backup, I'd feel very secure with this amp.

This is an excellent amp like I said to get some solid sixties tones or to take with you to practice or fool around. Lots of these old tiny amps record better than half stacks or more anyway plus at WAY lower volumes so it's easier to mike up and control. Sounds real nice using an A/B box and playing two amps at once. I've used it with that Fender Champ and a Univox U45-B. Sounds like heaven. Granted, not as cool as standing in between my Vetta and Blue Voodoo with delays and reverb going but pretty close.

A single ON/OFF/Volume Knob, 2 inputs and an 8" speaker...what more could you want?!

In addition to everything that's already been written here, I'd like to add that this amp has a really nice 50's jazz sound when used wih an archtop...it's just a matter of finding the sweet spot on the volume knob. Cranked up, it also works well for playing blues on a lap steel.

It worked fine when I bought it at a yard sale about 5 years ago, but has developed some hiss, pops and sputters. It still has the original RCA tubes, so I'm replacing them. The total parts count is so low that I'm replacing all the caps and resistors while I'm at it.

Lots of fun at home and in the studio. Live, the limited dymanic range (after you find the sweet spot) requires you to really trust your sound man.

A 1965 6150, BARE BONES - on/off switch and 3 inputs. Maybe 5 Watts but a cranking 5 watts all true 6v6 creamy tone!

This is where the little 6150 comes into its own. Sure its a one trick pony - but if you want the 60's garage/blues early rock tone and want it at low volumne for the home this is it! I replaced the stcok jensen w/ a weber 8" w/ a 20oz mag /ribbed cone and it enhanced the bass and almost doubled the volumne. Blows away fender champs hands down - cream tone monster at higher volumes and a nice, though maybe thinner "clean" tone tone at lower volumes. I use both a ole 62 melody maker and a strat - both sound great through this guy - want early muddy waters tone 9just one example), or killer chicago harp amp -get one!

40 yrs old and still goinging!

been playing 30 yrs - got sick hauling marshalls, big fenders around and not utilizing thje setting in them i thought they required for nice tone - i just tote thes little guy now and mic it if need be -

This amp was most likely made in '62 or a year or two in either direction. Being a small amp - probably about 5 watts with an oval 6 x 9 speaker, this is limited. That said, the tremelo on it is great! Very choppy and hard. I use this amp for the studio and it's a great one to use if you want to get a full overdriven sound without blowing out windows and eardrums.

I usually use a Les Paul or a Les Paul Jr. when I play through this amp. I don't use pedals. Turned way up it's got a great sound that records very well. If you want to get a guitar orchestra thing going, you can get that with this amp if you are multi-tracking. I'm not a blues guy, but I could see this being great for that. Definitely a great harp amp, no question. The distortion on this is fat at 7 and up.

This is a solidly built amp. I got it from the original owner and the same tubes are still in it!

Great amp for recording and practice and very cool looking.

This amp was made in the early 1960's because it has the oval speaker, with I think is a Rola. This amp is small so it's all about tone, though there is a tremelo on it which is a really good, hard, choppy variety of vibrato. It has two channels, one brighter than the other. It's a small tube amp, probably 5 or 6 watts, so it's nice for practice around the house or recording - it sounds AMAZING when used in a studio for guitar.

Mostly I've been playing a 67 Telecaster that has a new neck and one replacement pick-up (the bridge). This guitar sounds great through it, but the real scary one is my Gibson Les Paul, which is an early 70's model and just kicks through this amp. This amp has a great overdrive to it, kind of reminds me of a tweed Fender Champ or something similar to that.

So far this amp has been very, very reliable, never broken down and its very quiet.

I haven't had to call the company.

This is a great amp, simple as that. If it was stolen I would definitely try to find another one. If I couldn't find another one, and I've never seen another one, I'd probably go for an old Fender or Magnatone or Gibson amp with a small speaker. This thing screams.

this is an early 60's model. it may be late 50's, from what i am told.
if your looking for a bunch of gadgets, go get you a modeling "cramp".
youve read the others reviews. mine is the version with the on/off/vol
switch and the 2 inputs only. no trem. it has the original tubes but i put some grooves in it and will use the old ones for recording only.

i traded around for this one and didnt really want it until i heard it. it didnt have a speaker, so i hard-wired a chord on it and use it through a 4x12 fender cab. it doesnt drive the cab but it definetly is a sweet soundin piece. i play a 1981 gib LP standard with open coils. SD 57 classic neck/splittable SD in the bridge. i also use an epiphone strat copy (an older, more solid one) with texas special fender pu's in it. i love the sound of the single setting bridge of the paul, and the 2,4 and neck positions of the strat. if i use any of the 'buckers, i run through either a DS-1 or jackhammer OD pedals. i just sold a big muff pi cuz i didnt need with my other 2 amps but it wouldve fit this one like a condom.i am going to try it through a rack-EQ and see what it does to it. i play this in my practice room and sometimes mic it to see what it sounds like loud. it is pretty quiet. definetly a great sounding amp. better than a champ in my book. the amp distorts very early with the old tubes which aggrivates me sometimes cuz i like its clean sound. its almost like a deluxe reverb that is ran to a set of high quality headphones. not quite as crisp, but just as warm. the distortion is cranked 6v6 distortion. its just "old school" distortion. i call it overdrive because to me, the word distortion means to muddy the sound and this amp just overdrives the tone and makes a killer feed back. i give no rating because it depends on the individual.

first of all, i wouldnt use this in a gig cuz i play hard edged, bluesy style rock at moderately high volumes. so i will stick to my half stacks. i know a pretty good bit about amp config. and maint/ repair and this amp hasnt too many things to tear up. whoever had this one took great care of it. its mint except for the speaker missing and the single knob missing. i tested the tubes abd they are still at about 7 to 8.5 out of ten as far as life.

its an old valco. if your reading this you know what that means

i rate it at a 9. if the speaker was there. i would give it ten.
i would find, cut, torture, dismember, scatter body parts, of said thief. i would try to find another one. i rotate through gear, but right now i am using a classic 50 half stack and a blues deluxe on a 4x12 fender cab, and dont use the built in speaker. i mainly use the blues deluxe. i have heard folks say, and i used to think that the OD on the BD was bad but it is exactly what i want for rhythm. i use the jackhammer to add punch to the OD ch for lead work. i A/B between the peavey and fender depending on what type of song im working on.

I have a 1962 6150T - T as in tremelo. It has a small, 8 inch, oval speaker. It has a 'standard' and a 'treble' channel. The tremelo is very good, very thick. It's a great, small amp for recording and around the house practice.

I mostly use a '68 Gibson Melody Maker with this amp, though I've also used a Gibson LP JR (Historic reissue) and a '66 Fender Mustang. It's a very, very quiet amp - at full blast it's a bit loud for a smaller room, but that's about it. It overdrives very nicely with a sweet, thick tone. It is quite similar in design and sound as the Supro Super, if you are familiar with those little gems.

This amp is too small to gig with unless you are using it for harp. I use it for recording and guitar. It's very, very solid - even the body is made of solid wood! The handle is tough too, similar to a suticase handle. All Gretsch's from this period were made by Valco (Supro, Airline, Oahu, etc. ) so it is a VERY WELL BUILT amp.

Valco is long gone.

With the prices of tweed Fender Champs and tweed Gibsons going up and up and up, I'd say any of the Gretsch/Supro/Airline amps are a terrific value. Back in the day, I'm told, Valco were seen as sub-Fender. But history tends to reward quality and it's clear that these Valco-made amps are first-rate. If you are looking for a small-speaker amp that overdrives nicely, has a good, swampy tremelo and looks cool, this is your amp.

Does anyone know if this is the same amp as the Supro Super? It has the same specs and was made by Valco and looks just like a Super except with a Gretsch logo...email me if you have any info regarding this.

It's from the early to mid 60s. 2 inputs and a volume/on/off control. Jensen 8 inch special design speaker, 3 tubes: 6V6, 5Y3, 12AX7. Very attractive multi-textured tolex, pretty tweed grillcloth with a great Gretsch logo. Valco made some great looking amps. This supposedly is Dean DeLeo's (of STP) favorite recording amp.

Great! Way better sounding than any other single 6V6 amp I've ever played through, with the exception of a tie with a tweed Princeton (never tried a tweed Champ). I have a Torres modded silver Champ, and the Gretsch holds its own against the Champ and actually has nicer treble. Since it has less volume and breaks up earlier than the Champ (which is kinda loud for 6 watts), it works great for recording on the computer without blowing my wife's eardrums.

I mostly use a Mexican Tele with a Duncan Broadcaster pickup. With a Les Paul Jr., Gibson L6-S or ES-330TD, it actually sounds better than the Champ. Very unusual for a small amp like this to work well with P90s & humbuckers, but this one sounds great with both. I don't miss having a tone control at all - usually keep them dimed anyway. The clean sound is nice & chimey with a glassy treble, and distorted it is pretty comparable to the Champ except not as loud.

Made by Valco - long out of business. It pops & hisses occasionally - probably an easy repair. Otherwise it is very quiet, almost no 60hz hum or hiss

n/a

Love it! Sure does seem like a steal for $153. I was really lucky on Ebay with this one. I'd repace it if it were stolen or lost. Vintage Champ kinda sound for way less $$ and it's a lot classier looking than a tweed or black Champ. I really wish Fender had made a brown Champ in the early 60s - how cool looking would that have been?

Have a look at the Gretsch Pages site for specs and a schematic:
http://www.gretschpages.com/amps/6150/index.html

The serial # dates mine as mid-60's manufacture (bought it around 1980, however). It is is a 6150T, as it has a tremelo. However, I find the trem quite choppy sounding, and never use it. The single tone control actually changes the sound pretty effectively.

Despite its age, it's held up well. I had it in to a tech last year, and it wasn't even necessary to replace the caps.

I use it with a G&L ASAT, a Gibson LPDC, and a Shaker harp mic, for various sorts of blues and folky stuff. It's sure got that greasy old time blues sound. Not much of anything else, though.

At 5 watts, there's not much of either volume or headroom. Luckily, the distorted sound is real nice with all of the inputs mentioned. My guitar teacher really liked the tone, and he using a Two-Rock these days.

Obviously, this is suited for gigs only if miked, but I used it that way (for harp) on a gig and it sounded fine.

It is very quiet, and is great for recording.

The only pedal I've used it with is a Fulltone Deja Vibe - with no effects loop, straight into the jack, it's kind of noisy.

I've had it for 20 years, and have only needed to replace the power cord and one tube.

I don't think this one really applies!

I've been playing for over 30 yrs, off and on, rarely in public and even more rarely for money. My other amp is a Fender Blues Jr. I often use the Gretsch for recording because it's quite and sounds as big as it needs to on tape.

I'd get another one if it disappeared, though I wouldn't be real happy about paying current prices.

I personally felt that there was no use for more than one input on a small, 5 watt practice amp, and the tone control on my amp doesn't work, but I haven't bothered to try to fix it. I did, however, replace one of the inputs with a jack that bypasses the speaker so you can plug in a cabinet. It doesn't push the cabinet loud, but I would play a club with it any day.

I play an '89 American Standard Strat with Seymore Duncan Full shred pickups in the neck and bridge positions. I left the stock middle single coil in place, and I also installed a Chandler ToneX mid boost circuit. Sounds like a cheesy setup, but there is no limit to the tones I can get from that Strat coupled with the Gretsch. Remember, the tone control on the amp doesn't work, but I never need it to, any how. It gets me pretty much the right sound, with just enough kick at higher volumes to produce a nice, warm distortion. I installed a Jensen 8" 4Ohm speaker in it, which will eventually burn out the output transformer, but I will jump off that bridge when I get to it. The 4Ohm speaker has the sweetest distortion in the world, and I would take this amp into a studio any day.

I recieved this amp from my stepdad, who bought it at a garage sale for a dollar. I brought it back from the dead, and made some minor changes in it, and since then have been treating the amp like a bad dog. I haven't had any problems so far, but by running a 4Ohm speaker in it, I am asking for trouble. I would take this amp anywhere, and play any gig with it (provided I had a good PA).

I am an amplifier tech myself, so I would never try to get it fixed anywhere else.

I have been playing for 13 years now. I don't currently own another amp, but I have designed a 50 watt all tube head that I am building on the chassis of an old Peavey Butcher. As soon as that is finished, it will be my primary amp, and the Gretsch will stay at home. If this amp were stolen, then may God have mercy on the souls of whoever took it. I love the size, the tone, and the overall friendliness of the amp. There's something about an amp that doesn't have 17 knobs, and a digital preamp. It is the epitome of simplicity. I just wish the previous owner had taken better care of it. it has definitely seen better days. I don't think there are many amps to compare it to, apart from Champs. I would say, if you find one, at least give it a try. You won't regret it.

This is an early '60s small practice amp, similar to a Fender Champ. It is actually manufactured by Valco of Chicago. Two inputs, one channel, one control knob that functions as an on off switch and volume control. I opened it up to find a total parts complement of four resistors, four capacitors, two transformers and three tubes - thats it. It puts out 5 Watts from a single 6V6. One 8" speaker, not original (the speaker is for a mobile PA system and is rated at 150 Watts).

I use this for practice around the house. My other amp is a Mesa Blue Angel which sounds great at higher volumes, but I almost always get complaints from my wife and kids if I crank it. I use it with a Mexican strat with Dimarzio VV PUs (with the Torres bluescaster deluxe wiring), a new Les Paul DC standard (with stock PUs), and a 62 Gibson 330 with a single P-90. Sounds great with all but best with the Strat. I mostly like to play blues and old R&R. With only one knob, there is not much to tweak (the bluescaster controls on the stat are very usefull here in conrolling the tone given the lack of contols on the amp). At very low volumes, it is a bit thin . Up a little and it has a great clean sound with a bit of an edge. As you keep turning up the volume, it won't get much louder, but more compressed. Very sweet, warm overdrive. Never too loud for around the house. The amp is dead quiet, even when turned up all the way. I think that it would be a fabulous recording amp.

It looks almost brand new after 35 years. I haven,t had it long, but I expect it to look and sound the same after another 35 years. After all there is much to go wrong with so few parts.

You must be kiding.

I tried a few blackface Champs for a bit less money. I think that this sounds better turned all the way up (the speaker doesn't fart out trying to project the bass at high volumes). This may be on account of the replacement speaker. This unit has a great vibe. It's probably irreplacable, but someting like a tweed champ would probably come close.For what I wanted, a tube amp to really open up around the house with out having my 15 year old son saying "Turn it down Dad!", its perfect.