Valco Chicago 51

I was pretty sure this tube amp was made between 1929 and 1932. It was my mothers and was purchased the same time she purchased her Gibson Hawaiian guitar. She started playing at 9 yrs and was teaching by age 12, which would have made the year 1932.
I plugged it in today for the first time in 20 years. It works. sounds okay at low volume but distorted when turned up past 1:00 o'clock. I was just glad to see it didn't catch fire with all the dust on it. I have been researching all day trying to find an amp like this one online and have only come across 1 picture that looks just like it on the front page of www.valcoamps.com. I am awaiting a reply from the webmaster as to what info he can give me on it, as none was posted. During my search I found out my boss has an amp like this one and told me it was a Gibson. I always thought it was one of Crates first amps. I've learned alot today. Below I have a complete list of all #'s and components, but I did not bother sketching out a schematic for it. I would love anyone to contact me with more information. Okay here goes!
VALCO MFG. CO. CHICAGO-51 110-120 VOLTS AC ONLY 50-60 CYLCLES
2 INSTRUMENT INPUTS/1 MICROPHONE INPUT/LOW TO HIGH VOLUME/LOW TO HIGH TONE
WHITE DOME POWER ON LIGHT/ FUSE 3 AMPS/ ON-OFF SWITCH
NO SERIAL NUMBER
ALL CONTROLS LOCATED CENTER BACK OF UNIT
LOOKS LIKE THERE USED TO BE A BOTTOM PANEL ON BACK

SPEAKER BASKET HAS THESE #'S ON IT - 550-12 7609 285116
SPEAKER CONE HAS THIS # ON IT 41W9001
AND HOOKED TO THE SPEAKER IS A APX. A 2"x2" TRANSFORMER

TUBES IN IT ARE FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:
SYLVANIA 6SL7 GT IOM 113 MADE IN U.S.A./
45ET 3 10 10-10-10 MED 450W.V.D.C. INDUSTRIAL COND. CORP. CHICAGO ILL. KII (METAL)/
SYLVANIA MADE IN U.S.A. 5Y3 GT IOM/
BLACK 2"x3" TRANSFORMER OR POWER SOURCE? NO #'S ON IT
6V6 GT GUARANTEED ELECTRONIC WITH SOME WEIRD SYMBOL I CAN'T MAKE OUT

AND HOOKED TO THE SPEAKER IS A APX. A 2"x2" TRANSFORMER
OUTSIDE COVER IS TWEED WITH 5 BLACK STRIPES RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE TOP TO BOTTOM/
AND 1 SINGLE BLACK LINE ON EACH SIDE WHERE THE WOOD CABINET IS JOINED TOP TO BOTTOM/
AND BLACK WINDOW SCREEN OVER THE FRONT OF SPEAKER
NO LOGO
OVER ALL DIMENSIONS ARE H14" X L15" X D7 1/2"

THIS BY FAR THE SIMPELIST LAYOUT OF A SCHEMATIC I HAVE SEEN FROM ALL OF MY SEARCHES
LARGE DIODES AND RESISTORS ALL PARTS EASILY ACCESSIBLE.

Clean, warm or distorted. Sounds like maybe something is rattling or torn actually when you turn it up past 1:00 o'clock.

Have not used it in 26 years. Would not use it live, but I would like to clean it up and use it at home if possible.

You guy's all know more about Valco than I do. I'm just a newbie to the brand and it's history. All I've found out today is that there are 2 more amps out there sort of like mine so far.

I've been playing guitar for 33 years. But I started piano & violin 7 years before that. And used to play my mom's Gibson Hawaiian during that time also. Which I am also researching. I own tons of gear, everything you need but the drumset. Favs are my Crate Accoustic 125-D and my Line6 AX2-212. I own a Taylor 714CE-LTD Cocobolo/Cedar and an Ovation 1992 Collectors Series, a Samick 29 fret Artist Series StratoFlame made only in 1999, among many other instruments of various catagories. And much PA gear Yamaha and EV. Just getting my recording studio set-up with Yamaha MW10 USB Mixer, PC, and a way cool Zoom H4 Handy Recorder. I use Anvil Studio mostly and learning Cubase LE.

1949
Very versatile. Awesome studio amp.
1 channel.
It does exactly what it was designed to do.
Used in home studio and small venues.
This is a gem of an amp.

Godin Lgx SA, Ibanez RG and a custom made strat with custom PUps.
Great for sweet fat distortion and relly creamy cleans. Single or double coil. Has a singy tone with my strat in the middle position. It can have a hum(just like any other tube amp) when it is in the right environment. Use a good power conditioner.It stays surprizingly clean without ovedriving it with any outboard gear. If you want to make it absolutely twist up and scream! It will do that too!!! I use a boss gt 8.

This amp has never failed me. Though it is 56 yeasrs old. I use it for specialty tones. I also use another amp as a main power amp for live application.

I have been playing for about 30 years. And own 14 guitars many different amps(in search for the elusive PERFECT TONE)
If this amp were stolen I would have a cow. And I would probably have to pay an arm and leg for it.
If you find one of these. Buy it. You'll love the characteristics and won't want to get rid of it. It's the "WOW what did you use there" tone that ohter players will hear in your recordings.

Has a 10" speaker, one volume and one tone control... also off and on switch. For it's time I guess it wasn't common to have an amp with tone control when this was sold so that is nice and why I give it a 10

This amp has a great clean sound. Turned up full it has decent overdrive and is pretty loud for it's age. Where the amp really shines is when you are using a pedal on it. I recently purchased a Digitech Death Metal pedal and hooked up to this amp the amp screams. Gets louder than my 35w amp and sounds great. The amp can be used almost full blast with a pedal without it dirtying your sound.

I have been using this amp for about 4 years now and it has always been reliable. The strap did break on it but what can you expect from 50 year old leather? Still has the original tubes and the original extra fuse is still stapled inside the amp in the paper bag

Customer service might be good if I had a time machine...

I have been playing for 17 years and have owned many amps. Although I have liked Fender amps the best this rates a close second. If you can get one of these amps it makes a great practice amp. Would sound great with a pedal being mic'd. With a "good" quality distortion pedal this amp puts out a lot of sound for it's size.

Valco Chicago 51 with volume and tone control, two inputs one standard and one treble. The tremolo is superb for such and old amp.

Using modified Japanese strats and early 80's Ibanez Roadstar Luthaker Model w/ an alesis microverb. The strat sound much better due to it's versatility. The amp does crakle a bit.. the tone is great for blues, twang, and crispy rythms.

Hasn't crapped out yet... Since I use it for practice it does the job.

None...

I borrowed (still borrowing this amp) from a friend who bought it in 1959. He also purchased a Gretch Anniversary Edition guitar the same time (I believe he paid $350 for both). The kicker is that he played the instruments only once in the late 59' then put it in the closet until 2 months ago. He still has the original receipts and warranty cards for both items.. I would definite recommend this amp if you like the vintage sound.

I don't know what year this amp was made in but I would guess late fifties early sixties. It has a single 6v6gt , 5y3, and dual 12ax7's.Like a champ, it is small but gutsy. It has a killer tremolo.

This amp really comes in to its own when played at full volume. Its why they are sought after.

Its reliability has been quite good. I use it all the time and sound wonderful.

none. you are on your own. they went out of business over thirty years ago.

There's not many amps like this. If you see one , buy it. I wish I knew more about it, like what year it was made.

Feature Laden!!!!! Please...volume & Tone complete with new feature...scratchy!!! 1953 Tweed Combo, Single Channel, 3 inputs??? 2 6v6GT's, 5Y3, and some 12ax7's I believe. 1 8" speaker, probably about 15 to 20 watts. I wish it had a little more power for live gig situations, but it's not bad, & reverb is always kinda cool to have but hey....you don't buy this amp for this reason, you buy for pure sound without features....I found this amp at an antique store for $40....the lady said that is had sat way up on this shelf (like 12 ft. off the ground) for at least 10 years. She thought it was a speaker. I plugged in and it worked, all original tubes and everything. So for what reasons I bought the amp for, I give it a 10, but for features compared to today.....(not that I own anything with features or use them...a 1.

I'm using a US Fender Deluxe Strat with Lindy Fralin Blues Special pickups (highly recommend these pickups) Sweeeeeeet sounding amp with this. For my personal blues playing and jamming, great tone...amazingly quiet little amp...all the way up without a guitar plugged in no hum, with my guitar the Fralin Pickups are a little noisy depending on where you stand (what do you expect from pickups from the 50's????)

Putting the amp on about 3/4 volume & guitar 3/4 volume put you at the edge of breakup, you can nicely add gain by turning up the guitar volume....

Another thing I like to use is my Electro Harmonix LPB-2 (clean boost pedal) Set guitar volume to 10 and amp to point before breakup, you can step on the LPB-2 and now you have your overdrive channel..by changing the Volume on the LPB-2 you can have a wider variety of OD

You can also do the same except roll the guitar volume back a little, put amp to point before breakup and have the LPB-2 for even more of a punch, kinda like 3 different levels of OD, not bad, not real loud, but you could easily do in a mic'd situation.

The OD is a nice Tweed overdrive that gets really thick when you push it hard....pretty nice clean sound and suprisingly deep for a single 8" speaker.

The Wah sounds good and chorus OK, I haven't messed with my other OD pedals (TS-9, HepCat) because I think this amp has a better OD in itself, I might use those to change the tone a little....who know's an update I guess.

hmmmmm.....built in 1953, tweeds in pretty damn good shape, handle gone, works beautifully....I'd say it's dependable.... might need some help if you just took it out and beat the crap out of it 5 nights a week.

once again, it's 50 years old....It's hard to find ANY info on this amp.

Overall this was my diamond in the rough find, I look all over trying to find a deal on amps or vintage equipment...it paid off, if you get a chance to buy one, do it, it will probably be cheap and have a great sound to it. These amps are a good little secret and the prices are so cheap so find one if you can. i won't be getting rid of this one. you can email if you have questions or any info about this amp. Overall....a sweet little amp that I would have payed much more for, if the tweed OD vibe is your thing, find one and buy it.

Circa 1960's? (s/n T52769); gold tweed w/ black & white; single 10"; 5y3GT, 6SQ7, 6SC7, (2) 6V6GT; 20-30W? power output. Controls: 1 input (3 parallel jacks), 1 Volume control, 1 Tone control.

Using an Epi Les Paul deluxe with vibro. Very nice full tone for bluesy, rich pool-of-water for Pink Floyd covers///

It's been working fine for 2 years, and must be at least 42 years old, since Valco went out of business in 1969. Had to replace the 5y3GT, which was broken when I bought it at a thrift store

Company dissolved in 1969.

I really did buy it for $2. They were about to throw it in the trash, since no one was buying an amp that didn't work. I just liked the looks, and figured it would be worth $2 just for that. They accepted my offer, and with a $15 replacement tube, I was in business ! !