Goldentone 1759 60w Piggyback Amplifier Head
Goldentone started making amps in Melbourne in 1959. The brand was owned by English company Rose Morris, who distributed Ludwig, Marshall, Vox and Rickenbacker in the UK, before expanding by adding an Australian division. It was pretty impractical back in the 1960s to ship bulky amps by those big brands all the way Down Under, so they decided to build amps here themselves. This one dates to 1965, and it's a very cool amp. Originally, these shipped with a matching stereo cabinet, so it has a quirk: it's got two power transformers, two sets of tubes and two speaker outputs, so it needs to be connected to a stereo cab, or pair of cabs. There's tremolo on one side, which delivers a lush valve-driven stutter, while the other side offers 'echo'. Unfortunately the 'echo' requires a separate outboard reverb tank, so there's RCA connectors to connect one up if you've got one, but it's not included as they shipped that way from factory, best I can tell. Hooked up in stereo, this opens some possibilities: friends, it's an outrageously good sounding stereo pedal platform. There's enough wattage on offer to deliver pretty loud cleans, but it loves to be turned up for a gorgeous bluesy growl. Paired with a stereo chorus or delay pedal, this sounds wildly good. Our good buddy Greg, local amp tech of many decades. said it pretty well: 'that's the best sounding amp in the shop, no question'.
Model: Goldentone 1759
Made: 1965, Melbourne Australia
Type: dual valve; stereo only
Serial: N/A
Output: 2 x 30w
Power: 240v (Australia/NZ)
Tubes: 2x OT2701 output stage, 4 x 12AX7 preamp, 6GW8 pentode
Mods: appears to be re-housed
Channels: 2
Weight: 12kg
Accessories: none
Condition notes: All tested and fully functional.
Overall: very good condition (8/10)