1960s Guyatone GA-520 Vintage Tube Guitar Amp 1x12 Tremolo - Restored

A very cool 1960s Guyatone GA-520 vintage tube guitar amplifier, made in Japan and recently given an extensive restoration by our amp technician.

The GA-520 is a distinctive early Japanese tube combo with unmistakable period styling, including the red-and-black tartan covering, oversized Guyatone badge and simple top-mounted control panel. It features two inputs, Volume, Treble and Bass controls, along with built-in tremolo controlled by Speed and Intensity.

This particular amp has received a major electrical and mechanical restoration to bring it back into dependable playing condition.

Work performed includes:

• 19 new capacitors
• New grounded 3-prong power cord
• New resistor
• Circuit boards cleaned
• New speaker wiring
• New indicator-light holder
• New volume potentiometer
• New fuse
• Cabinet repaired
• Baffle board repaired
• New Jensen MOD-series 12" speaker installed

The original speaker was no longer usable, so it was replaced during the restoration with a new Jensen MOD-series 12" speaker. This gives the amp a fresh, dependable speaker rather than leaving an aging or compromised original in place.

Following the restoration, everything is working properly and the amp sounds great, including the built-in tremolo.

Cosmetically, this one very clearly shows its age. There is wear, staining, fraying and damage to the original-style tartan covering, including a more noticeable damaged area at the upper rear corner. The control panel and hardware also show oxidation, discoloration and general aging.

We chose to leave the exterior looking vintage rather than cosmetically over-restoring it. So while the amp retains plenty of authentic 1960s character on the outside, the important electrical and mechanical work has already been handled.

This is not an all-original collector example, and it is not being represented as one. The Jensen speaker, replacement components and extensive servicing make this much better suited to someone looking for a cool vintage Japanese tube amp they can actually plug into and use.

A great choice for anyone interested in early Japanese guitar gear, garage rock, surf, blues or just something far more unusual than the typical American vintage combo.