This 60's Alamo Capri amp was in & out the door of COBRA Audio a while back. I got it on trade and didn't do any work on it and didn't want it. These small amps were made in Texas back in the day and they manufactured several different makes/models with a few cosmetic changes over the years. They are typical of the somewhat flimsy secondary market construction of the period, although I have heard Telecaster players prize their 50's "Jet" model. I played it and got some 60's fuzz & raunch out of it when cranked but I sold it pretty quickly. Cat not included.

This sweet little Silvertone 1471 amp was found at a flea market for $30 (I hate it when people tell me this stuff!) and wasn't working. The owner brought it to COBRA Audio Emporium and let me have at it. It's a well-constructed 60's 6L6 single speaker 5 watt amp with 2 knobs (volume, tone) and I was able to quickly diagnose a bad tube (a newer one) and output transformer on the way out along with a few caps. 

I decided to use a very nicely compatible ClassicTone replacement OT. They are a high quality made in the USA item that are a little beefier than old stock while retaining all the appeal of original specs. (Oops! I didn't take any 'before' pics of the chassis interior. What you see is the above two photos is the new tubes/transformer/caps installed). A lot of people like them because of their "Champ" like spank, and I thought it would be great for this amp. There are a ton of sweet mods you can do to a simple circuit like this, but with such a clean example of this piece I felt a mild restoration was the way to go to rather than change the character of the amplifier. I installed some Orange Drops I had and with a few wiring repairs this vintage box was ready to rock.

I was able to complete the work in an afternoon and had a chance to honk on this l'il bugger with several different guitar/pickup combinations and was blown away by how awesome this amp is. With the repairs and new components this amp really came to life with a STRONG 5 watts of pure vintage tone! It is totally impressive what a wide range of tones can be wrangled from the simple volume/tone controls. There is a beautiful sweep to discover between the combination of the two. Cool yet thick but cutting cleans to just the right amount of warm grit at saturation flowed from the single speaker and impressed the ears of both the owner and me! I can honestly say this is the coolest small amp I have ever had the pleasure of working on and hope to own one myself someday! It was hard to give it back to the owner! 

With the repairs completed in a timely and rewarding manner I dedicated some quality time to a light cleaning of the inner and outer construction, covering, and polished some hardware and oiled the original leather handle a bit so it wouldn't dry/crack. Even the badge is in nice shape.

It's projects like this Silvertone 1471 that reminds me how the search for tone will continue to surprise and reward til the end of time, and is a testament to how sometimes understated simplicity in design whether through necessity or purpose can deliver quality and beauty to eyes, ears, and attitudes.