Maestro GA-45T (1959)

Just when you think you've heard it all along comes the Maestro GA-45T!  Famously favoured by Little Walter and marketed as an accordian amp, this amp confounds categorisation.  It's a bit like a Tweed Bassman but not as mind blowingly loud when cranked and with the warmth of 6V6s and without the glassiness of the EL34s.  Better, in a word.  It has 4 x 8" speakers, it pushes about 18 Watts, so loud but not painful. It's heavy, but Deluxe Reverb not Super Reverb heavy, manageable.  The trem on Channel 2 is great, Channel 1 has more headroom, I use an AB switcher with to get the best of both channels.

Originality wise, it's been recovered with something, I don't quite know what but it's cool.  I think it would have been tweed originally (there was also a two tone version).  It dates from 1959.  The speakers are new but vintage style Alnico Weber, just the right choice for this amp.  Generic single button replacement trem footswitch.  I think the rest is original.  In perfect nick you see these go for $2,500 in the States, with these renovations, over here, this is a bargain.

There is some information on these rare beasts out there, but not a lot.  If you're interested in it, just come and try it out at the shop.

Requires a stepdown transformer to operate at UK voltages.