Repair of 1963 Gretsch 6161 amplifier.

The amplifier came to the workshop with the following error message! "The amplifier stopped playing and then there came smoke out of it".

I found quite quickly a diagram.

The amplifier came on the workbench, it is slightly spoiled by its nearly 60 years.

The amplifier was opened and troubleshooting could begin.

It is a "US" model, so the importer had mounted the "Step Down" traffo at the bottom.

It was connected through the amplifier's internal switch and fuse, so the original traffo had no fuse.

The tubes were removed and I tried to measure some voltages I could not measure anything on the 5 volt winding. Shortly after came a strange bubbling sound from the transformer and it was very hot.

A new transformer was ordered from "Classic Tone" in the US.

The transformer is connected and a 2 amp. fuse is inserted to the transformer's 115 volts primary side.

After a check of all cables. I first mounted the rectifier tube and could be measured high voltage.

Then I mount the other tubes and measured the correct voltage on all tubes.

The amplifier is finished and sounds like a '60s tube amp should sound.

Back to the amplifier repair site.