1962 FBT 200R – Vintage 18W Italian Tube Combo

Up for sale is a beautiful FBT 200R 18-watt vintage tube amplifier, preserved in remarkably original condition.

18-20w

Great sounding amp!!

The amp retains its original cabinet, grille cloth, FBT speaker, transformers, tube shields and the original factory schematic, which is still attached inside the cabinet.

The electronics appear to be largely original.

As expected for a 60+ year-old amplifier, it has been professionally serviced during its lifetime, with some replacement components.

Important: Modification to the original footswitch control. Rather than using a footswitch, this control now functions as a variable volume control, making the amp much more usable at lower listening levels. The modification appears to have been carried out to a professional standard without drilling additional holes or permanently altering the chassis. This mod is easily reversible but I would keep it s it is really usefull for the player.

The tremolo controls work as they should and the tremolo tone is beautifull.

This is not a heavily modified or rebuilt amplifier, but rather an honest, well-preserved example that has benefited from careful maintenance over the years.

The amplifier sounds outstanding, delivering the rich, dynamic character for which early Italian tube amplifiers are becoming increasingly appreciated. Also, this model is a great pedal platform.

Please study the photographs carefully, as they form part of the description. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Original tube-driven spring reverb. The amplifier retains its original factory reverb circuit, tank and front-panel controls, all fully functional.

Excellent cabinet and grille.

The amp retains what appear to be its original hardware, including the chassis screws, handle and tube shields.

What looks original

• Turret/tag board: Appears to be the original FBT board.
• Green ARCO capacitors: These look period-correct and are likely original coupling caps.
• Carbon composition/carbon film resistors: Most appear consistent with the era.
• Transformers and choke: They appear original.
• Tube shields: Original style.
• General layout: The wiring layout.

What suggests maintenance

• Blue electrolytic capacitor (left-center): This almost certainly isn't original. It looks like a later replacement.
• Large blue electrolytic on the right: Also appears newer than the rest of the components.
• Some solder joints (especially around the V2/V3 area): They are noticeably shinier and larger than factory joints, suggesting components have been replaced.
• Red, black, and white hookup wires: A few of these don't look like the original cloth/PVC wiring style and may have been replaced during service.
• Small components around the tube sockets: There are a few resistors and capacitors that look newer than the surrounding parts.

Verdict: The amplifier appears to retain its original transformers, speaker, circuit board, and the majority of its original components. It has likely undergone routine servicing over the years, with some electrolytic capacitors and a few other components appearing to have been replaced. I have not attempted to verify every component against the factory schematic. It is also secured and grounded.

About the asking price: the price reflects that this particular model with both reverb and tremolo is extremely hard to find (even harder in this condition), the quality of the circuit and overall construction. This is a very special model that rivals in terms of tone much more expensive amps.

No return with vintage gear.