2002 Fargen Dual Classic #061 – Early Hand-Wired Boutique Amp Head – Blackbird Clean Channel / British-Voiced Channel – Recently Serviced

Available here is a terrific 2002 Fargen Dual Classic 2002 Fargen Dual Classic, serial number 061, dated 12/6/2002. This is a very early Fargen build from Ben Fargen’s Sacramento era: featuring beautiful boutique American craftsmanship, hand-wired point-to-point construction, and truly exceptional tone.

Two-channel Dual Classic head. Channel 1 is the Blackbird clean channel, with volume, treble, and bass controls. It delivers the beautiful blackface-inspired clean tone these amps are known for: clear, rich, dimensional, and an excellent pedal platform.

Channel 2 is the more British-voiced side, with its own volume, treble, mid, and bass controls. Based on comparable Dual Classic information, it appears to be the Retro Classic-style channel, covering pushed tweed / JTM45 / late-’60s Plexi-style territory. 

The amp runs a pair of 6V6-GT power tubes, with the tube chart showing 12AT7, 12AX7, 12AY7, and 12AX7 in the preamp/reverb/phase-inverter section. The glowing glass 6V6s have an amazingly cool old-school “lightbulb” look, which only adds to the charm of the amp.

I purchased this amp used about a year and a half ago. It was recently professionally serviced and looked over by a tech here in New Orleans who is also a professional amp builder. It is good to go and ready for its next owner.

Sonically, this amp really is something special. It has that rare boutique feel where the notes bloom, the response is immediate, and the amp feels alive under the fingers. It is truly the Himalayan salt of boutique American amps: refined, rare, and unmistakably special.

Cosmetically, it's an obvious players rig that has some wear and tear that shows honest studio workhorse use. The top tolex has visible indentations where another amp appears to have sat on top of it for a long period, which is a not uncommon and most likely sign of surface wear that can happen over time. The grill cloth also has visible fraying, especially toward the right side. Please review the photos carefully, as I have tried to show the cosmetic condition clearly. These cosmetic defects in no way affect the functioning or performance of the amp itself which internally is very clean.

I have priced it fairly at $1,149 to account for the cosmetic wear while still reflecting what this amp is: an early, hand-wired, professionally serviced boutique Fargen with incredible tone.

Features / Details:

• 2002 Fargen Dual Classic amp head
• Serial #061
• Dated 12/6/2002
• Made in Sacramento, CA, USA
• Early Ben Fargen build
• Hand-wired point-to-point boutique construction
• Two-channel design
• Channel 1: Blackbird clean channel — volume, treble, bass
• Channel 2: British-voiced channel — volume, treble, mid, bass
• Shared master volume and reverb
• Pair of 6V6-GT power tubes
• Tube chart: 6V6-GT / 6V6-GT / 12AT7 / 12AX7 / 12AY7 / 12AX7
• 4, 8, and 16 ohm speaker outputs
• Recently professionally serviced and inspected in New Orleans
• Fully functional and ready to play
• Cosmetic wear includes top-tolex indentations and grill cloth fraying

I am only selling because some unforeseen bills require me to make some hard decisions. This is not an amp I am eager to part with.

It will be packed extremely securely, shipped fast, and fully insured. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or if you would like additional photos.