Starting in 2008, the Ampeg company produced a quantity of hand-wired, 20 Watt, 1x12 tube combos. For various business reasons, the company dumped its stock in mid-2009. I was able to pick one up at a bargain price.
The J20 is nearly an early 1960s Fender Deluxe (6G3) in different clothing and with a few tweaks. In stock form it is an excellent amplifier — not excellent for the price, just plain old excellent. Replacing the nice-sounding stock alnico magnet speaker with an Eminence Cannabis Rex ups the ante conisderably, retaining the amp's general character, but giving it a bolder and more solid voice. I have been very pleased with the amp in live and home (loud!) settings.
Technical Rundown
- Circuit based on brown-era 6G3 Fender Deluxe amp
- Sovtek 5AR4 rectifier
- Electro-Harmonix 6V6GT power tubes
- Tung-Sol and Sovtek 12AX7 preamp tubes
- metal oxide power resistors
- carbon composition signal resistors
- "Yellow" and silver-mica signal caps
- Eminence Cannabis Rex 12" speaker