The Gibson GA-40T Les Paul Amp is one of the more distinctive designs from Gibson’s early-’60s era, with a warm, midrange-forward sound that stands well apart from its Fender contemporaries. The simple controls and excellent onboard tremolo make it an easy amp to dial in, transitioning from thick cleans into wonderfully compressed breakup as it’s pushed. This 1962 example shows signs of prolonged storage, including some staining, though the covering itself remains largely unblemished. The control panel has aged to the point where much of the lettering is difficult to read, though thankfully the layout is simple enough to figure out.
The original hardwired footswitch connection has been converted to a 1/4" jack, while the output transformer has been wired to a breakout box on the side of the chassis, allowing for easy use of either the internal speaker or an external cabinet. Internally, the power cord and electrolytic caps have been replaced, along with the tremolo caps and a couple of resistors. Otherwise, the remainder of the circuit remains original. An excellent-sounding Scumback Silver Alnico rounds things out nicely, making for a fantastic-sounding vintage Gibson!
Players should note that this is a fairly primitive amp design and may lack some of the refinements they’re accustomed to. The 5879 pentode preamp tubes commonly exhibit microphonic tendencies, which should be taken into consideration depending on the context in which the amp is intended to be used.
