Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Tube and solidstate amplifiers made by Rickenbacker

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dr_bob
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Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by dr_bob »

Some of you may know that right before Christmas I picked up a Transonic 200 on eBay. Here's the original listing (picture below) --

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Vintage 1966 Rickenbacker Transonic Guitar/Bass Amp. Own a piece of Rock 'n' Roll history! This amp can be used for guitar or bass. It has built in effects including fuzz. The speaker cabinet has two 10" speakers and one 15" for a wide range. This is a used amp and is being sold "as is". The amp needs a power transistor replaced. I had replaced it once in the 80's and we used it for about ten years in a band I was in before it went out again. We used the speaker cabinet with an "Orange" tube amp after that. We called this amp "The Coffin" because of the shape. I bought this amp second hand and it came without the effect pedals. There are panel controls for all effects, so it was not a problem. Also the fabric on the cabinet front was gone and the former owners kids had poked holes in the speakers so I replaced them and put the metal guards over the new speakers. The 10" speakers are Randall guitar speakers and the 15" is a Peavey "Black Widow" bass speaker.
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Before I bid I contacted Bob Rissi in Yorba Linda CA. Bob was the original designer/builder and with only the above description to go by estimated that it would cost me about $1000 to $1200 to get the amp back into near mint shape -- with all original parts including speakers and cradle that he still has in his workshop. The amp is now with Bob and after looking it over he says that it will cost about $1600 to restore to almost original. He has everything but the new original grill cloth and a couple of knobs. He does have enough vintage original grill cloth though to recover the cabinet, but the cloth has a couple of small tears. He says he can restore this to near original condition with all original parts.

Here's my problem. With what I have in it and with the cost of the restoration I'm going to be at about $2400. Shipping back to St Louis (Bob Rissi says that these should be shipped very carefully) may run as much as $500 or $600. Rissi says he'll drive it back here to me for about $600. So if I go through with this I'll have close to $3,000 into this amp and I don't know if it's worth that much to me. It might be.

So . . I'm thinking about selling it. It would probably be best for one of our California members to buy it to avoid the delicate shipping issue. I may be willing to sell it pre-restoration ($850) or post-restoration ($2500). In either case the buyer would need to pick it up in Yorba Linda.

One last item -- Bob says that restoring this amp may drain him of many his original parts so this may be the last complete restoration he'll be able to do on one of these. I have no idea if this is accurate. He says that he is willing to sign this amp and verify his work on it. He also says that if I didn't want the used original grill cloth that he could use some grill cloth identical to the cloth he used for the prototypes he built of these. Again I have no idea if this is accurate. By the way JH, he blames your wonderful wife for the lack of grill cloth. He claims that she threw out the cloth in one of the factory cleanings. :(

Please let me know if you have an interest in this amp OR if you have ideas about how I may get it back to St. Louis without such heavy (no pun intended) shipping costs. There wouldn't be any cross-country movers or haulers among us willing to transport it for some reasonable amount of $$, would there?
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jps
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by jps »

Mike Snow is a CC hauler, I think! :wink:
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collin
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by collin »

you've got mail!
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kennyhowes
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by kennyhowes »

jps wrote:Mike Snow is a CC hauler, I think! :wink:
Really? I might need to talk to him...
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leesh
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by leesh »

To dream....
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dr_bob
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by dr_bob »

Well it looks like everything is going to work out. Bob Rissi is currently working on the restoration and will be driving from CA to Indiana to visit his daughter and is willing to transport the amp and set it up at my house. I should have the amp in my possession around March 15 - 17. He seems like an incredibly nice guy. I will post pictures.

Tracy has a couple of parts that I need to complete the restoration. Does anyone know how to get in touch with him -- he's not answering PMs.
The world is made of stories not atoms and every guitar has a story.
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libratune
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by libratune »

Bob, PM sent.
blueflamerick
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by blueflamerick »

Best way to contact Tracy discussed here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=384303
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collin
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Re: Transonic 200 for sale (maybe)

Post by collin »

dr_bob wrote:Well it looks like everything is going to work out. Bob Rissi is currently working on the restoration and will be driving from CA to Indiana to visit his daughter and is willing to transport the amp and set it up at my house. I should have the amp in my possession around March 15 - 17. He seems like an incredibly nice guy. I will post pictures.

Tracy has a couple of parts that I need to complete the restoration. Does anyone know how to get in touch with him -- he's not answering PMs.


Excellent Bob!!! Glad it is all going to work out :D
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