Just picked up this 1962 Gretsch 6159 Bass Amp. (sorry for the poor quality pics)

An interesting circuit with a tube rectifier, 2x6L6 output, bass input, guitar/accordion input with tremolo. Should complement my '63 Executive nicely, haha. In fact, I suspect it's just a 2x12" version of the executive with a bass-voiced second channel.

It's in rough shape though. The baffle is coming loose (only 2 of the 6 screws, mounted without metal collars), the step-down is underpowered and wired with an extention socket. Obscure, funky looking non-original 'Heloton' speakers. But on the bright side, it's got the original knobs and the tolex and grille are in fairly good shape. Maybe all they need is a good cleanup.

Does anyone have any tips on how to clean the control panel without rubbing off the print?

Also I'm looking for high rez close ups of the Bass Amp logo. A colleague has access to a 3D printer. I'm going to try to make some repros for both this one and the Executive.

You can clean the panel with spray like the one on the right and a cloth. It says: metal, computers, glass, wood, so it can't hurt anything either.

But it might be called something else in Holland

Glad it has the original knobs. Dogg-meat vintage dealerz were always hocking them off for guitars, or putting them up for $50 each.

M strikes again.

Try cotton balls and detergent for cleaning the panel. I would be very careful with such print stuff.

DC: actually I hocked them off for my '63 Executive.

Indeed, the previous owner stole my knobs off of that amp and bragged about how good they looked on his vintage Annie. Some people...

I put the modern knobs I had on the executive on this one for now.

Geoff: thanks for the suggestion. What detergent would you use?

Old fashioned Dreft. Just a mild sopje and very carefully wrijven.

I have the airline version of the 6159. Cool amp.

Haha! So did the mild sopje and very carefully wrijven do the trick?

For speakerdoek I have used Shout! spray. I sprayed it on and it trek in for half a year. All penstrepen and nicotinevlekken were verdwenen. Didn't do any rubbing. I guess the stains and ink dissipated equally over the entire doek, which made the verkleuring much less opvallend. But zo'n chrome plate must be cleaned very carefully. One false move en de opdruk is gone or the chrome is gekrassed. The roestplekjes are extremely moeilijk goed te krijgen. If you have geluk, then zit er nog wat chrome under. Else you are the zak en then you have to falsify the panel by rechroming and reprinting it helemaal.

Have I made myself clear gemaakt? Make that the cat wise!

Haha Geoff, you crack me up. The mild sopje sorta worked on the panel of my 6163. But for the tolex it didn't do very much. It's a biiit cleaner looking, as are the stains on it. Maybe I wrijven too carefully.

Haha, this is zo kostelijk! I laugh me an accident hier!

Haha strange jongens.

You ken toch a bit rubben over that tolex? Or does it absorb vloeistoffen? I think a nagelborsteltje and some glassex will do de truuk. En dan at once afnemen with an oude badstof towel. Else plakt the dirt again on it.

Have I jullie upgecrackt again?