Problem solved. I started a few weeks ago looking for an amp that I can take overseas for the year in August. It had to be easy to bring on board as a carry on with enough headroom to play with a small combo without full saturation and around $400. The problem I kept running into has a lot to do with physics. Clean headroom generally means bigger transformer and bigger speaker, which means a bigger and heavier combo. But the first two criteria have been met, and if the second only had to give a reasonable bit. Got lots of good ideas and input as usual from this forum. Corresponded with several builders along the way, all accessible and candid craftsmen with amazing integrity and kindness. But the biggest hat tip goes to razzer10_4 for the ebay tip. Don't have pics uploaded yet, but here's the one on the Vintage47 site:

Only the control panel graphic isn't the dice motif but the same striped version as on this National/McKinney model:

It's a discontinued model: 12 Watt Push Pull with a 12" AlNiCo Weber speaker. Controls are Volume and Tone, which is actually a treble cut. Size is perfect (15x15x8 and under 25 pounds). The pre-amp is a 6SQ7 octal tube. On the builder David Barnes' recommendation, I switched out the 6v6s for 6l6GCs and upped the plate voltage with a GZ34 rectifier tube for a bit more volume and headroom, and to make it a bit brighter. Still has plenty of warm and smokey juke joint throaty groan and snarl though. Brings it up to around 15 Watts with no biasing required. He also suggested that I might move to a ceramic speaker with a ribbed cone (Tone Tubby? Weber 12F150?) for a bit more headroom and volume. But this thing sounds just fantastic. One the one hand, these tube changes make it less authentic. Yet the vibe remains. And either way, though it won't do metal (no problem there) and its cleans aren't Leo's '60s crystalline cleans (always just a bit wooly) and it's darker than my de Lisle (EF86 and 12ax7 into 2xEL84s) it's far from a one trick pony.

Plenty of clean volume and sweet trebles with the amp volume half-way up and break-up controlled with my T-Rose's MV. Even more clean with my Rev Rick Vito (P90 neck and single coil Supro pickup in the bridge). Can't wait to try it with the T-Armonds going in the Rose next week. But I'm also digging into its more 'natural range, the dark and woolly but never muddy or harsh late '40s vibe. Think of the spectrum from Django to Howlin' Wolf!!! My playing and composing is always influenced by the tonal palette I am working with and its historical references. So maybe Strum is headed for a bluesy turn, or some swing.

I paid a bit less than the new price for a very gently used amp. Guy in Florida used it for a specific recording session and then put it up on the bay. But it's a tremendous value, significantly under $1K, and David isn't making any 12 Watt Supremes with 12" speakers in this cabinet size anymore. Maybe he will down the road. In the mean time, this amp sounds utterly delicious.

For a bit more detail on a Vintage47 amp in a live setting, see Brian Blaut's generous comments in this thread: http://gretschpages.com/for...

And if you haven't poked around David's website, it's a true pleasure: http://www.vintage47amps.co...

Someday, I'll score one of his sexy 24 Watt Oahu El Capitan models with the art deco lights. For now, it's Ric! Black!! 12!!!

That is Awesome Strum! I really like the way David builds his amps! And to give you some recommendations on how to alter the tone, that is Top Notch!

Congratulation, dude on a great amp!

All things come to he who searches like hell! Great find.

If that sounds half as good as it looks, you'll have a fantastic amp Dr.Strum. Love it! Any chance at posting some clips of the amp?

Browsing the Vintage 47 site I am totally surprised at the affordability of those amps. Sweet.

That looks a stoater Strum. Have you considered a neo speaker for less weight & more headroom (sensitivity)?

NEO? thats pure brightness and immediacy. seems like it would be the antithesis of that warm late 40s sound.

I'm gonna get me one of those chicago hemp tone tubbies for my champ.. daaaaaamn those sound nice n durteeee. guess my greenback 10" is going for sale soon.

Well put Hermitt. David is an absolute gem. I had been corresponding with him about possibilities, when razzer pointed me to this one. When I emailed him sheepishly to tell him I'd found a used one, he only became more helpful. I even emailed him the listing as he cautioned me there are some knock-offs out there and he wanted to verify it was really his amp. He's totally committed to his project, but at the same time he wants people to enjoy what he does if he can help it fit their needs. Knowledge, vision, integrity, and kindness. Bought the cover through him so hopefully I've supported him in some way.

Michiel, I might use it in a demo session next month. If so, I'll make it available.

I'd be worried about a neo completely washing out its vibe. And the weight is manageable. But when I talk about clean headroom, I like to live right on the edge of break-up, never totally clean, so I can dig in or touch a knob and move in and out of snarl and bristle. I wouldn't want to lose all of the organic retro "woolliness" or "smokiness" as David calls it.

One thing is for sure. This amp LOVES single coils. Makes sense given that its circuit was designed before the ascendance of buckers. I have a really good feeling about the T-Armonds...

Congrats on the new amp. Nice to hear about such a good experience with the builder as well.

Oh, my. Wife just shut me down by force for the night. This amp sounds beautiful!!!

Hey Strum..... You are welcome to stop by here in the mountains of Idaho with your new amp and I'll let you play my Black Falcon through her!

On my way!!!

very cool indeed! we need clips!

More than glad to hear it had a happy ending, Strum. Looking forward to the demo! After having carried my Princeton through 3 airports,( Paris /Charles DeGaulle being one), that V47 should be the perfect carry-on.

Hey Strum, in that 2nd photo, is that Xfrmr mounted to the speaker frame?

I love the looks of it!

Hey Strum, in that 2nd photo, is that Xfrmr mounted to the speaker frame?

It does look a bit funny. The amp in the picture isn't mine, just the pic of the same model on the Vintage47 site. Mine doesn't have anything hanging down or attached to the speaker. Not sure what's going on there....

That transformer ob the speaker is a 'field coil' it replaces the magnet on older type speakers.