Up for sale, a 1959 Fender "High Power" Tweed Twin 5F8-A in collector-grade condition and in perfect working order. This Twin features a 100% original circuit, original tweed, and an immaculate control panel, loaded with a pair of era-correct Jensen P12N alnico magnet speakers.
Occupying a very narrow window in Fender's golden age, the 5F8-A Twin was the pinnacle of Tweed era evolution and unmatched in power and headroom, first available in late 1957 and retired by January, 1960. This example's tube chart is dated April, 1959, and the "High Power" iteration of the Twin is arguably the most highly sought after vintage Fender amp ever produced.
A whole different animal than the "Low Power" iteration offered through most of the '50s, the High Power 5F8-A pushes 85 watts via a matched quad of 5881 (6L6GC) power tubes with a single GZ34 rectifier. Essentially the same animal as the 5F6-A Bassman, yet with four power tubes, more massive transformers and a 2x12 speaker configuration, the 5F8-A Twin has all the hallmarks of its Bassman brother, with a Mid control and four-input design, allowing both greater tailoring of the tone and the ability to jumper the channels for additional interactivity and gain. Incredible headroom, touch-sensitivity and rich, textured growl are hallmarks of this Twin. The trebles bite, yet with a smooth, harmonically-rich character, the midrange is gutsy, and the low end is broad and focused, with notable depth that interacts famously with a broad range of pickups.
The circuit is 100% original right down to the power supply caps, with every signal cap and yellow Astron capacitor tested for functionality. While a certain amount of drift and leakage is expected with caps of this vintage, all are still performing admirably. The Triad transformers are intact, as are the CTS pots, with visible date codes from the 1st and 11th weeks of '59. The tube complement includes a matched quad of Tung Sol small bottle 5881 (6L6GC) power tubes, with a Ruby rectifier and a couple vintage preamp tubes from the likes of General Electric and Tung Sol.
The speakers are a pair of vintage Jensen P12Ns with clean dark blue/green frames and date stamps from 1961 and 1962. The cabinet retains its original tweed which shows moderate ambering and modest corner and edge wear. The lower back panel is original, while the upper panel is a modern replacement aged to match. The cabinet was also fitted with nickel corners and casters in its life, so there are a few additional mounting holes for this (removed) hardware. The faceplate is absolutely stunning, retaining its bright chrome plating and virtually all of the original white silkscreen text, fitted with original chicken head knobs. The molded dogbone handle and sphinx glides are modern, vintage-spec Fender components.