The guitar market boomed, and Valco rode the wave for a time, but as trends and tastes shifted, the company had difficulty keeping up. Though the company thrived for two and a half decades – as shown by its reach through OEM re-branding, department stores, and catalog sales – it was very much a victim of the boom-and-bust ’60s.
Considering the massive respect with which Valco’s creations are generally viewed today, and given the company’s size as well as its deep roots in the history of the electric guitar, it’s almost inconceivable it could go from being one of the nation’s most prolific amp makers to bankruptcy before the end of its biggest decade, but so it went.įormed circ a 1940 from the remnants of the National-Dobro Company, itself a historic pre-electric manufacturer that brought its legendary resonator guitars to market in 1927, the company was created by partners Victor Smith, Al Frost, and Louis Dopyera, whose first names were abbreviated to create the new entity’s acronym – VALco. The majority were made by the Valco company in Chicago, which also manufactured amps for Montgomery Ward’s catalog brand, Airline, after the contract passed from Danelectro in the early ’60s.
But we’re also fascinated with later creations that hit the market after a popular manufacturer’s star had faded, like this “Valco” amp that was still hitting catalogs and bandstands a few years after its manufacturer had gone bankrupt.Īs much attention as Fender and Gibson have drawn over the years, plenty have recognized the sonic splendors of amps from -the 1940s to the ’60s carrying the Oahu, Gretsch, National and Supro badges. Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass on each of two channelsĮarly classic guitar amps have a way of capturing our attention.Amp and photos courtesy of David Bradshaw. The 9151A’s back-raked control panel with overhanging lighted panes makes for impressive visibility.
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