I have always considered these amongst the coolest-looking vintage amps on the planet, and this is the earliest, tidiest and most unmolested head and box combination I have yet come across. Serial number is 1812.

This Moody BA40 guitar and bass amplifier runs a pair of EL-34/6CA7 valves in cathode bias configuration (often incorrectly referred to as 'class-A') into a 16 ohm Alnico magnet Rola 12UEG in its original box.

This example even comes with the original speaker lead, which includes a mains-voltage jumper across two pins to prevent the amp being turned on if the speaker lead is not plugged into the amp, thereby avoiding a blown output transformer. It is arguable that this is a deadly feature if the body of the plug were to come off, allowing the operator's hands to touch the live jumper inside. As the amp is likely to go to a collector rather than a working musician, I have left this amp with this feature intact, and the amp also unserviced. I have tested the amp, and it works fantastically. However, the valves all appear to be the 1963 originals, and more importantly the power supply filter caps look decidedly tired, so if the amp was to be gigged it would be highly advisable to have the filter caps replaced, new output valves installed and a full service and bias adjustment undertaken. As is, however, it sounds incredinbly good! Extremely responsive and 'live' sounding, and very gutsy.

This time-capsule Moody pre-dates the '64 example we have with 'M' knobs, and has a more textured tolex which is slightly more cream in colour than the '64. This amp has vintage screw-on white chicken-head knobs on the round brass potentiometer shafts, where the 'M' knobs on the '64 are a push-on type which fit onto the shafts with a flat face machined into them.

The head weighs 10kg, and measures 43cm(W) x 23cm(H) x 21cm(D), while the 1x12 speaker box weighs 18kg and measures 74cm(W) x 54cm(H) x 27cm(D). Shipped weight and dimensions will be slightly higher.

not for sale