Now here is something I've been searching for for many years.

Remember the sound Stevie Ray Vaughan got in 'Cold Shot'? Or Jimi Hendrix's 'Little Wing'? Or Danny Gatton's 'Ugly Man'? Or Angelo Mysterioso (George Harrison) in the musical bridge (in this case a series of arpeggios played through a Leslie 16 that provided the inspiration for Harrison's later Beatles song Here Comes the Sun) in Cream's 'Badge'? They were all played through Leslie 16 cabinets.

The Leslie Model 16 is the smallest Leslie, and does not have an integral amplifier like its larger brothers. Also unlike its larger brothers, it was made specifically for guitar use, not for organ. It has a Fender-like cabinet as it was specifically made for use with Fender combo-style amps (indeed, CBS later made these in a Fender-badged version called a Vibratone) and a rotating foam dispersion block. It was built for rough club touring, was portable, and had "Leslie" written on the front.

It takes the output from a guitar amplifier (typically a Fender combo), and the control box puts the signal through a crossover, returns some to the amplifier's speaker (which is now plugged into the control box, not the amplifier's output), and the rest to the 10-inch driver in the Leslie. A multi-pin connector connects the control box/pedal to the Leslie, giving the player the choices of switching the Leslie speaker in and out of the circuit (for either direct amp sounds or spacial 'chorus' sounds), and a selection between the fast and slow speeds of the rotating unit in the Leslie.

The result is incredible.

The unit is in amazing condition, having been used in the one location all its life. The original blue sparkle grille and aluminium edging point to a 1968 manufacture, sharing these characteristics with Fender amplifiers of the period (CBS owned both Fender and Leslie - Electro-Music - at the time).

Shipped dimensions would be about 75cm x 55cm x 40cm, with weight about 30kg.

Sold to new owner in Sydney

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