Sage words indeed Ed, which seem to resonate the feelings echoing in my head, pun intended.
I think I've been trying to make this clear, to help dispel the fantasy... wake up from the dream, or the nightmare as it may be... Also, and very relevant here is the point of throwing good $$$ after bad.. What if the amp is even more extensively damaged and never does sound right, even after several hundred $$$'s worth of "restoration"? More on this later...
However, these are just personal opinion, and we are all different aren't we?
I, personally, would have been through with the deal the instant I saw the amp. Finito! But again, that's just me...
I have to agree with Ed about UPS Claims, not even worth filing IMO, but... what's even weirder was the almost immediate assurance that you received (from who?) that they were paying on this, and WHY would they pay on this? The only reason for them to pay is to make it right, but are they the ones responsible? They're not going to pay a dime for someone else's mistake!
Back to this so called "restoration" business... Ok, all vintage gear seems to be going through the roof and it's important to buy stuff that's not going to be a problem down the road. $1050 is a lot of $$ for anyone of us, and although at the time it seemed like a good deal, you're making a huge mistake now to continue on with this one. That's the "biggest mistake" I mentioned previously.
There will be others, and trust me, $1475 (or whatever) spent on a nice straight, original unit will make a pretty good difference down the road...
A friend of mine bought a 57 LP Junior for $2000 in 2000. So he paid $2k for it seven years ago at a guitar show in Seattle that we went to together. The guitar was far from mint, but it was totally original, with the original case, a totally cool unmolested original guitar!!! There was another one there for $1400 that had been routed for a humbucker, had a P-90 reinstalled (not the original one, of course), changed tuners and some non original case. After some deliberation, he paid the extra for the original one and never regretted it.
He was pretty blown away when he sold it this year to pay some bills off, and got $19,000 for it!!!!! He was offered $3k just for the case! Had he "saved" $600 and bought the other one, he might have sold it now for $9k, maybe... and that's a big maybe. He also just sold a 69 Marshall Plexi half stack for $4500, within a few hours of posting it on Craigslist, the buyer drove 600 mile round trip to Seattle to get it and was damn lucky someone one else didn't beat him to it on the way there... Again, the amp was totally unmolested, all original "Mustard Caps" and Mullard EL34 tubes. Wasn't that long ago that he paid $1700 for that amp but it was in "no excuses" condition, no mods (which have always been “reversed” of course..), extra holes drilled in the back or other BS.
The prices have gotten so outrageous on this stuff lately that the guys who have the $$$ to spend on stuff like this aren't going to waste it on gear with issues, the potential for appreciation is too great and originality makes all the difference.
About this "restoration", even not dealing with the financial aspect, can it ever make the amp what is was again? I was in a car club for 10 years, and I'd take a tattered original car over a "restored" one any day of the week. They are never done right, but the biggest thing of all is that the car has lost something... The original patina, the look of something that's been around 40 years and has stories to tell...
Unfortunately, your amp (and I would seriously consider making it not "your amp" anymore) has lost something that can never be replaced, its originality... and sadly, that can never be brought back.
