I think that is the direction I would go with a Bandmaster if I hadn't had this amp for 37 years. Right now my largest Fender amp other than the Bandmaster is a Bassman 2X10 combo in a custom cab from Ampwares. My son has been using it lately, as I've been downsizing my amplifiers. The closed back cab has a tendency to "beam" but I love to tilt it back on its' legs, almost like a monitor.
If it's pushed too far it can harden and turn nasty. And sing it does, with lots of lows and an old-school clean Fender tone. I'm not thinking of reversing them though, the amp sounds amazing with a Tele, but has to be turned up fairly (quite, actually) loud to start singing.
#Fender bandmaster 1963 mods#
I did these 2 mods because I felt it sounded better with the humbucker pups I was using at the time. The feedback resistor is changed to 1500 ohms and the preamp tube cathodes have been separated. The caps have been changed and it has NOS RCA pre-amp tubes and GE 6L6GC's. This early Blackface Bandmaster features stock transformers, fresh power tubes, and a clean bill of health from our techs here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar.Ī modern one-button footswitch for engaging the tremolo is included.I have a '64 Bandmaster with the original 2X12 bottom (w/ Jensen C12N RI speakers). The hardware shows its fair share of surface patina yet is all accounted for including the corners, handle caps, sphinx glides (feet), and piggyback clip bars. The back panel is a modern replacement with matching smooth blonde tolex. The original smooth blonde tolex shows some scuffs and light signs of wear on the edges of the enclosures, and the baffle has been freshly regrilled with wheat grillcloth and fitted with the original raised Fender logo. The original tube chart is mostly intact inside the head, with an ML date stamp that translates to December of 1963. In addition to the Tung Sol power tubes, the amp features a pair of USA-made General Electric 12AX7 preamp tubes along with modern valves from the likes of Mullard and EH.
A three-prong power cable has also been installed. The original CTS pots are all intact too, with visible date codes from the 40th week of 1963. All of the original blue molded Ajax capacitors are intact in the preamp and an essential part of the Blackface Fender tone, while the main filter caps have been upgraded to Sprague Atoms to ensure that the circuit is working optimally. The circuit is very clean and original, with the stock Schumacher transformers dating from late 1963-64. The tremolo has a nice strong pulse and a very dimensional sound with a wide range of speeds. Pushing the amp beyond 4 on the Volume dial on either channel yields natural grit and tube breakup, overdriving hard when you dime the controls. This Bandmaster delivers the incredible cleans which are a hallmark of the Blackface tone, with sparkle, clarity and definition unlike any amps before or since. The rare combination of cosmetics on this amp was only seen from the last months of 1963 through mid-64, and this amp sounds particularly good with a matched pair of brand new and freshly biased Tung Sol 5881 power tubes. This Pre-CBS Fender piggyback amp features original smooth blonde tolex and a AA763 circuit, typically only seen on the very first Blackface amps. Up for sale, a 1964 Fender Bandmaster head in excellent condition and in perfect working order.
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