#FENDER BANDMASTER 1963 MOD#

#FENDER BANDMASTER 1963 MOD#

'Bandmaster' Sticker added inside to cover 2 extra tube holes from previous Mod that has been reverted as close to AB763 spec. Some caps, resistors, and screws have been replaced. No Foot Switch but works with another we had. Trem Opto newly replaced with new Mojotone Fender tremolo opto LDR. All others are #10 set screw and appear correct. Intensity knob incorrect with small font and set screw at #1. New 3 prong IEC and disconnected 'death cap'. Many dings and parts updated but close to original AB763 specs. No-sag solid state rectifier with new Sprauge cap. If you've got this amp but think it's a bit one dimensional in tone, jumper it as described above, just don't spread the news too much, we don't want to drive the price of this amp into the stratosphere! Hah.Pre-Owned 1963/64 Fender Bandmaster Head Black Faceplate Congratulations, you've just opened up a whole slew of tonal possibilities! All tone controls are compounded and combined! Without getting technical, this means with your guitar plugged into normal jack 1, you can plug a short guitar cord from jack 2 of the normal channel into jack 1 of the vibrato channel. I don't think the glory of that tone is worth the risk to the speakers though.īUT here's the trick that makes this amp a total sleeper (at least the versions based on the AB763 circuit): Each channel of this amp has two stages of pre-amplification, a 12ax7 for the vibrato channel and a nearly identical 7025 in the normal channel. That said, if you're insane or reckless the sound of old alnico speaker break-up is amazing for indy or hard rock tone. So even though tube purists may disagree, I think the diode rectifier in the BF Bandmaster is an overall win. I feel the effect of tube sag is really only noticeable when you really push an amp, and I think the Bandmaster sounds best as a pristine class 'fender' sounding amp. For some people, tube rectifier sag is desirable and I'd agree depending on the application.

This amp uses a solid state rectifier, which means tighter low-end and no rectifier sag. The blackface Bandmaster is a really underappreciated gem. not all blackface bandmasters are created equal though. Very much a giant deluxe reverb without reverb. A lot of people are down on this amp versus the bassman because the smaller output transformer gives it a weaker sound and less headroom (by their standards) but I found it to have just the right amount of grit to the tone and the tightest bass of any large fender I've played aside from the tremolux heads. Last I checked it was still owned by sam ash, so if I ever have a couple grand burning a hole in my pocket I'll meet their asking price. I sadly was forced to sell this amp on short notice to sam ash because my wife needed a couple grand in emergency dental work :-( I got great money for it versus the $800 I paid for the whole rig, but I've enver seen one this clean that sounded this good since. the amp had what one friend called 'cowboy crunch' when bridged and pushed hard. You can bridge the channels on these because both channels are in-phase with the trem disengaged. It had THAT SOUND from so many 60s recordings of every style. This was without a doubt the best sounding piggyback fender I've owned for Americana type music. I owned a mid 60s bandmaster with the matching small box 2x12 cab.

Fender bandmaster 1963