Black face Fender Bandmaster amps

[bracewell]

Guys, What do you think about the mid 60's Fender Band Masters. I am thinking of buying one. I did reseach and found out that blackface is the best to buy. Am I right? I was told the tone from these are wonderfull. Would appreciate feedback.

Thanks Lee

[mxvin]

Guys, What do you think about the mid 60's Fender Band Masters. I am thinking of buying one. I did reseach and found out that blackface is the best to buy. Am I right? I was told the tone from these are wonderfull. Would appreciate feedback.

Thanks Lee

Most Fenders from that era are very good sounding amps. Before buying find what, if any, work has been done. Like filter caps, electrolytic caps, tubes, etc. If its all original than be prepared to do some maintenance....see above items. Just some food for thought...

[mac1amps]

I must admit that, although I'm a true Lover of Fenders, the [non-reverb] BandMasters are probably one of MY least favorite models. For me, my priorities are for as "natural" sounding break-up as possible, but BandMasters don't have enough gain for very much break-up at all unless you use a [clean] boost pedal, or modify the amp (such as cascading the preamp channels). If you're the style of player that is not going for break-up, OR the type of player who's content with the "processed" break-up from a stomp box, THEN you may like a BM. I personally Love the sound of the 60's Bassman heads (I own 4 of them). They have enough gain to "keep-up" with a 50-Watt Marshall, or something comparable. FWIW, a BandMaster Reverb is definately a different "animal". Because of the added gain you get (by way of the reverb "recovery" stage), they are much more responsive than their "dry" predecessors (actually they're identical to the chassis in a Pro Rev.), although they weren't making them during the "Blackface" era.

[ahamay79]

Have you played one yet?

[mbratch]

I have a 1967 BFBM and I think it sounds amazing, as I tend to like a clean tone as a base for pedals and don't rely on the amp for distortion. The BM is a bit, in some sense, like a higher powered non-reverb Princeton. To my ears, the clean isn't quite like the clean in a Deluxe Reverb or a Twin. It's got it's own sound that I think is a great tone played through a closed 2x12.

[Tomduc]

Bandmaster

I have a 66 I use all the time. I was looking for that classic blackface tone and it's a great amp that you can find for a good price. I do use it with a Fulltone full drive and reverb pedal I also have a Zoom Power Drive pedal in the chain that is a real nice clean boost that you can find on ebay for good prices. So I start with the basic clean sound then I can add the Zoom in for a bigger sound or clean solos and the Fulltone for overdriven solos.
I understand what the other guy means by getting the amp to overedrive but I can't always crank an amp up in clubs with out getting too loud really a fifty watt amp is too much for most bars. To crank a 50 or 100 watt amp up you really need to be in a big place with lots of bodies to absorb sound. I'm not an old guy who won't play loud I just know club owners won't rehire you if you are too loud. I have 15 watt and 20 watt amps if I want to crank them for overdrive but I have more control with pedals. If you are a player that likes to use the vol. knob on your guitar you can do the straight amp thing but I tend to like the vol. all the way up on my guitars. There is no one best way.
I will say I don't care for the Fender closed back 2 X 12 cab. I play blues in clubs and it's too hard to hear onstage with a closed back cab for me an open back cab spreads the sound around the stage and room better. Cabs are easy to build so I build my own. It wants to see a 4 ohm load and that makes a very big difference in sound it will sound fuller and bigger with a 4 ohm cab. If you use a 8 ohm cab it won't be as good. One cab I built is a tweed Bassman style cab 4 X 10 with alnico speakers with a floating baffle board it's a big wide sound with great bass.
Right now I think that's it's best cab match.
It could be even bigger and badder with some Eminence ceramic magnet speakers but I don't know if the floating baffle would respond the same with the heavy speakers. I also built a 2 X 12 cab to the Fender specs. but I opened up the back after doing gigs with it as a closed back. It really makes a very big difference what speakers you mate with it. Right now the 2 X 12 has Eminence 1258s they are like a C12N bright but crunchy but it would also sound good with some english type speakers too. Eminence Swamp Thangs would give it super big low end. That's the beauty of buying a head you can really taylor the sound.

[Tomduc]

I also wanted to add this. Have you looked at an amp made by Traynor called a Bassmaster or YBA-1?
Ckeck out the ones made in the late 60s and early 70s they are a 50 watt amp with EL34s made for bass but like a Fender Bassman they are really great guitar amps too. Like a marshall Plexi but more clean power and bigger low end. They still sell for good prices on ebay. There is a website called Black velvet that has lots of info on them. Very well made amps. I have one and it's a really great amp.

[ahamay79]

I own a Traynor YBA-1 and LOVE IT!!!! All I did was change out the volume pots to 1 meg.