Fender Bandmaster

I have an amazing pre-CBS Bandmaster from 1964. I was fortunate enough to purchase it around ten years ago from the original owner. He played it a handful of times and then placed it in his attic. I was truly interested in teh 1964 Jazzmaster that was for sale with the amp. I have another '64 Jazzmaster that is worn and beaten, but plays so smooth. So when the opportunity came to purchase as backup, I could not resist. I do not collect, I play. ....back to the amp. I replace the capacitors and put the old vintage RCA tubes away for safe keeping. They rumble a bit too much. The set up comes with the original 4x10 Jensen cabinet. The screw knobs and angle brackets are also there. Tilting that amp back is something out of the Buddy Holly story. I have also been partial to my 100W Marshall Superlead and 4X12 25w greenback Celestion cab, but this amp has grown on my in recent months (it only took 10 years). It is a we warm cutting tone. I play a lot of dissonant noisy chords and the amp has the ability to provide nice clarity. I use a couple of older Rat Distortion pedals to achieve my loud and louder settings. It really requires little distortion on the stomp boxes to give a nice piercing crunch from the amp.

Manufactured probably in 1968, since it has an aluminum surround on the grill cloth. It is the blackface circuit. No reverb, but a killer tremolo.

Its sound without any effects is classic Fender clean, up to volume setting of 5, after which it becomes raunchy. It doesn't particularly like a lot of effects, but given the right combination, it gets a very mean sound. I use a Power Soak with it. I take advantage of its allegedly 'wimpy' output transformer, which acts as a natural compressor and when everything's working right, it provides a subdued attack followed by a blooming growl that can be very effective. It has a very bright clean sound when you take the modern pedals out of the chain. I had to replace the 470 ohm resistors on the power tubes, and I recapped it. Its clean sound is very bright and chimey, but it begins to break up at around 5. It's obnoxiously loud, but never painfully loud like a Twin. I still use a Power Soak to take advantage of the power tube growl at a comfortable volume. I use a homemade cabinet with 2 cheap 12's, which are rated at 150 watts each. It probably needs better speakers with a lower wattage rating.

Since I replace the old fried carbon comp resistors on the power tubes, I feel it's as reliable as anything and I'd gig without a backup. With no PA, it's loud enough to compete with a loud drummer. You will need something like a Twin to get a clean sound that won't quit, but for dirty blues it's great.

Made in 1968; I think the warranty period has passed.

Been playing since 1979. I've played in noise bands, and used to use a Fender Super 6 for sheer volume; now I'm more into tone and I have a Fender Vibro-Champ, blackface, and now this, which I bought for playing onstage with. It won't break any volume records, and it won't do death metal particularly well, but it will do Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, and anything remotely bluesey. I use a Dallas Rangemaster treble booster, which provides treble boost and overdrive, and that wakes it up if you have a dark-sounding guitar.

Mine is a 1968 Bandmaster (AB763). If I date it correctly, it was made in June. I play multiple styles of music, from blues to punk, and this amp is pretty much versatile. It always has the nice tube tone and I think this has been quite possibly one of the best vintage tube amps I have ever owned. It's got 2 channels, one normal, one vibrato (the vibrato is really tremolo, not vibrato). This amp has about 40-50 watts, so it isn't the loudest amp on the planet, but when cranked up to the max, it is loud. It suits my needs, basically

This amp has great tube tone. The clean channel can get a little (literally very small) distorted at high volumes, but that's only because of the speakers I have it running through (2x12 Jensen C12Q re-issue). I have a late 60s strat and it sounds sweet through it. Then I have a SG copy, and a Les Paul Jr. copy which both sound very nice into it. Whenver anny of my pals plug in, it always sounds sweet. It has the great tube tone of more expensive amps

Since this is an older tube amp, I could somewhat depend on it. If it was brought to a gig with care, etc, i'd use it.

Fender would never be able to help you with an old amp like this. Bring it to a local guitar shop and maybe they can help you.

I got this amp for a nice price and it's great. I would definitly replace it with another if it got stolen. The only thing I wish it had was greater power, but other than that, its perfectt

68 sliverface, all blackface specs.

I now own this 68 & have owned a 65 & 66.
I also owned another early 68 a few years ago that I have regreted parting with 10 minutes after I sold it.
There's something about the 68 silverface tone that I dig more than
the Blackface Bandmasters I've owned.
If you put a pedal in front of this amp you can do anything. It generates tone that is second to none, with or without a pedal.
My SG, LP Jr & LP Standard all sound amazing thru this head. i play it thru a 4 ohm Avatar 2x12 cab w/one Eminence Governor & Wizard.
Also have a 1x12 with a 4 ohm Jensen Mod 70.
Between this head & my 68 Bassman I can't go wrong.

These heads may make some strange odors form time to time, or
strange noises.
Have an amp tech check them out every couple years no matter
how often you play it. It will cost you next to nothing & is
worth it in the long run.

Fender has little support. New or Old products.

For Rock & Roll this amp can do it all. They have tight Low-end & very thick clear tone for a 30 to 35 watt amp. I've tried most of Fenders new amps & they can't come close to the vintage Bandmasters & Bassmans.
Don't be affraid of the Silverface Bandmasters. The 68's & 69's are usually Blacface specs. If it's a Silverface & has the drip rail around the grill cloth chances are it has Blackface guts.
Before you buy some bullshit Boutique amp try a Bandmaster or Bassman from the 60's. Remember, Marshall built his first amp based on the Fender Bassman. JTM's & Plexi's don't sound too bad either.
The Fender Bandmaster is a steal on Ebay at the present time.
New amps do not sound anything like these old tone machines.

My bandmaster is a 1964 model with smooth blonde tolex and tone like nothing else. The head has everything you need and nothing you dont if you love vintage amps. The bandmaster features two channlels, one normal channel and one vibrato channel. The vibrato chanel, is the normal channel with speed and intensity(depth) knobs. Each channel has its own bright switch. The amp is powered by two 6L6GB power tubes, three 12AX7 and one 12AT7 in the preamp section. Chances are, if you have this amp, it has everything you need. The speakers is the matching blonde cab are oxfords.

The bandmaster is a very clean tube amp for 40 watts. More headroom than other 40 watt amps from the era. When volume is past 6 the amp really sings. In my opinion, it sounds so much better with single coils. It is a tube amp from the 60s so there is some background hiss, but very little. I was actually surprised by how quiet it is. The normal channel is a little fuller than the vibrato channel and here is why. Larger blackface amps such as the bandmaster have the vibrato put right into the circuit of the vibrato channel. This means that the signal is a little worn by going through this. But it still sound bloody amazing!!! Play around with the tubes, mostly is the preamp section and you will fall in love with it.

Never had any problems with it. Change the tubes and service it once a year and you will love it even more.

No warranty after 42 years, sorry. I only dealt with fender when I complained about the metalhead amp, and even then they answered me! And just for that they get a 10

I love fender, period. Guitars, amps, effects, i love it all man. So the 10 overall is nothing weird. The bandmaster is pure fender tone at a price that is incredible. Get one before it goes up in value, and they will. You wont be sorry.

1968.A4763 CIRCUIT. BLUES,ORIGANAL MUSIC,AM RECORDING ARTIST WITH HEADLINER.NORMAL AND VIBRATO. USED AT SMALLER VENUES.45 WATTS. PLENTY OF JUICE.ALL TUBE HAND WIRED. FOR THE PRICE, THERE IS NOTHING ELSE THAT COMPARES.

VINTAGE STRATS.FRALIN,KINMAN,VANZANT PICKUPS.ALL HAND WOUND.ITS PERFECT.NO NOISE,EXCEPT WHEN NEAR NEON LIGHTS.AND THAT IS DUE PARTLY TO PICKUPS.60 CYCLE HUMMMMM.ECT.HARMONICALLY RICH TONE, WITH BOTTOM AND TOP CLARITY.TURNED ALL THE WAY UP,GIVES YOU GREAT ROCK AND ROLL ALLA STONES TONES.

38 YEARS NOT A PROBLEM YET.

BILL HUMPHREYS DOES ALL THE WORK ON MY AMPS,ORIGANAL GUITARIST FOR SUPERSTAR.HE'S THE AMP GURU OF ALL AMP GURU'S OF ALL TIME.

BEEN PLAYIN 40 YEARS. I OWN BAD CATS,TOP HATS, BOGNERS, DUMBLES,DR Z'VARIOUS FENDERS YOU NAME IT. IF I LOST THIS ONE I'D PROBABLY GET ANOTHER HEAD JUST LIKE IT,IF I COULD FIND ONE.THIS HEAD JUST REPRESENTS WHAT MY GENERATION OF MUSIC IS ALL ABOUT.ITS PERFECT. AND JUST SO ANY OF YOU ALL GUITARISTS OUT THERE KNOW,THAT TONE,TALENT,YOUR INTRUMENTS,ARE AN EXTENSION OF YOUR SOUL.SO ITS GOOD TO LEARN AND LISTEN. TAKE CARE AND GOD BLESS. BIG B SMILES

Actually I own two blackface bandmasters - a '63/64 Electric Instrumnets and a "Musical Instruments" '65/66 version. I bought my first one used in 1968, and played it more or less constantly for years in all sorts of garages, bars and gymnasiums. It was always up to the task, with adequate volume, sustain and definition. Many years later I purchased a 2nd one (with a smaller 2-12" speaker cabinet)for $250 because I liked my 1st one so well. I don't really miss the reverb. Most venues have enough air about them and playing at home it does not really matter.

This amp works well with any instrument. I used many guitars over the years, and found it complemented each of them, whether equipped with Humbuckers, P90's, Strat or Tele single coils. It never detracts from the musical character - just adds a little more cream as the volume knob rotates up. I usually bridge the channels,which allows you to dial-in just the right blends of treble and bass. It's never flabby or shrill. As heretical as it may seem - I think the solid state rectifier sounds better than the mush-(I don't means sustain)-tone you can get with a tube rectifier.

This amp defines simplicity and reliability . . The primitive solid state rectifier is possibly one of the reasons. Together with the very best materials and craftsmanship, makes this a highly reliable amp. Change the caps and tubes once every 20 years and you'll be all set.

These amps are easily serviced and will have parts available till the cows come home.

This is just the amp to have. Perfect to play at home
(sounds good at low volumes) or out ( sounds good at high volumes) - the size and the 40 watts is just the most ... I like the separate head - it affords flexibility in using other cabinets and looks just as cool as it did in the '60's.

I have a '66 Blackface Head, It's a no frills straight ahead amp all tube (solid state rectifier though). There are 2 channels with vol, treble, bass on each, the second channel has a vibrato with speed & intensity controls. What more do you need. It's 40 Watts of classic Fender tube driven tone heaven.

I would like to see what it sounds like with a tube rectifier (might get switchable one fitted).

I use it for Harp and use a variety of bullet mics into it and sometimes a Shure Sonodyne 540 Series II. It has a great tone for harp and is loud enough to cut through with all but the loudest bands, then I just mic it up into the P.A.

I use this amp with either a 4X10 or 2X10 cab depending on where i am playing. I sometimes use a Boss DD3 delay pedal, but usually just play this puppy dry because it has that natural resonance you get from those old fender amps. When you play those big fat octaves on this baby they leap across the room and right into the face of the audience. The overdrive on this amp starts around 5 which is just right for the harp.

It's only just younger than me and runs like a dream. I never take a back up amp to a gig because this one is so reliable.

C'mon it's 39 years old !
This is just a guess of course but I reckon warranty might have run out !!!!

I would get another if this one were stolen or something.
OK so it's not a '59 Bassman but I guarantee it's as good (maybe slightly less bass response) and cheaper than a '59 Bassman. beacause it's a head and cab set up you can choose your speaker options for each gig and it's easier on your back !

'66 Bandmaster. The chassis has 1965 all over it but the tube chart is early '66. 2 channels. You know, like all the very reliable Fender piggy-backs.

I play Tele's and Strat through it. I just got it an a garage sale. Needs new electrolytic caps. Sounds a little mushy now but will clean up with new caps. Not as loud as I thought. That will also get better after new caps.

I've almost exclusively played Fender amps for 40 years. Very dependable. Won't need a backup for this one. I have rarely had a Fender to break down on me. It still has the original caps throughout but the tubes have been replaced. I then replaced the Sovtek's with RCA 6L6's.

I really don't need support on my Fender amps. I can usually fix them myself or with help from some tech friends. The older ones are fairly simple.

I've been playing for 40 years. Got my first guitar the Christmas after the Beatles hit the US. Got my first Tele and amp in 1975 but played through friends's amps before that. I have had one '65 Super Reverb stolen. I had 2 more at home to replace it. I'll probably always play Fender amps and guitars. I have owned over 200 amps and most have been Fenders. I used to think reverb was required but now it is not so important. I am a plug in and go guy. I don't use many effects. I've played so much and so loud I've lost most of my hearing. I also like some of the smaller Gibson and Epiphone amps.

1966 Bandmaster Head. Cap's replaced by previous owner (but nice work). Features are covered by previous reviews. I am running it through a mojotone 2x12 ext. cab w/ one Eminence Legend125 and one GB12. I tried the cabinet open and closed back and I prefer it closed.

I'm playing an SG Classic (P90 p'ups) through it. I use a Holy Grail for reverb, Voodoo Sparkle Drive, Aphex Punch Factory Compressor, and Voodoo Microvibe. So far my favorite sound is plugged into input 1 of Normal channel, with a jumper from Normal 2 out to Vibrato 1 input. This allows me to adjust the level of vibrato in the mix.
The amp is slightly noisy (you can hear a low hum) but nothing unusual. I haven't had the opportunity to push it to break-up.
This amp sounds beautiful. (I had been playing through a 70's Champ (w/ 8" Jensen) with the Weber tweed mod done) With the bandmaster I can really hear the character of my guitar. Changes in the volume and tone settings on the guitar make a big difference in the tone now.
I wouldn't say this amp has a wide variety of sounds, but the basic clean sound it does is sooo nice.

Can't say, just got it. But it made it since '66 with just routine maintenance.

N/A

I've been playing for 15 years as an amateur, off and on with bands. I've owned a pre-'85 Fender Concert, the 70's Champ, and a Vox Cambridge 15. I would definitely replace it. I love that I can jumper the two channels and adjust the mix of vibrato (and the tone controls independently on each of those channels). I was looking for a Fender clean sound and a 1 or 2 12" speaker config. and the Bandmaster was a good value in the current market.

This is a simple amp with few features. It has a treble and bass control, tremelo and a bright switch. There is no reverb. If you are looking for a lot of effects and features, this is not for you. However, if you are looking for that classic fender tone, this is the perfect amp.

I use this amp with my strat and tele. It is the best sounding amp I've ever heard, including my 1965 deluxe reverb. The only thing missing is reverb, but a digital reverb is good enough. It has classic fender tone and is perfect for blues. The amp breaks up nicely at high volume but is definately not crunchy. If you're a shredder, stay away from this amp. This is an extremely quiet amp, even at full volume with single coils. It is only 40 watts which means you can crank it without worrying about the neighbors calling the police.

This amp is indestructible. It is a 1966, 100% original amp. It has a few dings but what do you expect for an amp that's almost 40 years old. What can I say?

I've been playing for almost 35 years. This is one of the best amps ever made. I love it and would buy another.

I got a 1965 Blackface Bandmaster. It is a "loud" (like mose tube amps) 40 watts. It has 2 channels with Vibrato (Tremolo). THe best way to describe this amp is "CLEAN" If I could have any added feature it would be Reverb. I use a digital reverb/delay unit and it warms it up nicely. It really has more than enough power for me. If you find one buy it.

I use a variety of guitars with this amp. I mainly use a Telecaster with single coils, a 70' Guild Starfire with humbuckers, and a Rickenbacker 330 with single coils. This amp shimmers with single coils. It is clean and bright. I almost think that it is too clean. I have a hard time getting the amp to break up into overdrive. When I first got the amp it was noisy at high volume, but a retube and bias job made this amp virtually silent at any volume, other than single coil hum from the guitars. I use a digital reverb delay with it, unfortunatly I haven't found a suitable Overdrive/distortion pedal for it. The amp just is too bright, cutting and clean for heavy styles of guitar playing. I simply cannot get this amp to break up at any volume. That said, the clean tone is pristine, I judge the clean sound of all amps against the Bandmaster, and I am the proud owner of a vintage Twin-Reverb.

After I replaced the tubes and Electrolytic capacitors, the amp is reliable as any amp in my arsenal. In fact this is much more reliable than my 1996 Marshall (sounds better too). The amp was broken down not long after I got it, but that was due to the 35 year old capacitors and Vacuum tubes. Other than that this amp is a tank!

Never dealt with Fender on this.
Any Competent amp tech can repair these amps.
Very easy to repair if you gotta do it yourself.

I have played for 14 years. I own 2 Vintage Bassmans and a Vintage Twin-Reverb, and a 90's Marshall. This amp gets a workout even with that competition. This amp is great, not alot of people play these so you can still get a good deal. If you need a Clean amp, BUY ONE.

1966 Blackface, 45 watts with tremelo. I bought it in 1977 since I needed a stronger amp than my 65 Vox Cambridge tube amp to play mostly rock. Some bonehead had installed a cheesy master volumn that always sucked,rarely worked right, & I eventually removed. Always wished it had my Voxes reverb.

This amp is uncomplicated but thats its appeal. After all is said & done its the amp I gig with. Classic Fender tube tone. Just enough bite! Eat your heart out Jim Marshall. I love my Voxes & my Mesa but this amp works best with the various guitars I play. Even with the big-ass 2-12" cab its worth moving. Most guys my age seem to be downsizing to little combo amps but piss on that, lets rock!

Only smoked it once in 1998. Found out the master volumn pinhead had also installed a 20 amp fuse instead of the required 3 amp. Never bothered to check it in 21 years-duh! OK, I'll also admit I bring my little 40 watt Peavey transtube for insurance-but come on-38 years old!! Where will your Yahmaha or Korean Vox be then?

Leo's dead.

This amp just proves to me that Fender did their homework. It incorporates everything gigging musicians need even it it takes time to realize it. Other manufacturers can learn from this. Americans build quality even if the media gushes over the foriegn junk!

It was given to me by a friend, decent condition, speakers in the 2x12" cabnit have been replaced by something that i've never heard of--blown, of course but will replace with Celestion G12T-75-8 when i have the cash.

I have a 1966 Blackface , i haven't had a chance to really play it yet as it's curently not working, no channel switching, some pots may need replacing, have been cleaned, more than enough power for me

I play mostly metal/smooth rock (worship in my local church)

haven't had the chance to really use it yet.

as i said before--has yet to work on me, LOUD humming noise, prolly because of either the tubes being shot or the bias being bad, it needs serviceing but not service stations around.

no shops nearby. wont even try fender... why would they care?

i've been playing E. Guitar for over 4 years now... i have an epiphone special II ( iknow, bottom of the barrel) i just wish i could get the dang thing to work.
I WISH IT HAD AN OVERDRIVE CHANNEL but i figure i'll just get a pedal for it.

1967 Blackface. No reverb, but everything else is all you need. No gain,distortion or any other junk to dirty up the signal and mask the sound of your guitars pickups. I play classic rock, blues, and a little progressive/alt country. Plenty of power.

The smoothest, richest, bass I have ever heard, maybe due in part to the closed back cabinet. Not the least bit muddy, either. The treble is pure BF Fender, the best. At idle, you simply cannot hear it run; very quiet when playing, even with single coils. I do not push this amp very hard, so I cant comment on its overdriven sound. Tone contols have enough range of adjustment to dial in single coils and humbuckers . Absolutely the best sounding clean amp I have ever heard. Too bad it took me 39 years of playing to stumble across it. I have had Silvertones, Gibsons, Deluxe Reverbs, Marshalls, Hot Rod DeVilles, Concert Reverb RI, and for my style it is superior to all of them

For my purpose, which is almost exclusivly home playing now, it is great. I would be very reluctant to play any stock 37 year old amp at a gig without a backup.

N/A If I were to have trouble, I would take it to the store where I bought it( Music Villa in Bozeman, Mont. They are the best people to work with I have dealt with) I am not a fan of "corporate Fender". They are just too big and powerful in the industry.

I have been playing for 39 years. I have several guitars: a new Gibson J200, 2003 Clapton Strat with a custom Hefner neck, 1973 Tele, 1973 Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, 1984 es-347, 1976 Starcaster, 1965 Hagstrom, 1997 Rickenbacker360, and a 1972 Gretsch Roc-Jet. I use a Dunlop Crybaby, a Boss BD-1 Blues Driver, and a SexDrive clean boost. However, 95 % of the time I play with no effects. I am in the market for an affordable vintage Fender reverb unit, also. This is a great example of how some vintage gear is truly superior to the new stuff. I was kind of skeptical until I heard this amp, and it has made a believer out of me , at least where Fender amps are concerned. This amp is far and away better sounding than the new Concert Reverb ( $1800 list ) that I got rid of, there was simply no comparison. With a good reverb unit, this amp will have it all. I cant see myself ever selling it, and if it were to be stolen or break down, I would surely look for another vintage Fender.

early '65 ("Fender Electric Instruments") black face "Bandmaster-Amp", you can see the deal from above. About as tricky as these things get is including a "bright" switch; you need to look elsewhere for bells and whistles and channel changing and all that stuff, but I have no use for those.

whoa, nellie! This is one heck of an amp. Maybe it's the smaller output transformer, maybe its lower tube plate voltages or something, but this amp has one heck of a sweet, rich, harmonically complex sound. A bit of compression and "lag" but nothing hyped like the new fancy boutique amps. Even better, the thing is utterly smooth when it goes into overdrive: there is no low-end "grit" or crapping-out sound, it's slick and liquid all the way up, still clear enough to hear enveything, too. I've played all sort of guitars through it (Les Paul, Tele Thinline, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Strat, Rick 330, Dano Convertible, etc.)and it's consistently great, though you need to adjust the tone knobs just a bit, of course.

To compared to two other Fender heads I have from the same period (Dual Showman and Bassman), and played through the exact same cabinets (one closed-back, ported Peavy cab with two 12" 200W EV's, one semi-open back Sears Silvertone Twin 12 cab with 60's Oxfords), here are some notes:

1. Much less bight than either the Showman or Bassman (reminds me of mid-60's Marshall "plexi" tone: it's clear, but just doesn't have that piercing Fender high-end, even with the bright switches on);
2. Sounds good at low volumes, unlike Showman and Bassman;
3. "breaks up" at around..well..it's never really clean, is the thing, but never really distorted either. The Showman is ALWAYS clean, it just gets louder and richer; the Bassman is clean up to about 2 or 3, then it's "overdriven" with increasingly gritty low end, then it's "death to all who stand before me" at about 6 or higher. The Bandmaster never "loses it" or flaps out, it just gets creamier and more intense. You can always get "clean" sound by picking softer.
4. Bass is way less tight-and-bright than either the Bassman or Showman (I attribute this to the output tranny), but very smooth and pleasant, not weak. Blends in well with other things.
5.not nearly as loud as the Bassman (a hellaciously loud amp, who knows why), but not all that much quieter than the Showman. PLenty loud enough to gig with - especiually if you use both channels (either bridged or seperate inputs from a signal splitter). In contrast to the Showman and Bassman, both channels on this amp sound great, though a bit different (normal is darker and louder, vibrato is a touch brighter and cleaner). I recommend the channel splitter - you can adjust both channels for different tones and levels and then use the appropriate one (or both, which is awesome).

One off note, the amp is quite loud at reast (the "fireplace" or "grandpa's radio's still on" sound). Will have it looked at..but since the amp sounds great it's rarely "at rest," so not a huge drawback.

As with may other amps and Fenders (but a bit more so here), the amount of bass you push through it essentially determines how "clean: or "overdriven" it sounds. So turn up the bass knob, it's "dirtier," use the neck pickup, same deal. This aspect is more useful on this amp than other Fenders since the amp is less bright, I can actually use the bridge pickup on, say, a Jaguar, or Tele without causing ear damage.

Overall..have I said this thing is great? it is. I now have lots of amp-shaped paperweights.

a 40 year old amp is a 40 year old amp. keep it seviced, it'll be fine. People who expect perfect service-free performance everyday on tour or whatever from these amps complain when they inevitably develop problems or blow a cap or something, but if you bought a '65 Porsche and raced it around and never changed the oil, I'd call you a big fat idiot too. For the kind of wiring and components that went into these, you'd be paying some boutique guy $2,000 today. treat 'em right and they'll do the same.

not an issue.

This is a sweet, smooth, harmonic and serious grownup amp, great for rock, jazz, blues, whatever you play if you want a rich, responsive and musical sound. The fact that you can get them for under $400 today is kind of incredible, considering the high-priced junk out there, and considering that the TUBES ALONE in the amp could be worth more than a quarter of that. "Fantastic value" pretty much nails it. Now I'm gonna get me another one before everybody figures this out.

I've had a '66 Bandmaster piggy back (2 x12")since it was new. I have replaced the tubes twice over the years and it has seen a lot of roadwork. It's a sweet Fender sound and it's had just about every kind of distressing sound through it that you can imagine.It has never let me down. I wish all things were made this well. Jim

I use both a Strat and Godin LGX through it and it sounds great. There is only vibrato in it and limited tone controls but with external effects, I don't care.

The amp is 37 years old and has NEVER quit. I replaced the tubes twice and that was cause I thought "it must be time". I noticed no deterioration in sound, but there must have been. It has been a real source of comfort at every gig, knowing when all else is going wrong, I never had to worry about my amp.

I've been playing 38 years and use a combination of 4 rackmount effects, from Lexicon, Marshall and Roland. Now I'm buying something that's a little lighter for small gigs. The Bandmaster isn't that powerful but for medium gigs, no problem at all. I love it and my brother for buying it for me in '66.

I HAVE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE TO HAVE A STEP-FATHER THAT BOUGHT THIS TOTALLY BLONDE(EVERYTHING IS BLONDE,FACE,CABINET&HEAD)BRAND-NEW IN 1961 OR ABOUT THERE.HE PLAYED MUSIC OUT OF A MUSIC FEDERATION IN N.E. OHIO,AND NEVER MISSED A WEEK-END GIG FOR OVER 20 YEARS.HE PLAYED A FENDER BASS AND SOMETIMES HAD THE WHOLE BAND PLUGGED INTO IT.
IT WILL PLAY ANY TYPE OF MUSIC STYLE AND SOUND GOOD.THERE IS JUST BASIC CONTROLS,BUT IT DOES THE JOB WELL.IT HAS ALL THE POWER YOU WILL EVER NEED FOR A CLUB BAND.TUBE SOUND IS HARD TO BEAT.NO REVERB BUT A NICE "VIBRATO" FOOT PEDAL.YOU CAN PUT 4 INSTRUMENTS IN IT AND STILL GET A DECENT SOUND.

I HAVE A "78" ELECTRA,MPC AND PLAY MOSTLY BLUES.ALSO AN OVATION ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC AND BOTH ARE CRISP AND SMOOTH ON THIS AMP.THE AMP HAS THE SAME HISS THAT ALL OF THESE HAVE AT LOW VOLUME.NOT A PROBLEM THOUGH.I PUT THE VOLUME ON 10 IN 1975,MY JUNIOR YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL,AND AN OLD CHEAP GIUTAR VOLUME ON TEN,JUST TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD DO. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!! EVERYTHING THAT WAS HANGING ON THE WALLS IN EVERY ROOM WAS OFF THE WALLS IN A SINGLE STROKE.MAN DID I GET A CHEWING OUT BY MY MOTHER.MY STEP-FATHER THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.HE SAID HE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO THAT,BUT WAS AFRAID,AND THANKED ME FOR DOING IT. NOW HE KNEW TOO.ANYTHING ABOVE 4 ON THE VOLUME AT HOME CAN BE BAD.

THE ONLY THING REPLACED ON IT ARE TUBES,AND ALL TUBES DIE SOMETIME.IT IS STILL ALL ORIGIONAL OTHER THAN SOME TUBES.IT HAS NEVER BEEN CLEANED."EVER"I WAS TOLD ALL THAT DIRT ADDS PERSONALITY TO IT.I PLAY IT 3 TO 5 TIMES A WEEK STILL AND IT NEVER MISSES A BEAT.I LET IT STAY ON STAND-BY FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE PLAYING.THIS THING WILL CREEP UP IN VOLUME SOME AS THE TUBES GET TO FULL OPERATING TEMPERATURE.ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE AMPS EVER MADE.

DON`T TRY FENDER FOR SUPPORT ON THIS AMP.IT AIN`T GOING TO HAPPEN!NEVER BEEN REPAIRED,BECAUSE IT NEVER BEEN BROKE.YOU CAN STILL FIND ORIGIONAL TUBES AT SOME THRIFT STORES ,BIG FLEA MARKETS ,AND OLD RCA TV REPAIR SHOPS.START CALLING EVERY RCA TV REPAIR SHOP FIRST,AND IF THE HEAD GUY THERE IS 50 PLUS YEARS OLD,HE WILL KNOW WHAT AND PROBALLY WHERE TO GET SOME ORIGIONAL TUBES.

I`VE PLAYED FOR 32 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A MORE DEPENDABLE,ALL-A-ROUND AMP.IF IT WERE STOLEN THAT PERSON WOULD GET A SET OF 12`S AROUND THE NECK IF I CAUGHT HIM.I`M LOOKING ALL THE TIME FOR ANOTHER AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANY YET.THE ONLY THING I WISH IT HAD WAS FOR SOMEBODY TO CARRY IT FOR ME.THIS THING IS HEAVY.IF YOU FIND ONE,BUY IT!!!YOU WON`T GO WRONG.

October 1963 1st generation blackface Bandmaster (AA763 circuit) with transitional cosmetics (ie: smooth blonde tolex, black knobs, gold grille, raised logos). I play mostly early '60s pop, blues, hillbilly and jazz, and this amp works well for all of these styles. These amps are currently very inexpensive in comparison with most other vintage Fenders, mainly due to its lack of reverb and somewhat small output transformer. I don't play it particularly loud, so the small tranny doesn't bother me; one can always drop in a Bassman tranny for more oomph. For reverb I use a reissue Fender '63 Reverb with NOS tubes and a 6K6GT in place of the stock 6V6GT (just like the originals). The tremelo on the Bandmaster is very cool, although I don't use it much. The original 12" speakers were not in the cab when I bought it, so I replaced them with mid '60s Oxford 12T6's, which are found in many blackface Fenders (including Bandmasters, I believe). These are heavy duty ceramic speakers, and sound just dandy. Like all BF Fenders, the speaker cab is made of solid pine, which gives excellent resonance, like a piano.

My guitars are a 1962 Gretsch Tennessean, 1984 Rickenbacker 330, 1966 Rickenbacker 330/12, and a 1965 Silvertone/Danelectro 1448. The Ricks really come alive with the Bandmaster - I prefer their sound through the Fender than through the Vox's I have had before. The Vox's were just too darn trebly for the already bright Rickys. The Bandmaster has that sweet Fender tone, and sounds fantastic even at very low volume, with excellent dynamics and tonal range. Each note is crisp, clear and well-defined. Extremely responsive to pick attack. I bought this amp because I wanted an affordable vintage point-to-point Fender piggyback that would give me a just a bit of bite without having to be cranked too loud. I was also considering searching for a Tremolux, but came across this Bandmaster first, liked it and bought it. I mainly play smaller venues, so at 40 watts, the Bandmaster is perfect for my needs. I usually play it at around 5 or 6 on the volume (which just gives a tad of breakup and is medium loud), and the treble at 5 and the bass at 8. Of course, the Bright switch is activated. The Normal channel seems to have a bit more gain and darkness than the vibrato channel. My amp was serviced in 1999 (3 years before I bought it) and brought back to spec (according to the service receipt I found tucked inside the head), so it runs extremely well, although there is a bit of low-end hum. It's not really noticeable, so I haven't done anything about it.

I''ve only had it for a few months, but it seems to be very ruggedly constructed and well-maintained. With proper servicing and care, it seems that it should last another 40 years with no problem.

I think that once Leo sold the company to CBS, the warranty may have been voided!

I've been playing since 1977. My only other experience with Fender amps is a '70s Twin Reverb I used in the '80s (pretty good sound, but a bit muddy) and a tweed Pro Junior that I adore. Prior to buying the Bandmaster, I had a '65 Vox AC50 with Celestion blues in a Vox cab, and found it waaay too powerful for my needs. At moderate volume it sounded sterile, although it sounded very nice at higher volume. (Unfortunately, I was rarely able to crank it.) I also find Vox amps to be voiced a bit too bright for my taste. The Bandmaster is a much more versatile amp than the AC50, with shimmering treble and rich, deep bass, at any volume setting. And you can get great tone without blowing out windows.

January 65 blackface head, recently serviced and puts out 47 watts to a 4 ohm load. I play rock and blues and this amp is great for those genres. Two channels, vibrato. This amp is suprisingly LOUD. Right now I'm using it for rehearsal and jamming. My gig amp is a cyber twin.

I play a 68 Paul with Duncan humbuckers and a mutated Kramer strat with a dimarzio PAF pro humbucker(with parallel coil switch) and two virtual vintage heavy blues single coil shaped humbuckers. I play mostly rock and blues. I'm using a Randall 4-10 bottom with 8 ohm Celestions, great crunch and very loud. I patch both input channels together and get a full, crunchy sound. From there, I use a delay, wah and overdrive for sounds. Does everything I need and sounds righteous!

Just got the amp, first thing I did before playing it was have it checked out for pregnant caps and other problems. Had a minor power supply fix needed. I put a couple of Sovtek 5881's in it and it really barks. Should be reliable as a typical Fender from that era.

No contact with Fender. I am fortunate to have an excellent and knowledgeable Fender amp guru locally.

I've been playing since 1972. If the amp were stolen I'd try to find another but I doubt I could find one for as cheap. I love the TONE.

I HAVE A 64 MODEL BLACK FACE BAND MASTER ITS GREAT FOR ALL TYPES OF MUSIC FROM RAY GAY TO HEAVY METAL THE TWO CHANNEL AMP IS GREAT WHEN PIGGY BACKED OR JUMPED ONE CHANNEL TO THE NEXT BLUES ON THE BRIGHT CHANNEL IS THE BEST YOU JUST CANT GET THAT DEEP RICH TONE WITH A SOLID STATE AMP I HAVE BEEN DOING GIGS FOR 25 YEARS AND THE BLACK FACE HAS NEVER LET ME DOWN I USE 7025 TUBES INSTEAD OF 12AX7 IN THE PREAMP ITS A LITTLE CLEANER AT HIGH VOLUME AND EXCELLENT WITH A PEDAL

I USE TWO DIFFERENT GUITARS ONE A 1959 PRE CBS FENDER STRAT IT IS SWEET AND A LATE 60S OVATION ELECTRIC CELEBERTY THIS GUITAR IS GREAT FOR BLUES

TWENTY FIVE YEARS WORTH NEVER BEEN TO THE SHOP THE 6L6 TUBES HAVE BEEN CHANED SEVERAL TIMES THIS AMP GETS A LOT OF USE

NEVER DELT WITH CUSTOMER SUPPORT

IVE BEEN PLAYING SENCE I WAS IN THE THIRD GRADE I HAD TAKEN LESSONS FFROM A MUSIC TEACHER THAT YEAR I WAS 9 YEARS OLD NOW IM 47 BEEN PLAYING A LONG LONG TIME

bright switch, trem, tone tone tone! 65 blackface fender bandmaster recently brought back to life by Starving Musician Tech's
no reverb

not much variety but oh my god fender clean is so sweet. played with a holey grail reverb pedal this amp comes to life. i think it's the same as a super reverb with a smaller output transformer and no reverb. nice trem section tho. it's a real lush spunky clean tone which i'm sure get's SRV at distortion levels tho it's 4 am and am in an apartment so my neighbors won't like that. Authentic fender tone for a song!

it died when i had it before but they replaced the output tubes and brite switch and i don't know what but man no hum and it's a 65 no circuit bds here...well one. it's bulletproof

great people on the 800 number. let's see 38 yrs old ...no warranty. but starving will fix it for me since i'm renting it..

best authentic fender amp under 500 you'll EVER find! get a reverb tho or it's pretty sterile. damn it's sweet. strats and tele's come to life with this amp. Godsmack fan's won't be happy...well -just get another pedal. all pt to pt for peanuts. it's a steal. hope no one figures out what a steal these are.

1968 Bandmaster silverface head with old blackface AB763 circuit. 2 channels: one normal, one vibrato (vibrato is foot-switchable); both with bright switch and 2 inputs per channel. Standby switch. Approx 50W; 2 6L6 power tubes.

I use this amp with an old Fender blackface sealed twin-12" cab fitted with Electrovoice SRO speakers. I play mostly blues on a Fender American Standard Strat with standard pickups. The amp has an excellent classic Fender blues-type sound, especially using the bright switch. Not a lot of variety in the sounds it makes. About as noisy as you'd expect for a 30-year old tube amp! It's a good club amp.

Seems pretty dependable; it has never broken down and I wouldn't worry about using it without a backup. I'm getting a little noise from the tubes, I think, even though all the power and preamp tubes were replaced fairly recently.

Fender doesn't offer any support for their older amps so I've never dealt with them. There's no lack of amp technicians in my area so it hasn't been a problem.

My brother found this amp in a Salvation Army thrift store in Chicago. He bought it for $5 but spent about $200 more getting it restored. He then decided he had too many amps so I bought it from him. I was looking for a classic blues sound and this amp has it. I do wish it had reverb though. I also own a silverface Princeton Reverb; the Bandmaster's sound is superior. If stolen I'd probably replace it with a blackface Fender but look for a more versatile model than the Bandmaster.

I am proud to play through a 64 Black face Bandmaster. I have the 2x12 small cabinet. The original speakers have long since blown and have been replaced with Piledrivers.

The guts to this old tube amp is a pair of 6L6 tubes. I am currently using a matched pair of SOVTEKs. Although most prefer other tubes, I have been very pelased with both the tone and durability of these tubes.

The amp has two channels. Channel two has tremelo. There is no reverb.

I am using an early 80's American Standard STrat and an Epiphone "Dot" (thin hollowbody w/ twin humbickings). This amp is very pedal-friendly. I use a Danelectro overdrive and a Danelectro chorus--the big pedals, not the crappy little sheap ones. The tone is outstanding. People constantly brag on the tone--expecially toher musicians

I replaced the original (frayed) power cord with a three prong grounded cord which has all but eliminated noise from that end.

I always carry extra 6L6 tubes but havent needed one yet--not even a fuse! This amp is a beast!

With these old vintage amps, service is a local thing so who knows??

I have been playing since--lets see--1958. If you want a vinateg "classic rock" sound, this is a great amplifier. They can usually be bought with a 2x12 cabinet for around 6-700 dollars so they are a rreal bargain.

I love the fact that it is a separate amp and speaker cabinet. That roughly splits the weight in half so I can carry about 27 pounds in each hands versus 60 pounds in just my right hand.

If anyone stole this amp, I'd consider it a "Class X" felony under Illinois law and shoot 'em on sight!

1964 blackface 2-channel Bandmaster head with 1963 "rough Tolex" cabinet. Loaded with two 1996 Eminence vintage series 12" speakers. Used exclusively in medium bars, sounds great mic'd on 2, but much better on 4 or 5. If you want a "full-featured" amp (stuff built-in or fx loop, etc.), this is not the amp you want

This amp sounds best with my 1964 Harmony H78 hollowbody. Single coil DeArmond's and a Bigsby make for great surf tone with this amp. The Blond color helps with the "surf" sound as well. Not noisy, except around neon lights or tattoo parlors. 2-prong, non-polarized plug, so I've been soundly shocked several times.
Distorts great for the "growly" reverbed-out sound I need, but not too much to be "metal". I use both channels with a custom-made distortion & channel splitter footpedal. One channel gets the "reverbed" clean signal, and the other gets the distorted signal which can be switched on & off with the footpedal. Wide open, the clean channel breaks up nicely.
One thing... Good speakers make all the difference! Not necessarily expensive speakers, but two of the same, and not "rock-style" Celestions or something. Replacing my old mismatched speakers with the Eminence vintage speakers improved the tone of this rig 100%!!

Built like a tank, treated like dirt. I know some people think it's sacrilige to mistreat a vintage Fender, but it's my working-class amp, and I work it hard. I've never used or needed a backup in the 8 years I've owned it (OK, one cheap Chinese tube literally exploded once, but that was a tube thing) I change the power tubes about every 2 years, and have NEVER changed the preamp tubes!

I've never needed it professionally serviced.

Been playing it in my San Diego band "Surf Report" for 8 years, and I love it so much, I have it insured against everything. I would search until I found another one if I ever lost it. It looks cool, and sounds great. At almost every show, somebody comments on it. Sometimes I wish it had wheels (it's heavy), but it sounds great sitting on a raised, carpeted stage. It's a shame that nobody can build amps like these anymore without charging a fortune.

Blackface two channel, bass & treble controls, Vibrato Chn. 2

I play a '95 Fender Strat Deluxe Plus with Blue, Silver, Red Lace sensors which are being replaced with Seymour Duncun APS 2. The Lace Sensors are too compressed sounding. I play R&B, Motown, Funk, Rock, and Country. I run both imputs together which gives a fuller sound. I am using a Carvin two twelve open back cabinet loaded with their British speakers. Clean sounds incredible. The amp is responsive with luscious "Tone". For mild crunch I use a Tubescreamer, rock a ProCO Rat, Modern a Powerlead. For a fake reverb/delay I use a Echomachine. I do not miss not having reverb on this amp. If you have great sounding clean amp any pedal will do you justice. I like this amp better than the silverface Twin reberb I had in the 70's,80's. This amp replaced a Peavey Delta Blues which was extremely unreliable with terrible service from Peavey. The Delta Blues does not even come close to this amp in tone. Old Fenders perform.

I have owned this amp for over a year and have fell in love with it. Unlike the Peavey which only worked one month out of the year I owned it. This amp has been flawless and appears to not have been touched in its 35 years of existence.

I have been playing for 25 years. I love old Fender amps for the tone and reliability. New amps just are not made as well. Modelling amps do not have the "tone" these old amps do. I would buy this blackface Bandmaster again. Even with the price of the Carvin speaker cabinet this Fender head is a great value.

This amp is a two-channel silverface top from '73. Both channels have double inputs, a bright switch and volume, bass and treble controls. The second channel's got vibrato (speed and intensity) controls. Amp is using a 12AX7 for each channel's preamp, a 12AT7 as a phase inverter, a 12AX7 for the Vibrato and a pair of 6L6's power tubes. The rectifier (unfortunately) is solid state. The bias circuit is balanced; one of CBS's "improvements". So, it's an average clean silverface Fender amp without reverb.

I know I once was enthousiastic about these silverface amps, but now that I own a blackfaced Super Reverb I have more reference so my opinion changed.

From the CBS factory, this amps just does what it was supposed to do in the seventies: just give a nice clean & round sound, no more, no less. I blackfaced my B-master to the AB763 schematic which in fact is really easy for anyone who's fimiliar with a soldering iron (check out the Fender amp Field Guide at www.ampwares.com for the schematics). The bias is now levelled (35 mA), got rid of the "CBS improvement capacitors". The solid state rectifier is still in place, so no "sag" for this map. With the blackface schematic, the amp does already sound much better (better tone, more dynamics). I also applied some tricks to get some more gain: removed the channel 1 12AX7, removed the vibrato 12AX7 and disconnected the signal wire from the vibrato intensity pot. I even tried a 12AX7 as a phase invertor, this also gives you some extra gain but you lose tone. With these mods, the amp became a really good sounding crunchy amp that starts to break up at volume set to 6 or 7. I applied a triode circuit (switchable) so if it's too loud at 7, I can reduce the output power. Some Fender freaks don't like the triode sound, for me it's a practical way to be able to crank up the volume without cranking up the volume if you get my drift.

After the mods, it's got some of that magic blackface dynamics, crunch and even overdrive althought it's not so creamy as my Super Reverb: probably because of the "tiny" output transformer. Of course I also really miss that sweet Hammond reverb. A friend of mine i