Fender's Best Vintage Amp Value? - 1969 Bandmaster Reverb Service & DEMO

[@wildbillhackett]

As if you need another reason to love Bandmaster Reverbs, the baffle in them is big enough to hold a pair of 8" speakers, so if you get some good ones, you'll find it works fine for smaller gigs without the need to haul the cabinet around. You can also leave the cab loaded on your band's trailer and just bring the head home for practicing.

[@TheGuitologist]

Absolutely. A replacement baffle with some high powered 8" speakers would be a killer 'mod'.

[@matthewf1979]

Bill Seper totally great ideas, I forgot people do that with these. The only Fender head with Reverb is a special one, from Vibrolux to Vibroverb with a simple cabinet change. With 8's I guess it would be a Princeolux.

[@wildbillhackett]

If you want to hear these things scream, yank the V1 tube and toss it. V1 and V2 share a cathode cap and resistor, so pulling one of the tubes is like biasing it much hotter. There are a lot of YT videos where guys have done this to amps with this circuit. Also, a Hicks Mender works great with these amps. They still pop-up on eBay from time to time.

[@wildbillhackett]

Also, the Dual Showman heads had reverb too. Incidentally, as a curiosity for collectors, there was a guy on Reverb trying to sell a SF Bandmaster Reverb several months ago that actually used the smaller sized cabinet that the non-reverb models had. The reverb tank was mounted to the front baffle instead of the bottom. He claimed it was all original and came from the factory that way. It's the only one I've ever seen.

[@matthewf1979]

Bill Seper I prefer the tone with two 5751's in v1/v2, a hot Sylvania or GE 17mm 12AX7 in the PI and no negative feedback. It's a fire breather setup for all but the Champ/Princeton/Bassman. I'm not a big preamp tube distortion guy(as I sit here cascading 5879's in a new design) and prefer hot output bias and volume levels that should have made me deaf years ago. But yes, it's a quick easy trick to bump up gain for a little more symmetric overdrive. Want to really mess with people? Replace that 820 ohm resistor with a 2.7k.

[@JayMoreau]

Great info, as always. Thank you for the tribute. I never met the man, but he had a huge influence on my music and challenged my thinking.

[@TheGuitologist]

Same here.

[@Diggerdog2nd]

In 79 when we were about 14 my buddy bought a 1966 Bandmaster Reverb & still has it today. We both learned guitar on that amp. I always wanted one of my own.

[@CRUNCHCOLE]

The best sounding amp I have heard you demo on here. Nice vibrato and playing

[@theyoungamptech320]

I picked up a 72 B'Master Reverb this past week. Im in love with it. Came with the big cab and the oxford speakers in it and the original footswitch and tubes and covers.

[@cardbored_]

As a father of a daughter, the part at 0:40 warmed my heart. I can totally relate!

[@lroy730]

The Silver Face Bandmasters were my favorite fender for modifying, because all the preamp tubes available for gain stages and they were cheap for a time back in the 80's & 90's.

[@jamminwithjohnny1947]

I have a 69 twin, 73 dual showman reverb and a 68 bandmaster reverb. I run the bandmaster through a 4x10 open back cab that has two 4ohm dummy resistors wired in to give it the 4ohm load. Sounds freaking fantastic. It and my dual showman are my favs. The bandmaster reverbs are slept on for how great they are. Sound great through a variety of speaker combos.

[@stewarttomkinson3356]

I watch the whole video then I went to put it up off of history so I can make a comment and it was gone. That thing sounds fantastic. I see them once in a while on Reverb, and they don’t cost nearly as much as some of the other ones.

[@Ibaneddie76]

That's rad dude, I have a custom guitar shop in my garage and I always have to fix my little girl's toys too. I love that stuff. It's really great when they get old enough to start wanting to learn how to do it themselves too.

[@rogerbranton1752]

As a teenager, I walked into the local music store, looking to buy an amp. I'd been using my brother's but had joined a band and it was time to get my own gear. They're just gotten in a Bandmaster just like this one. I think they were anxious to just quickly off-load it, 'cause they gave me a screamin' deal on it! This was the late '70s and these things hadn't yet attained any kind of "collectable" value!! 40 - plus years later and safe to say it's a keeper.

[@sauce_aux]

You let me down Brad. I was really enticed by the Twilight Sparkle repair, but here I am waiting, with no delivery.

[@theMagnificentKevin]

I had that same late 80's speaker cabinet with my 1974 Bandmaster Reverb back in the 90's. Looked exactly the same.

[@SuperCarver2011]

I had a tweed Bandmaster back in 67. It was a 65 model ..5E7? that still had that 5u4G rectifier tube. Most of the Bandmaster models had been converted to the 6 diode bridge (3 diodes in series in each leg of the full wave bridge for handling the higher PRV of the secondary winding. Great amp. I tried to get more power out it by parallelling the 6L6s, got some more power but never found out how much actual rms increase, as I had no dummy load or audio sweep generator/oscilloscope at the time to confirm. Not sure if just parallel tubes would increase the power though. The output transformer probably was not matched to work with 4 push-pull o/ps, but it did work.

[@arnoldshaner3351]

Bandmaster Reverbs are essentially a Pro Reverb in a head/cabinet configuration. There are a lot of non-invasive mod that can be done to make them somewhat more useful. The normal channel can have its gain increased with a simple parts substitution and splitting of the common cathode. A Bassman OT is also a nice improvement as the original OT is a bit undersized.

[@chriskremer9424]

Those amps sounded awesome, the combination of iron and good components. I don't dis anything in those amps and I always use AB carbon comp resistors and good quality caps along with ceramic disc caps. I don't mess with the recipe. Thanks for the good videos.

[@vmat1000]

Another great vid. Amp sounds great. One of my favorite HS memories from '73 was seeing an older classmate playing a school dance with his band using a Bandmaster Reverb and an SG Standard and sounding like Carlos Santana..

[@joesimon2018]

If I tap a cap or resistor and hear noise I'm usually suspicious that the solder joint might be a bit cold. I usually will heat the solder to see if the problem remains.

[@TheGuitologist]

Prob not a bad idea.

[@roscocsa]

Especially appreciate that last riff. Thanks for another great vid.

[@TheGuitologist]

RIP Chris Cornell.

[@roscocsa]

Indeed :/

[@handsomescout9567]

wth man...did twilight sparkle make it? lol

[@TheGuitologist]

She'll be up and around on her feet, saving Equestria, in no time.

[@Relicsun]

That reverb is from out of this world.

[@TheGuitologist]

I never got it up past 4.

[@thesoulshakers]

I just acquired a 69 BandMaster Reverb TFL5005D. I know more my amp now thanks! Great video.

[@marcusjones1082]

Absolutely my favorite amp from years past.

[@milestownsend]

loved this..as i do all of them.. thanks for keeping me awake on my journey home

[@kicklighteramps]

As always, love your videos and demos! (Thanks for the Soundgarden clip!) RIP Chris C.

[@wulfanson3019]

My 2 cents. While you're in there hook up both channels to go through the reverb circuit. Then you can front panel jumper them without the phase cancellation jumping them stock induces. Massive tone gain. You can even foot switch it on and off with an A/B/Y box. Works on any black/silver Fender with 2 chan/reverb. Very simple non-invasive mod. And unless you just can't live without the black/silverface trem, put it to sleep. Just disconnect it at the pot. It drains highs off by shunting the sig. to ground even when you're not using it. And take the neg. feedback wire off the speaker jack. That really opens them up too.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for the comment. Interesting thoughts. If I ever turn one into a fire-breather, I'll keep that in mind.

[@crazylegslife]

thats a sweet sounding amp...learning a bit watching your vids and loving it dude!

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for watching!

[@phonicwheel933]

Although not advisable, valve pins are sometimes bent to increase pressure on the valve base contact and also to make the valve more secure in its base- I have never done this! Your videos are very interesting and informative and your playing is nice too.

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. I appreciate hearing from you.

[@alexx5954]

I put 100μf capacitors to all my Fender amps for better filtering to this section of the schematic but i keep to the stock values for the other three. I do it because these two caps are wired in series and their value drops in half. Some techs use two 220μf caps for best results. I am a fan of your channel and i admire your work!

[@michaelcorrieri6117]

There's a good reason why the ground being the only thing on a lug is the legal requirement - to make sure the ground is not mistakenly or unintentionally disconnected from the chassis. I would have drilled it; one hole with one nut and screw wouldn't change the value at all considering all else done. Nice video, and gorgeous sounding amp!

[@waynegram8907]

I wonder why the Bandmaster has that trademark crisp tones compared to other fender amps

[@GodKedon]

Have to agree with you on not drilling a hole for the ground on that 3 prong cord. A lot of regulations make no sense especially from a technical view point.

[@kardRatzinger]

This regulation, however, makes perfect sense from technical point of view. Having said that, preserving a vintage amp is a valid argument for not drilling extra holes.

[@TheFRiNgEguitars]

Important to note, The black face bandmaster (shown on top at end of video) has two gain stages on ch 1 and ch 2. The channels can be jumped at the inputs for extra gain, because the channels are in phase. The bandmaster reverb is different as you mentioned, since it has an extra "stage" on the vibrato channel. This is actually not extra gain, rather a buffer (mix) stage to mix the reverb signal with the dry signal.. very little to no extra gain comes from this extra stage. (both channels on the Bandmaster are effectively 2 gain stages and so is the reverb model) But, the vibrato channel on the Reverb model does have that extra mix stage, so it is phase is inverted, so we can not jump across the inputs for extra gain... ch 1 and ch 2 will fight each other and produce less overall gain. The same applies to all Fender 2 channel Reverb amps, such as the Deluxe Reverb, Twin Reverb, etc. Fender non-reverb amps such as the Tremolux can be jumped as the channels are in phase like the Bandmaster.

[@matthewf1979]

Aww, Fell on Black Days....thanks for that. It's a damn shame.

[@TheGuitologist]

Total shame. And what a talent, what a voice. Another hero of my musical journey is gone, and the world seems a little darker for it.

[@matthewf1979]

The Guitologist I learned from Joe Rogan's podcast the other day. Literally the first time I was shocked by a death. Lots of good and bad memories of my youth flooded over me almost instantly. The first CD I bought and owned was Superunknown. The rest is history.....

[@johnetone]

That made me smile and hurt at the same time. Great show man!

[@nocturnalferalguitarist]

I bought a 69' BMR black cloth front w/matching cab for $145 in 1981 and by 85, no one would even give me as much, smh😤We all wanted Marshalls. Sounded just like this1, addictive and inspiring like mashing on the go pedal of a V8. If I only knew how bad I'd miss it 🙄. Even the scent from it was like 💓 warming incense. 69s and the 68s with the drip edges are true gems.

[@AdamRainStopper]

9:00 "I like the way YOU talk."

[@SuperCarver2011]

That soldered ground wire doesn't look kosher. the rectifier tube was a 5u4 in mine. Sounds very good. One of my favourite amps, even if it's a bear to move around.

[@TheGuitologist]

Yeah, I noticed the soldering looked a bit gnarly on that as I was filming. I did check it and the connection is tight, even if it's ugly.

[@chucklarson479]

i have one of these. picked it up for $200 last autumn. my guitar player wants to make it road worthy.

[@TheGuitologist]

See that it gets some quality spa time in front of a good tech and it will be a tank on the road for you.

[@chucklarson479]

i will!!!!!!!

[@wrayven]

These are still one of the best values in vintage amps. Did you ever change the phase inverter from that Tung Sol 12AX7 shown at around 2:40 to the proper 12AT7? Fender changed the circuit around a bunch on this particular amp, as they did with most of the amps in the late 60's. I think there is a AA768, AA1069 and a AA270. That is three different circuit revisions in less than 2 years. This one looks to have been built at the temporary factory in Santa Ana, so it would be an AA768. I have had a few of these over the years. The one I currently own has been modded with a newer multitap output transformer so it can drive most any type of cabinet. The Mercury replacement sounds bit fuller than the original Schumacher 125A7A. When this was changed, the amp also modded so either channel could go through the reverb & vibrato. Both channels were also placed in phase so they can now be jumped together. Sounds killer going through an older 4x12 Marshall Cab. The reverb on the Bandmaster & Dual Showman Reverb heads seems more sustained than other Fender amps. I have had them with various tanks(still like Gibbs the best), but any of the different types give a longer decay. I have often wondered if the tank being a 90 degree angle causes this longer decay. My guitar amp tech friends say no, but my recording tech friends say yes. An EMT plate reverb is suspended at a 90 degree as gravity impedes the flow of electrons. I know my Fisher Space Expander has more verb on it reverberation when it is placed vertically rather than horizontally.

[@TheGuitologist]

I did not change that PI. Thanks for reminding me to note that. The reverb was very lush with long decay, as you rightly pointed out. Probably some of the best reverb of any Fender amp I've played through. I don't think I ever got past about 4 on the reverb dial during this video. I should have demo'd that better.

[@6A8G]

Hi Brad, re. the connection of the ground wire, I believe the correct connection method is to crimp the conductor to the lug. The thinking behind this is that, should a fire start under the chassis, the solder could melt thus negating the grounding. Just continuing the persnickkety thought train............. BTW I restore valve radios as a hobby & really want to work on a guitar amp. There are subtle differences in these two tasks & I am so glad that I have watched very instructive videos from Uncle Doug, Mr. Carlson, &, of course, The Guitologist. Keep on rockin' mate:)

[@realwelder3529]

As you were tapping on that tube in V2, I was thinking: "I need more cowbell!"

[@bluesbondsman]

These amps are on my list of never should have sold it ! I had one of the tube rectified earlier ones and it was just sweet !!!

[@wadehicks9270]

That ones got a heck of a deep reverb. Sounds great.

[@TheGuitologist]

Never got the reverb dial past 4 in the demo.

[@wadehicks9270]

The only other Fender I've heard come even close to that reverb was on a 67 Princeton reverb. That's one nice amp very cool 😎

[@DustInTheWindAZ]

OMG! I have one of these! Bought it used in the mid-70's.

[@DustInTheWindAZ]

I have been planning to put a 3-prong power cord in it, but I have been looking for a grounded 3-prong accessory outlet, that this amp you're working on looks to have. Where can I find such an accessory outlet?

[@DustInTheWindAZ]

I put new BLACK grill cloth on my Bandmaster AND Pro Reverb, and I think it looks HOT. I wish I could share a photo of them with you.

[@btm240]

why did you change the value of the screen resisters? excuse the obvious but i am trying to learn. thanks for any info.

[@TheGuitologist]

It drops the screen voltage and helps prolong tube life.

[@btm240]

thanks for the quick response. Im building a 5F6-A atm and saw a recommendation to up the wattage of the ptube screen resisters from 1 watt to 5 watts. I asumming it is a good idea and the circuit calls for 470ohm.

[@TheGuitologist]

2 watts is enough, but 5W won't hurt anything.

[@chriskremer9424]

to pad the bill like all the other unnecessary work done here. This amp just needed the sockets cleaned if that. Tap on tubes or caps while you dime the channel controls and everything will be microphonic. Not blaming the tech, any tech would have done that.

[@chriskremer9424]

This amp has been blackfaced from the bias balance AA270 schematic. Thats why there is a gz34 in the rectifier. The Guitologist has respect for old amps, the brown caps and ceramics are responsible for the great tone.

[@poot111111]

LOL..."I call them round turd caps" I'm not going to forget that one

[@DustInTheWindAZ]

"Round turd" seems redundant. I mean, are there square turds?

[@DustInTheWindAZ]

@Greatmcwhite Yeah, I heard that.

[@jpdesroc]

I think I should have stay with 470ohms/1watt for the 6L6's screen resistors BUT use metal film types. This value stayed OK for many years in this amp, and I don't mess with original values in Fender amps. But otherwise I salute your very nice job here !

[@Bigjoedo66]

Great Video!! Nice amp, I purchased my first tube amp a 1968 Bandmaster Reverb that was changed to Blackface specs.

[@StratmanDarrell]

I have the same one with everything original including the tubes. Low mileage. Only thing I changed was the 2 prong power cord with a cord with a groud plug. Was used in a churcn for about 5 years only on Sundays. The head has bolts to screw onto the Fender Speaker cabinet with 2 - 15" JBL's. How much do you reckon its worth?

[@leehodge2415]

i would love a video on scratch building an amp w new parts. currently i have a ton of parts i ordered, and a chassis i just machined. now onto the hurculean task of drawing out a schematic, making sure it all makes since. im thinking about making a small board with various components and shielded wire, as to do some extensive testing to determine what my end values will be prior to final soldering. would you use proper shielded wire, or would you go with vintage cloth push back?

[@TheGuitologist]

Do a KZbin search for "scratch build Uncle Doug" and watch his excellent video series on scratch building. He can help you through the whole process and give some pointers on pitfalls to avoid in layout schemes. Best of luck!

[@MrMarkar1959]

Coolbeans,,I bought a 1971 Silverface Bandmaster same model,, in '85, ran it into Crate 2x12, got MesaBoogie DC-3 mid 1990's,,just had Sweetwater in Ft.Wayne,IN go thru it.I got the Fender back out,,but it has the snap,crackle,pop and need's a good Tech also.

[@evanrenberg2682]

Hi, what's the thought process behind upping the screen resistors from 470 to 1k as well as from 1w to 2w? Thanks for posting all these repair videos! I hope Twilight Sparkles leg surgery was successful.

[@kardRatzinger]

You get lower screen voltage which helps preserve the valves a bit better and give them longer service life. The power rating needs to be updated - the screen current will not change too much when you change the resistor value, so with doubling the resistor value you're pretty much doubling the power dissipation on the resistor as well.

[@TheGuitologist]

What he said. ^

[@evanrenberg2682]

Thank you both 👍🏻

[@Jasonweckard]

What goes wrong to make a part on a tube amp go microphonic?

[@65Superhawk]

This amp was a good candidate for making the VibroClone. Stick it in a combo 1x15 cab and you essentially have a BF Vibroverb (SRV's amp) except the BR has a mid control. Mine has a 4 ohm square magnet Eminence and it sounds sublime....

[@johnreece9774]

Random question, if tubes are mounted upright would that increase tube life due to heat being dissipated into the air rather then onto the chassis. Also seems like this would prevent thermal runaway on chassis loaded components

[@wildbillhackett]

If I can chime in, I think it would increase tube life if you vented the top of the amp. Installing a fan would help a lot too. If your tubes are mounted to the bottom of the chassis like this amp rather than the main circuit board like most modern amps, heat from the tubes isn't much of a problem on other components in my experience. I'm just a player though--not a repairman.

[@TheGuitologist]

Yes, I think mounting tubes upright does help with tube life. Heat dissipates easier away from the tubes, and other components as well. If it's a hot outdoor summer gig and the everything's cooking, having those tubes upright is going to not only cool the tubes faster, but the convection from the rising heat will pull in cooler air from below them, which will also cool everything else down too. If it's a PCB amp, it's even more important, I'd say. Tubes mounted to PCBs are a bad idea. Mounting upside down makes a bad situation even worse.

[@kardRatzinger]

General rule: refer to the tube datasheet for mounting position and ambient temperature. Then design your amp in such a way that the tubes operate within these constraints. If the tube manufacturer allows upside down mounting and you have enough ventilation in the amp cabinet to avoid going over the maximum ambient temperature, it's all good as far as the tubes are concerned. Now, overheating PCBs are a different story, but mounting tubes on PCB is probably a bad idea, as Brad said.

[@jpalberthoward9]

The iconic Fender clean tone sounds as good as any thing you could find. Maybe you could convince your customer to go for a Tweed style mod on the normal channel preamp. Then it would be the most versatile amp in town, especially with an A/B switch.

[@hi-friaudioman]

Beautiful amp. I'd like so see someone put a couple 6's, 8's or 6x9's in there and make a mini rig! Cool vid, thanks!

[@TheGreasegetter]

Sound Garden riff made me sad,but the spank out of that set up was very pleasing.

[@scottmatheson2390]

Ya can't beat the vintage sparkle of these old amps. I'd love to hear a Les Paul coax some warm crunch out of that baby.

[@g4guitarschoolsoxnardventu805]

I have a Wilder half stack that I got from a friend who’s grandfather had it in storage for decades. I think it was made in 1970. It has a rotating horn in it. It still works! Any thoughts about Wilder amps? I tried to find info about it, and there is hardly anything out there. Do I have a rare gem? Or is it nothing really special?

[@markanderson350]

Must be rewarding to jam on a repair you just did.

[@TheGuitologist]

Always is. Never gets old.

[@willmorrison1022]

Those 220K resistors are definitely new. Not just the looks, but notice, they are 5% and all the rest in there are 10%. Gold band instead of silver. Those are new, definitely.

[@johnmiller9219]

brad the fender pa135 is a beast. have you worked on one?

[@mississippiphil5199]

Hey Guitologist, new to the page, I have one of these amps. It works sounds great except for the pops and crackles, nothing more than some contact cleaner should fix. My question is; at about 3 minutes in, under the doghouse, the Sprague capacitors say on them 20uF @500 is there a calculation I'm missing? Also when looking at my transformers they say year of 62, is this right? Did they make this amp in 1962? - Thanks in advance. -Phil

[@jothanankrogh]

The wrong wiring on the extension AC socket is a norm on silverface 3 prong wired amps. Every one I've seen has the plugs hot and neutral swapped on that socket.

[@anthonyclarke2076]

That baby sounds incredible dude looking at one of these on Reverb for 800 I'm hoping for a tone like that

[@daverothery3471]

Thanks as always for making these videos, I really enjoy them. I'm interested in getting started with some tinkering so I would really love it if you could find the time please to explain what extra considerations (if any) we need to take when we're on 240v - do the same designs work with just different transformers and if so what do we need to change in classic US circuits? The affordable kits and a lot of old equipment for sale seem to be mostly 110v designs. I'd love it if you'd go through a kit build or simple scratch build too. Sorry for being demanding :) Love your stuff and your taste in modifications!

[@TheGuitologist]

Hi Dave. Thanks for watching and commenting. I will say I have no plans to do any tutorials on 220 or 240 conversions or the like because living in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, I just don't have the occasion to service amps that will be leaving from here to tour the EU or elsewhere. There are some great techs in Europe on some of the online forums who could better answer your questions.

[@daverothery3471]

The Guitologist hey that's cool thanks anyway :). I was hoping you'd do it because I understand things the way you describe them. But like you say, the info will be out there when I go looking for it :)

[@TheGuitologist]

Thanks for understanding, Dave. If I ever have occasion for such a video, I'll think of you first!

[@jedishaw6771]

When is the video of twilight sparkles coming out?

[@GIGMUSIC-o6z]

Unmistakable warm Fender tone.

[@BossNotes]

I've got a S/F twin reverb 100W with the transformer codes 606632 606-6-36.. 1976 36 th week is this correct ? 606641 parts codes Cassis #. A606672 And has the D120F orange speakers that I think are replacements. I've bought this amp used in 1978.

[@77JSwanger]

Nice touch at the end.

[@mississippiphil5199]

Bill, please help; I have a terribly micro-phonic capacitor coming off the middle 7025 pin 1. The only clue from the schematic is that it +230V (it might be 330V it's hard to read) coming off PIn 1and the round cap itself reads 20% @.003. .003 what uF? pF? it doesn't say.

[@weaesq]

Information about power cord safety is interesting.

[@60retired]

A 69 amp should have had a AA1069 circuit with 5U4GB rectifier. Also the power tubes should have a 2000pF capacitors on pin #5 to ground which has been removed. Along with a few other differences it looks like this circuit has been modded to Blackface. I’m surprised you didn’t mention this. V6 had a Tung Sol tube with 12AX7 printed on it, the wrong tube for that spot. You said that V6 12AT7 had a bent pin, no mention being the wrong tube.

[@jj7546]

I really want one of these. Would you say there’s much of a difference between the ones from the late 60’s vs early 70’s? The one I’m looking at is 71

[@umanile]

great amp, great job, great channel! Thank you!

[@leehodge2415]

i would love for you to look at my fender cyber twin, apparently it reroutes the circuitry depending on the setting you use, ie: tweed, marshally, modern fender etc.... this amp is perfect for me in my office, doubt i would like to play it live even though its a 130w ss w/2 celestion gt100's, all tube preamp etc...

[@brittisaacrossman]

Hey Brad, I've seen those brown turd caps in my Silvertone 1484. I think at this point I've changed most out due to leakage... pretty awful things. I just used some of those red Mylar film caps from the local electronics outfitter, and the amp is dirty enough that the type really doesn't matter.

[@matthewf1979]

These are great amps after some work and parts. I use the Mojotone Dijon and Sozo blue caps in these amps. Ive found the brown turd caps to be unreliable and should be changed. After making the changes to the AB763 circuit and changing ALL of the film/electrolytic caps and far out resistors, you basically end up with a Vibroverb in head form.

[@TheGuitologist]

I wasn't given a mandate to pimp it out, just to find the cause of whatever noise the customer was hearing. I did detect some slight microphonics, as I showed, but beyond that, it was just a matter of cleaning.

[@matthewf1979]

The Guitologist oh, I know. I'm kinda talking to you and your viewers at the same time. Hopefully you'll get one in to go crazy on to prove the point. You don't have to spend $1000's to get an amazing vintage amp. The BMR is literally a Vibroverb without a 15" speaker.

[@TheGuitologist]

Absolutely. If you're thoughtful, deliberate, and good with a soldering iron, you can really have some nice guitar gear on the cheap if you're willing to look in the right places.

[@narta11]

Can the reverb tank from a bandmaster be used inside of twin reverb amp?

[@Beizeiten78]

What is it that people don’t prefer in the AA568 circuit compared to the AB763?

[@THUNDERWORX]

Great sound and great playing. I was a bit confused on the wattage of the amp. Is that a 175 watt amp?

[@TheGuitologist]

Wattage ratings on the back of vintage amps usually indicates the power consumption, not necessarily the output. You lose a lot in heat.

[@garyeggleton1142]

another awesome video.....I want that head,lol

[@izrael2321]

another excellent video ,👍👊

[@infinidominion]

How does something become microphonic? are there different reasons for different things aside from caps and tubes too like active pickups?

[@TheGuitologist]

Age of components can turn them microphonic as materials that compose them deteriorate or they absorb moisture from the environment, things like that. Tubes can go microphonic from being jostled around. If internal elements move, their capacitance between them can change and create microphonics. They actually induce a signal of their own from relative movement.

[@cogdog69]

amps sounds heavenly, nice vid ...even got a "persnickety" to boot

[@357bullfrog]

I'd like to request a video. Since your a amp tech could you do a used amp buyers guide ?

[@charlesfick729]

Guitologist, how can I get in touch with you for a repair question?

[@SanFranciscoFatboy]

was there a 100 watt model of the tfl5000d . i see one like you had here in san francisco on cl at 600 bucks. (the giant 2x12 cab was the orgional Tone King) i sold my set a while back.....now, i was gonna wait for a 100 watt head. did they make one? thanks again for the fender amp vids. they r your best

[@wildbillhackett]

I think the ultralinear models in the late 70's to early 80's got up to 70-watts. If they ever got it above 70, I've never seen one.

[@TheGuitologist]

I think Bill is right, the output was boosted after 1977 UL, but they didn't add any more output tubes.

[@SanFranciscoFatboy]

check out this one on cr. lst. sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msd/6114566683.html

[@SanFranciscoFatboy]

just how bad are the ultra linear amps? my tech friends here in san fran tell me to avoid them. they say Fender lost their mind on these.

[@wildbillhackett]

I've never owned an ultra-linear model, but I have played a friend's late 70's Pro reverb and thought it sounded great. From previous videos, Brad seems to think they aren't bad either. However, they're hard to sell, so I would keep that in mind if you buy one. And Showman's are extremely loud, so I would avoid those as well unless you really need the volume. There are an abundance of Bandmaster non-reverb models in the $650 to 800 range. Those are very good amps too sans the reverb and with a SS rectifier (which isn't really that big a deal).

[@GIGMUSIC-o6z]

Sounds Like the same tone as the song, " Pieces of April" with that vibrato sound Michael Allsup used with Three dog night. Great song sung by Chuck Negril..

[@jenniferwhitewolf3784]

Nice old Fender, would love one a year or 2 older in blackface..to go with my late period blackface Vibrolux Reverb.. Its still near mint, original, ( even the death cap) with the usual age issues, pots a bit scratchy... I have had decent luck with JJ tubes sold by Eurotubes pre selected for low microphonics. They reject a lot of tubes to cull to low microphonics.. Nice riff!

[@audiotechlabs4650]

That tube chart is an after market one judging by the glue drip. Is that a mahogany Strat? Great as always! Thankz

[@TheGuitologist]

I think the tube chart is orig... just sloppy factory work. The Strat is a '79 Walnut finish. The wood is Ash.

[@audiotechlabs4650]

The Guitologist Thank you for the reply. Because you did this video, I'm going to have another look at the Bandmaster with Reverb! Thankz

[@TheGuitologist]

Definitely more of a Bassman or SR feel to this amp. Lots of potential for a modder too. A few little tweaks would make this thing roar if you wanted that.

[@javiceres]

I guess these are deadly loud, right? Wouldn't it be nice to mod them for just one 6L6 output valve?

[@kenb.1829]

I like the Strat you use here for the demo. A tongue in cheek comment: It sounds pretty good for a 3 bolt neck. I have a question: What are your thoughts on Leo's use of the whole Micro Tilt thing? I have a theory which would make for a long comment, I don't wanna do that unless invited. Would like to hear your opinion please. Thanks.

[@briansnc2008]

I have the same model. It’s personally one amp that I will never sell. I paired it with a baseman 2x12 cabinet from the same era because it’s all that I could find locally. It also gets super dirty

[@hadleymanmusic]

That things so clean an simple wonder why they still dont roll off a line????

[@johnreece9774]

Great nod to Soundgarden!

[@pedroernestosalazar]

i have a question is this Fender FM 412 4x12" cabinet ? thaks a lot

[@TheGuitologist]

+pedroernestosalazar not sure on model. This came during the gray carpet era.

[@pedroernestosalazar]

no worries , thanks !!

[@davidausterman5915]

LOL I have had interrupted tube tinkering with some epoxy orthopedic surgery on some of my daughter's sparkly dolls. We are good dads. My electro bench makes a great OR table.

[@graycue]

Very nice guitar playing.......

[@CIRCLEOFTONE]

My 60's bandmaster is modded to "pre CBS specs". What does that mean? I love it. Esp on 10 via 4ohm :-)

[@TheGuitologist]

Yes, that's something I should have noted in the video, the speaker cab is 8 ohm, so the power is limited, but worked for our purposes. In a live situation, a 4 ohm cab would be highly desirable.

[@elmerfuddski1929]

CIRCLE OF TONE. I

[@odustbrown1836]

You might not have had to drill another hole in the chassis. The death cap hole would've probably worked.