The Bandmaster uses a solid-state rectifier, which results in punchier attack due to less power-supply "sag."īecause this amp works so well, I've had no reason to open it up or go down the tube-rolling rabbit hole. Phase-inverter tube is a 12AT7 with no discernible markings. Preamp tubes: Two RCA 7025 and one RCA 12AX7 (these are interchangeable). They handle solid plate voltages, are well constructed, and deliver crystal cleans and smooth breakup with plenty of punch. The power tubes are the Russian SED Winged “C” 6L6GC. It has a three-prong power cord for protection from shocks. This amp head functions flawlessly - no hums, no buzz, no hiss, no throat clearing, no scratchy pots. No one knows authoritatively why those lines were there, but they disappeared after the first 4-6 months of "silverface" production so, these lines tell us that this Bandmaster is one of the earlier silverface amps, many of which were functionally unchanged from the blackface design. I mentioned that this one is "early." How do we know? The thin vertical black lines on the faceplate (see photos) tell us. With two speaker output jacks, it is designed for a 4-ohm speaker load but will work fine with 4, 8, or 2 ohms. You can use it for bass, but its output transformer is better suited for guitars and keyboards. The Bandmaster amp, rated at 40 watts RMS, yields a loud and clean tube sound. This unit was likely manufactured in 1968. This posting is for an early "silver-face drip-edge" Fender Bandmaster Amp head, circuit designation AB763, considered to be the pinnacle of Fender tube-circuit designs.
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