NAD...'63 Fender Band-Master

[Surfysonic]

I couldn't resist a really decent price on what was described as "Great" condition '63 Fender Band-Master head from Guitar Center. I took a gamble on it as no detailed photos other than front and back were provided. I'm happy to report everything looks legit other than a recover of the head's grill cloth to not a period-correct grill cloth. I have a period-correct grill cloth on order. The tube chart is still intact with the 2-letter date code, "MH" (1963, August). Codes on components and chassis are all '63 as well (see photos). I fired up the amp (plugged into my 1x15 cabinet) and it sounded glorious. Everything works great, too.










(Death cap removed!)















I've had in the works a Band-Master head shell (for my '62 Band-Master) and a 2x12 cab being built by Armadillo Amp Works. Initially, I just ordered the 2x12 cab to be matched with my brown tolex '63 Showman for the occasion of bringing out the Showman to play as my 1x15 Tone Ring cab is a beast. Then I got the '62 Band-Master which I had Armadillo Amp Works build me a 2x10 combo cab (basically, a Fender Super amp sized combo cab). I then added the matching brown Band-Master head shell in case I wanted to pair up the Band-Master with the 2x12 cab. Maybe also unrealistically daring to dream one day that I can acquire an early '60s Fender Super chassis for my combo cab.



Part of the gamble was if the existing blonde head shell wasn't original or in decent shape, I'd have no problem putting the '63 Band-Master chassis in the brown head shell that I'm waiting on (may be ready in next month or so). Since the blonde head shell is in great shape, I'm going to keep the '63 Band-Master chassis in it. Since I never had the original head shell for the '62 Band-Master, I'll be leaving it in the combo 2x10 cab.

The blonde '63 Band-Master head won't match the 2x12 brown cabinet but I'm fine with that - I don't want to mess with changing the '63 Band-Master for historical preservation purposes, other than putting in the period-correct brown/wheat grill cloth from Amplified Parts that should arrive in a few days.

I'm sure folks are wondering, why get the '63 Band-Master when you have the '62 Band-Master? Well, '63 is my birth year and I think at some point I'm going to move on the '62 Band-Master as well as the '63 Showman for purposes of downsizing in the years to come. Having the brown head & 2x12 cab is simply another selling option to move on the '62 Band-Master in case a potential buyer doesn't want the '62 Band-Master in the 2x10 combo cab. Neither are period correct re: tolex/grill cloth, but they look cool (at least to me, lol). I'm trying really, really hard to resist a $50 off deal from Mojotone for a period-correct looking blonde 2x12 cabinet that I can pair with the blonde '63 Band-Master head. Maybe getting it will force me to sell off the '62 Band-Master in head & cabinet configuration sooner than later. Having room for that blonde 2x12 cab would really be pushing it, space-wise. I'll probably decline the offer and leave things as they are currently, lol.

Either the new head shell or the 2x10 combo cab will sit empty depending on what I do with the '62 Band-Master. I'm leaning (for now) to leave the '62 Band-Master in the 2x10 combo cab since I only have a pair of 12" speakers for the incoming brown 2x12 cab.

Yeah, I'm a bit insane, I know...

[Embenny]

You're insane, but you're the good kind of insane.

Congrats. That's a beauty - as is your '62! One time, there was a '63 Bandmaster sitting in the middle of my old small-town music store I used to frequent, which stood out since they didn't normally deal in used gear, but they made an exception when someone walked in with it to trade toward a new guitar. It utterly blew me away.

Someday I need to take a road trip out your way so I can experience this room full of awesome amps.

[DeathJag]

Wow! That's dedication. Nice work Steve, that thing looks super duper original. I bet it sounds wonderful. That Bandmaster 2x10 combo is HOT man!!! I'd LOVE that thing. I have a '61 Super which is a 2x10" but now that I've seen that thing, I'm jealous. What speakers are in there?

[marqueemoon]

Gotta catch ‘em all.

[Surfysonic]

You're insane, but you're the good kind of insane.

Congrats. That's a beauty - as is your '62! One time, there was a '63 Bandmaster sitting in the middle of my old small-town music store I used to frequent, which stood out since they didn't normally deal in used gear, but they made an exception when someone walked in with it to trade toward a new guitar. It utterly blew me away.

Someday I need to take a road trip out your way so I can experience this room full of awesome amps.

Thanks, Mike! You're always welcome to make your way down any time. We'd love to have ya over. Maybe I can talk you into taking some of this gear back with you! My wife would love that!

Wow! That's dedication. Nice work Steve, that thing looks super duper original. I bet it sounds wonderful. That Bandmaster 2x10 combo is HOT man!!! I'd LOVE that thing. I have a '61 Super which is a 2x10" but now that I've seen that thing, I'm jealous. What speakers are in there?

Thanks, Daniel! I'll trade you the '62 Band-Master in the 2x10 combo cab for the '61 Super (and probably a guitar or two) in heartbeat! You're welcome to come up for a visit, too! I put two new Jensen Vintage Alnico, 10", P10Q, 40W, 8 Ω ohm speakers in the combo cab. I'm a Jensen fan but also love Eminence speakers, too. I'd love to try some Jupiter speakers as well.

I have a pair of Jensen Vintage Neo, 12", N12K, 100W 8 Ω ohm speakers that I bought for my now gone Tone Master Twin Reverb and they sounded great in them (just wasn't a fan of the stock Neo Celestion speakers in the Tone Master Twin Reverb. I'm hoping they'll be fine for the 2x12 cab I've got coming.

If not, I guess I might then have an opportunity for a set of 2x12 Jupiter speakers - anyone have Jupiter speakers? Do they have their own sound or are they reminiscent of Fender, Vox, or even Marshall speakers?

Gotta catch ‘em all.

Ha! As fun as it's been, I'm trying to be content with just one vintage amp (failing so far). The Showman is a slightly different animal (sounds great!) than the others (as well as being way too powerful for home use). That's why I'll move on the '62 Band-Master hopefully, sooner than later.

Part of my many, oh, so many problems is that I like to rescue vintage Fender amps when feasible. I did that with the '62 Fender Pro with no intention of keeping it long-term. The trade with Matt22 on here worked out super well. I'm still in honeymoon phase with the Magnatone Twilighter 1x12.

[Scout]

Talk about original! Be careful with those big old caps, one is visibly leaking , luckily
the power cord was changed to a grounded type so you have some protection there.

I’m also partial to that 2x10 you put together, it’s gotta sound sweet.

[N0_Camping4U]

As a 62 Showman owner, I get the chase of these amps. Do you find the different years sound different of the 62-63? How close is the tone of the bandmaster to that of the same year Showman?
I'm still kicking myself for missing a stupid cheap blonde Tremolux off of guitarcenter. As soon as I called them they said it was sold. I think I posted it on Surfguitar.

[Surfysonic]

Talk about original! Be careful with those big old caps, one is visibly leaking , luckily
the power cord was changed to a grounded type so you have some protection there.

I’m also partial to that 2x10 you put together, it’s gotta sound sweet.

Thanks! Yeah, I'll after I change out the grill cloth, I'll probably take it into an amp repair to get everything checked out and fix where needed.

I had some Jensen MOD speakers in the 2x10 combo cab but swapped them out for the new Jensen P10Q speakers that I had in the now sold 90's Fender "Custom" Vibrolux.

Here's my video from last February when I still had the Jensen MOD speakers in my '62 Band-Master combo cab. I'll try to do an updated video with the Jensen P10Q speakers as they have more clarity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxFzOjQ3DuE

As a 62 Showman owner, I get the chase of these amps. Do you find the different years sound different of the 62-63? How close is the tone of the bandmaster to that of the same year Showman?
I'm still kicking myself for missing a stupid cheap blonde Tremolux off of guitarcenter. As soon as I called them they said it was sold. I think I posted it on Surfguitar.

No sound difference really between the '62 and '63 Bandmasters. The '62 Bandmaster is cosmetically scuffed up, which tells me it's had quite a life. The '63 Band-Master is a lot cleaner cosmetically, almost pristine so it had been well cared for.

I think the '63 Showman and the Band-Masters sound a little different (in a good way for both) here at home volumes. I haven't had the occasion to play out with any of them at gig/rehearsal volume levels. Tonal differences could simply be due to the speaker configurations and/or the different circuits, I have no clue.

The Showman head didn't have the tube chart inside it and I only know how to recognize the year date on the component numbers. Some of the components were updated (Mercury Magnetics) so I can't see a EIA code. Stamped on the chassis is AC 0863. The serial number on the backside of the chassis is 01645.

Here's my Sept 2022 demo of my Hallmark 65 Custom using the Showman with 1x15 tone ring cab that you can compare to the above demo of the '62 Bandmaster in the 2x10 combo cab. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_8XPiK5bSw

Bummer about the Tremolux! Unfortunately, they've gone up in price like everything else on Reverb. I just looked at that post on SG101 - that was a nice looking Tremolux, too.

[Surfysonic]

Period-correct lookinig grill cloth sorted. I thought I had it stretched taut enough. I may have to have another go at some point.

[46346]

well done! these amps are very often worth the price of admission on a gamble.
i have a couple of the blonde/brown era bigger amps as well, a '61 Vibrasonic, and a '61 Bassman.
the only mods they had suffered were cosmetic, like yours.

your chassis reminds me of the Vibrasonic. there are a two more 'ports' for 6L6 sockets, which could take it into Showman or Twin territory. i remember my 90's amp tech wanting to take mine there. Hold on, Cowboy, i'm glad i wasn't persuaded.

which 'vibrato' circuit on those? is it power tube-bias tremolo? or the Harmonic Vibrato of the time?
my Vibrasonic has the HV.

[Chippertheripper]

Hell yes.
I have a 68’ in a 1/12 combo box that was my only gigging amp for near 10yrs.
No presence knob, so not nearly as cool.

[Surfysonic]

well done! these amps are very often worth the price of admission on a gamble.
i have a couple of the blonde/brown era bigger amps as well, a '61 Vibrasonic, and a '61 Bassman.
the only mods they had suffered were cosmetic, like yours.

your chassis reminds me of the Vibrasonic. there are a two more 'ports' for 6L6 sockets, which could take it into Showman or Twin territory. i remember my 90's amp tech wanting to take mine there. Hold on, Cowboy, i'm glad i wasn't persuaded.

which 'vibrato' circuit on those? is it power tube-bias tremolo? or the Harmonic Vibrato of the time?
my Vibrasonic has the HV.

Thanks!

6G7-A w/ 5 triode harmonic tremolo. Here's an Uncle Doug discusssing a '63 and the different types. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFSbGG7R3WY

Hell yes.
I have a 68’ in a 1/12 combo box that was my only gigging amp for near 10yrs.
No presence knob, so not nearly as cool.

Still awesome!

[hulakatt]

And I thought I was bad occasionaly rescuing old BF or SF chassis and amps!

[Surfysonic]

And I thought I was bad occasionaly rescuing old BF or SF chassis and amps!

Good on ya! LOL yeah, I'm a bit of a rescuer, too...says the guy who adopted 4 (and a previous 4 some years back) rescue doggos...

[46346]

And I thought I was bad occasionaly rescuing old BF or SF chassis and amps!

"Bad"?? i was just thinking, 'how could this pursuit have anything remotely bad about it'?

even if you mess up, your chassis, cabinet, and txformers are going to make someone happy.

then i remembered some lingering project amps in a dark corner of my studio. poor things, it's been years. it is kind of bad. but hey, we're making music over here!