1965 Fender Bandmaster Showman Tube Amp Head Model AB763 Vintage Works
1965 Fender Bandmaster / Showman. Electric Guitar / Bass Amplifier Head. This is what I call a Showmaster. It is essentially a Bandmaster thats been converted to a Showman amp, putting out approx. I got this amp head many decades ago and took it to my amp tech back then who removed all unnecessary modifications, changed the filter caps, the power cord and ran it for an hour. He put two plugs in the back of the chassis where the holes were from the pots, which cover the first letter of the serial number. He restored the circuit back to original model blackface circuitry but retained the Showman modification. I have not ran or played it since. It’s been often said by many that this is not a practical modification as it can overload the transformers and cause many problems. That is not necessarily true and especially in this case since both the output transformer and power transformer are the same ones used in Fender Dual Showman and Twin Reverb amplifiers. I recently, July 2024, took it to my current amp tech who checked the circuitry and ran the amplifier for an hour and found no problems. This amp should be working fine. The cabinet was pretty beat up when I got it so this was one of my first attempts back then of recovering. I re-tolexed the entire cabinet but not knowingly, I removed all the staples holding the screen on and re-stapled with silver staples. I taped plastic over the tube chart which was falling apart and saw enough of the date code so I wrote it in with black marker (OD). I also changed all of the hardware with the exception of the piggy-back slide brackets. This is why the amp looks so clean, I wanted it to match the exceptionally clean faceplate. Serial # A 10155. Production # something 3. Chassis Black Ink Stamp. Black Ink Stamp Underside. Cabinet Black Ink Stamp. (3rd week of 1963). (5th week of 1965). (26th week of 1964). It might serve the buyers purpose to bring up the power slowly with a variac since these used amp heads are over 50 years old and have not been used for a few decades. Our Amp tech has only replaced the needed parts (filter caps) to just get them working! The operation of the amps requires that they be regularly serviced for optimal performance. Please remember these are vintage pieces, we cannot guarantee that they will not need service or more parts in their future, only some obvious parts were changed to get it working, most are still the original old parts remaining. Your item will be packed with great care rest assured. This discriminating collector has curated an incredible collection of guitars and amps since 1965. From a collector & player with an extensive musical history and knowledge. This collection has been stored and cared for impeccably for decades. Now, after all these years, he is ready to share his collection with other enthusiasts and wants his prized possessions to go to good homes and get played! Please follow our listings. LOTS MORE TO COME! We only sell to buyers that are established, verified.
Tags: ab763, bandmaster, fender, head, model, showman, tube, vintage, works