Up for sale, a 1961 Fender Bandmaster in excellent condition and in perfect working order. Extremely original and complete right down to the matched pair of original “dogbone” handles and even the stock speaker cable, this is the very first iteration of the “Piggyback” Bandmaster with a head/cab configuration, decked out in original rough blonde tolex and oxblood grillcloth. What makes this exceedingly early Brownface Bandmaster stand out from the pack is the Tone Ring 1×12 speaker cabinet, loaded with a vintage Oxford 12L6 alnico magnet speaker. An elegant and ingenious idea (yet not cost effective for Fender), the Tone Ring design was dropped in mid-1961. This Brownface circuit drives two matched vintage Sylvania small bottle 6L6 power tubes for 40 powerful watts of pure tube goodness. Like the Tweed amps that preceded it, the Brownface circuits are very dynamic and responsive, delivering Fender’s hi-fi glassy clean tones. The EQ controls have a positively huge sweep, from thick and mellow to biting, twangy snap. After around 5 on the volume dial, the amp cascades into very rich tube overdrive that compresses a bit and feels slightly loose and gritty in just the right way without losing too much clarity. It’s the kind of natural tube overdrive that only comes from pushing a well-designed Fender circuit. The Harmonic Vibrato circuit is also a complex design only found on the top tier Brownface models, utilizing three tubes and creating a lush pitch shifting effect that has more in common with a Leslie or Chorus than a traditional tremolo. As previously noted, one very unique and desirable feature of this Bandmaster is the ported Tone Ring speaker cabinet. This 1×12 enclosure was designed to deliver the clearest, most pure Fender tone via the Oxford speaker, and as such utilizes a dual baffle board design in which the speaker floats between the baffles, mounted to a metal tone ring. This design makes the cabinet work as a closed back, ported enclosure and you’ll notice greater range of your EQ controls, ample bass response, and an overall sweeter, balanced tone that you simply can’t get with any other Fender cabinet. The circuit is very original and has been well-maintained and recently serviced. The full compliment of original Schumacher-made transformers (Fender’s largest transformer supplier in th era) are intact, with date codes spanning the 25th-43rd weeks of’61. The preamp is virtually untouched, with all of the famed yellow Astron and blue Ajax tone caps intact, along with all of the original CTS pots which date to the 34th week of’61, carbon comp resistors, and cloth-covered wire. The filter caps and smaller bypass caps have been upgraded with modern components to ensure optimal performance. The tube compliment includes a pair of matched small bottle vintage Sylvania 6L6 power tubes, and the preamp tubes are a combination of modern and vintage valves. Cosmetically, this is an excellent and well-kept example of one of Fender’s rarest Pre-CBS designs, with clean and original rough blonde tolex and oxblood grillcloth. Both the head and cab feature original unbroken brown “dogbone” molded Fender handles too, a true rarity. The Tone Ring cab retains its original baffles, ring, and fiberglass insulation sheets, and the back panel has the distinctive vertical slats only seen on Tone Ring cabs. The faceplate and backplate are in great shape, and all of the original cream barrel knobs are present. Both flat Fender logos are original on the head and cab and all additional stock hardware is present too, with tilt-back chrome legs, leg stops, sphinx glides (feet), nickel corners, and piggyback clip bars. Check out our shop “Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, ” and please let us know if we can answer any questions! We use double thick boxes, 1″ foam, and industrial 1/2″ bubble wrap to ensure that your amp arrives safely. International orders will be declared as merchandise, and the value of merchandise will be declared as the amount paid. We cannot declare anything as a gift or for a lesser value. We do our best to describe all items with honesty and accuracy, but to be sure, please. The item “1961 Fender Bandmaster Vintage Pre-CBS Tube Amp Blonde with 1×12 Tone Ring Cab” is in sale since Saturday, June 13, 2020. This item is in the category “Musical Instruments & Gear\Guitars & Basses\Guitar Amplifiers”. The seller is “mmguitarbar” and is located in Seattle, Washington. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Number of Channels: 2
- Number of Speakers: 1
- Model: Bandmaster
- Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
- Amplifier Technology: Vacuum Tube
- Compatible Guitar: Electric Guitar Amplifier
- Amplifier Type: Stack
- Brand: Fender
- Suitable For: Performance
