1969-1971 Fender Bantam Bass Silverface Tube Amp Head Vintage Rare Works
Thursday, April 17th, 2025
1969 Fender Bantam Bass. Electric Guitar/Bass Amplifier Head. This is a pretty rare amp and the only one I’ve ever seen. This model was made 1969 through 1971 and is the direct predecessor of the Bassman 10 amp. I found this amp used in a music store in Honolulu back in the late 70′s; it was working perfectly so I used it briefly. The power transformer and the output transformer both date to 1969 but the choke dates to 1972. We are not sure why because they all appear original. I had my cabinet maker fabricate an easily removable duplicate baffle board with identical grille for the cut-down head cabinet. Recently (Dec 2024) I took it to my current amp tech and he replaced the filter caps, lubricated the pots and switches, powered it for an hour and checked operation. He says it’s now in great shape. We had our cabinet builder cut the amp down and we preserved the tube chart. (Without speaker, please see photos). This is now a more reasonable approx. The tube chart is cut out from the original cabinet and kept on the original wood since that part of cabinet was cut down. The only thing that makes sense to us now is cutting the cabinet down to a head so that you have the flexibility of use with other speaker cabinets and easier transportation. Everything else is all original to the amp. By turning this amp into a head, it can now be used for ANY amplification needs! Public address, bass, electric piano, organ, accordion, guitar, harmonica, steel guitar.. This platform makes an excellent bass amp paired with a suitable cabinet (8 ohm or greater)- complete flexibility and much more convenient with its increased portability. Serial # A 02588. 1 Sylvania 5U4 GB. 2 Sylvania 6L6 GC. Chassis Side Black Marker. (33rd week of 1969). All other pots dated 1969. (52nd week of 1969). (38th week of 1972). (43rd week of 1969). 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 & power cords as specified) to just get them turned on and running for an hour. Please see a skilled amp tech before extended use. 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 of the parts are still the original old parts remaining which will be stated in our listings. We do not have any control on what was done by previous owners, but we try to write in detail any information we have. We cannot guarantee that all our information is 100% correct; it is our humble opinions and own musical knowledge. Please see photos and ask questions to make your own assessment. ASK ALL QUESTIONS BEFORE PURCHASING! This discriminating collector has curated an incredible collection of guitars & 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.
