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Post subject: blackface bassman, bandmaster, tremolux differences
Posted: Fri Mar 05, 2010 11:01 pm
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there are a few blackface fender heads that i am interested in... the tremolux, the bassman and the bandmaster. from the fender amp field guide i see that the bassman and the bandmaster have solid state rectifiers and are higher wattage than the tremolux. this would lead me to believe that the tremulox would have lower clean headroom and more sag/compression than the bassman or bandmaster, which is a good thing for me.

as far as overall tone and response are concerned, what are the differences between these three amps?

i have a blackface princeton that works great for small club gigs. i like the way the princeton sounds and the ability to push the power tubes without getting too loud. i am looking for something with more power and a fatter sound to fill things out for larger stages and outdoor gigs. however, i still would like to drive the power tubes so i dont want the amp to have too much clean headroom. i am thinking that the tremolux, bassman or bandmaster with my 1x12 cab could fit the bill. any ideas on what amp would be the best?


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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:26 am
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Yeah Goldtop, the Tremolux would certainly make for an easy transition from the Princeton to a 6L6 powered amp. But the stage volume wouldn't be enough for outdoor use without PA support. The three amps that you are looking at were designed to power a two speaker(4ohm) cab. So that's something to consider, a 1X12 cab is fine if it's 4ohms. IMO the Bassman wouldn't give you the smooth sound you're used to, and the Band Master falls in between the other two amps. Welcome to the forum and standby, folks here have experience with these amps, in various venues. Art

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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:21 am
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thanks for the reply. i am glad to be a part of this forum.

i forgot to mention one other amp, the bandmaster reverb. i have read good things about it. some are saying it is pretty much a super reverb in head form and it is relatively easy to convert to blackface specs. i liked the tone i got with my super when i had one, but it was just too big to carry around. a super in head from does seem appealing to me. also, the bandmaster reverb has a tube rectifier which is a plus in my book.

any thoughts, insight, information etc would be much appreciated.

thanks!


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Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:18 pm
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Yes, the Band Master Reverb is a neat amp, built well and sounds good. I would only convert the bias circuit and see how you like it. Art

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Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:18 pm
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i have a Princeton, Princeton Reverb and now a Bandmaster.

For 5 years I was gigging with my Princeton Reverb, and with a 57 or 609 on it through the PA, it's great for bars/clubs and most gigs with good monitors - love the way that amp sings. I used it by itself but also occasionally with an external 1x12 closed cab, which complemented the 1x10 internal nicely.

However, for clubs without PA, outdoor gigs, the Princeton (even mine with a Deluxe Reverb OT for a little more) doesn't get there, and the cleans start getting a little farty through a humbucker at loud levels.

I bought a used '65 Bandmaster head on ebay for very cheap and brought it back to life - see the website for before and after photos:
http://gallery.me.com/nedorama#100188

I now have an excellent amp that takes pedals well, gives me great Fender Clean, but also sounds good at lower levels. I added a Dr. Z Brake Lite attenuator in the back so that I can get more power tube sound without it on stun - 40 watts is WAY louder than a Princeton. While the 6V6's in the Princeton sag, the 6L6's in the Bandmaster with the SS rectifier don't, but I love the sound anyway and now the Bandmaster combo is my go-to amp.

FYI all in with the amp purchase, cabinet, speakers and repairs, I spent less than I would have on a new DRRI.

Enjoy and good luck. If you can find a shop that has the amps to play, see which you like better.

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'59? Bogen Challenger CHA-33, '65 Bandmaster, '65 Tremolux, 65 Showman;
'74 SF Princeton; '77 SF Princeton Reverb; Dr. Z Mini Z

Our band: http://www.facebook.com/thetoysband


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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:40 am
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Neat pics, Ned. Glad to see you kept the Astron caps. I made a dumb mistake many years ago and replaced the ones in my Band Master. After trying different orange drop brands, I've finally settled on Alessandro paper in oil caps. They've been in there for a couple of years and seem to be fine, but never should have messed with the Astrons. I understand Sozo makes some replicas now. Any way, I can appreciate your amp, very nice ! Art

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Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:38 am
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Thanks Art. Harbor Music in Redondo Beach does great work, and we knew going in that we only wanted to replace what was either really bad (the blistering filter caps, wrong transformers) or so far out of tolerance it was affecting the sound.

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'59? Bogen Challenger CHA-33, '65 Bandmaster, '65 Tremolux, 65 Showman;
'74 SF Princeton; '77 SF Princeton Reverb; Dr. Z Mini Z

Our band: http://www.facebook.com/thetoysband


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