It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:37 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next
Author Message
Post subject: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 8:48 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
I have a Bandmaster Reverb w/ a small 2x12 open back cab.
I want to find a good combo of preamp tubes for it.

I play an Ibanez hollowbody and the gain and feedback are too much at band playing level.
Too much bass, not enough highs to cut through very well.
I have all the highs on the guitar and amp maxed out and bass turned all the way down, still too much.

I like the 50s and early 60s rock and roll, cleaner, hollowbody tones.
Even some bright jazzy sparkle would be cool.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:15 am
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Substituting a 12AT7 for each of your pre-amp channels (V1 and V2) will reduce the gain significantly. Though they may alter the tone as well, I'd look to your speaker array as the likely cause of too much bass.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:18 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:52 pm
Posts: 292
pre amp tubes are subjective matter. BUT....if you are maxing out the highs on bothe guitar and the amp and have the bass turned down and it still isnt bright enough you have issues else where.
Also too hot or too cold of a bias will give you distortion.
So many directions to go in for this topic.
First make sure the amp and speakers are "healthy" then start tweaking components...


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 12:02 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
I am thinking the humbuckers may be part of the problem.
The guitar sounds good but always sounds a bit dark.

The amp has had a cap job etc. Before I got it and I have had it looked at by a amp guy.

The speakers are nothing special, a blue label Fender and a Celestian super 65.
In a converted Kustom cab from an amp.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 1:28 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Check your cabinet to make sure your speakers are correctly phased. Out-of-phase wiring can also produce the symptoms you described.

And mxvin made an excellent point about biasing -- too hot or too cool and tone is the first thing to suffer.

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:21 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
How do I check the phase of the speakers?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:38 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
Speaker cable is running white to pos.
Jumper wire from neg to pos of the other speaker.
Black wire running from neg of that speaker back to the speaker cable.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:18 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
That's a series-wired configuration. Likely the impedance is too high for the amp to operate efficiently.

If the speakers are both 8Ω, you need to wire the positive terminals of both to the white input wire and connect the negative terminals of both together and wire them to the black input wire. That arrangement will yield 4Ω which is precisely what your Bandmaster is designed for.

HTH

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:13 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
Awesome, thanks! I'll give that a try.

Don't know how both my amp guy and the guy at the guitar shop where I bought it missed something like that! :idea:


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:28 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
We all make mistakes. No permanent harm has been done -- I wouldn't judge too harshly.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:45 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
No disrespect to them, I'm just kinda surprised is all.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 9:54 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
Let us know how the amp performs after the re-wiring. I'm hoping it will sing, just like my three Bandmasters.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 4:39 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 2:26 pm
Posts: 20
Arjay, you are my new best friend! :D

Rewired the speaker cab, and WOW what a difference! Lots of clean well balanced tone.
Should help my feedback issues a lot, now I can tweak the highs and roll off the bass to where it does not vibrate everything.

I lost almost all the overdrive though, hopefully I will get some back at stage volume.
The amp sounds so good I don't really want to use my TS9 unless I have too, but it's there if needed.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2011 6:48 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Wed Mar 31, 2010 12:48 am
Posts: 26417
Location: Tombstone Territory
I do what I can to help out, TPH.

For a ballsy boosted-and-bluesy OD tone you might give the Fulltone OCD a try. That should pre-load the front end with sufficient grunt at a slightly lower volume setting to sooner yield the "sweet spot". For best results with this stompbox, use the 18VDC power supply.

Best of luck and I'm glad your Bandmaster is now "singin' the blues".

Rawk on!

8)

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Bandmaster Tubes
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2011 4:50 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie

Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:52 pm
Posts: 292
T.P.H wrote:
Arjay, you are my new best friend! :D

Rewired the speaker cab, and WOW what a difference! Lots of clean well balanced tone.
Should help my feedback issues a lot, now I can tweak the highs and roll off the bass to where it does not vibrate everything.

I lost almost all the overdrive though, hopefully I will get some back at stage volume.
The amp sounds so good I don't really want to use my TS9 unless I have too, but it's there if needed.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in!

Very cool.....I am new to this board as well. Good to see you got the right info quickly!!
I use a TS9 infront of my old Fenders. Very good at stage volumes if yuo just keep the drive kinda low, maybe around 10 or 11 o'clock on the dial and crank up the level. You prob know this though already...:)


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 27 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next
Go to page 1, 2  Next

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: