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Post subject: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:37 am
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I currently have my eye on a 1973 Musicmaster Bass Amp. It's the one with the 6AQU5A tubes instead of the 6V6's.

People seem to prefer the 6V6 version. Is there something I should be aware of before I take the leap?

I'm a guitar player looking to get a lower wattage amp at a lower price...I also thought it might go well with the cigar box guitar I just bought.

Thanks for any insight.


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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:16 am
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I did do some research on this forum and saw that the 6AQU5A version is prone to over heating.

I'm not too worried about the amp not sounding "fendery"...but overheating is a different story.


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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:13 pm
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If I were you...I would get it, and then take the chassis out and slip a champ or vibro champ into it (it will slide right in) and then hook it up to a 12 inch speaker. Find a nice 12 inch speaker replacement (the one in the MMBA is 8 Ohm, need to find one that is 4 ohm to match the champ). That would make a killer little home combo! I have seen this done once before and it was a killer little amp! If I run across the right MMBA, I would make myself one!

The best part of this, is all you need is a screwdriver, a small soldering iron, and a small cresent wrench to do this project, so no matter how little about amps you know anyone could preform this project.

Also here is a link about the Music Master Bass Amp...

http://www.thevintagesound.com/ffg/

FWIW

T2

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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:49 pm
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The Musicmaster Bass Amp is a pretty fundamental design. The single tone knob (providing either boost or cut to the treble frequencies only) harkens back to the old Alamo/Valco/Supro era. The only thing novel about the amp's layout is the use of a center-tapped choke to perform the phase-inverter function normally handled by a dual triode tube such as a 12AT7. This, with the solid-state rectifier, makes it a basic 3-tube amp -- a relative neanderthal compared to Fender's more traditional and complex designs. Expect about 10 watts from the 6AQ5 version, close to 14 watts with the larger 6V6GT glass. The anemic CTS alnico 12 is best replaced by a full-range driver with a more efficient cone and voice coil (a Weber 12A125 would be ideal).

I wouldn't pay more that $300 for one of these turkeys.

HTH

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:44 pm
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John, not sure this amp would be suitable for guitar work. Like Arjay says it has the transformer coupled phase inverter which is superior, theoreticaly. But it may not give you the dynamics you might want. I'd keep scoutin' around for a low wattage amp. JMO Art

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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:48 pm
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aclempoppi wrote:
John, not sure this amp would be suitable for guitar work. Like Arjay says it has the transformer coupled phase inverter which is superior, theoreticaly. But it may not give you the dynamics you might want. I'd keep scoutin' around for a low wattage amp. JMO Art


+1

The 6-watt Champ, Vibro Champ, or Bronco would be a better choice.

Arjay

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"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


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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:05 am
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Thanks for the replies guys. Gives me something to think about.

I actually heard of people really liking it for guitar. I currently have a handmade 50watt amp that I love, but it's a little much when I'm playing out solo, and I'm afraid the champ might not be enough umph because I don't plan to mic it. I saw the musicmaster as an alternative to buying a blues junior or spending more dough on a deluxe.

Thanks for the input though. Much appreciated.


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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:37 am
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I found a musicmaster bass amp with the 6AQ5 power tubes, model CFA 7010. I noticed that one of the two power tube sockets (the center socket) has burn marks at two of the seven pins. One pin has a black wire going to the other power tube socket and the other has a brown wire going to? I do not want to turn it on with out trying to figure out the cause of the problem and try to fix it. Any thoughts on this? Antonio


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Post subject: Re: Musicmaster Bass Amp
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2015 4:56 pm
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Burned tube sockets are a red flag. Don't turn it on.
The brown wire probably goes to the output transformer. That means the plate voltage has arced to the filament circuit.
It may have damaged the power or output transformers.
If you have an ohmmeter, measure between the brown wire and the blue wire on the other power tube to see if there is continuity through the OT. Not sure about the proper resistance, but anything between 50-200 ohms is probably OK. Open or zero ohms is bad.
If the fuse isn't blown, the Power transformer is probably OK
If you don't have a meter, you can scrape the carbon away from the burned area and clean it with solvent for a temporary repair. This will allow you to turn it on long enough to see if it works. But that's only a temporary fix.
The socket needs to be replaced if you want it to be reliable.
The cause could be from running it with no speaker, so check that also.


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