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Post subject: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 8:34 pm
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:54 pm
Posts: 619
So, here's my Bandmaster Reverb. I've owned it since it was new, but now I'm deciding what exactly to do with it. It's been rode hard and put up wet, so the first order of business is a cap job. I'm considering blackfacing ( I know, no such thing as a blackface bandmaster reverb but I'm also considering turning it into a brownface vibroverb clone.) This amp was "recovered from so so-called friends" after a loan ( I never recovered the 2 dual showman cabs with 15" JBL Speakers, and they are not my "friends" as of about 30 years ago) that I lent to them for a short while, but I managed to get this amp back. Anyway, it's a prime example of how the silverface Fender amps suffered the quality control brought about by the CBS bean counters.

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A fine example of poor lead dress in the post '68 silver face amps:

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(edited to delete bad picture link)

Not currently at home, disposable income limited by travel to deal with aging parent, but I value your input.

Regards,
vinyl


Last edited by vinyl on Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 1:18 am
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Rock Star
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Joined: Sat Jul 03, 2010 2:18 pm
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Replace the 'lytics under the doghouse and in the bias circuit. Whether you keep the amp or sell it, this will give the amp more years of service.

New 6L6GC's and re-bias the amp. Go from there, after you listen to the results.

Tough amp. Good luck with the R&R. :)


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:48 am
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:54 pm
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Plans for now are to replace all the 'lytics, (cathode bypass too) get rid of the sandbox resistors and extra caps around the power tubes. Change the bias balance to a bias adjust. May have to change the PI to do this.

Been toying with the idea of trying a Solen 630V metalized polypropylene cap to replace the 2 70uF caps, if I can figure out a satisfactory way to "deepen" the cap cover, as the diameter of these are probably too large to fit.

vinyl


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:04 am
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Rock Star
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Solen cap sounds interesting. I suppose the easiest way to increase the depth of the doghouse is to add, say, a 1-inch spacer around the base of the cover. Add flanges to the base and tack it to the original top? Something like that.


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 9:55 am
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:54 pm
Posts: 619
Maybe cut the top out of one cover and join it to another to make one cover. Something like that. Or use stand-offs between the screw holes of the 2 covers.


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:11 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:45 pm
Posts: 852
Location: SoCal323
I converted my '74 BMR to blackface specs when I first got it a few years back and never looked back. The great thing is all the mods are easily reversible should I ever want to revert back to the original circuit. I was extremely happy with the results and haven't even contemplated reverting it.

I followed Gerald Webers instructions from guitar players magazine "how to convert a silverface amp to blackface specs". Here's a link for converting a super reverb, which is almost identical to the bandmaster reverb, as you probably already know.

http://www.guitarplayer.com/miscellaneo ... -mod/15690

I also saw that there is a YouTube video from Gerald Weber showing the conversion process from silverface to blackface specs.

Anyhow, good luck and IMHO the results were fantastic.

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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 8:57 am
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Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Thu Dec 12, 2013 2:54 pm
Posts: 619
socal323,

Thanks for the advice, did you turn it into a combo, or leave it in head form?

Edit: found your re-grill thread, question answered. Nice job on the re-grill!

vinyl


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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 4:19 pm
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Aspiring Musician
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Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2009 1:45 pm
Posts: 852
Location: SoCal323
I left it in the head. I run it into a Bogner oversized 212 open back cab with a greenback and a 70th Anna. Sounds great. I thought about going the combo route but opted not to because I just sounds so good with the bogner cab. Eventually id like to try it with a 210 loaded cab.

Re: re grill,
Thanks. I'm still working up the courage to install new grill cloth on the oversized Fender 212 cab I have. Should look sweet once completed.

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Post subject: Re: 1969 Bandmaster Reverb
Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2014 5:02 pm
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Roadie
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Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:52 pm
Posts: 292
I bought two BMRs. A 69 and 73. Vibrocloned both with bigger OTs to try and match the Vibrotone circuit.

The 69 I made into a single 15" combo with an Altec speaker. Sounds great. Had the cab made by JD Newell.

The 73 was VC'd into a 2x10 combo. I mated that to a Vibrolux 63 Wheat and oxblood 2x10 cab I acquired. So its a 4x10 stack...:)

Both amps sound great. The 1x15 is my fave tho. Both circuits are basically the same BF'd to specs with bigger OTs.
I am not suggesting you do this. I am just offering what I know about the BMR. A great amp and a great platform if you wish.

Get you amp healthy and enjoy!!


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