1962 FENDER BANDMASTER AMP MOD

As is common with vintage amps, the Band-Master had a 2-prong power cable-which was cracked. With all of the checking and cleaning behind me, I noticed the AC cable was in dire need of updating. Tightening and cleaning tube sockets, pots, and tubes for optimal performance. Even the likely-to-go-bad screen grid resistors on the power tubes tested acceptable. While many of the resistors were of carbon composition and as such tend to get noisy with age, those in the Band-Master tested well. Resistors were the next component in need of checking.

All nuts and screws were tightened and the fuse was checked for proper rating. These type of caps often last significantly longer than their electrolytic brothers, which have an electrolytic inside of them that dries up with age.

Other than the electrolytics, the remaining capacitors tested as working properly. Proceeding through the amp with our check and clean, we tested all solder joints and touched up as needed, checked the wiring, cleaned the jacks and pots with contact cleaner and tightened them, and tightened the tube sockets, which tend to loosen with age. The offending original leaking caps (left) and the replacement new caps (right) Checking and Cleaning We used high quality caps-there is no room for skimping on parts when dealing with vital amp components.

1962 FENDER BANDMASTER AMP MOD

This simple mod makes the first stage of the power supply better capable of handling those high voltages with a little breathing room to spare. I decided to create a larger cap using two 100uf at 350 caps, adding the 220k bleed resistors and wired in series, creating a 50uf cap rated for 700vdc. The stock filter caps, in the first stage of filtering, were two 20uf at 550vdc wired in parallel, creating a 40uf filter at 550 (wired pre-standby switch). Here you will find the filter caps and their corresponding resistors. The filter caps in the Band-Master, as in most Fender amps, lie under the pan cover on the tube side of the chassis. As a general rule, the lifespan of electrolytic caps in a guitar amp fall around 15 years or so for optimal performance. When these caps start to wear out, the amp could begin to have an increase in noise or hum, possible ghost notes, and a definite deficiency of punch and low end. These parts handle the high voltage and filter ripple out of the alternating current. Is the power cord safe to use? Are the fuses blown? What about the condition of the electrolytic capacitors? In the case of this Band-Master, I could see the electrolytic caps were bulging and leaking and had therefore given their all and desperately needed replacing.Д®lectrolytic caps are an extremely important component of an amp. When a vintage amp comes in the shop, it is always a good idea to give it a once over before turning the amp on. This early вЂ60s blonde Fender Band-Master is just such an amp-beautiful, glorious tone, but in need of some maintenance to fully appreciate what the amp is capable of. Vintage amps, like any other piece of vintage equipment, often need updating to function safely and properly.

At our shop, Schroeder Guitar Repair, the amps coming in range from found-on-the-side-of-the-road freebies that donвЂ™t have a heartbeat to boutique amps worth five figures. There are many great guitar amplifiers out there.

1962 fender bandmaster amp