Hi all, I am going to be buying a Fender Bandmaster at some point in the near future. I would like to have it connected to a 1x12 cabinet/speaker. Wasn't a '61 Bandmaster connected to a single twelve? Anyway, what I would like to do is have the speaker cabinet built first, and then buy a speaker and install it.

At some point after that, I would only need to buy the head and then connect and be ready to play. Is doing it this way a bad idea? I am concerned about ohms and such. I don't even know how to connect a head to a cab! Please give me your thoughts and feedback, thank you.

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Yes the really old ones used a single 12. However you can never be sure of what the output transformer is on a used amp until you have it checked. There are 4ohm speakers available if it's standard OT. You probably want a pretty heavy duty speaker though, that's a lot of watts going through it.

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

I used to own an old black face, which was beat to crap. They are pretty loud, roughly 45 watts. Like most amps, they tend to start coming alive around ten or eleven o'clock. After that they start to grit up in a pleasant way. If you are looking for the BIG CLEAN with lots of head room, this may not be the choice for you. If you're looking for a snarling rock n roll engine, it does a lovely job. If you get a speaker with a really high power rating, you can compensate to some degree and it will clean up a bit. Probably my biggest frustration with mine was playing small rooms with it. Pretty dull at eight or nine o'clock. Cheers.

mj
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I use a 68. It's combo'd with a single 12" Jensen c12n.
I'll take it to the grave.
There isn't a ton of headroom, but it gets a nice low volume edge of breakup which is where I primarily run it.

I have several medium size/wattage (35-50 watts) Fender Amps, but my favorite is an early 70s Bandmaster Reverb, housed in a Mojotone cabinet. (I bought it that way at McKenzie River Music in Eugene, Oregon, several years ago.)

The baffle is cut for a single 15", but it came with a 12" Jensen, and I've left it that way. To me, it's sort of like a Deluxe Reverb on steroids. More oomph, and bottom end.

And, like Chippertheripper, I'll take mine to the grave.

-Cheers, Clark-

-Less Paul, more Reverb-

Well if you're really looking for light you can check out Quilter amps. They are solid state but get that black face thing going. Also if you want to keep fender check out the older Reissue Fender '63 Vibroverb. (2x10, ss rectifier, tube pre and power - GREAT tremolo and reverb)

The Bandmaster is by far my favorite "piggy-back" amplifier. Once upon a time I had a '61 with the single 12 and tone-ring and it was magical. I think Frankie from the Volcanics owns that amplifier now. I like all the Bandmasters from '61-early 70s, including the BM Reverb amp (which is essentially the same circuit as the Pro and Super Reverb amps with a tube rectifier). There is a difference in sound between an early model, especially with the presence knob and the tremelo circuit, but they all are great in their own right. To me, the tremelo is worth it alone on the brownface amps, but it's not used that much, so it's really what you're after. The blackface and silverface Bandmasters are quite a different price, so if you can check them out and like them, I'd say go for it. If you're lucky, you can find an old beat-up brownface for the price the blackface amps, but it's rare they come up anymore at a decent price. Now, for some reason, people feel the brownface amps are worth WAY MUCH more than what they used to go for (the same with guitars) but really, I think the blackface and early SF Bandmasters are equally good. Beware: they are still heavy.

Matt "tha Kat" Lentz
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Last edited: Aug 15, 2017 13:38:34

Bandmasters can break up pretty early. I put in an aftermarket (MM) super beefy output transformer which gave me more headroom. I also used the multitaps to enable different ohm loads. I use EV speakers which are very efficient which translates into more headroom, and have huge magnets. So between the EV and the bigger OT, I'm adding a lot of weight. Not a great solution for you. Have you looked into Quilters? I have a Steelaire which I love, and the combo weighs in at maybe 30lbs and sounds good either quiet or screaming loud (200w) into a single 15.

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta

SSS, unless the optics of having a piggyback Fender are of primary importance to you, how about a blackface Pro Reverb?

40 watt combo, similar handwired electronics to a Bandmaster plus a very good onboard reverb, two 12's, less weight than a Twin and still plenty loud for gigging.

Jack
aka WoodyJ

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005)
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Pro Reverbs are quite heavy and have too much sag for surf music IMHO. I owned one for over 20 years

Danny Snyder

Latest project - Now That's What I Call SURF
_
"With great reverb comes great responsibility" - Uncle Leo

I'm back playing keys and guitar with Combo Tezeta