Right now the whole world’s on fire, but Uncle Doug makes it all OK for the minute. Thanks as always for the amazing work. And I agree, Jack and Ollie must be doing some serious woodshedding during outbreak.
The whole world is not on fire my dear friend. Some areas of certain cities in some states in the U.S. where high levels of crime is already quite common and no one should be surprised. The news likes to make you think it's like that all over, but here in my state we've had no rioting and only a few peaceful protests in a couple of the larger cities. They would like for you to believe it's everywhere, but it's really not. It's exaggerated and that's what makes good news viewership. But I appreciate these videos all the same.
Hey TMS Southington...Can't believe I'm seeing a comment by ya'll here. I bought my first tube amp (Fender Blues Deluxe) from ya'll back in the 90's when I lived in Cheshire and I still have it. Glad to see you're still in business!!
This video is a jewel for troubleshooting noise. Between you and Terry at D-lab we are honored that you share your knowledge and experience with us. I look forward to grabbing a beer and watching the very best. Cheers.
Uncle Doug the inside of that chassis looks like it was stored at the bottom of the Newport Pier. The fiberboard has almost certainly gone conducive. That’s the next place to look if it comes back, in my opinion.
I stumbled on this channel about a month ago and watch a few videos every day. I'm addicted to it. I don't play guitar nor have I ever worked on an amp, but I have learned a TON. You remind me of a Chemistry teacher I had in high School in 1985. I learned more from him in one year than all other teachers combined. Your delivery of information is perfect and your sense of humor CRACKS me up! Love the cars as well. Keep it up and stay safe.
Thank you so much for another masterful video! Your fans really enjoy and learn from your efforts. The tone of the Bandmaster during the post repair demonstration was nothing short of AWESOME. It really captured the kind of holy grail tone great guitarists strive to achieve. Please stay healthy and safe Uncle Doug, you are a true national treasure!
From Leo: The sticker on the foot switch is upside down. The right switch is the reverb with the cord pointing away. At least that is how mine is. Nice fretboard work, the best I have heard you demonstrate. You must be practicing during the Covid19 situation.
RE: footswitch - Terry Dayton from D-lab here on TH-cam came up with a circut to move the signal from the reverb switch internal on Vintage Fenders. Thus - eliminating the antenna effect all together. Not sure he’s done a video on it yet. I only know because he lives up the road from me and talked about possibly putting it in my 65 super reverb. I opted out because the amp will never be used with a footswitch. But, interesting no less! Great video as always Doug!
that is interesting......I usually just recommend removing the RCA jack for the footswitch as basically as a player.....you never switch the reverb function on and off.....its a useless feature. The trem/vibrato switch is another story as you either use the effect or not depending on the tune you are playing. I usually recommend removing the RCA jack as to free up the space in the chassis for mounting a control pot for a feature as to not have to drill a hole in a vintage amp chassis. I usually pull the reverb RCA jack and move the other RCA to its location so I end up with the hole at the end for mounting a pot & thus the knob for the pot. And in the case of a super reverb, the EXT speaker jack is the same thing...useless, so that becomes another hole to use. BUT as a point, I won't mention the MOD or the feature I need the holes for......
@@mikecamps7226 I agree with you on the reverb effect. As a live player I always remove all artificial reverb from the signal as the room reflects and provides natural reverb. With drums and bass the guitar is easily lost in the myriad reflections, not to mention the white noise of people talking and yelling, I can't hear reverb in those conditions. Vibrato with a slide is a very different animal.
I think you nailed down all the inconsistencies this amp had and fixed them as well as a bad tube. Now this blonde will have more fun. Good teaching experience video for us all when it comes to previously worked on stuff.
@@UncleDoug I'd have a early tweed tremolux for you to work on had someone not liberated it from my mothers house. Maby I'll find a nice Canadian made Traynor to send you for work one of these days
32:32 Uncle Doug addresses the 'what', and fixes it. 34:34 Uncle Doug addresses the "WHY" , AND FIXES THAT, WHICH WILL BE FAR MORE VALUABLE TO THE OWNER, and to the rest of us who seek the knowledge!
Well done Doug. I had a 66 Band Master that had a similar problem. Was mostly a grounding issue. Wish I still had it. I drug it around with me while I was still stationed in the U.S. during my Air Force years. I am mostly Solid State as you know from previous responses. And I am an absolute believer in the "O" Scope as a troubleshooting tool. I've fixed many a hum problem with mine. You are a true tech........... not many of us left. Thanks again for the great geek entertainment.
The only way future generations will know how tube technology worked, and how to repair it, is through videos like these. Uncle Doug's knowledge of the subject matter is amazing. Thank you Uncle Doug!
Great that you found the missing clam shell for the transformer and using gun blue is a great idea treating the metal and not painting it. Really nice job on that Amazing looking '64 Blonde Bandmaster.
Uncle Doug, your channel is by far my favorite. The dry sense of humor cracks me up. Thank You for being there for us at this crazy time. Be safe, stay healthy, please continue to make some videos. Your a "Jewel" yourself........................ Trump 2020
God Bless and Protect you and your family Uncle Doug. Your are such a Honorable man. While watching your educational video, the sun came out in Maryland. Uncle Doug thank you for that, we need you!!!
From what I understand UL was more worried about fires than shocks early on. If it's fused and unlikely to burn the pace down, it probably qualified in the 60s.
@@AcmeRacing Yep, the original company was a bureau of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, which was an offshoot of work they did to prevent fires at the 1894 Chicago World's Fair. Full disclosure: currently an employee of UL. The mark certifies that the product meets the requirements of the standards, which at any given time are intended to limit the risk of fire and shock. Nothing is 100% foolproof. But compared to some other designs of the time that would have set your curtains on fire, it was a step in the right direction. At least the chassis isn't directly tied to one side of the non-polarized line, with a metal case :-p
Well Uncle Doug you have given me the courage to repair a Champ 12 tube amp loud hum, bad caps in power supply and a Fender Blues Jr distorted 1 open resistor Next Gibson Invader rvt Thanks I love your channel
28:09 - Since the noise only exhibits itself when you turn up the Tremolo Channel Volume, the fault must be 'upstream' of the volume control, the 1st preamp stage. In this case that tube is shared with the 2nd preamp stage., so it was fixed anyway :)
I had Tony (the tiger) drop by to give Jack & Ollie's demo a listen and he said: (you guessed it) it sounds GREAT! Thanx Uncle Doug... Cheerios (the breakfast of desperate guitar players)
Whenever you drop a new video, two things happen: 1. I exclaim loudly: "Uncle Doug!" 2. GF rolls eyes. I know this has largely been covered, but are the B+ and presumably all the other voltages made high exclusively by higher line voltages? I know that volts at the outlet were substantially lower in the past, say, 110-115v vs 120v or even higher now. Oh, and that Mullard was marked ecc83 I assume? 7025 is just a hi-spec 12ax7, ya? Oops, guess that's three questions.
My apologies to the GF, Bryan, but there ARE priorities :) Yes, the higher line voltages are probably responsible for the elevated plate voltages. Yes, the Mullard replacement is equivalent to a reduced-noise 12AX7.
Nice looking and powerful l'il fella! Now the tone and voicing of the amp lives up to the old saying " the insides match the outsides". Thanks for the new video Doug!
I can't help but feel for the owner of this pristine 64' Bandmaster. His letter was overwhelming evidence that every technician whose performed a feigned repair for the same issue had no access to an oscilloscope. I imagine the owner must have been fuming at all the cost of previous repairs that were all false; irrespective of the high quality components installed. You just demonstrated two axioms with one swift stroke. The first is being able to deduce the cause of the noise by listening. Second, the invaluable importance of owning an O scope. This episode took my mind off the monotony of this isolation. Thanks for this, dear uncle. I look forward to your next installment with great eagerness. Stay safe, and healthy.
Thank you for your nicely worded comments, Alex. I have a feeling that the tube issue arose after the last repair, possibly due to the elevated plate voltages. We're glad you enjoyed the video.
Note to self ...... when Uncle plugs in the signal generator and reaches for the treble control >>> REMOVE HEADPHONES. Yikes !! Great video boss. Be miss'n the car shows if this crap keeps up ............. Regards/greg
No kidding, P8. When I did this in the workshop, it about knocked me off the stool. Neighborhood dogs are still howling :) Amen on the car shows......we know what really matters, and it doesn't involve hiding in our houses like scared mice.
Brilliant demonstration of troubleshooting a noisy tube! My 2204 DIY build has a similar issue and wasn't sure how to track it down. Now I have knowledge, a Fluke, an O-scope, and a Covid-19 time to track it down. Thank you for everything - stay safe :)
yes sir i did tv cable for 20 years and used a scope to ck for gain in ics the same noise would show up in a tv screen in a tv amp that was the only way to c it caps wen'nt much the issue it as the ics they as a tube had to amp with out the noise we had to run 60 volt ac ouch yeah it would hurt but it was all rf
Carbon comp resistors are part of the sound always replace them with quality carbon comp's the white noise is supposed to be there. Only place that you should use metal film/oxide resistors is in the power supply. Also moisture in the fish paper board is a huge noise culprit in these old fenders Ive measured high voltage on the board it self in badly saturated fish paper that's why they were waxed dipped in the silver face amps.
@@UncleDoug The carbon comp part isn't an opinion its a fact... Leo would have used metal film/oxide resistors if they were cheap enough and available at the time. Leo was looking for clean and those Stackpole and Allen Bradly resistors were the best affordable parts at the time but...inadvertently they also added distortion to the signal path which all guitarist love. As a side note all the best sounding early Marshalls used CC resistors JTM 45 JTM 45/100 etc the phire Iskra CF resistors came later and the tone of the amps changed dramatically for the worse.
There is no magic in carbon comp resistors. Just drifting values, temp instability and noise. Carbon film works great. I use them in every amp I build, rebuild or repair. You can believe differently, it still won't change reality. At least not mine.
Great job Uncle Doug. Not only do you fix what others fail at, you make an excellent tutorial video as well. Watching you work on this stuff brings back fond memories of my cousin working on radios and all sorts of electronic toys.
I think we've all had the experience of finding an old pair of underwear, from our earlier slimmer days, in the drawer.....and made the mistake of trying them on.
I am blessed with a 1962 version which I just finally got back from the amp tech a couple weeks ago ... I've had it since maybe late April or so, but just now finally got it worked on. The JJ preamp tubes need to be "sweetened" up a bit, but over all, it is quite an amp. My oldest son was absolutely enthralled with the tremolo section and the sweet vibes that was putting out. Have not played through a brownface Fender since the early '60s ...
Yeah it sounded like a bad preamp tube to me. I've had that happen to me about two or three times. Funny thing is they sound real good until that happens.
Yes the first thing I do is roll tubes. Occasionally I look at other stuff first like plate resistors etc and when it's a bad tube I kick myself. An old amp tech told me: "80% of amp problems are a bad tube." I don't know if that number is right. But the point is that when confronted with an amp problem, always check the tubes first.
Uncle Doug at 7:00 : Might be cadmium, I will scratch some off and inhale it. My employer : THERE MIGHT BE CHROMIUM OR LEAD OR WHATEVER IN THAT! USE YOUR HAZMAT SUIT!
We've become a nation of sissies, Bart. When I was a kid, we snorted asbestos, gargled mercury, and bathed in Dioxin......and look how we turned out.....hack!......cough! Be sure to subscribe so you will receive notification of newly-posted videos.
I’ve always been fascinated by electronics and more so by musical instrument electronics. However I never had the time to study and learn. My grasp of how an amp circuit works is now well on its way up the steep learning curve and with a big smile on my face as I do. Thank you Doug! Oh yeah, I wandered out to my little workshop room where I I keep my old Fender amp. I never paid much attention to it other than it’s served me well since I paid a cash short buddy a hundred bucks for it in 1973. Great garage band/club band amp for years. Decided to do a bit of research after one of your more recent videos... Sure as hell its an early 60s, white, Fender Bassman, with Oxblood grille cloth, and likely the production C version of the Bassman you recently worked on. It’s now coming out of the garage and I’m putting it by my bedside table where I can guard it day and night. Jack? Sniff on black kitten! George
Another amp porn with Uncle Doug! Nicely chased that noise down to that misbehavin' triode. But wouldn't have been swapping tubes pretty much the very first thing to do, to see if the problem follows? Like redplating powertubes and stuff And you, Sir, have grown to a really propper guitarrist over all the years I watched your channel. Hats off to you!
@@UncleDoug These two buddies might sneak arround and watch your ass. Yeah, you are right. This was pretty much perfect, to watch, what propper work looks like. That was
Swapping tubes would be akin to checking the fuel gauge in a car that stops working. I can’t believe the other amp techs didn’t try to figure out why it chewed tubes
Swapping tubes would be akin to checking the fuel gauge in a car that stops working. I can’t believe the other amp techs didn’t try to figure out why it chewed tubes
Its always a treat to get to follow along on the journey to bring these old beauties back into service. I'm glad to hear that Jack, Ollie and Uncle Doug are safe and sound and still scaring the neighbors with electric guitars and loud cars!!! Stay safe.
Uncle Doug, It's a odd thing, I was starting to wonder how you were doing, I was going to open your last video and ask, but you came out with this. It's always good to hear from you even if you just check in. I do think this virus is real, but over played and really meant to shut economies down more than anything, I also understand it affects the elderly and people with preexisting illnesses, but if you don't get checked or tested before you have symptoms, you're still infecting other people and it does scar your lungs young or old so if they caught it early and gave you a dose of Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used for the prevention and treatment of the chloroquine-sensitive strains of malaria, as well as for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and porphyria cutanea tarda. It is taken by mouth, you probably wouldn't have to take the Z-Pack Antibiotic, I also hear zinc is good being Hydroxychloroquine pushes zinc into the cells which kills this bug, Tonic Water with Quinine and Vitamin C. I live in NY where it's supposed to be the worst, but I don't know a single person with any of the symptoms and these charts they put up are crazy. It seems like most celebrates are getting it and now Putin has it? Fear Porn, but during this lock down there's people working on poles installing 5G in heavy populated areas. I looked into it and it can cause flu like symptoms so they say. They also say you have the symptoms so you get tested and they give you a shot that contains the living virus, but these are conspiracy theories even though these people have been right a lot, the best bet is to disconnect all 5G devices and see if you feel any better and test it, if you do, plug it back in and see if the symptom return, then you know
Thanks for all your concern and good advice, Mr. B. Like you, we are somewhat skeptical about all the hysteria and hoarding, but are staying in and keeping away from sources of infection. Let's hope this nightmare blows over in a reasonable period of time and life can return to normal.
Hello Uncle Doug.... you da man ! I am restoring a 1965/66 Showman with your help. I meticulously watch what you do & even write down the tips along with print notes. Thanks for all you do. Stay healthy also. From the bunker in Fort Worth. 😷
Why is watching Uncle Doug fix amps so darn enjoyable?! I’ve been watching nothing but this channel after work the last 4 days, every single Fender amp video. This is the final one. I’ve learned so much, I feel the amp tech inside me coming to life!
Great video as always, and a real pleasure with so many of us trapped at home. The sound of that amp, brings back so many memories. My first amps were a silverface '68 Bandmaster and a blackface '65 Bassman. Still have the Bassman, but somewhere around1 974, I traded the Bandmaster for a late-60's Pro Reverb which was just easier to transport and move around.The Bandmaster's speaker cab's were like moving a couch around from gig to gig. You know, I've always suspected that the Pro Reverb's and the Bandmasters were very similar amp circuits with and without reverb. Great video as always, my best to you and yours
Thank you Uncle Doug I can not imagine the world with you. you have a wonderful heart and soul. Be Healthy and happy. To you and you whole family. God Bless!
Hi Uncle Doug, I rarely comment because I typically watch on my TV app. So just wanted to say "thank you" not only for the high quality of the videos but in having only the highest standards for your work. It's truly refreshing to see. As others have said, it brightens my day every time I see a new Uncle Doug video!
Man those cats can play! So good your in here UD. What a gem. You took care of her. I think it is a universal alignment of the stars that Baseman ended up on your bench. A few did try but only UD gave that girl the fix she needed. 😋🎸
I was a bit shocked by the title, I thought an amp had (gulp) got the better of Uncle Doug 😱. But I was mistaken, thank goodness. In these turbulent times, there remains a point of reliable consistency. Good, educational work again. Thank you. I hope Fender are watching and making motes for improvement: captive nuts, and a cut out for speaker box handles.
A lot of us, even with a sizable amount of knowledge of Fender amps, did not know the early 60s Bandmasters were Blond! I knew they did not have reverb until later, but I thought they went from white or brown to black. I did not know you could get a 4 tube output model! The things one can learn from the master...Uncle Doug!!! Thanxz
My wording was not the best with regard to the 4-output tube models, ATL. I don't believe that any Bandmaster model ever had 4 output tubes, but the same chassis was used in models like the Showman, Dual Showman, etc. that did.
Uncle Doug I was not challenging your knowledge in anyway. You have taught me, and others, so much we did not know. Leo was still very much in the experimental years of amps and this is a perfect example of it. It has been documented, by many, he listened to the musicians that used these amps for their input on how to improve/evolve his amps, what features were wanted at price point that people could afford. He tried to provide a model of amp to fill every need that a musician needed. I think the Bandmaster was a model to 2 guitarists could use at the same time, or, heaven forbid, a guitar and a bass. The point is we were not there at the time and did not witness what went through Leo's mind and how it played out in the factory. We are left with these wonderful amps to enjoy and thanks to guys like you, keep them working properly! Good to have this latest project to drool over! Thanxz
In this video you declare Mullards " As good as you can get" They are surely one of the best. I also think good old RCAs are better. I have 6 1958 RCA 12AX7's I got from a Lowery Organ I acquired and they are the best sounding 12AX7's I have ever heard. I suppose some of it is preference. You are the man Uncle Doug. Have you ever gone to sleep watching a movie and end up dreaming you are in the movie, or you talk to you friend before you go to bed and dream about them? I fell asleep last night watching an Uncle Doug video and I dreamed I had gone to El Paso and you gave me a tour of your workshop etc. I now feel in some way's you are an old friend LOL. Thanks for what you do.
Strange, but I had a very similar dream last night, and this morning the workshop door was open and the lights were on......?? You're always welcome, SHW ;)
Uncle Doug, you have some of the most loyal followers on TH-cam I've ever seen. Even the trolls who have been thumbing down your videos for years keep coming back. ;-)
What a great sounding amp. I had a perfect and I mean perfect 1969 Bandmaster Reverb head. That amp had the best clean tone of any amp I've ever had, and I have had a ton. Got me thinking about spending some pandemic cash on a Bandmaster now.
Doug! Thanks for taking the time to share. I need a diversion. Thanks. The reason Fender never used captive nuts is because the amps aren't married. Just read that somewhere.
Nice work and trouble shooting tips Uncle Doug. Having driven a 1965 Chevy P/U with a single pot MC and 4 wheel drums for years, I solute your decision. I now know coming down a mountain with drums heating up leads to ~ no brakes
Awesome vid uncle Doug. I’m not sure how many of the younger gen or those with sensitive hearing are into tube amp repair, but after the high pitch tone section I’m not sure how many are still with us.. I think you’re Plate voltage correction was the magic that it needed.
Hi Doug, I used to hotrod and repair Fenders back in the 80's in Newark De and NJ. This sounds like a few Fenders I ran across that had a mysterious noise source that would crackle, hiss, and come and go in cycles over time. I finally traced it down to a partial dielectric breakdown of the waxed 'blackboard' pcb material under the capacitor bank 'can'. Back then we cut a piece of plastic fretboard material to shape and placed it between the metal chassis and the waxed 'blackboard' pcb for better insulation. Blank FR4 or even Kapton sheet is easier to find nowadays and would be better. I would also check under the HV point eyelets on the main board for this. Best Regards -Lee Studley
My thoughts at the time were that this might have been a salty air/humidity thing that caused this partial dielectric breakdown and weak path to the chassis.
@@UncleDoug: My pleasure to help you-the-guru! Love your channel! It was a head scratcher for sure and took time to find. I had given the amp back and forth with the owner and he was very nice about the time it took. If it comes up again I'll bet good money that's it.
I have one of these....it's also an AA763. Thirty years ago I sold a 71' fender musicmaster to a friend for $200! He liked the guitar so much left the 'Blonde' that he used @ practice in my basement with a original 2x12 cabinet. Neither of us realized the true value/tone of these amps at the time. Buy I later found the head had been modified with two additonal 6L6 power tubes & HD transformer......it bench tested @ 74 watts ! Recently It has been retubed & recapped using some of the same components shown here in your video.Work was done by Jimmy Somma (Sommatone amps) before he moved to Austin Texas.
What an incredible windfall, ZZ. The two-to-four-tube modification was, unfortunately, rather common back in the day. I worked on a Concert amp that had suffered the same indignity. Boy was it powerful, though.
@@UncleDoug I actually prefer it over the anemic 35 watt bandmaster.the original transformers were known to fry when pushed to hard. But back in the 70's & 80's you either had 50 or100 watts or you were not heard. LOL
From what I see on the Fender Amp Field Guide, that amp is a transitional 1964 model Bandmaster. While it is Blonde Tolex, it's really in the Blackface line-up. I owned a 1964 Blackface Tremolux back then. The Bandmaster was made from 63-67 and the Tremolux from 63-66. The Bandmaster, AB763, kicked out 40 watts and drove twin 12" speakers and the Tremolux, AA763, was about 35 watts with twin 10" speakers. They looked virtually identical and sounded great, lots of volume and punch. We ran two guitars and a mic off my Tremolux. Good times playing outside under the apple trees.
@R F Good tune! There were a couple apple trees at our house with a small patio underneath. The house was close to the railroad tracks (Johnnie B. Goode!) and a bridge crossed the tracks nearby. Just across the tracks were a few businesses. We'd sometimes set up in the shade of the trees and rehearse. A couple times, cars stopped on the road and people would get out and listen along with people across the tracks and neighbors. The mid-60s were good times. We'd being doing some Beatles, Stones, DC5, and assorted other early rock standards. There was also a swimming lake within walking distance and other bands would set up on the beach and power up from a generator or a single player would set up in the parking lot and just jam. Lots of garage bands back then and tons of venues. Not so much now.
thanks from germany for another great and inspiring video. Also a huge thanks for motivating me for building my own guitar amplifier which was a great fun and is now in progress to the second version. No harm done due to the trusty current limiter;) Stay healthy and always have a handful of catnip in reserve
Hi Doug. I had a relatively newer amp but seemed to be a similar story to this. New valves and problems go away but tend to reappear after a short time. Inspired by your video I checked my ECC83 /12AX7 plates and many were running at 365V. Did the same sort of tweek as you to get them down to just below 300V and what a difference. In general the sound is smoother and softer, less headroom (nice) and the sound of the tubes going into meltdown, fizzing and spluttering has gone. That must have been the voltage too high and I never considered it for whatever reason. Thanks again!
I'm glad the video inspired you to check your own plate voltages, KVN. It can really damage tone and tube life.....yet most folks don't check the PV on the pre-amp tubes, only the output tubes. Our pleasure :)
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!! Like all of us , we are sitting around watching almost anything! Looking foward to another video soon... I HOPE. Take care of you and your family.
Love your videos! The "strapping" or "equalizer" resistors across the series electrolytic caps are to equalise the load on each cap due to the fact that the series equivalent resistance of electrolytics varies. Normally this isn't a problem but when operating them in series under a high voltage load the difference is enough to cause problems. Matching the resistors like you did is a good idea. Learned this stuff in college back in the early 70's when tube theory was still a thing to teach. Thanks again for your excellent videos.
I held off the beer until half way through as your excursion into the hinterland of the amp's internals whetted my appetite for a cool Pilsner to hit the spot. There's nothing like a good detective story where none of the bad guys escape to cause grief another time.
Hey Unki D! You got style, I must say. Another great video. If it's got motors or tubes, I'm all in! I had a 66 Plymouth former state patrol interceptor that could outrun the gingerbread man. It had the single cylinder master cylinder, and believe it or not, budd opposed discs on the front. It could lock both front wheels at 100 mph. (flat spots ensued). I always took great care of that single master cylinder. I always told people it was a suicide master cylinder. Thank for another amazing trip into the world of long ago!
Nice one, Uncle Doug! Chuck Mead, guitarist and vocalist for the roots country band BR5-49 used a 1964 Fender blonde Bandmaster amp with his Gretsch guitars for years. Years ago I tried to interest him in my early 1963 6G7-A version of the blonde Bandmaster, but no bites.
Uncle Doug......I just love you!! Your videos are pure treasure. Thank you so very much for all your time and effort to make them, and wish you all the power and health to continue. I will view them to the very last one
Hello Uncle Doug ,i just started to watch your videos a month a go ,i'm from Argentina and had found that here in my country we used to have a tube amp factory that offered in the 70's ,an amp based on the Bandmaster..i just bought 3 of them (very,very cheap) hahaha !! now i´m planning to modified their circuits to the Fender specs..thanx man !!
Love your whacked out sense of humor. You are gradually morphing into Burgess Meredith. I look forward to hearing you talk about taking the skin boat to tunatown.
Hey!! Mr Doug ! And fellow amp fanatics! I'm getting old now so here comes one of my greatest amp mods of all time for you..... Notice how those bandmasters have room for two more power tubes? ( Use a silver face please) put two more sockets on there and run 4 6v6's . It's been a long time since I did the mod , can't remember the filament load question, sorry ... But believe me it works!!!!!! Killer amp! I put a Ken Fischer M.V. where the Ext. Jack is too. Badass.
I have worked on some early Fenders that had the modification you described. In most cases the power transformer had either failed.......or was a replacement. Ditto for the output transformer. You just can't add two current-demanding, impedance-altering output tubes to an existing circuit, Gary, without some consequences.
@@UncleDoug As I sort of recall I think I put an auxillary filament transformer on the cap pan, and .. ( it was about 15 years ago) I kinda remember changing out the O.T. to a 50 watt, maybe a Hammond ? Also got rid of the vibrato tube and circuit. It is still in use today and is very RocknRoll.
@@UncleDoug Hey! Sir Doug!! I don't mean to keep bugging you over the Damn Bandmaster project 😵💫, but I remembered also putting a tweed Princeton tone circuit( Vol./Tone in the normal channel also, you could bridge both channels also for extra Killerocity. I promise that is it on the Bandmaster! 😜👍👋
@@garynash7594Bandmasters have a rather sophisticated and effective tone circuit, Gary. I would think that replacing it with a very elementary tweed Princeton tone circuit would be a huge step in the wrong direction.
Right now the whole world’s on fire, but Uncle Doug makes it all OK for the minute. Thanks as always for the amazing work. And I agree, Jack and Ollie must be doing some serious woodshedding during outbreak.
It's our pleasure, TMS. Thanks so much for your very nice comments.
The whole world is not on fire my dear friend. Some areas of certain cities in some states in the U.S. where high levels of crime is already quite common and no one should be surprised. The news likes to make you think it's like that all over, but here in my state we've had no rioting and only a few peaceful protests in a couple of the larger cities. They would like for you to believe it's everywhere, but it's really not. It's exaggerated and that's what makes good news viewership. But I appreciate these videos all the same.
@@HooksBill None-the-less, still very much representative of what is coming into this world.
@@HooksBill his comment was made 3 momth before yours. He is reffering to something else.
Hey TMS Southington...Can't believe I'm seeing a comment by ya'll here. I bought my first tube amp (Fender Blues Deluxe) from ya'll back in the 90's when I lived in Cheshire and I still have it. Glad to see you're still in business!!
This video is a jewel for troubleshooting noise. Between you and Terry at D-lab we are honored that you share your knowledge and experience with us. I look forward to grabbing a beer and watching the very best. Cheers.
Wow, thanks, Sting. I wish we could join you, but with all this virus nonsense I guess it's best to maintain a safe distance ;)
@@UncleDoug sssssssssssssss
I like how you lowered those plate voltages. That is probably why the problem returned overtime. Good work as usual.
It's just a guess, Nick, but I can't think of any other reasons for a tube to go bad like this spontaneously......and perhaps previous tubes also.
It will make the amp sag more but hey, some of us like that. I was scared that i don't know the power rating of that resistor box
My gut was telling me the same thing.
@@lucianodebenedictis6014 More sag ?? Absolutely not Camelia.
Uncle Doug the inside of that chassis looks like it was stored at the bottom of the Newport Pier. The fiberboard has almost certainly gone conducive. That’s the next place to look if it comes back, in my opinion.
I stumbled on this channel about a month ago and watch a few videos every day. I'm addicted to it. I don't play guitar nor have I ever worked on an amp, but I have learned a TON. You remind me of a Chemistry teacher I had in high School in 1985. I learned more from him in one year than all other teachers combined. Your delivery of information is perfect and your sense of humor CRACKS me up! Love the cars as well. Keep it up and stay safe.
Wow, thanks for all the very nice comments, Paul. We really appreciate them. We will.....you too.
If those old amps could speak, they'd have your voice.
Always a pleasure to watch your content Doug! :o)
Thanks, Prince.....very nice :)
Thank you so much for another masterful video! Your fans really enjoy and learn from your efforts. The tone of the Bandmaster during the post repair demonstration was nothing short of AWESOME. It really captured the kind of holy grail tone great guitarists strive to achieve. Please stay healthy and safe Uncle Doug, you are a true national treasure!
Wow.....thanks so much, Thomas.
From Leo: The sticker on the foot switch is upside down. The right switch is the reverb with the cord pointing away. At least that is how mine is. Nice fretboard work, the best I have heard you demonstrate. You must be practicing during the Covid19 situation.
That makes sense, Barb. Kudos go to Ollie and Jack :)
An exemplary show From Uncle Doug, Doctor of Electromagnetic Magic. Thanks for the lesson, Doc.
Glad you enjoyed it, Rowdy :)
RE: footswitch - Terry Dayton from D-lab here on TH-cam came up with a circut to move the signal from the reverb switch internal on Vintage Fenders. Thus - eliminating the antenna effect all together. Not sure he’s done a video on it yet. I only know because he lives up the road from me and talked about possibly putting it in my 65 super reverb. I opted out because the amp will never be used with a footswitch. But, interesting no less! Great video as always Doug!
That sounds like a very desirable modification, Joby. The long, exposed (but shielded) reverb signal wire is a real weak spot in Fender design.
that is interesting......I usually just recommend removing the RCA jack for the footswitch as basically as a player.....you never switch the reverb function on and off.....its a useless feature. The trem/vibrato switch is another story as you either use the effect or not depending on the tune you are playing. I usually recommend removing the RCA jack as to free up the space in the chassis for mounting a control pot for a feature as to not have to drill a hole in a vintage amp chassis. I usually pull the reverb RCA jack and move the other RCA to its location so I end up with the hole at the end for mounting a pot & thus the knob for the pot. And in the case of a super reverb, the EXT speaker jack is the same thing...useless, so that becomes another hole to use. BUT as a point, I won't mention the MOD or the feature I need the holes for......
@@mikecamps7226 I agree with you on the reverb effect. As a live player I always remove all artificial reverb from the signal as the room reflects and provides natural reverb. With drums and bass the guitar is easily lost in the myriad reflections, not to mention the white noise of people talking and yelling, I can't hear reverb in those conditions. Vibrato with a slide is a very different animal.
@@mikecamps7226 Turning the verb off is good when you want a dry sound -- for james brown funk etc ....
@@mikecamps7226 As a player, I frequently switch reverb on and off.
Like how this gentleman speaks. Very carefully worded and I actually learn something from him every time I watch his videos.
Thanks, Bill :) That's our goal.
I think you nailed down all the inconsistencies this amp had and fixed them as well as a bad tube. Now this blonde will have more fun.
Good teaching experience video for us all when it comes to previously worked on stuff.
Fingers crossed :) Thanks, HM.
A lifetime of information in under 60 minutes.. Thanks again Uncle Doug.. Stay Safe.
Thanks. You too :)
1:20 uncle Doug MADE me put brandy in my morning coffee, I dont have a problem, I'm just following orders.
On that same note......send me all your vintage gear :):)
@@UncleDoug I'd have a early tweed tremolux for you to work on had someone not liberated it from my mothers house. Maby I'll find a nice Canadian made Traynor to send you for work one of these days
That's called an eye opener......
Nothing to help ease social distancing woes by watching yet another awesome amp analysis and repair. Big thanks to Uncle Doug, more now than ever!
Our pleasure, FZ. Be sure to subscribe to receive new video alerts.
32:32
Uncle Doug addresses the 'what', and fixes it.
34:34
Uncle Doug addresses the "WHY" , AND FIXES THAT,
WHICH WILL BE FAR MORE VALUABLE TO THE OWNER,
and to the rest of us who seek the knowledge!
Thanks so much, Wayne. I hope you're right about the "fixing" :)
Well done Doug. I had a 66 Band Master that had a similar problem. Was mostly a grounding issue. Wish I still had it. I drug it around with me while I was still stationed in the U.S. during my Air Force years. I am mostly Solid State as you know from previous responses. And I am an absolute believer in the "O" Scope as a troubleshooting tool. I've fixed many a hum problem with mine. You are a true tech........... not many of us left. Thanks again for the great geek entertainment.
Thanks, Phil. Glad you enjoyed it :) Be sure to subscribe so you will receive notification of newly-posted videos.
Sounds GREAT! The owner should be VERY happy!!! :) Another great Uncle Doug repair video!
Thanks, Randy.
The only way future generations will know how tube technology worked, and how to repair it, is through videos like these. Uncle Doug's knowledge of the subject matter is amazing. Thank you Uncle Doug!
Thank you, V1. We really appreciate your kind appraisal of our work :)
Great that you found the missing clam shell for the transformer and using gun blue is a great idea treating the metal and not painting it. Really nice job on that Amazing looking '64 Blonde Bandmaster.
Thanks three times, Larry :)
Uncle Doug, your channel is by far my favorite. The dry sense of humor cracks me up. Thank You for being there for us at this crazy time. Be safe, stay healthy, please continue to make some videos. Your a "Jewel" yourself........................ Trump 2020
Wow.....thanks so much, Nick. It's a real pleasure. Our best to you all.
Take care of yourself Uncle Doug.
I will. You too, Λογος.
God Bless and Protect you and your family Uncle Doug. Your are such a Honorable man. While watching your educational video, the sun came out in Maryland. Uncle Doug thank you for that, we need you!!!
I really appreciate your kind comments, F1. Thanks so much. Good health and happiness to you all.
Be sure when checking the UL sticker it doesn't say 'Undertakers Laboratories'.
that's an old dad joke. my dad has used the joke for decades now when working on electronics
Oh well. I guess I'm not as original and clever as I thought.
@@john-cm8yn Don't give up, John. Jack and I thought it was quite humorous :)
From what I understand UL was more worried about fires than shocks early on. If it's fused and unlikely to burn the pace down, it probably qualified in the 60s.
@@AcmeRacing Yep, the original company was a bureau of the National Board of Fire Underwriters, which was an offshoot of work they did to prevent fires at the 1894 Chicago World's Fair. Full disclosure: currently an employee of UL. The mark certifies that the product meets the requirements of the standards, which at any given time are intended to limit the risk of fire and shock. Nothing is 100% foolproof. But compared to some other designs of the time that would have set your curtains on fire, it was a step in the right direction. At least the chassis isn't directly tied to one side of the non-polarized line, with a metal case :-p
Well Uncle Doug you have given me the courage to repair a Champ 12 tube amp loud hum, bad caps in power supply and a Fender Blues Jr distorted 1 open resistor Next Gibson Invader rvt Thanks I love your channel
That's great to hear, Doug. Best of luck with the Invader. Mid-60's Gibson's can present some "special" challenges :)
28:09 - Since the noise only exhibits itself when you turn up the Tremolo Channel Volume, the fault must be 'upstream' of the volume control, the 1st preamp stage. In this case that tube is shared with the 2nd preamp stage., so it was fixed anyway :)
I had Tony (the tiger) drop by to give Jack & Ollie's demo a listen and he said:
(you guessed it) it sounds GREAT!
Thanx Uncle Doug... Cheerios (the breakfast of desperate guitar players)
Thanks, Jonny :)
your playing brought back a lot of memories for me a sixties bandmaster was my first amp back in the seventies
That's good to hear, TB :)
In college in the early 70s we studied more tubes than solid state. Man, what I have forgotten. I really enjoyed this video.
Glad to hear it, Andrew. Thanks !! Be sure to subscribe to get new video alerts.
Whenever you drop a new video, two things happen:
1. I exclaim loudly: "Uncle Doug!"
2. GF rolls eyes.
I know this has largely been covered, but are the B+ and presumably all the other voltages made high exclusively by higher line voltages? I know that volts at the outlet were substantially lower in the past, say, 110-115v vs 120v or even higher now. Oh, and that Mullard was marked ecc83 I assume? 7025 is just a hi-spec 12ax7, ya? Oops, guess that's three questions.
hahaaa
My apologies to the GF, Bryan, but there ARE priorities :) Yes, the higher line voltages are probably responsible for the elevated plate voltages. Yes, the Mullard replacement is equivalent to a reduced-noise 12AX7.
Nice looking and powerful l'il fella! Now the tone and voicing of the amp lives up to the old saying " the insides match the outsides".
Thanks for the new video Doug!
Well said, KM.....glad you enjoyed it :)
Don't inhale the cadmium! Haha! 😁
Thanks for another fine video.
You bet! Zzzznoooork.....achoo !!!
Thanks for posting, Uncle Doug.Each and every video is like a ray of sunshine, especially in these murky uncertain times. Stay safe and healthy!
Thanks, Lee. We will.
Stay safe, stay healthy and whatever you do: keep breathing! I know you will!
Indeed we will, B. Thanks....and likewise for you all :)
I can't help but feel for the owner of this pristine 64' Bandmaster. His letter was overwhelming evidence that every technician whose performed a feigned repair for the same issue had no access to an oscilloscope. I imagine the owner must have been fuming at all the cost of previous repairs that were all false; irrespective of the high quality components installed. You just demonstrated two axioms with one swift stroke. The first is being able to deduce the cause of the noise by listening. Second, the invaluable importance of owning an O scope. This episode took my mind off the monotony of this isolation. Thanks for this, dear uncle. I look forward to your next installment with great eagerness. Stay safe, and healthy.
to your point, multiple techs? tubes are the FIRST thing to check. there a ton of components replaced. An old silver mica cap in the vibrato circuit??
Thank you for your nicely worded comments, Alex. I have a feeling that the tube issue arose after the last repair, possibly due to the elevated plate voltages. We're glad you enjoyed the video.
Note to self ...... when Uncle plugs in the signal generator and reaches for the treble control >>> REMOVE HEADPHONES. Yikes !! Great video boss. Be miss'n the car shows if this crap keeps up ............. Regards/greg
No kidding, P8. When I did this in the workshop, it about knocked me off the stool. Neighborhood dogs are still howling :) Amen on the car shows......we know what really matters, and it doesn't involve hiding in our houses like scared mice.
This wasn't the channel where i expected earrape lol
headphone pain here too...
Brilliant demonstration of troubleshooting a noisy tube! My 2204 DIY build has a similar issue and wasn't sure how to track it down. Now I have knowledge, a Fluke, an O-scope, and a Covid-19 time to track it down. Thank you for everything - stay safe :)
Glad it helped, X. You do the same :)
yes sir i did tv cable for 20 years and used a scope to ck for gain in ics the same noise would show up in a tv screen in a tv amp that was the only way to c it caps wen'nt much the issue it as the ics they as a tube had to amp with out the noise we had to run 60 volt ac ouch yeah it would hurt
but it was all rf
Your videos are such a breath of fresh air right now. Thank you! Be sure Jack has his catnip before bedtime or sleep with one eye open.
Thank you! Will do!
Carbon comp resistors are part of the sound always replace them with quality carbon comp's the white noise is supposed to be there. Only place that you should use metal film/oxide resistors is in the power supply. Also moisture in the fish paper board is a huge noise culprit in these old fenders Ive measured high voltage on the board it self in badly saturated fish paper that's why they were waxed dipped in the silver face amps.
Thanks for sharing your opinions with us, Sam.
@@UncleDoug The carbon comp part isn't an opinion its a fact... Leo would have used metal film/oxide resistors if they were cheap enough and available at the time. Leo was looking for clean and those Stackpole and Allen Bradly resistors were the best affordable parts at the time but...inadvertently they also added distortion to the signal path which all guitarist love. As a side note all the best sounding early Marshalls used CC resistors JTM 45 JTM 45/100 etc the phire Iskra CF resistors came later and the tone of the amps changed dramatically for the worse.
There is no magic in carbon comp resistors. Just drifting values, temp instability and noise. Carbon film works great. I use them in every amp I build, rebuild or repair. You can believe differently, it still won't change reality. At least not mine.
Great job Uncle Doug. Not only do you fix what others fail at, you make an excellent tutorial video as well. Watching you work on this stuff brings back fond memories of my cousin working on radios and all sorts of electronic toys.
Thanks, Rick. We're glad the video brought back fond memories. Be sure to subscribe to get new video alerts.
"Captive nuts...if you'll pardon the expression"
BWAAAHAHAHAHAHA!! That made my day.
I think we've all had the experience of finding an old pair of underwear, from our earlier slimmer days, in the drawer.....and made the mistake of trying them on.
My wife is the boss in our house........is that the same thing?
Soft quarantine for 3 weeks in Seattle puts a whole new spin on "captive nuts".
@@UncleDoug Who wears underwear? Commando all the way. Swingin' free and loving it.
@@smasica An image that will (unfortunately) stay with me for a long time, TM. 8>(
I am blessed with a 1962 version which I just finally got back from the amp tech a couple weeks ago ... I've had it since maybe late April or so, but just now finally got it worked on. The JJ preamp tubes need to be "sweetened" up a bit, but over all, it is quite an amp. My oldest son was absolutely enthralled with the tremolo section and the sweet vibes that was putting out. Have not played through a brownface Fender since the early '60s ...
Thanks for your input,, TT :)
Yeah it sounded like a bad preamp tube to me. I've had that happen to me about two or three times. Funny thing is they sound real good until that happens.
Yes the first thing I do is roll tubes. Occasionally I look at other stuff first like plate resistors etc and when it's a bad tube I kick myself.
An old amp tech told me: "80% of amp problems are a bad tube." I don't know if that number is right. But the point is that when confronted with an amp problem, always check the tubes first.
@@joesimon2018 Yes, but you also have to consider why the tube failed, like when a fuse goes.
Tanks for another great video. That amp sounds fantastic after your magic touch. Stay safe and keep putting smiles on viewers faces. Thanks
Thanks! Will do!
Uncle Doug at 7:00 : Might be cadmium, I will scratch some off and inhale it.
My employer : THERE MIGHT BE CHROMIUM OR LEAD OR WHATEVER IN THAT! USE YOUR HAZMAT SUIT!
We've become a nation of sissies, Bart. When I was a kid, we snorted asbestos, gargled mercury, and bathed in Dioxin......and look how we turned out.....hack!......cough! Be sure to subscribe so you will receive notification of newly-posted videos.
What a beautiful amp Uncle Doug and I cannot think of a more worthy person to work on this jewel
Thanks so much, Pedro :)
Same age as me - unfortunately I think it is in better shape.....🙁 although I haven't got a chewed-up knob 😁
DOH!
I’ve always been fascinated by electronics and more so by musical instrument electronics. However I never had the time to study and learn. My grasp of how an amp circuit works is now well on its way up the steep learning curve and with a big smile on my face as I do. Thank you Doug! Oh yeah, I wandered out to my little workshop room where I I keep my old Fender amp. I never paid much attention to it other than it’s served me well since I paid a cash short buddy a hundred bucks for it in 1973. Great garage band/club band amp for years. Decided to do a bit of research after one of your more recent videos... Sure as hell its an early 60s, white, Fender Bassman, with Oxblood grille cloth, and likely the production C version of the Bassman you recently worked on. It’s now coming out of the garage and I’m putting it by my bedside table where I can guard it day and night. Jack? Sniff on black kitten! George
Wow.....if you can only have one amp, that one will definitely do, Geo. Guard it with your life :)
Another amp porn with Uncle Doug! Nicely chased that noise down to that misbehavin' triode.
But wouldn't have been swapping tubes pretty much the very first thing to do, to see if the problem follows?
Like redplating powertubes and stuff
And you, Sir, have grown to a really propper guitarrist over all the years I watched your channel. Hats off to you!
Indeed, Oliver, but as I said in the video, it was an excellent teaching opportunity. Thanks....but Ollie & Jack deserve the credit :)
@@UncleDoug
These two buddies might sneak arround and watch your ass.
Yeah, you are right. This was pretty much perfect, to watch, what propper work looks like.
That was
Swapping tubes would be akin to checking the fuel gauge in a car that stops working. I can’t believe the other amp techs didn’t try to figure out why it chewed tubes
Swapping tubes would be akin to checking the fuel gauge in a car that stops working. I can’t believe the other amp techs didn’t try to figure out why it chewed tubes
@@mrbumcraic5046 The tube was probably OK when they had the amp, Stephen, and it didn't occur to them.
Its always a treat to get to follow along on the journey to bring these old beauties back into service. I'm glad to hear that Jack, Ollie and Uncle Doug are safe and sound and still scaring the neighbors with electric guitars and loud cars!!! Stay safe.
Thanks, SS. You too.
Uncle Doug, It's a odd thing, I was starting to wonder how you were doing, I was going to open your last video and ask, but you came out with this. It's always good to hear from you even if you just check in. I do think this virus is real, but over played and really meant to shut economies down more than anything, I also understand it affects the elderly and people with preexisting illnesses, but if you don't get checked or tested before you have symptoms, you're still infecting other people and it does scar your lungs young or old so if they caught it early and gave you a dose of Hydroxychloroquine, sold under the brand name Plaquenil among others, is a medication used for the prevention and treatment of the chloroquine-sensitive strains of malaria, as well as for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and porphyria cutanea tarda. It is taken by mouth, you probably wouldn't have to take the Z-Pack Antibiotic, I also hear zinc is good being Hydroxychloroquine pushes zinc into the cells which kills this bug, Tonic Water with Quinine and Vitamin C. I live in NY where it's supposed to be the worst, but I don't know a single person with any of the symptoms and these charts they put up are crazy. It seems like most celebrates are getting it and now Putin has it? Fear Porn, but during this lock down there's people working on poles installing 5G in heavy populated areas. I looked into it and it can cause flu like symptoms so they say. They also say you have the symptoms so you get tested and they give you a shot that contains the living virus, but these are conspiracy theories even though these people have been right a lot, the best bet is to disconnect all 5G devices and see if you feel any better and test it, if you do, plug it back in and see if the symptom return, then you know
Thanks for all your concern and good advice, Mr. B. Like you, we are somewhat skeptical about all the hysteria and hoarding, but are staying in and keeping away from sources of infection. Let's hope this nightmare blows over in a reasonable period of time and life can return to normal.
Hello Uncle Doug.... you da man ! I am restoring a 1965/66 Showman with your help. I meticulously watch what you do & even write down the tips along with print notes. Thanks for all you do. Stay healthy also.
From the bunker in Fort Worth.
😷
Best of luck with your project and your health, Mark :)
40:01 intro to Nirvana's Son of a Gun
By special permission from Kurt's ghost :)
Why is watching Uncle Doug fix amps so darn enjoyable?! I’ve been watching nothing but this channel after work the last 4 days, every single Fender amp video. This is the final one. I’ve learned so much, I feel the amp tech inside me coming to life!
That's great to hear, Ryan. Our videos must have the power to rejuvenate hidden talents.
The reverence mixed with sarcasm in the inspection is perfection!
Thanks, IB.
Great video as always, and a real pleasure with so many of us trapped at home. The sound of that amp, brings back so many memories. My first amps were a silverface '68 Bandmaster and a blackface '65 Bassman. Still have the Bassman, but somewhere around1 974, I traded the Bandmaster for a late-60's Pro Reverb which was just easier to transport and move around.The Bandmaster's speaker cab's were like moving a couch around from gig to gig.
You know, I've always suspected that the Pro Reverb's and the Bandmasters were very similar amp circuits with and without reverb.
Great video as always, my best to you and yours
Thanks so much for your nice comments and recollections, Reggie.
Thank you Uncle Doug I can not imagine the world with you. you have a wonderful heart and soul. Be Healthy and happy. To you and you whole family. God Bless!
Wow.....thanks so much, J. Likewise to you all. Please subscribe so you can receive notice each time a new video is posted.
Hi Uncle Doug, I rarely comment because I typically watch on my TV app. So just wanted to say "thank you" not only for the high quality of the videos but in having only the highest standards for your work. It's truly refreshing to see. As others have said, it brightens my day every time I see a new Uncle Doug video!
Thanks so much, PC. Nice comments like yours make it all worthwhile :)
Man those cats can play!
So good your in here UD.
What a gem. You took care of her. I think it is a universal alignment of the stars that Baseman ended up on your bench. A few did try but only UD gave that girl the fix she needed. 😋🎸
Thanks for the kind words, JJ :)
I was a bit shocked by the title, I thought an amp had (gulp) got the better of Uncle Doug 😱. But I was mistaken, thank goodness. In these turbulent times, there remains a point of reliable consistency. Good, educational work again. Thank you. I hope Fender are watching and making motes for improvement: captive nuts, and a cut out for speaker box handles.
Sorry for the concern, Cass, but I strive for suspense in my titles :) Be sure to subscribe so you will receive notification of newly-posted videos.
A lot of us, even with a sizable amount of knowledge of Fender amps, did not know the early 60s Bandmasters were Blond! I knew they did not have reverb until later, but I thought they went from white or brown to black. I did not know you could get a 4 tube output model! The things one can learn from the master...Uncle Doug!!! Thanxz
My wording was not the best with regard to the 4-output tube models, ATL. I don't believe that any Bandmaster model ever had 4 output tubes, but the same chassis was used in models like the Showman, Dual Showman, etc. that did.
Uncle Doug I was not challenging your knowledge in anyway. You have taught me, and others, so much we did not know. Leo was still very much in the experimental years of amps and this is a perfect example of it. It has been documented, by many, he listened to the musicians that used these amps for their input on how to improve/evolve his amps, what features were wanted at price point that people could afford. He tried to provide a model of amp to fill every need that a musician needed. I think the Bandmaster was a model to 2 guitarists could use at the same time, or, heaven forbid, a guitar and a bass. The point is we were not there at the time and did not witness what went through Leo's mind and how it played out in the factory. We are left with these wonderful amps to enjoy and thanks to guys like you, keep them working properly! Good to have this latest project to drool over! Thanxz
In this video you declare Mullards " As good as you can get" They are surely one of the best. I also think good old RCAs are better. I have 6 1958 RCA 12AX7's I got from a Lowery Organ I acquired and they are the best sounding 12AX7's I have ever heard. I suppose some of it is preference. You are the man Uncle Doug. Have you ever gone to sleep watching a movie and end up dreaming you are in the movie, or you talk to you friend before you go to bed and dream about them? I fell asleep last night watching an Uncle Doug video and I dreamed I had gone to El Paso and you gave me a tour of your workshop etc. I now feel in some way's you are an old friend LOL. Thanks for what you do.
Strange, but I had a very similar dream last night, and this morning the workshop door was open and the lights were on......?? You're always welcome, SHW ;)
Uncle Doug, you have some of the most loyal followers on TH-cam I've ever seen. Even the trolls who have been thumbing down your videos for years keep coming back. ;-)
Yes, we are blessed with a few thousand wonderful viewers, and several slobbering idiots. God bless them all :)
What a great sounding amp. I had a perfect and I mean perfect 1969 Bandmaster Reverb head. That amp had the best clean tone of any amp I've ever had, and I have had a ton. Got me thinking about spending some pandemic cash on a Bandmaster now.
It would be a good investment, TT.....both in tone and financially.
Doug! Thanks for taking the time to share. I need a diversion. Thanks.
The reason Fender never used captive nuts is because the amps aren't married. Just read that somewhere.
So that explains it !! Thanks, Joe.
Nice work and trouble shooting tips Uncle Doug. Having driven a 1965 Chevy P/U with a single pot MC and 4 wheel drums for years, I solute your decision. I now know coming down a mountain with drums heating up leads to ~ no brakes
Thanks, CA. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Sheesh, painting No 433 is proudly displayed~ am listed as "professonal artist, now" thanks for your patronage~
The honor is all mine. Thanks again :)
Awesome vid uncle Doug.
I’m not sure how many of the younger gen or those with sensitive hearing are into tube amp repair, but after the high pitch tone section I’m not sure how many are still with us..
I think you’re Plate voltage correction was the magic that it needed.
I won't be using 4KHz again in the future, Kolin. Thanks !!
Hi Doug, I used to hotrod and repair Fenders back in the 80's in Newark De and NJ. This sounds like a few Fenders I ran across that had a mysterious noise source that would crackle, hiss, and come and go in cycles over time. I finally traced it down to a partial dielectric breakdown of the waxed 'blackboard' pcb material under the capacitor bank 'can'.
Back then we cut a piece of plastic fretboard material to shape and placed it between the metal chassis and the waxed 'blackboard' pcb for better insulation. Blank FR4 or even Kapton sheet is easier to find nowadays and would be better.
I would also check under the HV point eyelets on the main board for this. Best Regards -Lee Studley
My thoughts at the time were that this might have been a salty air/humidity thing that caused this partial dielectric breakdown and weak path to the chassis.
Thanks so much for this suggestion, Lee. I would never have thought of that. I'll give it a try next time I encounter this problem.
@@UncleDoug: My pleasure to help you-the-guru! Love your channel! It was a head scratcher for sure and took time to find. I had given the amp back and forth with the owner and he was very
nice about the time it took. If it comes up again I'll bet good money that's it.
You sir are the Sherlock Holmes of vintage amp repair. Cheers
Thanks so much, AW :)
Stay safe Doug and Casey and family...... we need these videos....
Will do, Snork. You too :)
Always a pleasure to watch and learn about my favorite amp maker. Nothing less than priceless information and details.
Thanks so much, Larry. Glad you enjoyed it.
you are getting better at teaching us which makes us learn better. thank you!
God knows, we try, Michael. You're welcome. Be sure to subscribe so you will receive notification of newly-posted videos.
I have one of these....it's also an AA763. Thirty years ago I sold a 71' fender musicmaster to a friend for $200! He liked the guitar so much left the 'Blonde' that he used @ practice in my basement with a original 2x12 cabinet. Neither of us realized the true value/tone of these amps at the time. Buy I later found the head had been modified with two additonal 6L6 power tubes & HD transformer......it bench tested @ 74 watts ! Recently It has been retubed & recapped using some of the same components shown here in your video.Work was done by Jimmy Somma (Sommatone amps) before he moved to Austin Texas.
What an incredible windfall, ZZ. The two-to-four-tube modification was, unfortunately, rather common back in the day. I worked on a Concert amp that had suffered the same indignity. Boy was it powerful, though.
@@UncleDoug I actually prefer it over the anemic 35 watt bandmaster.the original transformers were known to fry when pushed to hard. But back in the 70's & 80's you either had 50 or100 watts or you were not heard. LOL
Oh, I love when you post new videos. Greetings from Bratislava, Slovakia. Cheers.
Good. Likewise from the (usually) Sunny Southwest, USA :)
My very first amp. Wow, great job Uncle Doug.
You started your amp career with a good one, Marcus. Thanks !!
From what I see on the Fender Amp Field Guide, that amp is a transitional 1964 model Bandmaster. While it is Blonde Tolex, it's really in the Blackface line-up. I owned a 1964 Blackface Tremolux back then. The Bandmaster was made from 63-67 and the Tremolux from 63-66. The Bandmaster, AB763, kicked out 40 watts and drove twin 12" speakers and the Tremolux, AA763, was about 35 watts with twin 10" speakers. They looked virtually identical and sounded great, lots of volume and punch. We ran two guitars and a mic off my Tremolux. Good times playing outside under the apple trees.
That makes sense, TM. Thanks !!
@R F Good tune! There were a couple apple trees at our house with a small patio underneath. The house was close to the railroad tracks (Johnnie B. Goode!) and a bridge crossed the tracks nearby. Just across the tracks were a few businesses. We'd sometimes set up in the shade of the trees and rehearse. A couple times, cars stopped on the road and people would get out and listen along with people across the tracks and neighbors. The mid-60s were good times. We'd being doing some Beatles, Stones, DC5, and assorted other early rock standards. There was also a swimming lake within walking distance and other bands would set up on the beach and power up from a generator or a single player would set up in the parking lot and just jam. Lots of garage bands back then and tons of venues. Not so much now.
good work Doug , I worked on a few amps over the years back last century , when these old fenders didn't need as much care as they do these days
Thanks, Bob :)
thanks from germany for another great and inspiring video. Also a huge thanks for motivating me for building my own guitar amplifier which was a great fun and is now in progress to the second version. No harm done due to the trusty current limiter;)
Stay healthy and always have a handful of catnip in reserve
You're quite welcome, Doc. We're glad the videos were helpful. Best of luck with your revised project.
Wintergatan and Uncle Doug videos on the same day? im starting to love the quarantine!!! thanks uncle!!!
Hi Doug. I had a relatively newer amp but seemed to be a similar story to this. New valves and problems go away but tend to reappear after a short time. Inspired by your video I checked my ECC83 /12AX7 plates and many were running at 365V. Did the same sort of tweek as you to get them down to just below 300V and what a difference. In general the sound is smoother and softer, less headroom (nice) and the sound of the tubes going into meltdown, fizzing and spluttering has gone. That must have been the voltage too high and I never considered it for whatever reason. Thanks again!
I'm glad the video inspired you to check your own plate voltages, KVN. It can really damage tone and tube life.....yet most folks don't check the PV on the pre-amp tubes, only the output tubes. Our pleasure :)
You have the best job in the world! Excellent as always Doug, thanks for the wonderful virus escape!
Wow, thanks, Pete. You're quite welcome.
Outstanding video. Yet again.
Glad you enjoyed it, Wiz.
I've learned so many things about amps from your videos, and I loved watching this. Thanks so much for keeping these up.
You're welcome, SPT.
Uncle Doug is a genius. When I make a million dollars, Uncle doug will be my amp tech on tour. A smart cookie!
Wow......thanks so much, Tom. We're hoping you win the lottery :)
THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!! Like all of us , we are sitting around watching almost anything! Looking foward to another video soon... I HOPE. Take care of you and your family.
It was our pleasure, Wayne. Likewise to you all.
Love your videos! The "strapping" or "equalizer" resistors across the series electrolytic caps are to equalise the load on each cap due to the fact that the series equivalent resistance of electrolytics varies. Normally this isn't a problem but when operating them in series under a high voltage load the difference is enough to cause problems. Matching the resistors like you did is a good idea.
Learned this stuff in college back in the early 70's when tube theory was still a thing to teach.
Thanks again for your excellent videos.
Thanks for your informative input, JP. Be sure to subscribe to receive new video alerts.
I held off the beer until half way through as your excursion into the hinterland of the amp's internals whetted my appetite for a cool Pilsner to hit the spot. There's nothing like a good detective story where none of the bad guys escape to cause grief another time.
Your self-control is better than mine, Nick, but "all's well that ends well" :)
Thank you, uncle Doug, you're a real class act. Another great video.
You're welcome, Stevo. Thanks !!! Be sure to subscribe to receive new video alerts.
Fantastic video! I love how you bring history back to the present! Great Work!
Glad you enjoyed it, Rob :)
Masterful troubleshooting Doug, a pleasure to watch.
Thanks, Kley. Be sure to subscribe to receive new video alerts.
Thank you Doug, for explaining why you need strapping resistors in parallel with the two filter caps.
Glad to help, Jim.
Hey Unki D! You got style, I must say. Another great video. If it's got motors or tubes, I'm all in! I had a 66 Plymouth former state patrol interceptor that could outrun the gingerbread man. It had the single cylinder master cylinder, and believe it or not, budd opposed discs on the front. It could lock both front wheels at 100 mph. (flat spots ensued). I always took great care of that single master cylinder. I always told people it was a suicide master cylinder. Thank for another amazing trip into the world of long ago!
You're welcome, WH. Thanks for sharing your auto tales :)
Nice one, Uncle Doug! Chuck Mead, guitarist and vocalist for the roots country band BR5-49 used a 1964 Fender blonde Bandmaster amp with his Gretsch guitars for years. Years ago I tried to interest him in my early 1963 6G7-A version of the blonde Bandmaster, but no bites.
Thanks, Patrick. Hopefully, he'll eventually come to his senses and accept your offer :)
Uncle Doug......I just love you!! Your videos are pure treasure. Thank you so very much for all your time and effort to make them, and wish you all the power and health to continue. I will view them to the very last one
You're quite welcome, Pan. Thanks for the kind words.
Hello Uncle Doug ,i just started to watch your videos a month a go ,i'm from Argentina and had found that here in my country we used to have a tube amp factory that offered in the 70's ,an amp based on the Bandmaster..i just bought 3 of them (very,very cheap) hahaha !! now i´m planning to modified their circuits to the Fender specs..thanx man !!
Wow......that's very interesting, G. Best of luck with your projects.
Stay Safe & Healthy Unc!! Thanks for the well wishes & right back at ya from Richard in LBC
Will do, Richard. You too :)
Love your whacked out sense of humor. You are gradually morphing into Burgess Meredith. I look forward to hearing you talk about taking the skin boat to tunatown.
That's good to hear, Bryant. Stay tuned for more in our next big video.....coming to a computer near you :)
Stay safe Uncle Doug. We need you to show us those gems :) thanks for making our day.
The pleasure was all ours, Daniel.
Hey!! Mr Doug ! And fellow amp fanatics! I'm getting old now so here comes one of my greatest amp mods of all time for you..... Notice how those bandmasters have room for two more power tubes? ( Use a silver face please) put two more sockets on there and run 4 6v6's . It's been a long time since I did the mod , can't remember the filament load question, sorry ... But believe me it works!!!!!! Killer amp! I put a Ken Fischer M.V. where the Ext. Jack is too. Badass.
I have worked on some early Fenders that had the modification you described. In most cases the power transformer had either failed.......or was a replacement. Ditto for the output transformer. You just can't add two current-demanding, impedance-altering output tubes to an existing circuit, Gary, without some consequences.
@@UncleDoug As I sort of recall I think I put an auxillary filament transformer on the cap pan, and .. ( it was about 15 years ago) I kinda remember changing out the O.T. to a 50 watt, maybe a Hammond ? Also got rid of the vibrato tube and circuit. It is still in use today and is very RocknRoll.
@@UncleDoug Hey! Sir Doug!! I don't mean to keep bugging you over the Damn Bandmaster project 😵💫, but I remembered also putting a tweed Princeton tone circuit( Vol./Tone in the normal channel also, you could bridge both channels also for extra Killerocity. I promise that is it on the Bandmaster! 😜👍👋
@@garynash7594Bandmasters have a rather sophisticated and effective tone circuit, Gary. I would think that replacing it with a very elementary tweed Princeton tone circuit would be a huge step in the wrong direction.