If you’re enjoying this podcast, please leave us a brief review on iTunes and don’t forget to share it with friends. This episode is sponsored by Grez Guitars and Mono Cases. Some of the many topics discussed on this episode:Ģ:05 Skip works on a barn-find 1960 Fender Tweed Bassmanħ:50 Jason confesses to Skip that he got a Stew-Mac Champ kit DIY amp tipsġ6:05 Building a tube stereo amp (Dynaco Stereo 70, for music playback) versus a guitar ampġ9:39 A synth repairman gets a contact high thanks to LSD residueĢ0:33 Disgusting things found in old amplifiersĢ1:16 Last week’s Baffler (a noisy Princeton Reverb, listen to episode 11) responses and answerĢ7:37 This week’s Baffler is the image above (and on our new Instagram page): What is the thing used for?Ģ8:45 A listener in a hurry fixes his Les Paul thanks to Skip’s tube amp adviceģ0:34 Preserving (sloppy) originality on a CBS-era Fender or making it better than originalģ5:13 A non-reverb Silverface Fender Princeton with a weak vibratoĤ0:48 A reissue ‘63 Fender Vibroverb that needs more clean headroomĥ1:06 What to do with a ‘70s Silverface Champ with no maintenance historyĥ4:14 A ‘66 Ampeg Reverberocket with an unusual distortion soundġ:01:18 A ’69 Fender Bassman with both fixed and cathode biasġ:05:20 Rebuilding an amp found in a Hammond M-3 organ and melted wax on power transformersġ:07:52 A glimpse at the Fender Musicmaster Bass ampsġ:11:40 Differences between an amp schematic and layoutġ:13:24 A bargain Ampeg cabinet with four Altec 417 speakersġ:15:28 Sleeper pedal steel amp recommendationsġ:17:00 An ‘80s Mesa Boogie SOB amp with a red-plating 6L6BC tubeġ:20:01 Alternatives to the 6C10 tube on a ’82 Fender Super Champġ:22:40 Negative feedback: What is it? Adjusting it.ġ:29:21 A 1963 Gibson Discoverer Tremolo (GA-8T) amp with too much trebleġ:32:01 Skip’s brief tutorial on speaker efficiency Submit your guitar amp questions to Skip here: or by leaving us a voicemail or text at 50. Builders like Ken Fisher of Trainwreck amplifiers and countless others have entrusted Pacific Transformer to design and build the iron of their legendary amplifiers. Co-hosted by the Fretboard Journal’s Jason Verlinde.
I reckon that the often unfairly derided ‘silverface’ amps will soon gain the respect they deserve.Twice a month, guitar amp guru Skip Simmons fields your questions on tube amp buying, restoration and repair. How long they will stay that way is unknown. Sound-wise, it exudes pure vintage Fender DNA – what more could you ask for? Compared to ‘tweed’ or ‘blackface’ Fenders, relatively overlooked hidden treasures like this sweet Fender Musicmaster Bass ‘silverface’ amp are currently both plentiful and good value… at the moment. This is a later model with the more commonly available 6V6 power tubes and its original Fender-branded CTS 12 speaker. Many MMBs have been modified due to the early ones using unusual 6AQ5 power valves.
#FENDER MUSICMASTER AMP TRANSFORMER SERIAL NUMBER#
Although often difficult to date vintage amps, this particular one was made in 1979 or possibly 1980, given the features, serial number and the available codes.
Finding good quality all-original ones is not impossible but requires patience and it is worth the wait. Like single pickup guitars (including the Fender Musicmaster), there is a certain purity to keeping things simple.
For those familiar with CRAVE Guitars’ philosophy, it will be no surprise that the ‘less is more’ principle applies to amps like this. The classic behemoths are great too but there is something really cool about the runts of the family, especially for home use. Right up front, I am a champion (sic!) for the ‘baby’ Fender amps and, unlike many traditionalists, I have a soft spot for the post-Leo ‘silverface’ models. Other benefits include not taking up huge amounts of real estate and being easy on your spinal column, as well as being useful to have for occasional bass guitar use! 290AAX -If clicking on the part doesn’t bring you to the product page, it may be a special order item. While diminutive Fender amps are often sneered at by amp snobs, this type of tube combo is now seeing a resurgence of popularity by boutique amp builders, seeking the elusive essence of simple but toneful vintage amps, especially for recording and other low volume uses. Just the basics. The MMB was sold by Fender as a beginner’s bass amp but, like many other Fender bass amps (including the legendary Bassman), has been appropriated for use by (blues) guitarists for their great tone.
Controls could hardly be simpler, just volume, tone and of/off switch. These fantastic little 12 watt, 1×12” valve combo amps adhere to the familiar Fender aesthetic with an open back cabinet, covered in black tolex, silver grill cloth, ‘Made in USA’ raised chrome logo, the silver control panel with blue lettering and the iconic red jewel light. Original CBS-era Fender ‘silverface’ Musicmaster Bass amps (often shortened to MMB) were manufactured only between 19.
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