Vintage 1965 Fender Bandmaster Guitar Amp Head
All Guns, All Glory! When Truetone Music’s favorite son, Tracii Guns (LA Guns, Tracii Guns Band, Brides of Destruction w/ Nikki Sixx) rolls in, we are always happy to see the musically versatile, blues rock & roll guitarslinger. He’s always on tour, in the studio, or on Instagram putting out cool videos. But, sometimes we get lucky and he brings in some pieces of his private stock with a focus on buying more stuff from us. Why?
Well, have you seen his gear collection? Dude has THREE of everything! And he plays every last one of them. It's truly Never Enough. Some might say it's Over the Edge. But, Tracii - like most of us , is always chasing the never ending search for that “tone.” I mean, Tracii’s already got it! But you can’t tell him that. And as much as he loves his gear, sometimes it's time for some Letting Go. We all know what it's like - gotta Kiss My Love Goodbye. So occasionally we end up with special pieces from his collection, and now you can too! Step right up, plug in, and get Cocked and Loaded!
One of the most legendary amps of its time, Fender made the Bandmaster from 1953 to 1974. Beginning in 1960, the amps were equipped with a vibrato effect. Like other Fender amps, the Bandmaster evolved over the years, and remained a model that was put to go use by a variety of players. This is from Eddie Van Halen (he used to run his blonde, early 60’s Bandmaster head into Marshall cabinets back when the band was playing the Sunset Strip) to Pete Townshend (his Gretsch 6120 into a ‘59 Bandmaster is all over the 1971 “Who’s Next” album). The "Blackface" era of the piggyback head & cab ran from 1963 - 1967, and these are highly coveted.
This particular Bandmaster head was built in 1965 and has stood the test of time. Previously owned by Tracii Guns, he used it onstage and in the studio. So it's not just a piece of Fender history, it's a piece of rock n roll history! It's in great shape considering its age, and has been vetted by an local amp guru Greg Leon, himself a venteran of the L.A. hard rock scene, and a true vintage amp expert. Here's what was replaced:
- Replaced preamp tube w/ 12AT7 NOS American tube
- Grill cloth replaced long ago w/ connect grill cloth
- 3-prong added
Everything else is original. The tone from this amp is absolutely amazing. It has a great clean sound, with crystal clear highs and a tight low end, and works very well with overdrive as well. It's a great amp for cutting through dense mixes, with a big harmonically rich tone that retains its clarity at any level.
40 watts of power, an ubelievable clean tone, and collectility - this amp is a pure winner for anyone that appreciates vintage amps. The last one we had sold quickly, and we expect this one to as well.
Serial # A12326