NAD - Fender 57 Bandmaster

[CV Jee Beez]

I saw this for sale online in Tucson. My buddy was headed there right around the time I would get funds from the sale of another amp. I asked him to get it for me and he did.

Just picked it up from my buddy last night.

It's 22 lbs. Lighter than the amp I sold and it sounds like the amp I sold (but not as loud).

Mostly what I can say is that there are no ugly sound, frequencies and I have no complaints. More exploring to be done at higher volume(s).

 

[NTC]

For better results -replace the first preamp tube with a 12AY7. For best results, get some 6L6WGB's or 5881's. The originals used 6L6G's according to the schematic.

Edited spelling....

 

[trandy9850]

Are you sure about that weight?

It’s listed as weighing 45 lbs.

EDIT: My bad….I read incorrectly….you didn’t mean that it weighs 22 lbs…although I mis-read it that way…..apologies.

 

[zook]

Where in Tucson did you get it?

 

[CV Jee Beez]

Where in Tucson did you get it?

Rainbow Guitars. My friend that lives in LA was there visiting over the holidays.

 

[zook]

Rainbow Guitars. My friend that lives in LA was there visiting over the holidays.

That's what I thought. They sold my amps for a long time.

 

[noname_dragon]

Kewl amp! Are those speakers the Jensen P10R F 's? I agree w NTC to swap in 5881's and 12AY7 for vintage tone.

 

[Piggy Stu]

As per usual I am green with envy over USA availability of great gear

 

[Axean naexA]

Rainbow Guitars. My friend that lives in LA was there visiting over the holidays.

Rainbow guitars was always my favorite when I lived there between 1987 and 2003.

The only problem? The last couple of times I tried to go there in the last two years (my parents still live in Tucson) they were “appointments only” due to Covid…

 

[CV Jee Beez]

That's what I thought. They sold my amps for a long time.

Cheers. Was this yours?

 

[CV Jee Beez]

Kewl amp! Are those speakers the Jensen P10R F 's? I agree w NTC to swap in 5881's and 12AY7 for vintage tone.

Thanks. BTW, they are the P10R-F.

 

[Antoon]

Thanks. BTW, they are the P10R-F.

These speakers make this amp special IMO. The amp is not particularly loud with these speakers and therefore very gig-able. The speakers also handle distortion very well.

 

[CV Jee Beez]

Since my post, I've played loud in the house with a buddy and taken the amp to band practice.

In comparison with my buddy's Divided by 13 AMW39 (EL34 39 was amp), I preferred the Bandmaster's tone. It had more low mids and sounded fuller. Both were loud.

We put a CS Tele, R9 Les Paul, Reverend PA-1RT (semi hollow), Knaggs, and a Teye through the Bandmaster. Almost all sounded great with no change in settings. The single humbucker Teye (Zemaitis type) was overly bassy/wooly sounding.

I played the Bandmaster at practice last night with my LP and a Browne Protein Drive. It sounded good in the mix (there is another guitarist).

Last time, I used my high power twin and was at about 10 o'clock on the volume. This time, I was at midnight.

I can say that if you like a high powered twin but want something that sounds mostly the same without the massive power, The 5E7 Bandmaster is for you (and me).

 

[brookdalebill]

Cool amp, great year!

 

[zook]

Cheers. Was this yours?

No, they sold the amps I build, mostly Winfield Cyclones. The market eventually got saturated.

 

[SoK66]

Good advice on the tube swaps but put a GZ34 in for the rectifier. Somone has put a 5U4 in it, which makes them really mushy. Vintage Tungsol 5881s or 80s era JAN Philips 6L6WGBs are great power tubes for that circuit. The reissue Tungsol 5881s would work best in a new production tube if you can find any. You'll have to re-bias. On my 5F4 Super clone (same circuit as that Bandmaster) I like a 5751 in V1 instead of the vintage spec 12AY7. A 12 AX7 is just way too much gain, you'll never find a clean tone with one.

Great find. Clapton uses two of those now instead of his former low power tweed Twins.

 

[CV Jee Beez]

I went to a jam with my buddy and his boss.

What was really interesting was that his boss showed up with his new Dr. Z Z-Master 3x10 amp.

It was similar to my 57 Bandmaster reissue but here are some differences I perceived:

The Z had a more Marshally type of overdrive when pushed

The Z had less mids, low mids, and bottom

I thought the Z-master sounded good. It's just a matter of taste.

 

[adjason]

that is one nice looking amp!

 

[thunderbyrd]

I wonder how much this amp is like a bassman.

 

[NTC]

The overdrive profile is quite different probably due to the PI. Tone control operation is also very different. That is, compared to a 5F6A. A 5E7 and a 5E6 are similar, but the 5E6 Bassman should have more headroom.