I got it used ( I'm only 17 ) and I didn't get the original owners manual with it. does anyone know what kinda tubes this thing takes?
1968 Fender bandmaster tubes
yea so, I have a vintage 1968 Fender Bandmaster head and one of the tubes went out on me yesterday, does anyone know what kind of tubes I can replace it with?
I got it used ( I'm only 17 ) and I didn't get the original owners manual with it. does anyone know what kinda tubes this thing takes?
I got it used ( I'm only 17 ) and I didn't get the original owners manual with it. does anyone know what kinda tubes this thing takes?
# 1
First: How do you know that one of the tubes "went out" ?
You can probably find a schematic for your amp >here<, but I doubt that you'll need it. All of the tubes are labeled, so you can probably just read it and get another one. If it was one of the power tubes that failed, you will need to order 2 of them, and get the bias set properly.
Which brings us back to my first question, because its unusual for a tube to just 'go out'. Some other component may have failed and taken the tube with it. In that case, just replacing the tube won't fix the problem, and you would just waste your coin on blowing up a new tube.
So, if you have a competent tech in your area, you should take your amp in for a check-up. A good vintage tube amp deserves as much.
You can probably find a schematic for your amp >here<, but I doubt that you'll need it. All of the tubes are labeled, so you can probably just read it and get another one. If it was one of the power tubes that failed, you will need to order 2 of them, and get the bias set properly.
Which brings us back to my first question, because its unusual for a tube to just 'go out'. Some other component may have failed and taken the tube with it. In that case, just replacing the tube won't fix the problem, and you would just waste your coin on blowing up a new tube.
So, if you have a competent tech in your area, you should take your amp in for a check-up. A good vintage tube amp deserves as much.
# 2
Slowhand, this is a simple fix...but get out your wallet, it'll cost some bucks. Tubes are way expensive these days.
First, you can really make your amp sound great with a whole set of new tubes. The Bandmaster is a great amp. You didn't mention if it has reverb...but no matter, except reverb requires an extra small(12at7 or 12ax7 or 12ay7). The large tubes in a Bandmaster are 6L6(GC). There is usually 2(you don't have a 90w or 100w version, do ya?). It's best to replace these large tubes as a set/pair. They really affect the volume. I personally prefer the tubes from Mesa Boogie. They're less expensive, and are well-matched. Or, as another choice, you can use Groove Tubes. The latter come in several 'flavors'. Pick the one that best fits your style of music(there should be a guide on the GrooveTubes website).
The small tubes are for the tone controls, and drivers for the power, and spring reverb, sections of the amp. These vary, according to the model amp. But usually, I've found that 12ax7's work well in all positions. You can fine tune your amp by using different tubes(the options are 12at7 and 12ay7), but this can be expensive. I haven't checked in recent years, but the last time I bought tubes for a guitar amp, the 12xx7's were at least 10 bucks EACH, and the power tubes(large ones) were about $70 for a matched pair.
There was a thread that suggested you could have a circuitry problem in you amp. I don't agree. I've had 6L6's go bad...they don't glow purple anymore, and get redhot. Usually the fuse blows. What happens is, the internal components warp, and touch each other, or the tube leaks air because the glass cracks. These are not big deals, usually, unless the fuse doesn't blow, and you leave the amp on for a long time, with a bad tube.
To replace your tubes, do it ONE AT A TIME!!! DON'T PULL THEM ALL AT ONCE, and don't pull them when they're hot....you'll get burned, and could ruin a good tube by jarring it when it's hot. Wait for the amp to be good and cool. First, wash your hands well, or use gloves....you don't want to get skin oils on the glass. Like a halogen headlamp, those oils shorten the life of the tube.
Carefull grasp the tube, and gently wiggle it, as you pull it up out of it's socket. Don't use too much force, ease it out. Once the tube is out in your hand, look at it, and the socket it came from. DON'T DROP IT!!! Look at the plastic(on 6L6's) socket, or the pins that exit from the glass 'envelope'(12xx7's). Note how they fit into the socket they came from. Now, look at the outside of the tube...see the little numbers and letters printed on the glass? That is what you use to get your new tubes. Write those numbers and letters down. Sometimes you'll find them on the plastic base of 6L6 tubes. Now, carefully, gently put the tube back into it's socket, wiggling it slightly as you gently push it in. Once you have repeated these steps for EVERY TUBE--should take you about 10 minutes--get your paper, with all the tube numbers, go online to Mesa Boogie, or GrooveTubes, and order yourself a new set(or what you can afford, most likely in your case, it'll be the 6L6's...remember, those big ones should be replaced as a pair!!!)
After you receive your tubes...by the way, you could get replacements at a good music store. Guitar Center also sells tubes. So do all the online music stores. Don't bother with Radio Shack, or an electronics supply house....they are just parts changers places, and don't have any knowledge in musical instrument amps....repeat the first process. Gently remove each tube, one at a time, and replace it with the new one you got. Should take you about 15 minutes. Connect your speaker, plug the amp in, and turn on ONLY the switch that makes the tubes start to immediately glow orange. DON"T TURN BOTH ON AT ONCE. The second switch(the righthand one, as you look at the back of the amp) is the standby switch. Turning both power and standby on at the same time is hard on your tubes. Part of the reason why you had one go bad!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT--make sure you know which switch is the power, and which is standby. They are marked, (as are the tube sockets, if you look carefully at the steel chassis, next to the tube sockets), but you can't see those markings from the controls side of the amp. Learn the switches by feel, where they are and which is which. I takes the amp about 2 minutes to warm up enough to begin playing....DON'T!!! Avoid the urge to immediately plug in and wail away. Again, hard on the tubes. Leave the amp on standby for at least a half hour. This allows your new(and very expensive!!) tubes to warm up fully, letting the internal components to take a 'set'...call this the break-in period. After a half hour on standby, throw the standby switch up....NOW you can play!!! You'll immediately notice better tone and volume. Probably want to readjust your bass, treble, reverb, and volume controls.
A few tips, now.
1. Never, ever, throw both the power and standby switches at the same time. Not on OR OFF!!!. A tube amp must be turned on gradually, and off gradually. That is what the standby switch does. Fender amps are really rugged, if you just take a few thoughtful precautions.
2. Never, ever, turn your amp on without connecting the speakers. Avoid power soaks, if possible. "No Speakers" and power soaks are hard on your output transformer, and also on your power tubes...the large, really expensive matched ones!!!
3. Don't jar your amp when it's all the way on. This is hard on the internal elements(electrodes and plates) of the tubes.
4. Be careful about your speaker impedance. I refer to how many speakers you connect. Do not wildly start hooking speaker boxes to your amp. A Bandmaster is built to drive one 8ohm, or 2-8ohm parallel wired(for a total 4ohm), impedance speakers. Don't connect speaker boxes by using the second, parallel jack. Use the original cabinet, wired in parallel, or just one 12" speaker. If you mess this up, you could be connecting your amp to 2 ohms(or less) impedance. And that will fry your output transformer, and tubes. An expensive repair bill will follow. DON'T FORGET!!!
5. When you start a playing session, and turn your amp on(standby switch up), leave it on until you take a break. Note...the pilot light on the control panel is also an indicator of which switch you just threw. Standby alone won't light the pilot light...and it won't turn it off, either! Learn the difference, by feel. Now, when you take a break....USE THE STANDBY SWITCH!!! Turn it off, but LEAVE THE POWER SWITCH ON!!! Even if you're done for the day. Remember, you have to let your amp cool gradually, too. After 5 minutes, you can shut the amp totally off, if you choose. To play some more, simply throw standby 'up'.
6. You can try a few things to see if they improve your amp's performance. First, after you've played with your new tubes in...before you start your next playing session, and with the amp COLD...swap the 6L6 tubes, left for right, right for left. Carefully, don't break anything, never force the tubes into their sockets, and don't drop the tubes, they're glass. Now, power up, standby down, let the amp warm for 5 minutes. Standby up, play and listen for an increase in volume and/or a change in tone. If you notice improvement, leave the tubes as they are. If not, standby down, and wait 5 minutes. Then, power down, swap the 6L6's back the way they were. Power back up, wait 5, then standby up. All done. You can also move/swap the small tubes(12xx7's) around, to see if that makes any differences, in either tone, volume, reverb sound, or all three. Use the same precautions as before...gradual warm-up and cool-down.
I know this seems complicated. It really isn't. Harder to type and read than it is to do. But all of this is important. These precautions must be taken for ANY TUBE amp. Marshalls are particularly sensitive to all this!!! If you have any problems, email me at 'mekmoose@yahoo.com'. I'll be happy to help you any way I can
First, you can really make your amp sound great with a whole set of new tubes. The Bandmaster is a great amp. You didn't mention if it has reverb...but no matter, except reverb requires an extra small(12at7 or 12ax7 or 12ay7). The large tubes in a Bandmaster are 6L6(GC). There is usually 2(you don't have a 90w or 100w version, do ya?). It's best to replace these large tubes as a set/pair. They really affect the volume. I personally prefer the tubes from Mesa Boogie. They're less expensive, and are well-matched. Or, as another choice, you can use Groove Tubes. The latter come in several 'flavors'. Pick the one that best fits your style of music(there should be a guide on the GrooveTubes website).
The small tubes are for the tone controls, and drivers for the power, and spring reverb, sections of the amp. These vary, according to the model amp. But usually, I've found that 12ax7's work well in all positions. You can fine tune your amp by using different tubes(the options are 12at7 and 12ay7), but this can be expensive. I haven't checked in recent years, but the last time I bought tubes for a guitar amp, the 12xx7's were at least 10 bucks EACH, and the power tubes(large ones) were about $70 for a matched pair.
There was a thread that suggested you could have a circuitry problem in you amp. I don't agree. I've had 6L6's go bad...they don't glow purple anymore, and get redhot. Usually the fuse blows. What happens is, the internal components warp, and touch each other, or the tube leaks air because the glass cracks. These are not big deals, usually, unless the fuse doesn't blow, and you leave the amp on for a long time, with a bad tube.
To replace your tubes, do it ONE AT A TIME!!! DON'T PULL THEM ALL AT ONCE, and don't pull them when they're hot....you'll get burned, and could ruin a good tube by jarring it when it's hot. Wait for the amp to be good and cool. First, wash your hands well, or use gloves....you don't want to get skin oils on the glass. Like a halogen headlamp, those oils shorten the life of the tube.
Carefull grasp the tube, and gently wiggle it, as you pull it up out of it's socket. Don't use too much force, ease it out. Once the tube is out in your hand, look at it, and the socket it came from. DON'T DROP IT!!! Look at the plastic(on 6L6's) socket, or the pins that exit from the glass 'envelope'(12xx7's). Note how they fit into the socket they came from. Now, look at the outside of the tube...see the little numbers and letters printed on the glass? That is what you use to get your new tubes. Write those numbers and letters down. Sometimes you'll find them on the plastic base of 6L6 tubes. Now, carefully, gently put the tube back into it's socket, wiggling it slightly as you gently push it in. Once you have repeated these steps for EVERY TUBE--should take you about 10 minutes--get your paper, with all the tube numbers, go online to Mesa Boogie, or GrooveTubes, and order yourself a new set(or what you can afford, most likely in your case, it'll be the 6L6's...remember, those big ones should be replaced as a pair!!!)
After you receive your tubes...by the way, you could get replacements at a good music store. Guitar Center also sells tubes. So do all the online music stores. Don't bother with Radio Shack, or an electronics supply house....they are just parts changers places, and don't have any knowledge in musical instrument amps....repeat the first process. Gently remove each tube, one at a time, and replace it with the new one you got. Should take you about 15 minutes. Connect your speaker, plug the amp in, and turn on ONLY the switch that makes the tubes start to immediately glow orange. DON"T TURN BOTH ON AT ONCE. The second switch(the righthand one, as you look at the back of the amp) is the standby switch. Turning both power and standby on at the same time is hard on your tubes. Part of the reason why you had one go bad!!! THIS IS IMPORTANT--make sure you know which switch is the power, and which is standby. They are marked, (as are the tube sockets, if you look carefully at the steel chassis, next to the tube sockets), but you can't see those markings from the controls side of the amp. Learn the switches by feel, where they are and which is which. I takes the amp about 2 minutes to warm up enough to begin playing....DON'T!!! Avoid the urge to immediately plug in and wail away. Again, hard on the tubes. Leave the amp on standby for at least a half hour. This allows your new(and very expensive!!) tubes to warm up fully, letting the internal components to take a 'set'...call this the break-in period. After a half hour on standby, throw the standby switch up....NOW you can play!!! You'll immediately notice better tone and volume. Probably want to readjust your bass, treble, reverb, and volume controls.
A few tips, now.
1. Never, ever, throw both the power and standby switches at the same time. Not on OR OFF!!!. A tube amp must be turned on gradually, and off gradually. That is what the standby switch does. Fender amps are really rugged, if you just take a few thoughtful precautions.
2. Never, ever, turn your amp on without connecting the speakers. Avoid power soaks, if possible. "No Speakers" and power soaks are hard on your output transformer, and also on your power tubes...the large, really expensive matched ones!!!
3. Don't jar your amp when it's all the way on. This is hard on the internal elements(electrodes and plates) of the tubes.
4. Be careful about your speaker impedance. I refer to how many speakers you connect. Do not wildly start hooking speaker boxes to your amp. A Bandmaster is built to drive one 8ohm, or 2-8ohm parallel wired(for a total 4ohm), impedance speakers. Don't connect speaker boxes by using the second, parallel jack. Use the original cabinet, wired in parallel, or just one 12" speaker. If you mess this up, you could be connecting your amp to 2 ohms(or less) impedance. And that will fry your output transformer, and tubes. An expensive repair bill will follow. DON'T FORGET!!!
5. When you start a playing session, and turn your amp on(standby switch up), leave it on until you take a break. Note...the pilot light on the control panel is also an indicator of which switch you just threw. Standby alone won't light the pilot light...and it won't turn it off, either! Learn the difference, by feel. Now, when you take a break....USE THE STANDBY SWITCH!!! Turn it off, but LEAVE THE POWER SWITCH ON!!! Even if you're done for the day. Remember, you have to let your amp cool gradually, too. After 5 minutes, you can shut the amp totally off, if you choose. To play some more, simply throw standby 'up'.
6. You can try a few things to see if they improve your amp's performance. First, after you've played with your new tubes in...before you start your next playing session, and with the amp COLD...swap the 6L6 tubes, left for right, right for left. Carefully, don't break anything, never force the tubes into their sockets, and don't drop the tubes, they're glass. Now, power up, standby down, let the amp warm for 5 minutes. Standby up, play and listen for an increase in volume and/or a change in tone. If you notice improvement, leave the tubes as they are. If not, standby down, and wait 5 minutes. Then, power down, swap the 6L6's back the way they were. Power back up, wait 5, then standby up. All done. You can also move/swap the small tubes(12xx7's) around, to see if that makes any differences, in either tone, volume, reverb sound, or all three. Use the same precautions as before...gradual warm-up and cool-down.
I know this seems complicated. It really isn't. Harder to type and read than it is to do. But all of this is important. These precautions must be taken for ANY TUBE amp. Marshalls are particularly sensitive to all this!!! If you have any problems, email me at 'mekmoose@yahoo.com'. I'll be happy to help you any way I can
# 3