1956 Fender Bandmaster 5E7 3x10 Combo Amp

This 1956 Fender Bandmaster is in good vintage condition and shows signs of use, age and play wear throughout. This amp has been recovered in a black leatherette ages ago. There are traces of the original tweed covering underneath on the back panel, but we haven’t attempted to look underneath the current black covering. The handle has been replaced and there are four small holes drilled into the inside bottom of the cabinet (see photos) where a replacement transformer was once located. This amp retains two original transformers and one replacement - the original output transformers in theses Bandmasters were not suited to handle the speaker load and the majority of these that I’ve ever ran across have a replaced output transformer. The replacement in this example is sitting a little cockeyed and a metal strap was fashioned to the foot of the transformer to keep it secure. The customer that we bought this amplifier from told us that he had a buddy mount the transformer in the chassis for him a very long time ago and that it hasn’t given him any problems in all the years that he has owned it (which has been more years than a lot of us have been alive - haha). This Bandmaster retains all of its original potentiometers that date to the 45th and 47th week of 1955 and a couple that date to the 5th week of 1956. All three original Jensen P-10R speakers are also present and date to 41st week of 1955. The original Fender tube chart is intact and bears the serial number S00605 - it matches the number stamped into the chassis and denotes the year 1956. The tube chart is also stamped with the letters “FD” which dates to April of 1956. This amp has been serviced recently and is in excellent working order. A three prong power cable has been installed for safe operation.

This 3x10 Bandmaster sounds exceptional and nails the famous Fender Tweed tone that these 1950s amplifiers are famous for. I happen to own a 1959 Gretsch 6120 and I just had to plug it into this 3x10 Bandmaster because... well, you know the story, right? I know that Pete’s was a 1959 Fender Bandmaster but... when in Rome!

This amp delivered the GOODS and all 26 watts of power came to life! This 3x10 Bandmaster has a righteous, woody, loose, saturated break up that is very distinctive, raw and inspiring. This would be a dynamite amp for studio use and since it’s already been recovered and has a changed output transformer. Take the damned thing out and play some gigs with it - that’s what it was built to do! This is a killer sounding 68 year old 3x10 Bandmaster and we hope it finds a great new home! This amp will ship out promptly and securely from our little shop here in Tennessee to your front door!