When Fender started making guitar amps in the mid-’40s, Leo’s name has gone on to adorn some of the most widely and greatest used amps ever built. Many vintage Fender amps that have been made at various points from 1945 onwards are often lumped together in different eras, usually based on their appearance.
Many amps from these eras all have particular characteristics that are loved by so many players around the world, but what about Fender’s 57 Bandmaster and 59 Bassman? Let’s take a quick look to see how both amps compare.
| Features: | Fender 57 Bandmaster | Fender 59 Bassman |
|---|---|---|
| Max Wattage: | 26W | 50W |
| Control Panel: | Presence, Bass, Treble, Volume (Instument Channel), Volume (Mic Channel) | Presence, Middle, Bass, Treble, Volume (Bright Channel), Volume (Normal Channel) |
| Weight: | 45 lbs. (20.41 kg) | 53 lbs. (24 kg) |
Fender 57 Bandmaster
Fender’s Twin, Deluxe, Bassman has been a game-changer tweed combo that remains at the heart of modern guitar amp DNA.
The 57 Bandmaster’s biggest claim to fame is that – coupled with Pete Townshend and a Gretsch 6120 – it made a glorious noise on Who’s Next in 1971.
Design
Fender has been keen to point out that this new amp is not a slavish reissue, not least as there’s no definitive original. Rather, the design team assembled a handful of genuine vintage Bandmasters, leading them to incline towards the ones with higher headroom characteristics and slightly less compression.
There have also been some component value changes to give the new amp a slightly stronger bass response. Fender believes that these changes make the new amp more relevant to today’s players and styles.
Its cabinet is vintage-correct, finger-jointed pine (pine sounds quite different from ply and is lighter too) and the circuit is hand wired on a vintage-style tag board, similar to its Custom Series status. As a result, it sits above the original Reissue line in terms of price and spec: it’s a boutique amp for all intents and purposes.
But why ‘only’ 26 watts from a pair of 6L6 output valves? Well, the Fender Bandmaster’s relatively low-power output transformer keeps things in check to better protect the low-power speakers. When you add in the valve rectifier and turn it up, those 26 watts really convert into something the amp wasn’t designed for, yet is the reason people love them today. The result is a gloriously rich, sizzling, vintage overdrive with ladlesful of dynamic sag and natural compression, all at volumes you can use.
Sound Quality
Fender 59 Bassman
Fender’s Bassman evolved as an amp designed to initially go along with the Fender Precision Bass. It’s perhaps a bit of an irony that this amp design is among the most revered from guitarists, rather than bass players. Add to this the fact that the first Marshall amp was largely leveraged from the Bassman’s circuit design (which in turn spawned a countless array of further clones as time passed), and it’s easy to understand why the Fender Bassman was the first amp chosen as a tweed reissue in the early ‘90s.
Design
Fender’s new ’59 Bassman reissue takes the amp even closer to the original. Updates for Fender’s ’59 Bassman includes a tube rectifier (original spec 5AR4), an internal bias pot, a pair of US-made Groove Tubes 6L6-GE output tubes, as well as a quad of Jensen P10R reissue 10-inch Alnico speakers.
To finish up the revised Bassman, the ’59 is housed in a cabinet constructed from solid finger-jointed yellow pine and covered in lacquered Tweed, just as the originals were. The front covering is an attractive dark oxblood type cloth, which again is like the originals.
Beyond the updated improvements, the 59 Bassman shares the same four-input, two-channel design with independent controls for volume on each channel in addition to Presence, Bass, Middle, and Treble controls that go to 12. The two channels (normal and bright emphasized) can be patched together with a short cord that combines the voices. Although it’s important to know that the two channels doesn’t mean that it’s a “channel-switching” amp. The amp is rated at 50 watts and certainly puts out the power. This amp is certainly capable of being VERY loud, especially if you have more of an interest in clear clean tones.
Fender’s Bassman design is straight up and simple with no preamp gain controls for low-level distortion creation. Although the amp doesn’t have effects loops, reverbs, or extra buttons or lights. With being said, blues and classic rock players tend to appreciate the non-master volume style of amps as the volume can be set to a breakup point of natural distortion while the dynamics can then be controlled by the player’s technique. This touch sensitivity can really enhance the mood and feel of the music being played. If you want an amp like the ’59 Bassman to distort, then you’ve simply got to turn it up.
Sound Quality
Conclusion
So which amp is best for you? Well, the Bandmaster has a sweeter, more midrange tone, whereas the Bassman is heavier and punchier. Fender’s Bassman has a lot more low-end and more power. Both amps are good in their own right!