First big post in a long while, as I've been changing jobs, getting married and having offspring!
A while ago I was gushing about my incredible luck at being able to buy a salty 1962 Fender BandMaster for cheapz. Here's the threadsurrection :
http://www.shortscale.org/forum/viewtop ... highlight=
Here's a piccy to jog yer grey matter of how she looked when I bought her for £40 in December 2011....
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![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/bandsmall1.jpg)
I took the decision to return the amp back to standard by getting the amp tech I use (John@HarmonicElectronic Coventry) to remove the reverb tank & transformer, and return to standard.
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/Screenshot_20161014-135127_zpsw2o4xsua.png)
My brief was to replace any valves and capacitors, resistors etc where needed, and tweak bias, replace power cable and clean everything. In the meantime I would sort the cabinet by cleaning the black tolex back to blonde, replace the front panel grill cloth, and replace the hardware with original stuff where needed.
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/start2.jpg)
After tons of Nitromors stripper, elbow grease and light wire brushing, I was no further forward than backwards!
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161004_000409_zpsvuhvvayr.jpg)
Very soon it was becoming apparent I wasn't going to get the finish I was after, so I decided to cut my losses and purchase original blonde tolex from Solsound and recover using the original tolex pieces as templates.
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161004_000326_zpsnaciew5l.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20160926_181402_zpsypk1jsso.jpg)
Power jack hole filled, and whole head filled and sanded.
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161010_221027_zpsfow2idcb.jpg)
Made a new back panel out of spare ply, and routed inner holes with bevels like original ones.
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161001_214112_zpszcuxsbx2.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161011_194947_001_zpsk3wiy3q1.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20160926_160300_zpsibm81pzx.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161012_020521_zpsnifqxztv.jpg)
End Results!!!
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161012_234202_zpsr2bmvmsz.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/Mobile%20Uploads/20161012_234320_zpsribsaefw.jpg)
![Image](http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc402/jabemeister/20161012_233849_zpsdlwnpagb.jpg)
All in she owes me around £250, so cheap as chips and a sound investment. Oh yeh, it sounds SUPER AWESOME!!! especially the vibrato!!
Cheers
Johnny.