MusicRadar

• Review

The Bandmaster VM head and its accompanying 2 x 12 cabinet are the latest additions to Fender's Vintage Modified range of amplifiers, which aims to blend elements of vintage and modern amps together.

The head is named after on of Fender's most revered classic models, but when you get beyond the blackface styling, you'll find modern two-channel flexibility and bang-up-to-date digital effects.

Hands on

The big selling point about the VM is that it's a hybrid design, but not the usual 'solid-state with a token preamp valve' type of hybrid.

Rather the amp combines a dual 6L6 valve power stage with a valve and solid-state preamplifier.

This isn't a new idea – Music Man was doing a similar thing way back in the early 80s with the RD series and so was Roland with its excellent Bolt combos.

But it's unusual, as it costs more to build than the reverse concept, and the valves actually have to do something more than just glow red.

As mentioned, the styling is closely based on Fender's classic 60s blackface amplifiers.

But Fender has added a small 'VM' badge to the front grille and done away with the metal corner protectors you'd find on a 60s blackface, although they're present on the 2 x 12 cabinet.

This cabinet has just one strap handle – it isn't particularly heavy but it is unwieldy and being a closed back design there's no other way to carry it.

Fender should really consider adding a pair of grab handles to this box, after all it isn't supposed to be a re-issue.

While we're on the subject, a pair of the large knurled bolts that traditionally fixed Fender heads to their cabinets would also be useful.

The Bandmaster VM head has a simple cut-out underneath which slots over the loudspeaker cabinet's handle, but it doesn't do a very good job of keeping it in place.

The tough screw-in three-piece glides that used to be found on the bottom of a Fender amp have also been reduced to steel studs, which are simply hammered into place.

They'll work fine as long as they stay there, however, if one should fall out this mundane part could become a major annoyance.

One thing that's sadly become a tradition on modern Fender amps, is the flimsy cereal box rear panel material – how much does two square feet of quarter inch plywood cost?

The Bandmaster VM electronics are contained within a sturdy wedge-shaped open-ended tray chassis, with folded returns on each side to improve rigidity.

At the thin end, all the front panel components apart from the pilot light are fitted onto a single through-plated and double-sided PCB, with the DSP (Digital Signal Processor) on a smaller daughter board.

The thick end is home to the rear panel stuff, valves and power supply, housed on two non-through-plated boards.