Advice needed on '66 Bandmaster - modify or not

[bluesbear]

I have a BF Bandmaster, chassis only. The amp needs electrolytics and general cleaning up but overall, it's basically stock and nearly new condition. Except I don't have the head cabinet. I do have a combo cab for that looks like it was made by Fender for this chassis (it wasn't). I want to sell this amp for as much as I can get out of it... to buy more transformers, of course. I could stick in a relay and make the normal channel overdrive, really make it a sweet amp with new faceplate graphics. Or, I could leave it bone stock, replace the caps and cord, stick it in the combo cab with a nice 12" or a couple 10" speakers. I believe the stock answer is the best for $$ but if any of you have any experience with this scenerio, I'd love to hear opinions.
Thanks,
Dave

[DummyLoad]

66 BF i would think would be worth more stock and left as unmolested as possible. does the chassis have a date stamp inside? maybe buy a MOJO cabinet for it. i'm no expert on amp value, so please take as an opinion and not based on any facts.

--DL

[bluesbear]

Well, a good repro cabinet is $205. I've been checking and it seems a really nice head should sell for $600 to $700. That's a couple hundred more than I was hoping for the amp in a combo. It might seem like a wash... except I wouldn't have to buy a speaker and I can probably get at least $100 for the combo cabinet. Also, I'm only guessing what I can get for the combo setup. Another plus is I wouldn't feel guilty for desecrating a BF Fender. I didn't think Bandmasters were going for so much. BTW, it does have a date stamp.
Thanks,
Dave

[LooseChange]

The average price is $550.00... With the speaker cabinet.
http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=17

[stingray_65]

Dave,

there may be a point of diminishing returns.

the chassis you have as is may just give you your highest return rate.

After you stick money ( and time too) into the project, how much more will you get?

not to mention that money is tied up until the amp sells.

stupid as it is, I make more money off of wooden knock down guitar stands that I make from scraps of Baltic birch plywood I use to build the amps!

If I sell 4 of those stands, I make as much profit as I ever did on an amp and have little to no money tied up in them.

But I build the amps because thats what I love to do.

Ray

[birt]

i would keep it stock, service it and sell it. if the buyer wants it in a head or combo cabinet, get one and also charge an extra 30min of work.

[bluesbear]

I just looked on ebay at completed auctions. In the last month, the prices for good BF Bandmaster heads sold ran from $575 to $645 (not counting blondes which were much higher). I should be able to get at least $50 for the combo cabinet. Figure an extra $205 for a cabinet, that leaves $420 to $490 profit. If I'm very lucky, I could sell it in the combo cab for $500. Figure $80 for a speaker. That's $420 profit... if I'm very lucky. I can't imagine any way on earth I'd get $400 for the chassis alone. It's been taking space on a shelf (and the cab on the floor) for 20 years. If it takes a little time to get what I want, well, it's way too late to be in a hurry. I haven't seen a chssis for sale. Am I wrong about what I could get for it? That's the real unknown variable for me. I'm not counting ebay's fee because I'd have to pay it in any case.
Thanks,
Dave

[rafe]

E-bay is a crap shoot, you really can't know the outcome.....Ive seen the no reserve auctions turn into biding wars and sell high and i've seen them stall and go nowhere on almost identicle items. It really does vary and there is no rhyme or reason for it. The items with a high reserve usually stall, but not always
A fair(low) reserve usually gets things going, but not always. My own favorites are the buy it now which disappears if it is bid on ....if the right person see's it they will buy it .....I've also seen the old chassis outsell the the repaired, I guess for the same reason I'd rather have an engine in need of a rebuild, than to find out I bought a rebuilt engine that needs a rebuild ....again your call and you just never know....
maybe giving them the option to have the work done on it would appeal to some. Just some thoughts 

[bluesbear]

"Just some thoughts"
and good ones. I guess I'll have to think it over. My biggest advantages are being in no hurry and ebay not charging till the item is sold.
Thanks, all
Dave

[bluestone]

My 2 cents:

Once it has been seperated from the cabinet it becomes a players amp. That said, head, combo or chassis which ever will bring you the highest return. I would think that you should get $250-$350 for the chassis.

Tom

[mojo]

If it's not worth $400.00 today, it will be worth  more than that someday. If it is what you say it is, I think it is a tough call. You should probably talk to collectors about it. Someone that really knows the market.
Or you can try Craigslist first. If you don't have an active one in your area. post it in a bigger market. You might get lucky with no fees.
Do you have a speaker or cab it can be plugged into to let someone hear it? Then you wouldn't need to buy a speaker just to resell it. There is a "search all of craigslist " site and people might be trolling it looking for stuff like this. If you do change the electrolytics and put on 3 pronged power cord, save the old stuff to give to buyer. There might be a collector out there that wants one untouched though. Like I said. tough call.
Good luck with it and your builds with the new transformers you'll eventually get.
Regards,
Al

[bigdaddy]

I do a lot of ebay and in my opinion the most value is as an untouched item. I would not do anything to it other than make sure it works.

It might not sell right away, it may take a few times around but I think you will get the most money if you have patience and get the right buyer. Things are very tight now so like I said it may take a few weeks to sell at your price but it will sell and it's best value is unmodified and not upgraded in anyway. Any money you spend on it will not be returned on sale, in fact it devalues the item.

I have done ebay and have worked in many music stores over the years. The closer to the way it came from the factory the more value it has and that has not changed since I learned about the retail end of used musical products, that was when I was in my late teens, I'm 54.

[bluesbear]

"in my opinion the most value is as an untouched item."

That's the problem. I don't have a cabinet. Are you saying it's worth more as a bare chassis than in either a repro head cab or a well made combo cab (how I aquired it)? Of course, I'll have to change the electrolytics. I don't believe most of them are original, anyway. I've already added a 3 prong cord but the original goes with it. That's why it's a tricky decision. A mostly original unplayable amp vs adding a non-original cabinet that makes it usable.
Dave

[bigdaddy]

Yes I feel from what I have seen it's most value is as a chassis that has NOT been touched.

Test it to make sure it works and sell it as is. As long as the transformers are good, you're good.

The more you do or add the less it's worth, what do they call that, diminishing returns I think.