Johnny Marr’s 1960 Fender Bassmaster

This Fender Bassman amp was used by Marr with The Smiths on The Queen is Dead and Strangeways, Here We Come, although the extent of its use is unclear. Most of what we know about this amp comes from a 2019 auction by someone who had acquired it through Marr’s guitar tech, Richard Henry.

This Fender Bandmaster amp (S03557#) has been mine since 1986 and was used on The Queen is Dead & Strangeways Here We Come as well as other subsequent recordings here and there…

Johnny Marr

One thing worth noting is that The Queen is Dead was recorded in mid to late 1985, so while Marr mentioned he used the amp on the album, that timing doesn’t quite add up, as he’s also said he got the amp in 1986. Perhaps he mixed up the dates, or he may have meant that the amp was used on tour.