Fender Bassman - Best years to purchase or cheaper models w/mods???

[cxrx]

Im in the market for a Fender Bassman. Preferably one thats 100 watts +.

 

I was wondering what your opinions on what the "best years" of production were for these amps? Or if its better to just get a cheaper model and mod it since mods are easily done on most bassmans.

 

I just want a loud ass, clean Bassman tone and was wondering if the mod route was viable or if I should just save a little more for a sixties model.

 

Thoughts?

 

PS: the older models can push 4 ohms, right?

[Phil O'Keefe]

How much do you want to spend?

 

If it's to gig with, I'd look for an early to mid 70s era Bassman 100 model. The circuits are quite simple, and pretty easy for a decent tech to mod.

 

I'm not really a big fan of the later (78-81) UltraLinear Bassman 135.

[onelife]

The Ultralinear Fender amps got a bit of a bad rap but they are definitely loud and clean. Because of the different output circuit and transformer they are not really suitable for the blackface mods.

 

A blackface Dual Showman also makes an excellent bass amp.

[WRGKMC]

The question is are you going to be using it for Guitar, Bass or both.

 

I'm very familiar with the 50W Bassmans having owned a blackface since 1967. I've done the hot rod mods then later removed them. A 50W is plenty loud for guitar and sufficient for a bass player if he has a really good cab. Both the Blackface and silverfaced bassmans were a great buy. You could find them for $300~350 up until about 10 years ago and now they are beginning to climb into the 1K region. I'm not sure why it took so long. Other then the fact they have no midrange knob or reverb, the normal channel does make a great guitar head, even without any mods.

 

You may still get some good deals on the 100W versions. They can easily be converted to run like a Twin if that's your goal. I can say I am not a fan of many of the mods. there are some in there like feedback caps designed to keep the sound ultra clean you may want to investigate, but for a bass player those might be just the things you don't want to mess with. Modifying the tone stack to add a midrange control might be a good mod, but with the money you spend to do that mod, you can just as easily buy a fender that has that already, plus reverb and tremolo.

 

I can say if you're focused on guitar the Blonde Bassmans are the ideal guitar amp. I plan on getting one myself eventually. The originals have the rectifier tube which gives the amp that sag guitarists love. The rarity of the originals makes then very difficult to find and ultra expensive. They do make a reissue true to the original with 4X10" Jensens is what I would target. Unless you're set on having an amp so loud for guitar it can only be used live I woundn't buy a 100W. They are incredibly loud even for a bassist and very heavy amps to boot.

 

The blackface had basically two different circuits. The silverface copied the later blackface version and wound up having dozens of minor circuit variations but are essentially the same. Those minor mods can be changed to the original. just how much of a difference they make isn't that big a deal from my experience doing them first hand on a silverfaced amp I owned.

 

I had a silver and black running together for 10 years and other then the black having a tad more gain, the differences were negligible. some of these mod sites blow those differences way out of perspective making you think their mods are the second coming for tone when they really are highly superficial. Something like a master volume, Line in's and outs, and some minor tone stack mods can be highly useful. Some of the others can make for some real garbage tone and weaken its potential. A good one with just new tubes and caps can drive the right speakers into a nice drive and using the right pedals can do much better then any of the mods can.

 

As for the best years to purchase, I'd be focused on the best condition over best years. Like I said they have various differences but the condition trumps all of that especially if you're going to modify it anyway. Restoring a ragged out amp with a case that's needs re-tolexing and a front panel, Pots Knobs, Jacks, Rust, old caps and tubes is an expensive chore. Something that's near new condition is allot easier to mod and have look good.

[cxrx]

I play guitar in a very loud band, FYI. And I would be using it to push a 6x12" at 4 ohms

 

So i was looking at some of those Bassman 100s, those look tight.

 

Should I consider other amps for the "loud and clean"?

[cxrx]

FYI: I'm running a heavily modded Traynor YBA-1A right now, but even with its mods, I'm not juicing that 6x12 the way I could be. Thats why I'm in the market.

[WRGKMC]

Traynors are pretty muddy sounding amps for guitar. Not sure how close you can get it to sounding like a fender even with extensive mods.

 

if you can find a Bassman 100 you can mod it so each channel is different like this guy did. He has one channel voiced to sound like a Blackface and the other a super reverb. http://www.regiscoyne.com/bassman100/ The amp does not have midrange knobs which is your biggest problem. Most fender guitar amps do have mid knobs and can get you that nice speaker drive. With a Bassman you only have bass and treble. You can add a ganged pot and rework the tone stack which many do to these amps.

 

Again, its all in what you can get your hands on. If you can get yourself a Twin head instead, the head may be a little more expensive, but you'll not only have the right architecture to work with, but most of the mods you'd have to do to make it sound good for guitar will all ready be there.

[onelife]

The old Traynor tube amps are more like Marshalls than Fenders. They are extremely well built with high quality components and will last a lifetime.

 

They were also built with technicians in mind...

 

 

The chassis was bolted into the cabinet from the sides and the removable top was bolted to the chassis. The schematic was attached to the underside of the top so, after removing four bolts the amp was ready to be worked on.

 

A lot of players used the Bass Master Mark II (YBA-1A) amp for guitar because, like Marshall Bass amps, they were easily overdriven.

 

 

 

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

I play guitar in a very loud band, FYI. And I would be using it to push a 6x12" at 4 ohms

 

So i was looking at some of those Bassman 100s, those look tight.

 

Should I consider other amps for the "loud and clean"?

 

When used with guitar a Bassman 50 is fairly loud, and a Bassman 100 can peel paint off the walls before it starts getting dirty. If you need a good loud and clean amp, that would be a great choice. So would a Twin Reverb for that matter.

[WRGKMC]

I saw a few on EBay yesterday. These have a normal channel with a mid control. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/291248461083?lpid=82&chn=ps

 

Heres a better buy for a super bassman. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1976-FENDER-SUPER-BASSMAN-100-BASS-GUITAR-AMP-HEAD-TUBE-EXCELLENT-100-WATTS-/111430941777?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

And another bidding pretty low still. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-Bassman-100-Vintage-Head-1970s-Era-one-owner-/221746037607

 

This is a better price on the silverface. Don't know if you'll get much better on a clean buy it now. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1978-Fender-Bassman-100-/121627689549

 

Wrong, This ones going for under $600 http://www.ebay.com/itm/FENDER-BASSMAN-100-AMP-HEAD-/221749378343

[WRGKMC]

This is a good buy on a Twin head. You'll need to make or buy a case for it. This one does have a 50/100W switch added. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FENDER-TWIN-...-/121624742187

 

This 100W showman is a great amp too plus you'll have tremolo. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fender-1968-...item20faa3923f

 

If you want reverb, a Vibrosonic is a good 100W head. These are normally in combos of course but many are removed when the cabs are falling apart and rehoused. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fender-Vibrosonic-Reverb-Amplifer-Head-USA-Amp-Silverface-Fullerton-/351285894358?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51ca455cd6

[zzmoore]

A late 60's SF Bassman is a great amp. Very easy to mod the "Bass Channel" to be more guitar friendly.....somethin in the Tweed/Plexi arena is typical. The Deep Switch works well for a bright or Cathode switch.

They are still some of the best deals going.

Your speaker cab is a 6x12.? .....that is a lot of air moving. Hard to imagine that would not give you enough headroom.......

good luck

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

If I could have any Bassman, I'd probably want the blonde 6G6-B. Not as much power as the later 100W versions, but one heck of a great sounding amp. Little known fact - it was used on more Beatles recordings than any other amp.

[WRGKMC]

I'll take these over any of the blackface or silverfaced versions. One of the best stage and recording amps made.

 

 

[Phil O'Keefe]

I'd still stick with the 6G6-B - even over the tweed 4x10 Bassman. YMMV

[Mikeo]

I play guitar in a very loud band, FYI. And I would be using it to push a 6x12" at 4 ohms

 

So i was looking at some of those Bassman 100s, those look tight.

 

Should I consider other amps for the "loud and clean"?

 

The Twin Reverb Reissue is pretty loud, so is the Vibro King, and the Super.

The Vibro King is kind of pricey they make and extension cab too for it.

 

Don't be fooled by the 60 watts or think 100 watts will give you more volume, as that's not always the case. Speakers play a big role. You could load up a cab with some EV's or JBL's.

 

 

I had a Mesa T-Verb Combo for well over a decade. It was an amazing amp. All 98 lbs of it. The cab was wide and a bitch to pick up and move. They came in a combo 2x12 version and head.

 

I hurt my back, and it was way more amp that I ever used.

 

Most T verbs are a touch beat up, because they weighed so much than any you bumped one up against could do some damage.

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mesa-Boogie-Tremoverb-tube-guitar-amp-head-EXCELLENT-CONDITION/141651582012?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D30003%26meid%3Ddf4993b9c9ad424d924ba233711007dc%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D231189989662&rt=nc

 

Add a couple of Mesa Ext cabs to the head and you have some serious volume on you hands.

 

 

Those silver face Twin reverbs from the late 70's to the early 80's pushed 135 watts.

 

Musicman also made a 130 watts amp, with EV's.. Here's one on ebay. It's so clean it's a collectors piece.

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Music-Man-212-HD-One-Thirty-Amplifier-1000-OBO/231539193734?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D30003%26meid%3D0efe376b45cb47e0b0949cf4a77a3ecb%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D151664469471&rt=nc

 

Dick Dale used a Showman, which like the Twin put out 85 watts and then 135 watts by the late 70's

 

 

hope this helps a bit