59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

[Lewguitar]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

Don't want to read the whole thread over again, but I'm hoping you're using a rectifier tube and not the solid state gizmo Fender put in some or all of the reissues when they first came out.

 

[guitarkid]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

Don't want to read the whole thread over again, but I'm hoping you're using a rectifier tube and not the solid state gizmo Fender put in some or all of the reissues when they first came out.

Yep, I've got a JJ tube rectifier in it. That SS plug-in sounded terrible.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

I'm glad to hear you're liking it now. I picked up a '59 Bassman LTD not long after you got yours and I wasn't in love with it at first either. Just sounded brittle and harsh on the high end. I replaced the preamp tubes with Tung-Sol RI's and then learned how to properly bias the amp. It was set WAAAAY cold. That turned out to be the key issue. Once I brought the bias up into the "moderate" range (I didn't go hot as to preserve tube life) it completely changed the tone! Brittle highs were gone and it suddenly sounded warm. I'm even tempted to leave the RI Jensens in there since the prospect of dropping $400+ for new speakers on an amp I can't turn up loud enough to appreciate isn't really the best use of my money right now.

I think I'm going to use the BM for my gig coming up in a few weeks. It's going to be a place where the guitars have to go unmiked, so I want the BM not for the volume, but rather that wide even spread that only 4 10's can deliver.

 

[guitarkid]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

I'm glad to hear you're liking it now. I picked up a '59 Bassman LTD not long after you got yours and I wasn't in love with it at first either. Just sounded brittle and harsh on the high end. I replaced the preamp tubes with Tung-Sol RI's and then learned how to properly bias the amp. It was set WAAAAY cold. That turned out to be the key issue. Once I brought the bias up into the "moderate" range (I didn't go hot as to preserve tube life) it completely changed the tone! Brittle highs were gone and it suddenly sounded warm. I'm even tempted to leave the RI Jensens in there since the prospect of dropping $400+ for new speakers on an amp I can't turn up loud enough to appreciate isn't really the best use of my money right now.

I think I'm going to use the BM for my gig coming up in a few weeks. It's going to be a place where the guitars have to go unmiked, so I want the BM not for the volume, but rather that wide even spread that only 4 10's can deliver.

Awesome to hear man! Yeah I still have the stock power tubes in mine at the moment, so it just has the new rectifier and preamp tubes right now. I REALLY need to get up to my amp tech and have him do the bias adjustment mod so that I can get the new power tubes in it. I can only imagine how much btter it will sound then, and I already like the tone now. Lol I'm not going to change the speakers in mine either, because I think they actually sound good now, after I changed those tubes.

I'm using this as my main gigging amp right now and it is working out great! I still mic it for most of the gigs (although I won't be micing it for the next one), but I love how full the 4x10s sound on stage!

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

I left the stock power tubes in mine too. They're GT's but upon closer inspection they're actually relabeled Winged C's!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

You know, if you really want that thing to sound its best get some NOS GE or RCA preamp tubes for it. They'll be expensive.

I can't really enjoy the tone of any of my old amps unless I have 40 or 50 year old NOS preamp tubes in them.

Get some NOS GE or RCA 12ax7 and a 12ay7 tubes from one of the dealers on Ebay.

Some guys claim to like 5751's. I don't.

Stick with branded 12ax7 and 12ay7 from GE or RCA.

 

[Frankly]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

I think I'm done with 10" speakers too, quite frankly.

.

Thanks, GJ, Frank F. Lee had been wondering . He usually goes for the 12" speakers as well, but has heard some smaller ones He liked.

Thank you.

 

[glassman]

Re: 59 Bassman Reissue sounding kind of harsh...

Thanks, GJ, Frank F. Lee had been wondering . He usually goes for the 12" speakers as well, but has heard some smaller ones He liked.

Thank you.

The world will end on the day Frank Lee posts in first-person. Thank you.