69 silverface bassman head

[aestus]

So I have an opportunity to buy a 69 silverface bassman head for about $350. Is this a good deal? It's the version with no mid controls. I really want a 59 bassman combo because of the prescence and mid controls, but I've heard that these piggy back head versions can sound good too.

What do you guys think?


Tom

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

So I have an opportunity to buy a 69 silverface bassman head for about $350. Is this a good deal? It's the version with no mid controls. I really want a 59 bassman combo because of the prescence and mid controls, but I've heard that these piggy back head versions can sound good too.

What do you guys think?


Tom

It is my opinion that thats kinda steep...piggyback bassmans are a dime a doze...you could get a BF bassman head for $350.00...the last bassman head I bought was a 68 model, I got it maybe 2 years ago, and I paid $225.00 and it had new tubes!

 

[Curly]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

If you really want a Bassman combo, then you should get one. If you want to go the used route, you should be able to get one for no more than $600 in decent condition, and maybe a little less than that, and you'd have fewer issues to get it in tip top shape.

I think more and more folks are finding out that the Bassman heads/ cabs are one of the last good, hand wired deals out there, and the prices are going up.

they really are two different animals, though, which is why I'd say get the combo if that's what you really want ... it's a great gigging amp, and not too heavy for what it is.

 

[aestus]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

Hehe, I haven't found a bassman combo for under $900 yet. They go for rediculous prices on ebay. The bassman heads are consistantly going for more than $450 now. I'm looking for a fender clean to go along with my 77 Marshall 50 watt head.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

Hehe, I haven't found a bassman combo for under $900 yet. They go for rediculous prices on ebay. The bassman heads are consistantly going for more than $450 now. I'm looking for a fender clean to go along with my 77 Marshall 50 watt head.

Well...a 4x10 bassman is not "Fender clean" in the classic sense...IMO the classic Fender clean comes from BF and SF amps...Im telling you...you can pickup bassman heads cheep...you just have to look around for a bit. I just took a look on Ebay, and IMO the prices on their are WAY out of line! I would never pay $350.00 for a SF bassman, but if it sounds good and is not beat to hell and you want it jump on it...it appears that you will be able to get that back out of it if you want to!

 

[aestus]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

Yeah, I may have to jump on the offer. I unfortunately live in Lawton, Oklahoma. Getting good deals on any equipment is hard to come by. Heck, finding good equipment anywhere is hard enough. The only fender dealer in this town is only selling the solid state fender crap and most of their guitars are now peavey guitars. The other music store sells cheap ibanez guitars and amps. The only other instrument outlet in town is a cut-throat pawn shop instrument dealer, who sells broken down kay and series 10 guitars to unsuspecting kids for $450, and then hordes all his classic marshalls and fenders in his private collection and/or sells them to a broker in Nashville for basically NOS prices....

BTW, guitar center is like a 2 hour drive from here too to boot hehehe.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

my 68 Silverface is awesome, great glassy cleans on the "NORMAL" channel right up until the volume's at six, but I wouldn't call it "distorted" until like eight...just sweet tube break-up. The "BASS" channel breaks up earlier and sounds fatter and umm...bassy. It responds pretty well to pedals and I mean...ever since I found out about this amp i've been recommending it to rockers with budgets.

Oh, and I got mine with a 2x12 Fender speaker cabinet (not the original one, it's all black) the store had lying around for around $400 and I feel it was worth every cent...but these guys know their stuff and i mean, if you can score one for less then that's perfect.

-X

 

[Curly]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

Hehe, I haven't found a bassman combo for under $900 yet. They go for rediculous prices on ebay.

I haven't been watching these on ebay lately, but I'm sure you could find a used '59 RI for much less than $900!
in fact, there's a recent LTD for $875

and a regular RI is sitting at $330

if you happen to have a cab already, though, then the head makes some sense

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

Remember that the '59 tweed Bassman is a totally differant design and circuit than any Bassman head...blackface or silverface.

As differant as differant can be and each have a totally differant tone.

 

[Falstaff]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

A lot of people love those heads. If it rocks your world, go for it!

 

[Scott_F]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

There was a guy on The Gear Page that was selling his relatively newish Bassman Ltd. for $875!

I'd jump on that in a heartbeat if that's the tone you're after.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

doesnt the 68 have silverface cosmetics but it has blackface circuitry?

i heard this somewhere, i know the last BF year was 67, and the board for it is the AB165, but i also heard that the 68 has an AB165 but just has CBS cosmetics...

 

[Curly]

Re: 69 silverface bassman head

yes, a '68 should have BF circuitry

whether it's an AB165 or not ... ???

I have a '66 or '67 - the tube chart says one thing, but the circuit is slightly different ... Bassmans went through a lot of changes

but the bottom line is that it's a handwired amp, and a good tech will know what to do with it, as far as getting it to BF specs