Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

[wasteofo2]

Did the Fender Bassman, as the name suggests, start out as a bass amplifier that guitarists just took a liking to? If that's the case, how has it evolved over the years, and could it be used as a bass amp still? If that's not the case, do the current Bassmans made for bass sound anything like bassmans made for guitar? Anything else you'd want to share about the bassman?

 

[mrid]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

do the current Bassmans made for bass sound anything like bassmans made for guitar?

Definite no.

 

[flank]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

i think they were made for bass.......but in my findings, none of them have had enough headroom to get a good bass sound in my opinion.........and its probably the big reason why they are a better guitar amp as well

 

[beandip]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

http://www.tone-lizard.com/lesson5.htm

 

[aleclee]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

i think they were made for bass.......but in my findings, none of them have had enough headroom to get a good bass sound in my opinion.........and its probably the big reason why they are a better guitar amp as well

Actually, the bass player in my last band used one. It sounded good but didn't have tons of clean headroom. For the type of music we played (classic/hard rock), it worked quite well.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

i've been wondering if its any good for quite some time. Usually 4x10's don't give me enough bass response, but with a name like bassman, well, it could be a whole nother story

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

It was meant to be a bass amp, but the 50 tube watts had such an early breakup that it sounded too distorted to be a true bass amp. Guitarists loved it because it came out at a time when guitar players were starting to want more sustain and gain, in order to break away from the clean, rhythm only tones that were acceptable at that time. Tube companies in the 40's, primarily RCA, Sylvania, Mullard, and Phillips, were trying to sell tubes for hifi, so they created schematics, showing people how to create a power section, using their products. Leo Fender basically copied those schematics for his first guitar amps....then Marshall caught on, and the rest is guitar amplification history.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

Yep, just like GJ said. It originally came out with an open back 15" speaker too. BTW, My bassplayer loves playing my SF Bassman Export head for low volume and recording through his Peavey 4x10" cab loaded with Eminence drivers and a horn.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

I love my Bassman as a bass and guitar amp...I use it for both and, really, it does the trick. When I had my little garage punk act last year, the cranked, tube-distorted bass sound was enough that we didn't need a rhythm guitarist

-X

 

[jcarlos]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

I recently play a 64 bassman and circa 68. Most beautiful fender sound ever, then I knew why everything else is just a copy. Simple but beatiful.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

One thing to factor in when discussing the bassman is the era it was built in. 45 watts was a big deal, in terms of wattage, back in 1959. So the bassman was considered a perfectly acceptable bass amp at that time.

it's always weird looking at stuff like 'early 60s bandmasters and seeing that they have multiple inputs for powering the whole band at a mammoth 35 watts.

 

[wasteofo2]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

So if I bought a Fender bassman, the type marketed as a guitar amp, I could use it as a bass amp without doing any damage, and I'd just get low-volume breakup? Obviously, the bass would drive the amp hard and the tubes would wear out quickly, but it would be totally fine for a bass and guitar amp?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Anyone want to give me a history of the Bassman?

You'd probably be better off with the SF and BF Bassman heads than the Tweed combos. That way you can power different cabs for bass or guitar depending on the situation. Particularly good deals can be had on the early SF models (like mine). They came with the SF cosmetics, but some still came with BF circuits (mine does! ) or can be esily modified back into BF specs.

There is a 120watt SF Bassman from the late 70's though. I think that would make a pretty cool bass amp.