I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

TimmyPage

TimmyPage

New member
When I started off playing, I was all about the Marshall and Vox sounds, those bright, middy, chimey sounds. I tried a Fender Bassman and just... it was this big, ugly, fuzzy, boxy mess of an amp, I couldn't get my head around why it was so popular. Skip ahead about 7 years, and last night I played a gig at a place that had an oldish (no idea on the year, but it was pretty well loved) Bassman lying around. I threw caution to the wind and used it instead of the little Cube that I own as my only amp in the UK.

I got a chance to really put it through it's paces and found... it was a big, boxy, ugly mess of an amp. And it sounded freaking awesome. It sounds almost exactly how I remember, but at some point my ears (and my hands) have just.. grown up. In a single, hourlong set it's jumped up from being one of my least favourite amps, to being one of my dream amps. Damn.

I'm still desperately looking for a deal on a Fender Deluxe first.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

yea, they do sound like a mess, don't they. It's like a blind date with a shaggy hippy girl with a poochy belly, but then you get a hot oil massage from her and all of a sudden you're doing tantric prayer all night and asking her to move in with you.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

jon the art guy said:
yea, they do sound like a mess, don't they. It's like a blind date with a shaggy hippy girl with a poochy belly, but then you get a hot oil massage from her and all of a sudden you're doing tantric prayer all night and asking her to move in with you.
Click to expand...

This post is GOLD.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

I'm destined to build a tweed and a brown. I'll be putting a robust fx loop and reverb on them, but it's gonna happen.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

I've never known any Bassman 4x10 to sound like anything less than awesome. Maybe you just tried out a bum amp the first go around. Mike Soldano called the original 50's Bassman combo amp to be "one of the premier sources of great guitar tone." I'm inclined to agree with him.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The Fender Bassman 4x10 rewards a particular playing approach. Crank it up nice 'n' loud. Get acquainted with the volume control(s) of your guitar. Dial up the appropriate degree of saturation for what you are playing.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

I've had a 69 head since I was 15... I've bought a lot of other amps in the interim but nothing has ever replaced my Bassman...

We'll see what happens when the model T gets back from the shop in a week or two but... the Bassman is the perfect "foundation" head for me. It's got a simple, basic, GOOD tone that works with everything you plug into it.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Who in their right mimd hates a Bassman???????

Shame shame....
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Empty Pockets said:
I've had a 69 head since I was 15... I've bought a lot of other amps in the interim but nothing has ever replaced my Bassman...

We'll see what happens when the model T gets back from the shop in a week or two but... the Bassman is the perfect "foundation" head for me. It's got a simple, basic, GOOD tone that works with everything you plug into it.
Click to expand...
+1

I love mine so much that I'm getting another one for TEH STEREO. It's actually a coincidence, a friend of mine said he has a broken silverface bassman that if I could fix I could keep. I've always wanted a second one.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

JeffB said:
Who in their right mimd hates a Bassman???????

Shame shame....
Click to expand...
;) Kind of hard to fathom.....

These amps are all quite old now...even 20 years ago.
Most were used A LOT. There was, no doubt, problems with the amp he played.
Wheteher the 4x10 or the head (do we know what the OP played) they are a very fine amp, even if they need an over-haul.
best
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Agileguy_101 said:
+1

I love mine so much that I'm getting another one for TEH STEREO. It's actually a coincidence, a friend of mine said he has a broken silverface bassman that if I could fix I could keep. I've always wanted a second one.
Click to expand...
Wow..!
Does it happen to be a Drip E also.?
What luck :)
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

I don't know, but I should be getting it tomorrow. If I didn't have other things to pay for at the moment it would go straight to you for a blackfacing haha. Eventually.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

It was definitely a combo amp so more likely the 4x10. It sounded awesome though, I still hold that the tone was a little rough and boxy, but that was part of what made it sound so COOL.

And to be fair, last time I tried one, I was a 17 year old metal head, and I wanted chugga chugga amps and to play mad shredz, I'm definitely a much better and more versatile player now. This year alone, I've found so many amps that I just.. didn't have the chops to appreciate previously.
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Agileguy_101 said:
+1

I love mine so much that I'm getting another one for TEH STEREO. It's actually a coincidence, a friend of mine said he has a broken silverface bassman that if I could fix I could keep. I've always wanted a second one.
Click to expand...

Last time I saw my teacher play live a few years ago he was using two Bassman heads and 2x12 cabs in stereo with a DL4, this was for playing progressive jazz... sounded RAD!!
 
Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

TimmyPage said:
It was definitely a combo amp so more likely the 4x10. It sounded awesome though, I still hold that the tone was a little rough and boxy, but that was part of what made it sound so COOL.

And to be fair, last time I tried one, I was a 17 year old metal head, and I wanted chugga chugga amps and to play mad shredz, I'm definitely a much better and more versatile player now. This year alone, I've found so many amps that I just.. didn't have the chops to appreciate previously.
Click to expand...
That is what music (and Life) is all about.
It is the guys that Do Not have your experience that get "stcuck".
But yeah...there could have been any number of issues with that amp...it probably Did Sound the way you describe.
best
 
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