I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The Silverface 4X10 combos are indeed boxy and are 85lbs of mids crammed into a 60lb bag.

The blackface Bassmans are a different story... a much more balanced amp with less congested mids and a more refined voice.

Trevorus is right about the JTM45's circuit being based on the circuit of the '59 Bassman.

 

[hydro]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

If I was going to go "pedal platform" I think an old (black or silver face) bassman would be my rig. Other guy in my band has one and it's great. They kind of seem like the VW Beetle of heads. Simple, elegant, versatile, indestructable, easily repaired.

My Mesa 5:50+ reminds me a bit of a vintage bassman on its clean channel. It doesn't break up as much (unless you put it on 25 watt mode) but there's something about the spirit of the amp that is similar.

 

[hydro]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

oof double post

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The bassman is THE amp. If I could only have 1 amp it would be a bassman or similar amp.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Your gonna hate me for saying this, but Ive played some amazing of reissue Bassmans, and a real early '59 Bassman, and trust me..they aren't anything alike...well remotely.
Its the Iron(old transf0ormers), as well as maybe the old coupling caps..IDK! For some such reason, ya just cannot replicate the magic of a real '59 Tweed Bassman!
I have extended an invitation to one very trusted local amp builder to come and here the real deal as opposed to a mockup, but not sure if that will ever materialize.If I wrer him , I'd avail myse;lf of the oppurtunity fast, but then again, I'm not him!
I wasn't too impressed with the hand-wired ressiue I owned. It had absolutely ZERO..well, maybe 33% , of the MAGIC..( and trust me, it IS Magic) of a real 59 Bassman.
Still, even thirty three percent would be a pretty good sounding amp for me, or you.
The 4x10 Tweed bassman IS the acknowledged 'holy grail' of all classic guitar amps by the way ( besides the Blackface Tweed Deluxe)..just so that definition isn't an issue.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The bassman is THE amp. If I could only have 1 amp it would be a bassman or similar amp.

For me it will probably be :


1st : 5E3

2nd : BASSMAN (4X10)

3rd : 5F1

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

For me it will probably be :


1st : 5E3

2nd : BASSMAN (4X10)

3rd : 5F1

You'd be going against well established tradition. The Tweed 4x10 Bassman is universally acknowledged as the holy grail of ALL guitar amps. Why would you put a Tweed Deluxe in front of it, much less a Blackface deluxe?
That said, for me personally, the greatest tone I have ever hear in my dumbass life was a 1954 Goldtop P-90 through a Tweed Deluxe; It was rather astonishing..and practically unbelievable.
Thats not to say a' 59 Burst wouldn't sound sweet through a '65 Blackface DLx 'Verb..cause it does. Trust me on that.
One thing that I've noticed is that a 4X10 Super 'Verb Blackface is much better for classic Rawk and Blues ;...punchy, fat, sweet...but doesn't get the overall 'glory' of a DLX 'Verb? ....inorite?

 

[jeremy]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

who says the bassman is the holy grail? its the grand daddy of rock since jim copied the circuit when he put out his first amps, but grail? I think that's debatable.

 

[Bludave]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

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.

Remember...... The Marshall Bluesbreaker that Clapton used was based on a Bassman! That should say a lot.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Tweed, Blackface, and (later) Siverface bassmans are all very different. And they are correct, a Tweed and Marshall have a lot in common.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

Your gonna hate me for saying this, but Ive played some amazing of reissue Bassmans, and a real early '59 Bassman, and trust me..they aren't anything alike...well remotely.
Its the Iron(old transf0ormers), as well as maybe the old coupling caps..IDK! For some such reason, ya just cannot replicate the magic of a real '59 Tweed Bassman!

The re-issues also usually run a SS rectifier, and speakers that sound nothing like 55 year old alnico Jensens. They are also PCB although I don't think that matters that much.

 

[ericmeyer4]

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.

Sigged

 

[hermetico]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

A bassman 4x10 is just the amp I use to test everything new.
When I go to a store, I want them to let me plug in a bassman to try anything I am foreseen to purchase.
I think is a fair amp, that reveals anything good or bad in your rig and technique.
And, this is the amp I want to death. Probably a Victoria's bassman take.
In the meanwhile, the Hot Rod III Deville 2x12 (retubed!) does the job really nice.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

You'd be going against well established tradition. The Tweed 4x10 Bassman is universally acknowledged as the holy grail of ALL guitar amps. Why would you put a Tweed Deluxe in front of it, much less a Blackface deluxe?
That said, for me personally, the greatest tone I have ever hear in my dumbass life was a 1954 Goldtop P-90 through a Tweed Deluxe; It was rather astonishing..and practically unbelievable.
Thats not to say a' 59 Burst wouldn't sound sweet through a '65 Blackface DLx 'Verb..cause it does. Trust me on that.
One thing that I've noticed is that a 4X10 Super 'Verb Blackface is much better for classic Rawk and Blues ;...punchy, fat, sweet...but doesn't get the overall 'glory' of a DLX 'Verb? ....inorite?

. . . VERY NICE !!!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

I disagree with the big fuzzy boxy whatever description...regardless of era. If they sound that way, it's because you are making them sound that way. They are very neutral, almost boring, amps that simply do what you tell them to do, by way of pickup selection, pedals, and, most importantly, technique. They are a good, basic platform for almost any style of music, and they have a very useful and versatile amount of headroom.

 

[Drunken Bowling]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The more I listen to older blues, the more I appreciate the Bassman.

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: I used to hate the Fender Bassman.

The more I listen to older blues, the more I appreciate the Bassman.

The more i look at the girl in your sig, the more . . .