played a '59 ri bassman...

[drew_half_empty]

all i have to say is...WOW it exceeded my expectations. I've heard a lot of talk about how it's a far cry from being like the original, and yes it is more of a modern interpretation of it, but i don't even care cuz it sounds amazing! I didn't care much for the brit channel, big suprise, but the normal one had amazing cleans, and everything from light crunch to the meanest classic rock tones i'd ever heard. If this is any reflection on the groove tube GE reissues that are in there, well, they're pretty amazing tubes aswell. Definately my favorite of any new fender, the vibroverb didn't even TOUCH this one!

also played a '57 twin...dissapointing, decent cleans, bad distortion

65 twin custom 15 - great cleans, bad distortion, great tremolo (heh, had me playing Rebel Rouser like 4 times)

anyhoo, in conclusion, I'll DEFINATELY be getting a '59 ri bassman, i was gonna stop buying bassmans to save for a new car, but i can't pass this thing up, it's a seriously amazing amp, to my ears anyways

 

[Quencho092]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

there's a reason why so many artists loved that 59 to death, slick move, especially for the kind of style you're playing.

Let me know if you have any clips online, i like the idea of incorporating rockabilly into your music.

and by the way-if you want to maintain the tone of those 6l6GE tubes at a much much lower price try the TAD 6l6wgc tubes-they're less than 30 bucks a pair. I'd buy a quartet of em and get them biased so when they die you can replace them without worrying about a tune up.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

well, heh thats the thing, in the midst of mixing rockabilly with punk/grindcore, well, it worked out at first, but now i just love rockabilly so much that i kinda nixed the punk & grindcore influence that i was doing. But if you can tell me a free place to upload crap I'll record one of the songs i wrote & give you the link.

who knows, maybe i'll go ahead with the band i was working on

maybe

 

[Quencho092]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

yeah, same thing happened with my band. We tried to make a classic rock/metal/jazz type sound, but me and the other guitarrist drifted away from rock and metal almost completely. All i want to play all day is chet atkins type tunes, jazz standards + progressions, and blues classics like hideaway and green onions. Go with what you like, or you'll be lost trying to force something that you as a musician are not inclined to do.

I was thinking about that bassman too before i settled down with my bandmaster. I figure the tone im getting is somewhere in between blackface and tweed bassman since im running a blonde one. Does the 59 RI get good speaker distortion with those 4 10 inchers?

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

i don't think it gets any speaker distortion actually

I dunno, it might, i played it all the way up to 12 & well if the speakers ARE distorting, it sounds real good

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

Did you throw it a wash cloth when you were done with it? :22:

If you ever happen upon a Mesa Boogie Blue Angel, especially a 4x10, you owe it to yourself to check it out. For your style, you'll love the amazingly lush reverb!!! :32: :32:

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

heh nah man i hate mesas

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

I'm not a mesa fan either, but the Blue Angel is a mesa amp in name and build quality alone. Utterly different to any other mesa ever made.

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

eh i just don't like the mid characteristics of mesas

usually i loves me some mids, but they've found a way to take that frequency from rockin, to ricer-muffler sounding

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

The trick is to think beyond the name, because in a blind test there's pretty much no way you'd recognise it as a mesa. About as far away from the recto-era or mark-era mesa amps as you can get.

The Blue Angel is a Class A, single channel design running on a pair of 6v6s (fender deluxe), a quartet of el84s (AC30) or both together.

No master volume, extra gain stages, eqs, mid shift etc...

And puckboy's right, one of the best reverbs ever made. Much better than my fender.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

Another amp you should check out is the custom shop bassbreaker. Identical to the (pre ltd) bassman ri, but in a smaller cab housing two celestion vintage 30s. Amazing amp.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

YUP....I think Mesa would've done themselves a big favor if they would've changed the face of the Blue Angel. I think a lot of people got/get turned off by the "Dual Rectifier" name on the faceplate.....This thing in no shape or form should be thought of or associated with "those" amps. It's a blues-rock/country machine with great versatility. The 4x10 that I have is probably the sweetest amp I've laid my grubby hands on & I don't plan on parting with any time soon!!!

Look past the name & check it out if you see one!!!

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

nah, only mesas i have access too are rectoverbs, stilletos, mark iv's, and triple rectifiers, and i jsut so happen to hate all of em.

I'm a fender guy, and it'd take one hell of an amp/guitar to change that.

 

[MrHeavyMetal]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

Drew Half Empty, I think you'd like a Marshall 1959SLP Reissue and a 4X12 with Vintage 30's. great great tone and enough power, tone and SPL's to crush every living organism within a 3 city block area. :13:

 

[drew_half_empty]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

i don't like marshalls either

 

[B2D]

Re: played a '59 ri bassman...

You're right those Bassman RI's are sweet amps. Did you try the regular one or the laquered one with the tube rectifier? The regular Bassmans can be opened up and the SS rectofier can be unplugged and replaced with a tube, though. Some engineer at Fender was smart enough to make the rectifier switchable.

Not all Marshalls and/or Mesas are created equal. If you ever happen to get ahold of a Mesa Maverick combo or a Blue Angel, or even a Lonestar I highly recommend you suck it up and try it out. I was amazed that the same company that produced the Triple and Dual Rec, which I don't like very much, could produce such a sweet little combo. I was initially a Marshall/Fender guy but I picked up my Recotverb because it outperformed and out-toned the DSL50 I was looking into in every conceivable category, and didn't tonally resemble the Duals, Triples, or Mark series very much at all.

Likewise old JCM800's and JMPs are worth looking into as well. Which models of Marshalls have you tried?