1967 Fender Bassman head and cab

[drummin4christ]

How much is one of these worth? The cab is a 2X15 and the amp is in good condition. I have a chance to buy one for $500 and am just wondering if it's worth it.

[richiepalooza]

Seems fair. maybe even good. Just do it.

[bluestarbass]

I think thats a pretty good price. I was looking for them lately and the going rate for one with a matching cab was about $700-900.

[dementedchord]

especially if that cab has the jbl option in it...

[mrface2112]

yeah, i'd say that's a little under what the going rate is these days. it really depends on which circuit is in the bassman. given it's a 67, i suspect it's probably the AB165. this is the most common and some view it as the "least desirable". however, they're easily modded back to the aa165 or aa864 if one chooses.

either way, prices on bassmans are only going up and if you have the chance to get one for $500 with a cabinet, i'd do it.

if you don't take it, can you pass my info to the seller? ;-)


cheers,
wade

[infiniteposse]

Just got a 67 BM head for $450. It's the AB165 circuit and it sounds great. I've got a ton of info on circuit revisions and mods to get it dialed into the best shape possible if you're interested. There's a ton of info out there on these particular amps.

[drummin4christ]

Thanks for the input. I found out that it is actually 1968. I went ahead and bought it for $450. The amp is in great condition and the cabinet is in awesome condition. It still has the cover and was owned by the same guy for 30 years.

I do need to put some new tubes in it. I would love to know what secret tube configuration you guys have for getting that great Fender clean tone.

[mrface2112]

Originally Posted by drummin4christ

I do need to put some new tubes in it. I would love to know what secret tube configuration you guys have for getting that great Fender clean tone.

for new tubes, you can't go wrong with JJ's. check out Eurotubes. i have em in several of my amps--both the tubes and the customer service are exceptional.

if you want NOS tubes, check out KCA NOS Tubes. Audio tubes for guitar amplifiers and audiophile equipment. 12AX7, 6L6GC, 12ay7, el34, el84, Fender amplifier,5AR4, 5U4GB, cv4004, 6SN7, 8417, 7027, gz34, Mullard, EF86, 6ca7, 6bq5, 7025, 12at7. IMO, you couldn't go wrong with a set of Mullards or RCA's.


cheers,
wade

[dementedchord]

unless you're well versed in amp biasing i would take it to a tech the first time... those came from the factory with a hum balance IIRC... and there's an easy mod to change that to a bias adjust... have the tech check to see if the mod has already been done... btw did you check to see if it had the jbl option... these were d140's painted red/orange... if so the speakers are worth what you paid for it...

[drummin4christ]

Originally Posted by dementedchord

unless you're well versed in amp biasing i would take it to a tech the first time... those came from the factory with a hum balance IIRC... and there's an easy mod to change that to a bias adjust... have the tech check to see if the mod has already been done... btw did you check to see if it had the jbl option... these were d140's painted red/orange... if so the speakers are worth what you paid for it...

DO I need to open the back of the cab to see if it has the jbl option or would it say on the cab?

[dementedchord]

pull the grill cloth... if the speaker basket looks cast instead of stamped aluminum that's a good sign... it may be red in color... ultimately though ya need to pull the speaker out and look...

[Teeterbop18]

Hey I have a 1967 fender bassman with a 2x12 cab and was curious what would the best speaker upgrade be I play classic rock like grateful dead I'm interested in the new hemp cone speakers and also another question what are the best settings for the tremble bass and mids be around hope I hear something back and thanks for any feed back given.

[drbob1]

OP, a 215 cab for a Bassman in 68 is a bit unusual (most of them were still 212). If it has the JBLs you may be able to see the glint of the aluminum domes in the center thru the grill cloth. It'll also weigh nearly 90# vs say 60 with Oxfords or Utahs. I'd still take off the back to make sure the screws that hold it in place are working well (they often strip out and you can dowel and redrill the holes), to check the wiring, and to check the speakers are in good shape. You'll be able to see what kind they are then, get back to us!

As to changing the circuit, I wouldn't bother. The differences in sound aren't night and day, an AB165 is a great sounding amp. For tubes, I still call Lord Valve and see what he has in stock-last time I used Tung Sol preamp tubes and NOS GE power tubes and love the sound.

As to what speakers to put in a 212, for modern rock a Celestion style speaker (or one of the Warehouse or Emminence clones) would kill, just be sure to get the 8 ohm version. Better, if you have the cash, would be a pair of Fanes. British sound but a few dB louder!

[chipss36]

aa vs ab curcuits dont seem to be a big deal compared to silverface vs blackface ...with the blackface and blackfacing mods desired more...

for speakers I would check out ted webbers site, pick a flavor that works with the music your into, with a bassman I would look at vintage types

for a bit cleaner the high power types like the cali with a paper dust cover mod, jbl....ish no icepick highs.

both types used by fender over many years works well..

for brit tones, this is the wrong amp...IMHO

so few tubes in the bassman, look for rca blackplates. just the way leo did it. and never second guess your tube selection again.


sounds like a heck of a deal on a great amp, go for it.

[nedorama]

Bassman circuits change over the years and they do sound different - they are not the same. Some are easier to mod back to AA864 specs than others.

AA374 - awful. CBS at its worst. this was in production 68-33.
AA270/AC568 - again, not a great guitar circuit. 68-83
AB165 - fine for bass, not great for guitar.
AA864 - pretty close to classic circuit

Tales From The Tone Lounge; Bassman Modifications - great resource.

If you have the JBL D130F 15" speakers, you can have them reconed by Weber - look for the info on their site. That's the speaker to have in these old cabinets, but they are heavy.

+1 on Mike Kropotkin at KCA NOS Tubes - he's helped tube all my amps for 10 years and has been great.