fender bassman

[asaboogie]

Got a question for you slutz. I want to buy a Fender Bassman. I see that they make a bassman 50, and 100, I'm sure there's others but I want the old business. I like the idea because they can be both a guitar, or bass head.

My main question is, can a 50 watt bassman push a SVT 8x10 bass cab? How about a 4X10? Or do you need more watts?

Thanks!

[octatonic]

Are you buying the Bassman as a bass amp then?

Most people use them as guitar amps.

[theGeek]

To answer you question... yes. The 50 watt can push a 8x10.

It can also push a 4x10 as well.

One thing to remember about tube amplifier ratings is they are rated a clean level. So you are only outputting 50watts when its a clean signal and once you start to distort you are outputting as much as twice the stated power rating.

A 100 watt bassman is more power than most weekend warrior musicians will ever need.

[davet]

I have a 66 Blackface AB165 that I use as a guitar amp. Works great with a Marshall 4x12 cab. Real loud and clean.
I don't use it for bass. This particular amp was built back in the day when bass was less prominet in music. I've tried it a few times in my bass rig but it doesn't really cut it when things get loud.

DaveT

[tenchijin2]

HOld on! Make sure we're all on the same page. Fender recently made a solid state bassman in several different combos.

THe old tube bassman heads are a different beast entirely!

[pbradt]

Originally Posted by asaboogie

Got a question for you slutz. I want to buy a Fender Bassman. I see that they make a bassman 50, and 100, I'm sure there's others but I want the old business. I like the idea because they can be both a guitar, or bass head.

My main question is, can a 50 watt bassman push a SVT 8x10 bass cab? How about a 4X10? Or do you need more watts?

Thanks!

If you want a guitar amp, the best thing you can do is find an old RI 4x10 Bassman, have the chassis gutted and re-fitted with the 5F6A ('59) circuit. Be sure they use Mallory 150 signal caps and not Orange Drops.

[Jesse Eastman]

I have a 65 Black Face bassman. It is a fantastic guitar amp. I use it with 4 12, 2 12, 1 12 cabs...great with all of them. Cleans up nice, but with a good amount of tube compression. I also use a TS808 to push the front end, but the amp tuned up to about 5 gets great overdrive (if you can play that loud).

I use it for bass as well, but it depends on what you're looking for. I love that farted up 60's sound with flatwound strings. It can also get pretty clean at low volumes (I record with it as well), but anything with a live drummer will be distorted at some level...which is so beautiful! That sound seems to be back in style these days.

To sum up my rant.....as a guitar amp it's versatile, it takes any pedal you put in front of it, and it’s simple. As a bass amp, it is what it is. If you're using it mostly as a bass amp get the 100 (only came in Silverface era, I believe...if that matters to you). But for guitar 50 watts is more flexible.

[asaboogie]

Well I would mostly be using it as a guitar amp. But I do play bass in a little 90's alt rock cover band. I love a gritty warm distortion on bass, so judging from what I hear that's what I'll get. Considering I'd have to crank it to keep up with a live setting.

I'm not really looking to find a head that I'm going to have to do a lot of work to. But it sounds like the 100 watt bassman is up my alley. I like the simplicity of it. volume, bass, treble. Keep it simple stoopid ya know?

I really do appreciate all the info I've received! If you've got anymore, or just anything i should know about bassman's in general, keep the info coming!

Thanks again!

[fredv]

What's the opinion of the Fender Bassman 5F6A?

The reason for asking is that I've found some kits for building one, and it seems like a pretty interesting project. (I've built amps and gear before).

The specs seem to indicate that this is 50-watts into (4) 10" speakers.

I'm thinking of building this for my son, who plays bass. He's looking for something with that "tube sound" for venues he plays. He's in a jazz band playing houses of 75-150 max. So this design seems like a nice fit for sound level as compared to the weight and size of equipment.

Am I on the right track?

[drbob1]

I'm not sure that the 5F6 Bassman is going to work even for a jazz style bass player. It doesn't really feel like it has the thump or bass extension to work for that. He'd be better off with a 200w solid state amp for that.

For guitar any of the original 3 Bassman amps can sound great. The 5F6s are crunchy tweed goodness. They love to be loud but are pure rock and roll. The Blonde Bassman amp is rockabilly goodness, more attack than the tweed and more different sounds from the two inputs. The BF/SF 50w Bassman has more clean than others, but is a great rock machine. That said, I still wouldn't love one for bass, still not enough attack on the notes. There's a reason Fender went to the PS200 and PS400 amps for bass (Ampeg was killing them). The Bassman 100 is a much more vanilla guitar amp, not one I'd pick, maybe a better bass amp, though. I have to agree, for a tube bass amp that'd work for guitar, I'd go Ampeg: B50 combo or V2 or V4 head/cab (because no one can lift the V4 combo). They put out 125 clean watts, but more importantly have the thump to do a bass justice (6550 power tubes).

[kafka]

Originally Posted by asaboogie

Well I would mostly be using it as a guitar amp. But I do play bass in a little 90's alt rock cover band. I love a gritty warm distortion on bass, so judging from what I hear that's what I'll get. Considering I'd have to crank it to keep up with a live setting.

I'm not really looking to find a head that I'm going to have to do a lot of work to. But it sounds like the 100 watt bassman is up my alley. I like the simplicity of it. volume, bass, treble. Keep it simple stoopid ya know?

A 4x10 tweed Bassman is a very different amp than a silverface Bassman, which is a very different amp again from a new solid state Bassman.

I strongly recommend finding one in a local music store or pawn shop and trying it out first. It's very easy to convince yourself that you know what something sounds like before you've tried it.

[Batchainpuller78]

I have one of those silverface bassman 100's I love it equally for guitar or bass or even synth or keyboards (clavi, rhodes)
I use it plenty with the original 4*12 cabinet with weird angled speakers, many people frown on that cab but I think it sounds lovely.
I only have a few tube heads and depending on which speakers I connect them I have a totally different sounding and reacting amp.

The Bassman 100 is loud but not that loud, I'd say it's not for the modern day 100watt or more guitar bands.
but if you have sensible guitarists who play on 12-50 watt amplifiers it's superb.

[fredv]

Thanks for all the great advice!!

Maybe I should just get the kid a decent amp, like a Hartke VX3500, and build something else instead.

I did zip by our local pawn shop, and all they had were a few 10-watt Crate amps. Nothing spectacular. I live in a small town, so I might have to wait till I get to Toledo, Dayton, or Ft. Wayne.

Again, many thanks!
Fred