best way to utilize a '65 Fender Bassman head?

Argali · #1 08-20-2010, 07:18 AM

I'm a guitarist who has always dabbled in bass, but this year I've gotten a lot more serious with the latter and am working on building a rig to jam with some friends. Moldering away in my basement is my old '65 Fender Bassman head that I used years ago as part of a bi-amped guitar rig (Bassman for cleans, JCM 800 for dirty). I've plugged it into various bass cabs in the past, and it actually produces some pretty good tones. The thing is, it's not a very loud head - only 50 watts, I believe.

Is there a cool way to use this head that anyone can suggest? Maybe a cab that goes well with it, or good pedals to boost volume, etc.? I play mostly metal/rock in standard tuning.

coreyfyfe · #2 08-20-2010, 07:27 AM

A huge cab. Maybe several.

Argali · #3 08-20-2010, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coreyfyfe

A huge cab. Maybe several.

Can you be a little more specific?

doc540 · #4 08-20-2010, 07:36 AM

I have nothing of relevant substance to add, but thought this to be a good opportunity to post a pic of my latest Bassman project.

Just free your mind of any barriers and think outside the box.

Oren Hudson · #5 08-20-2010, 07:53 AM

First thing. Send the head (or do it yourself if you know how) to a good amp tech for a complete go over. Having strong tubes, caps etc. make a significant difference. If you want to keep the vibe of this head, find you a good cab with 2-15s, preferable JBL D140Fs or Altec 421As. These speakers were (and still are) the cream of the crop for better "good tones" that you've experienced. Next, daisy chain the 2 channels together giving you a little more headroom and tonal control. For additional power, get you a power/slave amp and appropriate cab for uncolored head room. I've used this method for my '65 Bassman head and matching Bassman 2-15 cab (JBLs) and my '71 Ampeg B-25B head and matching Ampeg B25B 2-15 cab with the Altecs. They put a smile on my face every time I use them.

Argali · #6 08-20-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oren Hudson

First thing. Send the head (or do it yourself if you know how) to a good amp tech for a complete go over. Having strong tubes, caps etc. make a significant difference. If you want to keep the vibe of this head, find you a good cab with 2-15s, preferable JBL D140Fs or Altec 421As. These speakers were (and still are) the cream of the crop for better "good tones" that you've experienced. Next, daisy chain the 2 channels together giving you a little more headroom and tonal control. For additional power, get you a power/slave amp and appropriate cab for uncolored head room. I've used this method for my '65 Bassman head and matching Bassman 2-15 cab (JBLs) and my '71 Ampeg B-25B head and matching Ampeg B25B 2-15 cab with the Altecs. They put a smile on my face every time I use them.

Awesome, thanks!

daflores · #7 08-20-2010, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc540

I have nothing of relevant substance to add, but thought this to be a good opportunity to post a pic of my latest Bassman project.

Just free your mind of any barriers and think outside the box.

This is really cool. How did you do that?

Philbiker · #8 08-20-2010, 08:16 AM

Needs an efficient cab. Definitely, if it hasn't already been done, have it gone over by a good tube amp tech. I used to use a '65 blackface Bassman head with an Eden D210T cabinet. It sounded amazing, and was loud enough for gigging with reasonable stage volume.

coreyfyfe · #9 08-20-2010, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argali

Can you be a little more specific?

I depends on taste. I used a little bassman like that with a 4x10 and it was ok, loud enough in the crowd for a small stage volume gig, but not loud enough that I could really hear myself on stage. With an 8x10, there was a good amount of volume. If you prefer 15s, a 2x15 with good speakers would do wonders. Something with a lot of mid-presence is going to be key to being heard - as suggested above, the JBLs and Altecs were good for that.

rbonner · #10 08-20-2010, 08:18 AM

I played my 67 bassman to a pair of 15" for a lot of years. Its got lots of distortion if you turned it over "4" which I didn't want so most of the time it sat on 4 with the bass all the way up and the treble on 5. Did that from late 68 through 1971. Lots of gigs in really big gyms with that amp. It wasn't very loud on stage but the gym was rocking.

If you want more zoom, mic the unit to the PA.

BOB

Argali · #11 08-20-2010, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doc540

I have nothing of relevant substance to add, but thought this to be a good opportunity to post a pic of my latest Bassman project.

Just free your mind of any barriers and think outside the box.

This is pretty awesome. Was it difficult to remove the Bassman guts?

Argali · #12 08-20-2010, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coreyfyfe

I depends on taste. I used a little bassman like that with a 4x10 and it was ok, loud enough in the crowd for a small stage volume gig, but not loud enough that I could really hear myself on stage. With an 8x10, there was a good amount of volume. If you prefer 15s, a 2x15 with good speakers would do wonders. Something with a lot of mid-presence is going to be key to being heard - as suggested above, the JBLs and Altecs were good for that.

I think I was trying to play it through an SWR Workingman 2x10 cab many years ago, and I was having a hard time being heard over the drummer.

4Mal · #13 08-20-2010, 09:10 AM

IMO - it's a low volume practive or recording amp. There's some great tone in there but not enough power to defend itself. Last one I had I played through a small box Fender 2x12 with Altec 417's. Lovely tone. The small 2x12 has always been my fav Fender cab.

I never liked the Bassman or B25 2x15 cab's very much. In a 2x15, Sunn would be my choice in vintage style cab's as they went deeper and louder. Too much cab to bother with these days though ...

Passinwind and I schemed out a mod that we never did execute. Basically to mount a Jensen DI in the chassis and get it the signal from the pre-amp section. The idea was to utilize the .25" jacks, replacing one with a TRS out that would drive a power amp. No chassis mods as the DI itself could mount to the box.

The other way to best utilize an old Bassman is to sell it and snag an Alembic pre, then a power amp - now you have a very, very loud Showman Amp...

That SWR cab was nowhere near efficient enough to use with a 50 watt amp.

projectMalamute · #14 08-20-2010, 09:29 AM

Those things are real handy when a guitarist shows up with a Line 6 head.

Argali · #15 08-20-2010, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Mal

IMO - it's a low volume practive or recording amp. There's some great tone in there but not enough power to defend itself. Last one I had I played through a small box Fender 2x12 with Altec 417's. Lovely tone. The small 2x12 has always been my fav Fender cab.

I never liked the Bassman or B25 2x15 cab's very much. In a 2x15, Sunn would be my choice in vintage style cab's as they went deeper and louder. Too much cab to bother with these days though ...

Passinwind and I schemed out a mod that we never did execute. Basically to mount a Jensen DI in the chassis and get it the signal from the pre-amp section. The idea was to utilize the .25" jacks, replacing one with a TRS out that would drive a power amp. No chassis mods as the DI itself could mount to the box.

The other way to best utilize an old Bassman is to sell it and snag an Alembic pre, then a power amp - now you have a very, very loud Showman Amp...

That SWR cab was nowhere near efficient enough to use with a 50 watt amp.

I don't think I'd be able to get much for my head. It's a fairly strange beast. Someone took the guts of a '65 Bassman and rehoused them in a '74 chassis. I didn't discover this until I took it in to a bass tech to have him replace the power cord with a modern three-pronger. (When I bought it, I thought I was buying a '74 Bassman.) Besides, I'd like to hang on to it because, on the guitar side of things, it takes dirt pedals well and is a good match with my baritone.

Strat-Mangler · #16 08-20-2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oren Hudson

For additional power, get you a power/slave amp and appropriate cab for uncolored head room. I've used this method for my '65 Bassman head and matching Bassman 2-15 cab (JBLs) and my '71 Ampeg B-25B head and matching Ampeg B25B 2-15 cab with the Altecs. They put a smile on my face every time I use them.

Sorry, but what is a power/slave amp? What does it do and can you name a few good ones?

Thanks.

doc540 · #17 08-20-2010, 10:03 AM

(don't want to hijack the OP's thread, OK?)

No '59 Bassman's were harmed during this project.

The cabs were purpose-built by a friend of mine.

We just winged it and ended up getting lucky.

Top, open-back cab handles the high's and mid's, sealed bottom cab handles the lows.

Both have Eminence Neo 15's.

OP, I encourage you to hotrod that head, match it to a cab and rock it in the pocket!

Fliptrique · #18 08-20-2010, 10:03 AM

I use a fender bassman silverface 50 for recording dirty tones. I borrowed it a few times for rehersals and didn`t had ANY volume problems.

I`m using an efficient 4x10 neo loaded cab rated at 1000 watts. Pently of volume. Just not clean - if you can get past that it`s pretty much 100% overdrive it`s cool. Sounds great.

Argali · #19 08-20-2010, 10:03 AM

So it seems like a 2x15 cab is the way to go. I'm really not much of a "vintage" guy - that's not the sound I'm going for - so what specific cabs would you guys recommend I hunt down? JBL and Altec speakers have been recommended, but I'm not familiar enough with brands to know which cabs are loaded with those.

Argali · #20 08-20-2010, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fliptrique

I use a fender bassman silverface 50 for recording dirty tones. I borrowed it a few times for rehersals and didn`t had ANY volume problems.

I`m using an efficient 4x10 neo loaded cab rated at 1000 watts. Pently of volume. Just not clean - if you can get past that it`s pretty much 100% overdrive it`s cool. Sounds great.

Yeah, I should clarify that I don't intend this to be used as a clean amp at all. I expect to crank it and have it be overdriven, and that's fine. In fact, isn't that how David Wm. Sims got those awesome bass tones on the early Jesus Lizard albums?