how do i date a fender bassman

[headstrong4]

I'm thinking about buying what the seller calls a 1978 bassman 50 with 2x15 cab. From pics this thing looks super clean... Too Clean. I don't have much experience with vintage stuff and don't want to make a mistake. What should I look for to be sure it is really a 78 and is/will a 78 bassman be worth anything? Above that how do they sound?
Thanks for the help

[SurferJoe46]

how do i date a fender bassman

I'd get a dinner and movie promise first.

Actually a '78 is getting a little long in the tooth and I know if it wuz me, I'd insist on playing through it first just to see how badly it's been farted, tortured and how many times/how long it's driven at 13 o'clock first.

Ya gotta remember that 1978 was not a highly great year for sound reproduction and if bass amps went 'thump' and 'boom' they were considered cutting edge.

Actually the whole 1960s through the 1970s were kinda dead, tone-wise to my ears.

In those days I can remember playing 'that one note, hard, constantly until the guitarist changed chords" and that was all that bands were interested in then.

Still - it would be nice to hear one again, just for old time's sake.

[blendermassacre]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I'd get a dinner and movie promise first.

.

and flowers.

[kenfxj]

I'm as Fender bass man. But I'm married. Sorry.

[headstrong4]

thanks guys i hadnt thought of the flowers i was leaning toward giving it my letter jacket and heading over to lookout point.

i actually meant to put this post in amps....can it be switched over?

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by headstrong4

thanks guys i hadnt thought of the flowers i was leaning toward giving it my letter jacket and heading over to lookout point.

i actually meant to put this post in amps....can it be switched over?

A mod will be along soon and do that for you.

No real need to ask. They are pretty good at it.

[DaLoCo]

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

A mod will be along soon and do that for you.

No real need to ask. They are pretty god at it.

Do I smell a jest here??

[headstrong4]

In the mean ytime is there a certain letter or number sequence I should look for to be sure its a 70s era? I don't know if they made any reissues of these but this one looks like it just came from the store

[cardboardJoe]

The dinner and a movie with flowers idea is good, and don't forget to be polite to her dad.....

[coreyfyfe]

A lot of info here: www.ampwares.com

If it's a bassman 50, it's probably older than 78. I think I've read that the switch to the ultralinear transformers was in 76/77 at which point the bassman 50 became the bassman 70. Not a bad amp, I had one for a while, and through a big enough cab it had decent volume. I did a gig with it once, a show in a church. It was loud enough for me to be heard in the crowd and at the mixing board, but I couldn't hear myself on stage, and the only things going into the board were vocals, kick and snare.

[SurferJoe46]

Originally Posted by DaLoCo

Do I smell a jest here??

Nah - sticky keys. I fixed it and there is NO Freudian slip there.

I've gotta stop eating at the 'puter.

[Dark Horse]

I dig the old Bassman 50's - used to gig with one regularly. The one you're looking at isn't a 78...they were discontinued in 1977. IIRC it's the AC568 circuit. For 50 watts, lots of clean headroom, but definitely not what you'd want to use with a loud rock band...unless it was "punk" and you wanted some grit. Soundwise you can get anywhere from "big and thumpy" to "grindy and cutting". Tons of variability.

BTW - He may have bought it in 78, and that's why he thinks it is a 78....but it was just store stock from earlier.

[headstrong4]

Thanks everyone. that's probably what happened hour said he has the receipt still. He prob just bought old stock in 78. Also, I'm reading they came with a 2x12 cab... He said it was a 2x15. Did they come in that setup?
Any idea what would be a good price on one in mint condition? It has covers for head and cab.

[johnk_10]

in about 1968, bassmans started coming with a vertical 2x15 cab.

[coreyfyfe]

The bassman 100/135 came with a 2x15, the 50/70 came with a 2x12 as far as I knew, but that doesn't mean that's what he actually bought it with. The store may have sold him the 2x15 with that head. As far as prices, that link I posted above tracks the value of the heads through ebay sales, so that would be a good resource.

[headstrong4]

Looks like serial numbers are A629383 and A624695.