Official Fender Bassman club

[Tim1]

Never could get to grips with my Mesa 400+, and I tried all the tricks and tips. Somehow I always seemed to be EQ'ing - might well have been me but I have not had that problem with other heads.
On the plus side I have just taken delivery of a new Super Bassman 300 to go with my Bassman 100T. They are both class acts but man does the SB300 have headroom in spades .

[fuzzy beard]

Do they have the same voicing?

[Tim1]

Same preamp, different power tubes - I think 6550s in the 300 and SL6s in the 100T(both Groove Tubes). Others have posted that the voicing is the same, just "more" for the 300. I am not sure, but I swapped out the tubes in my 100T for Winged Cs and JJs in the preamp so probably not a true comparison. Certainly very similar, I have a feeling the SB300 might have more mids but I have not had it long enough yet to make that call.

[fuzzy beard]

Thanks!

[change-jug]

Originally Posted by christw

This is true. I'm still considering keeping at least until I demo the Big E.

Edit: Well, I plugged in for the first time in months and played with the graphic EQ, blended some buzzsaw overdrive (HELLO DOOM HEAVEN), and even used the comp for the first time ever. Now that I've got some of my strength back, it's definitely a keeper.

I know that you posted over in the DOOM thread but in case you didn`t see my reply over there I just wanted to say that I love my 300Pro(I`m playing it right now). Sure it`s big and heavy. I`m glad no one watched me and the UPS guy struggle to get the box, the size of a steamer trunk up(with the 300 inside) 7 stairs onto my front porch.
It`s a great amp and I love the dirty channel. I also really like that I can blend the dirty channel into my clean signal.
I know some people think that the 300 has a bit much in the way of controls but you can always bypass them till your ready to learn to use them. That`s what I did.

Right now I use my 300 paired with a 410pro,but I have a 115 pro coming in the mail tuesday that I plan on pairing with an older 115 fender cab. I`m hoping that 2 15s kick ass with this head.
Has anyone used the fender 210pro cab paired with a 410pro? I`d like to try that out(and get a modular 610 out of the deal) but I`m not sure how they sound and they`re kind of hard to find too.

[christw]

I just can't get over the gobs of clean volume these amps have. Other than a Hiwatt DR405, this is the loudest tube amp I've played. It definitely offsets the weight with versatility. I'm finally finding myself really taking advantage of all of the features of this amp. (I even eBayed a footswitch earlier tonight!) I've done the modular 610 thing before with Bag End cabs and loved it. The 300 Pro kick ass on top of pretty much anything IMO.

[MICKUSS]

My 300 Pro sits on top of my Fender 215 Pro. Kicks serious ass!! I'm sure two separate 15s would be pretty awesome as well.

[D.M.N.]

I've really loved my 300pro over the last couple of years. It was my first serious amp, and I have used the heck out of the thing. It's been mostly replaced by my Sunn for the past two years, and I've contemplated selling it, but I don't think I can part with it. I plugged it into my full rig recently with my new Dagstar Jazz, and holy good god is it a monster. There is nothing really comparable to a 300pro running into two JBL 140 loaded Sunn 2000s cabs.

[rodl2005]

How about into 4 JBL's ?
Agreed, it's the loudest, most powerful- gutsy I s'pose- sounding amp I ever used. I've moved to the Traynor YBA300, but if I was a rich man, ya da da da da da dada da da da, I'd love to have one still.

[D.M.N.]

Oh, sorry, I should make that clearer. It's two Sunn 2000s cabs, each loaded with 2 JBL K140s. So yes, it is 4 JBLs. And yeah, it's a burly amp for sure, my only complaint being all the extra fiddly bits (I'd really just rather have a mid-knob and be done with it!). But a truly great, and I think often overlooked, amp.

[christw]

Originally Posted by D.M.N.

Oh, sorry, I should make that clearer. It's two Sunn 2000s cabs, each loaded with 2 JBL K140s. So yes, it is 4 JBLs.

I wish I had that much cab to handle this monster! It just gave my 115 a serious workout after tracking down a dying 12AX7 after last month's tube rolling. I'm pretty sure I accidentally put one or two bad tubes in with the good ones when I was moving. I swear it was the same bad Sovtek I pulled from this amp a year ago. I use my old tubes for decoration.

...But a truly great, and I think often overlooked, amp.

Totally overlooked and underrated. I'd never heard of these amps until mine came up FS on craigslist last year. If I had, I probably would've moved on from the SVT's sooner.

[AphekGreg]

Originally Posted by Tim1

Same preamp, different power tubes - I think 6550s in the 300 and SL6s in the 100T(both Groove Tubes). Others have posted that the voicing is the same, just "more" for the 300. I am not sure, but I swapped out the tubes in my 100T for Winged Cs and JJs in the preamp so probably not a true comparison. Certainly very similar, I have a feeling the SB300 might have more mids but I have not had it long enough yet to make that call.

I find JJ 12AX7s to be brighter and slightly scooped compared to other brands, which would explain why the 300 has more mids. You do tend to get a fuller sound with more output tubes, so it could be that too. You could try running the preamp out of one head into the power amp in on the other and hear what the difference is.

[change-jug]

Originally Posted by christw

I just can't get over the gobs of clean volume these amps have. Other than a Hiwatt DR405, this is the loudest tube amp I've played. It definitely offsets the weight with versatility. I'm finally finding myself really taking advantage of all of the features of this amp. (I even eBayed a footswitch earlier tonight!) I've done the modular 610 thing before with Bag End cabs and loved it. The 300 Pro kick ass on top of pretty much anything IMO.

I bought a footswitch for my 300 too. Mine didn`t have one when I bought it. Not sure where I bought it online but it wasn`t ebay.
I`m glad you snagged one! Makes things a bit easier.
My 115pro was waiting in my driveway when I came home.
I can`t wait to hook it up!!

[D.M.N.]

Originally Posted by christw

I wish I had that much cab to handle this monster! It just gave my 115 a serious workout after tracking down a dying 12AX7 after last month's tube rolling.
......
Totally overlooked and underrated. I'd never heard of these amps until mine came up FS on craigslist last year. If I had, I probably would've moved on from the SVT's sooner.

Yeah, I used to run it with an Ampeg 115 (actually a B2r combo with the head pulled), and it was really too much for the thing. It would shake and vibrate like crazy. The 2000s cabs are a huge step up, and really make the most of the amps tonal girth, as it were.

I tried SVTs, both the CL and the VR, but I didn't find either of them very stellar. The Bassman is exactly what I wanted out of a SVT, but they didn't seem to provide me. (Not to say they're bad amps, or if the bassman is better than a SVT, but for my needs, the Bassman wins out).

[christw]

I used the 300 Pro before work with my brandless 115 and J Worrell 6er. Holy crap! It was dub/reggae heaven. I cant wait to try this with the Big E's and see what they can do.

[adambomb]

If I started making DI's with famous vintage tube preamps (bassman, B15, SVTcl...ect.) in front........ Would that be something that you think bassist would purchase....... Just a thought since most bassist are asked to go DI to FOH anyway. And if so what would be a reasonable asking price? I know about how much it would cost me to make. A little more a little less. Depending on the complexity of the design of the pre.

[christw]

Well, there are already a couple of B-15 influenced preamps/DI's like the Jules Amps Monique and A Designs REDDI. I think you would need to find a niche that offers something the rest of them don't. I've been using my Hughes and Kettner BATT for almost everything since I purchased it. It's tone is very Fender-y (clean). If you were to build a B-15 based 6SL7/6L6 preamp in the same vein with an XLR out, I'd be sold.

[christw]

It's not working AGAIN.

This time it was no sound. Preamp signal and clip idicators lit as usual but I couldnt get it to work with any effects return magic, including send and returns with the Buster. Nothing seemed off. The cable and cab checked totally good. Another day, another hundred dollars...

[rodl2005]

BUMMER!! Hope it works out OK.

[JerryD]

Got my Fender Bassman 100T and Neo 115 in. The 2nd 115 is on backorder......It is so classie and sounds great too. I want 4 of those 115........

When you get a chance I'll take a number....Please