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Fender Bassman 100T - chapter 2

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#581
PhatRon said:
Don't under estimate the 100T. It's quite powerful. I've never had the master above 5 and with any FOH at all it's usually around 4. And that's only with 2-12's or a 410. If you truly need more power than that get the super bassman. Seems to be a lot of extra weight and cost to merely use it as a pre or power amp IMO of course. For the occasional outdoor/large venue without FOH, I would think big/more cabs would work quite well.
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+ 1, that is a lot to move for just a preamp.
 
#583
As someone who owns and loves both the 100T and the Super Bassman, the difference between the two goes beyond "more power". The Bassman has 6550s for one and, based on my experience with both amps in the same venues and with the same cabs, there is more weight and depth behind the low end in the Super Bassman - even with both amps at similar volume levels. Some may well prefer the presentation of the 100T, and the difference is not huge but it is there.
I am not saying that one is better than the other, or trying to start a big debate on it as for many this difference may not be significant. For me, it is why the SB300 gets more gigging use. In the studio a couple of weeks ago, the 100T was the clear choice. The physical difference just does not seem huge if you heft one and then the other.
Just my .02 observations, cabs used are Fender neo 610 or Bergantino NV215. As I said, both absolutely fabulous heads and bound to become classics IMO.
 
#585
For me, it comes down to this: The SB300 indeed may have more weight and depth than the 100T... but my 100T has so much more weight and depth and true old-school tubey deliciousness than the Genz Benz Streamliner that had been my main gigging amp. So, personal choice, made more sense to me to save a few hundred dollars and the 15 or whatever pounds. In a perfect world (more money, a younger back), I might very well have gone for the 300. But the 100T is giving me so much more than I had, and was simply the practical choice. Also, in many of the rooms I play, the lower breakup sweetspot of the 100T better suits my needs. YMMV.
 
#586
Maybe what Tim is bringing up about the 100T lacking 'weight and depth' compared to the SB300 is precisely one of the things I love about it. I had a hard time for years learning that what I was hearing onstage, especially frequencies below say 100 Hz., had nothing to do with what the audience was hearing. This was especially true during the 70's when I used a Sunn folded 18 along with a Sunn 215. If I was hearing the bottom end I liked onstage, it was rattling people's teeth 20' and further from the stage. In the mid 80's when I switched to 2x410 Hartkes and a GK800RB, it still felt thin to me onstage when I got it dialed in so it wasn't too bottom heavy out in the room. I'm not sure what it is about the 100T/410Neo combo, but it sounds much rounder and fuller to me onstage, though I've never had complaints from audience or soundmen about too much low end. Whenever I've allowed another bass player to sit in, what I hear out front is pretty much exactly what I'm hearing onstage.
I don't know if this has anything to do with anything. I don't know if the power tubes going into self-compression at relatively low volume is helping keep the low end in check, or if the output transformer just naturally rolls off sub-lows, or if it's a combination of those. But I do know I haven't had to fight the mud like I used to.
 
#587
Freight Train said:
Maybe what Tim is bringing up about the 100T lacking 'weight and depth' compared to the SB300 is precisely one of the things I love about it. I had a hard time for years learning that what I was hearing onstage, especially frequencies below say 100 Hz., had nothing to do with what the audience was hearing. This was especially true during the 70's when I used a Sunn folded 18 along with a Sunn 215. If I was hearing the bottom end I liked onstage, it was rattling people's teeth 20' and further from the stage. In the mid 80's when I switched to 2x410 Hartkes and a GK800RB, it still felt thin to me onstage when I got it dialed in so it wasn't too bottom heavy out in the room. I'm not sure what it is about the 100T/410Neo combo, but it sounds much rounder and fuller to me onstage, though I've never had complaints from audience or soundmen about too much low end. Whenever I've allowed another bass player to sit in, what I hear out front is pretty much exactly what I'm hearing onstage.
I don't know if this has anything to do with anything. I don't know if the power tubes going into self-compression at relatively low volume is helping keep the low end in check, or if the output transformer just naturally rolls off sub-lows, or if it's a combination of those. But I do know I haven't had to fight the mud like I used to.
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Very well said.
 
#588
I agree with you all, guys, and I tried to make it clear that I was not trying to say that one is better than the other - just that there are some differences other than perceived volume. I would be more than happy to gig the 100T if I did not have the SB300, I simply use the 300 more regularly because for my purposes I marginally prefer it to the 100T. I can totally understand others finding the 100T more suited to them and that is fine, but I can at least make the observation based on having owned and gigged both. Also remember that my 100T has Winged C power tubes and JJ pres, so may sound a tad different to those with the original tubes.
 
#589
I'm pretty sure I'd've been happy with the 100T also, but a few gigs I do are in big concert halls, auditoriums etc & on these stages 100w, heck even 200 tube watts doesn't gimme (almost) clean tone when I need it.
Pity, coz I would've loved the lighter weight, smaller size & cheaper price;)
Still, I love the SB300 & even take it to small gigs, it's that good.
 
#590
I play with a band at my church, and used the 100T this past weekend. Originally I was planning to use the amp in 25W mode with the 410 Neo, but it became clear that it would still be too loud for the house. So I switched it to Silent Record and just ran direct in Post mode. Man, that was incredible. Cranked up the master volume to get some power tube breakup/saturation - totally sweet, fat, delicious tone. This has got to be one of the best bass DIs available. Of course, it's also one of the most expensive (if you don't ever power a cab with it). :)
 
#591
My music store buddy dropped it off at my place on the way home from work yesterday, just in time for last night's gig :)

Man, this thing is tiny, and easier to move than my old SWR Goliath Jr II. Sounded huge though, I'm super happy with it.
 

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#596
idoru said:
My music store buddy dropped it off at my place on the way home from work yesterday, just in time for last night's gig :)

Man, this thing is tiny, and easier to move than my old SWR Goliath Jr II. Sounded huge though, I'm super happy with it.
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Congrats. I actually chatted with a salesman at GC tonight and I'm going to bring in my Epifani PS410 on trade-in and order the Fender NEO 410. I don't want to deal with trying to sell a 410, too heavy to ship, etc., so figured it was the easy way to go.
 
#599
As an aside, I plugged my baritone Tele into the 100-T + 410 setup and was able to dial in a pretty nice heavy guitar tone today - by heavy, I mean something more like Thrice and less like Entombed (I have a HM-2 for that!). 25 watts is WAY too loud for home - I love problems like those :)
 
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