Fender Bassman 100T Chapter 3

[Freight Train]

My thought process would be to get a 100T with a 4x10 for normal gigs with the option to buy a 2nd 4x10 down the road. If I got it over the Super Bassman, which is undecided.

I thought the exact same thing when I got my 100T/410Neo rig five years ago, but other than gassing for the look of 2 410Neo's stacked or side-by-side, I've had absolutely no reason to do it. The single 410 with the 100T has more than handled any gig we've had, and we've played some really big outdoor festival stages during that time.

 

[bonin in the boneyard]

Hell of a tagline, Freight.

Reminds me of this old gem:

 

[Elder Rynok]

It'd go in the backseat ok. .. on its side. ... from what I've seen of 610s and backseats

THANKS!, that's kind of what my measurements are telling me, I could fit it sideways in the back seat. I think it could fit through the entrance of my trunk and could fit sideways in there, but I don't think I could maneuver it from entrance to sideways.

I thought the exact same thing when I got my 100T/410Neo rig five years ago, but other than gassing for the look of 2 410Neo's stacked or side-by-side, I've had absolutely no reason to do it. The single 410 with the 100T has more than handled any gig we've had, and we've played some really big outdoor festival stages during that time.

How big of a band? Most of our gigs have had FOH support, but some lately have not. Indoors hasn't been an issue, but this most recent outdoors with no FOH support is what worried me.

 

[Freight Train]

THANKS!, that's kind of what my measurements are telling me, I could fit it sideways in the back seat. I think it could fit through the entrance of my trunk and could fit sideways in there, but I don't think I could maneuver it from entrance to sideways.


How big of a band? Most of our gigs have had FOH support, but some lately have not. Indoors hasn't been an issue, but this most recent outdoors with no FOH support is what worried me.

This specific band is a blues band - guitar, bass, harp, vocalist, drums. All very good and very seasoned players, so admittedly everyone has grown out of "look how loud I can play" and actually listen to each other and play in ensemble. Which doesn't mean it's meek, just meaning everyone listens and balances volumes so everyone is heard. But up until 5 or 6 months ago I was also in a hard rock trio with a very powerful drummer, and the 100T/410Neo had no problem at all. The only outdoor gigs I've played with no FOH has been with the blues band, and that wasn't a problem. But for the loud rock band, I'm not sure how that'd go. In my experience it's so dependent on whether the guitarist(s) actually listen or just blast and screw everybody else. I still carry my GK 800RB to gigs as a back up, so I could always go to that if I ran into the situation.
As usual this is a very dificult question to answer. If you're wanting clean power with headroom, imo that's not what the 100T is about anyway, unless it's low or medium volume stuff. Not sure even with two 410's it'd be that clean. I specifically went with the 100T because I wanted to easily get power tube distortion at reasonable volumes. If you're wanting clean power with headroom but a real tube sound, the SB300 is probably the thing.

 

[rodl2005]

Very true. Pretty much if you want CLEAN tube tone - get the 300w Super Bassman. .. if you don't mind a goodly amount of overdrive once things get loud. .the 100w will probably do.
As volume is VERY subjective, I can only describe my experiences too.
Sadly I'm finding I'm using the Super Bassman far more than my 100w V4B. Sadly, because the V4B is a GREAT amp, but 100w is 100w is 100w all day long.
I'm just very glad that the Super Bassman is only 65lbs and is very manageable to me, where the 80-85lbs of the SVT is JUST getting over my happy zone

 

[armybass]

Sometimes I actually feel that my 100T is too much for some of my gigs..... I dont play in loud band, its a trio with an emphasis on vocals and there are times when I feel like I am having a hard time restraining the beast. I also have a Super Bassman at home that I run through a Berg NV610 that sounds wonderful at any volume. But there are times when I play the 100T through a Neo 410 Bassman that I feel like its hard to handle the beasty. I play 5 nights in a row next week in five different venues with three different groups and I am going to stick with the 100T and see if I can find the sweet spot. May even try to run it in 25watt mode on my quieter gigs.

 

[Freight Train]

Sometimes I actually feel that my 100T is too much for some of my gigs..... I dont play in loud band, its a trio with an emphasis on vocals and there are times when I feel like I am having a hard time restraining the beast. I also have a Super Bassman at home that I run through a Berg NV610 that sounds wonderful at any volume. But there are times when I play the 100T through a Neo 410 Bassman that I feel like its hard to handle the beasty. I play 5 nights in a row next week in five different venues with three different groups and I am going to stick with the 100T and see if I can find the sweet spot. May even try to run it in 25watt mode on my quieter gigs.

For the past couple of years I've been running at 25 watts more than 100. The thing sounds just beautiful to me in 25 watt mode, and the self-compression the power tubes go into sounds a lot more like a high-end studio compressor than any stomp box I've heard. Don't be afraid, try it for a set and I think you'll love it.

 

[shwashwa]

i actually dont think ive ever had mine out of 25 watt mode.

 

[armybass]

OK, cant wait to try it now. Do you guys use active or passive basses in 25 watt mode. Wondering if my Classic Stingray will be too hot for the front end and make it break up too soon?

 

[shwashwa]

OK, cant wait to try it now. Do you guys use active or passive basses in 25 watt mode. Wondering if my Classic Stingray will be too hot for the front end and make it break up too soon?

there are 2 inputs for that reason...

 

[armybass]

Ya know... as much as I know about music, bass playing and basses.... it is truly amazing what a dumbass I am apparently about amps. That is why I hand out here. And I have totally gotten over the fact that I am a dumbass and I learn something new every day here. LOL.... thanks man. Amazing how I miss the obvious on so many things that are mechanical in nature.

 

[Lowendtech]

Ya know... as much as I know about music, bass playing and basses.... it is truly amazing what a dumbass I am apparently about amps. That is why I hand out here. And I have totally gotten over the fact that I am a dumbass and I learn something new every day here. LOL.... thanks man. Amazing how I miss the obvious on so many things that are mechanical in nature.

There is no such thing as a dumbass here. Only hot output basses and low output basses.

 

[armybass]

and being able to see that there are two inputs on the front of your amp...

 

[Down_Low]

OK, cant wait to try it now. Do you guys use active or passive basses in 25 watt mode. Wondering if my Classic Stingray will be too hot for the front end and make it break up too soon?

I use the passive input on the Super Bassman with my SR4. Haven't found that it's any hotter than my passive Fenders (unless you're boosting the EQ's too much). Is the Classic any hotter than the standard StingRays?

 

[rodl2005]

Same. SR5 into passive input of SB300 no issues. My 2014 Gibson EB is hotter than the Ray 5

 

[frankzelf]

Wal basses on passive input on my 100T and the SuperBassman.
No problems at all.

 

[Freight Train]

OK, cant wait to try it now. Do you guys use active or passive basses in 25 watt mode. Wondering if my Classic Stingray will be too hot for the front end and make it break up too soon?

Currently everything I have is passive, using input 1 on the 100T.

 

[Levitamin]

I've been trying out a Bassman 100T recently. I've read a lot of posts in these threads, but not all of them. Forgive me if this has been addressed already. Is the "speaker emulation" in the silent record mode some kind of digital modeling? What about in the OD channel, which Fender describes as "modern?" Is this a 100% tube amp, or is there anything else going on?

 

[rodl2005]

I know nussink about the speaker sim thang. ..
But. ..it is an all tube amp. .. the MODERN channel. ..called OVERDRIVE channel. ..is an ACTIVE EQ channel. .where the VINTAGE channel is the old Fender PASSIVE EQ. which is flat at bass-0 mid -10 treble - 0 and, on my Super Bassman. ..sounds freaking amazing.
The modern channel. ..is active eq so 'flat' at the centre detent and can cut and boost either side.
It CAN be run 100% clean- just have the BLEND on 0 or you can blend in the drive - which imo is great as you can keep the solid clean tone in there and simply add drive to it. Sweepable mids really make this channel and it's drive. ..very sculptable (??)
I LOVE my Super Bassman but I've not used a 100T in any other way than in a store. It sounded good in there tho.

 

[Levitamin]

I know nussink about the speaker sim thang. ..
But. ..it is an all tube amp. .. the MODERN channel. ..called OVERDRIVE channel. ..is an ACTIVE EQ channel. .where the VINTAGE channel is the old Fender PASSIVE EQ. which is flat at bass-0 mid -10 treble - 0 and, on my Super Bassman. ..sounds freaking amazing.
The modern channel. ..is active eq so 'flat' at the centre detent and can cut and boost either side.
It CAN be run 100% clean- just have the BLEND on 0 or you can blend in the drive - which imo is great as you can keep the solid clean tone in there and simply add drive to it. Sweepable mids really make this channel and it's drive. ..very sculptable (??)
I LOVE my Super Bassman but I've not used a 100T in any other way than in a store. It sounded good in there tho.

I really like it a lot. I played around with the OD channel some more today, and it's pretty cool. I just don't want to spend tube amp money on something that has hidden digital modeling. I only ask because of the speaker emulator shown in the schematic.