Fender Bassman 135 Silver/Black Model

[BluesBear]

A BLACKFACE Fender amplifier has a control panel with a BLACK background with white (cream) silk screen printing.
There have been a few newer limited edition Blackface models with silverish lettering.

A SILVERFACE Fender amplifier has a brushed aluminium (silver) control panel with BLUE silk screened printing.

I heve NEVER come across a single example with black printing and I have encountered literally hundreds of Silverface Fenders.
I HAVE encountered Silverface Fenders where someone has tried to clean the control panel with various household cleaners that have caused the blue ink to either dissolve completely or turn dark rusty brown in splotches.

The only other colour I have ever seen on ANY silverface Fender was the RED lettering on the old BRONCO Amp. Which was nothing more than a relabeled Vibro Champ bundled with the Bronco guitar.

Of course I am refering to real, genuine Fender control panels.
These days there are all sorts of "reproduction" panels available on fleabay.

Not to be rude but;
NO MiCK.GaSM is it not "obviously" black. That pic has some serious colour balance problems. Look how the wall changes colour from left to right.

 

[BluesBear]

I CAN'T BELIEVE NO ONE HAS SEEN OR HEARD OF A 135 BLACKFACE, I HAVE LOOKED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ON THE INTERNET ,,,, HAS ANYONE ON THIS SITE SEEN ONE OR KNOW SOMTHING ABOUT IT,, IT WAS OWNED BY MY NEIGHBOR WHO GOT ME STARTED IN BASS IN 1966,I WAS 16 AT THE TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF HE HAD IT AT THAT TIME, BUT IN LATER YEARS, ABOUT 10, WHEN I WENT TO VISIT HIM HE GAVE IT TO ME, BEFORE MOVING
TO FLA,, HE WAS ABOUT 20 YEARS OLDER THAN ME, I HAD THE AMP SERVICED AND CLEANED, IT HAS 2 VENTS WINDOWS ON BOTH SIDE WALLS, I PLAY IT THROUGH 2 FENDER CABINETS, 1 HAS 4 X12 DIAMOND SET UP AND THE OTHER IS 2X15, I CAN KNOCK DOWN WALLS IF I WANT TO,LOL,, PLEASE LET ME KNOW,,,,DENNIS

Well Dennis, your timeline for getting your Blackface Bassman 135 is a few years off.

In 1966 ALL of the Fender amplifiers used a black control panel with white script silkscreen printing and had for several years.
The Bassmans were marked Bassman Amp.
The Silverface models debuted in 1968.
The Bassman Amp became the Bassman 50 in 1972 and then the Bassman 70 in 1977.

If the 50 watt Bassman wasn't loud enough for you in 1970 Fender announced the 100 watt Super Bassman.
Which was nothing more than a Dual Showman Reverb without tremolo or reverb. It even used the Dual Showman cabinets.
In 1972 Fender came to their senses and abandoned the absurd "tall boy" look and introduced the Bassman 100 in a size similar to the Bassman 50. It came with a strange angle loaded, slot ported, 4x12 cabinet.
The Bassman 100 became the Bassman 135 in 1977.

All of the above had brushed aluminium control panels with blue silkscreened model names.

Until 1981 when Fender changed the Bassman 135 to a black control panel with a small, white, script Bassman 135 logo. It didn't sell well because by that time Fender had lost its hold on the bass amplifier market. Fender stopped production of the Bassman 135 in 1982.

So your friend couldn't have given you a blackface Bassman 135 until 1981 or later.

 

[Mokebass]

All Bassman 135s were silverface with blue/turquoise? lettering. 1977-1983.

Sacralige to use as a so called "guitar amp".

Not perfect for sharper edges on bass but play with the master cranked and you can get a great all round sound.

 

[rodl2005]

I used a silver face Bassman 100 for years. loved it!
Want another one

 

[BluesBear]

All Bassman 135s were silverface with blue/turquoise? lettering. 1977-1983.

ALL???
NO not "ALL" were silverface.
The last batch made in 1981 and sold through 1983 had a blackface layout.

There's this new invention called GOOGLE. Remember that name, it just might catch on.
Using GOOGLE it took me LESS than one minute to find this;

Now the master volume knob is a replacement. And the pilot light cover appears to be a green replacement. But I guarantee you that is a factory stock control panel for a 1981 Bassman 135.

 

[JTE]

In addition to the final iteration of the Bassman series in '81 - '83, there was a limited series of blackface Fender amps earlier. When the International Colors were introduced (ca. 1978?) Fender offered a special to dealers. If we bought certain combinations of International Color instruments, then we could select certain then-current amps with black control panels. The store I managed took them up on this and we got two Twins, two Pros, and a Deluxe (all guitar amps) and a Bassman 50 and a Bassman 100 (or 75/135, I don't recall which). These were the exact same amps as any other amp that year, just had a black control panel. I believe the logos and lettering were the same as the current series amps would have been too.

John

 

[johnk_10]

also, the silverface amps actually debuted in late 1967. early-mid '67's were blackface, and by '68 all of them were silver.

 

[Mokebass]

Disputes anything but torquoise/silver face 135 bass heads

 

[Mokebass]

Still an underrated bass amp. Massive head room.

 

[flipsterb]

I have a mint '78 Bassman 135, and it produces the deepest, warmest bass tones of any amp I've ever owned (I was playing bass when I saw Jack Bruce and the "farewell tour" of Cream the first time around). I had my local amp tech - Dan Lurie, here in Vermont - service it, and it is quiet yet loud, fat yet clean. My only complaint is that the heavy transformer on one end means the handle is unbalanced for carrying - big deal!

I remember my old '66 50w blackface Bassman - low power, and high breakup. Great for guitar, sucked for bass. In my humble opinion the 135 is the biggest "sleeper" in the vintage Fender tube line as far as bass heads go.

Of course, the original cabinets that came with the 135 won't do you justice. I took a vintage cab with two twelves, and replaced them with Eminence neo Basslite S2012s (and some extra dense foam at the recommendation of the great techs at Eminence to have the right internal volume) and now I have a vintage look, with a killer sound. I can play my '78 P-bass straight into this amp with no pedals whatsoever and have the power and tone that amazes my bandmates.

Bottom line - I'm done searching. While the equipment junkie in me gets a little restless from time to time, it's nice to be done for once.

 

[rodl2005]

Very nice! You guys Stateside are SO lucky compared to us Ozzies when it comes to vintage gear

(well, all gear really, when you consider a 2nd hand SVT-CL goes for around $2K here-things've gotten a li'l better lately thanks to online competition-thankfully!)

Ppl are advertising Fender Bassman 50's for close to $2K also.

I don't think many (any???) are actually selling at that price, but.....

Here's a "mint" 100 & cab sold here for $1800

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/16066488...WAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_941

 

[johnk_10]

wow! with all of the amps that i have, i'd look like a millionaire over there.

 

[rodl2005]

As they say here, bloody-outh ya would!

 

[lowendblues]

My first "big" amp was a Bassman 100 with the matching 4-12 cabinet. The head had big chrome brackets on the bottom that would secure the amp to the cabinet with thumb screws.

I think I still have the brackets somewhere.