Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,069
- 46,010
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Yep, the one I worked on was like that. The chassis was tweaked around the transformers too.
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Fender Studio Bass Club!
- Thread starter gjesse
- Start date
Yep, the one I worked on was like that. The chassis was tweaked around the transformers too.
the one I ended up buying definitely had front panel damage. I had to replace the input jacks, which most likely had plugs in them when the unit fell over - they were twisted upwards in the front metal plate. We bent the plate back in place and also ended up replacing some of the control knobs which had been cracked or split when the unit (most likely) took a nose dive at some point. All relatively easy fixes, but fairly clear demonstration of a top heavy design prone to tipping over.
great amp now, really sounds great through the LDS 2x15 Don built for me, as well as my Berg CN212. definitely looking around for one if you are into that old school, all tube Fender tone, with some very nice additional tone shaping options.
HEADS UP : I already own two Fender Studio Bass amps (one original combo, as well as one separated as a head), but otherwise I would be the new owner of this one. It looks to be in pretty good shape compared with some I have seen for sale in the past. But seriously $450? I paid more than that for each of mine.
This one seems to also have its original Fender branded EV15L driver with the aluminum cap, which most do not at this point. Even if you can't use a combo, at this price, you can afford a new sleeve from Mojotone, and just use it as a head. Then you can sell the speaker for about $100, and hook this head up to a more modern cab that can handle all the power.
And having the original Fender branded power tubes is also great, even if only a couple of them are good. These are either Sylvania or RCA rebranded 6L6GC tubes, and they are very good. If just two of the six are working and test well, you could sell them, and probably have enough $ to buy six new JJs (or whatever).
I can't see finding one of these for less > http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fen...eName=VIP:watchlink:top:en&fromMakeTrack=true
This one seems to also have its original Fender branded EV15L driver with the aluminum cap, which most do not at this point. Even if you can't use a combo, at this price, you can afford a new sleeve from Mojotone, and just use it as a head. Then you can sell the speaker for about $100, and hook this head up to a more modern cab that can handle all the power.
And having the original Fender branded power tubes is also great, even if only a couple of them are good. These are either Sylvania or RCA rebranded 6L6GC tubes, and they are very good. If just two of the six are working and test well, you could sell them, and probably have enough $ to buy six new JJs (or whatever).
I can't see finding one of these for less > http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fen...eName=VIP:watchlink:top:en&fromMakeTrack=true
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cool heads up on the Studio combo. Price seems good too, as long as it is in good working order.
not sure what problem your having with the thread ... I see all of your posts today.
not sure what problem your having with the thread ... I see all of your posts today.
For some reason the seller raised the "Buy it now" price by a hunderd bucks, since when I originally posted about this earlier today. I hope it was not in response to my comments about what a fair deal it was. I must correct my previous statement that the price is less than I paid for my Fender Studio Bass amps, because now it is more than I paid for one of them. Still a fair deal for someone who knows they want one of these.
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I got my Studio Bass amp (head only, in a mojotone silverface case) for $425 in full working order. I put about $50 into correcting a few cosmetic kinds of things (bent input jacks, cracked volume control knob and a heavy duty grounded power cord) and it has been a great amp.
As far as the tubes go, mine had original 4 GE 6L6GC's and 2 RCA 6L6GC's in the power section. All the preamp/driver tubes are original GE's: 3 x 7025's, 1 12AT7 driver and a 12AU7A in the rotary EQ section.
I pulled the old power tubes and put them away for studio use. I kept the preamp/driver tubes in there and got a matched sextet of Ruby 6L6GC STR's for the power section and had it biased for them. I had wanted to do what johnk_10 had done and put 7581a's in the power section for a bit more output, but I just could not find any for a close to reasonable price.
Sounds great/looks great.
As far as the tubes go, mine had original 4 GE 6L6GC's and 2 RCA 6L6GC's in the power section. All the preamp/driver tubes are original GE's: 3 x 7025's, 1 12AT7 driver and a 12AU7A in the rotary EQ section.
I pulled the old power tubes and put them away for studio use. I kept the preamp/driver tubes in there and got a matched sextet of Ruby 6L6GC STR's for the power section and had it biased for them. I had wanted to do what johnk_10 had done and put 7581a's in the power section for a bit more output, but I just could not find any for a close to reasonable price.
Sounds great/looks great.
I own the amp that JohnK put those Philips 7581As in. I bought it from him about five years ago, and I kind of like that he keeps the page on his web site that tells all about it. I paid a higher price for it than you did on yours, by quite a margin, but those tubes were NOS and the caps fresh and the sleeve brand new, so I bought it without reservation. Also, John had done an expert job in cleaning it up and refurbishing it. Every pot is smooth and quiet, every jack is tight and clean, all knobs were perfect, and there were almost no blems/scatches to the faceplate and rear plate - Grade A condition throughout. I was lucky to see it first, so to speak. Amp and power tubes work perfect to this day, but the amp doesn't get used as much now as a couple of years ago.
And I guess you found out that Philips 7581As go for about $100 a piece, used. That's if you can find any for sale in the first place. I actually bought the amp as much, if not more, for those tubes, as I did for the amp itself.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/7581A.html
I have two other tube heads as well as another Fender Studio Bass combo (which still has 4 of its 6 original Fender branded 6L6GCs), but that one from JohnK is the only one I wouldn't willingly sell.
http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/StudioBass.html
And I guess you found out that Philips 7581As go for about $100 a piece, used. That's if you can find any for sale in the first place. I actually bought the amp as much, if not more, for those tubes, as I did for the amp itself.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/7581A.html
I have two other tube heads as well as another Fender Studio Bass combo (which still has 4 of its 6 original Fender branded 6L6GCs), but that one from JohnK is the only one I wouldn't willingly sell.
http://johnkvintageguitars.homestead.com/StudioBass.html
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You got quite the fair deal too, pfschim. These are really such a good buy as old amps go. Some older guitar heads, even Fenders, seem to sell for twice as much.
yep, I'm very happy with the deal I made for mine. great to have such and amp to use for certain things.
I picked up my fender studio bass for 600 at a local music shop still has the original amp cover this thing is mint all original tubes an awesome amp. This is a short clip of me doing an AB with the studio bass and a rare Allen 50 watt bass head
thought I would revive the Fender Studio Bass club thread a bit.
Some of you may remember that I have been looking for 7581A power tubes for my Fender Studio Bass amp. TB member johnk_10 put this idea in my head when he did a full restore of a Super Twin (same basic amp as the Studio Bass) and used NOS 7581A power tubes. 7851a's are direct replacements for 6L6 amp designs and basically give you a small boost in total power handling per tube, via increased plate dissipation. 6L6's displace 30w per tube, 7581A's dissipate 35w. So, with 6 power tubes (while this is not exactly a precise way to consider it) you can get a Studio Bass/Super Twin to give up 205w with 7581A's vs 180w with 6L6's (even with the most robust 6L6 i.e. 6L6GC-STR). Now, of course, some of the Studio Bass amp schematics seem to show 180w RMS rating, and some others (later versions) show 200w. I think this basically means that Fender used a less stringent THD% to rate the later amps.
When I went to look for 7581A's I found that no one was making new versions of these tubes. NOS prices were crazy high, like $100-129 per tube (that adds up to a lot when your talking about 6 of these suckers), and there were very few available, so, I basically gave up on equipping my Studio Bass with 7581A's.
Recently I was idly looking around at online tube shops (sounds kind of funny - heh heh), and saw that Tung Sol has started to produce 7581A's that seem to be the real deal. They are also priced at $29 per tube for matched pairs, which is a huge price difference. I posted on TB and got some of our respected, technically inclined types, considering these new tubes, and they felt like the new Tung Sol's could be the real thing.
link: New Tung Sol 7581a power tubes | TalkBass.com
So, anyway, based on the conversation I decided to go for a set. I got them today and will put them in the Studio Bass tonight for burn in (thanks for the tip Beans-on-Toast), and give the amp a run with the new tubes (and potentially more "power") next weekend. I don't really expect a great deal from this re-tube. The amp already sounds great, but if I can get a bit more headroom, I'll call it a good deal.
Thought I would share this info in the Studio Bass Club.
gratuitous tube porn drool
enjoy!
Some of you may remember that I have been looking for 7581A power tubes for my Fender Studio Bass amp. TB member johnk_10 put this idea in my head when he did a full restore of a Super Twin (same basic amp as the Studio Bass) and used NOS 7581A power tubes. 7851a's are direct replacements for 6L6 amp designs and basically give you a small boost in total power handling per tube, via increased plate dissipation. 6L6's displace 30w per tube, 7581A's dissipate 35w. So, with 6 power tubes (while this is not exactly a precise way to consider it) you can get a Studio Bass/Super Twin to give up 205w with 7581A's vs 180w with 6L6's (even with the most robust 6L6 i.e. 6L6GC-STR). Now, of course, some of the Studio Bass amp schematics seem to show 180w RMS rating, and some others (later versions) show 200w. I think this basically means that Fender used a less stringent THD% to rate the later amps.
When I went to look for 7581A's I found that no one was making new versions of these tubes. NOS prices were crazy high, like $100-129 per tube (that adds up to a lot when your talking about 6 of these suckers), and there were very few available, so, I basically gave up on equipping my Studio Bass with 7581A's.
Recently I was idly looking around at online tube shops (sounds kind of funny - heh heh), and saw that Tung Sol has started to produce 7581A's that seem to be the real deal. They are also priced at $29 per tube for matched pairs, which is a huge price difference. I posted on TB and got some of our respected, technically inclined types, considering these new tubes, and they felt like the new Tung Sol's could be the real thing.
link: New Tung Sol 7581a power tubes | TalkBass.com
So, anyway, based on the conversation I decided to go for a set. I got them today and will put them in the Studio Bass tonight for burn in (thanks for the tip Beans-on-Toast), and give the amp a run with the new tubes (and potentially more "power") next weekend. I don't really expect a great deal from this re-tube. The amp already sounds great, but if I can get a bit more headroom, I'll call it a good deal.
Thought I would share this info in the Studio Bass Club.
gratuitous tube porn drool
enjoy!
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- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,636
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
ha, johnk_10, the originator of my inexplicable 7581A GAS
, thanks for posting in on this topic. with advice from a few of the more technical minded folks in the Tung Sol 7581A thread I linked to above, I am going to let these tubes burn in this week and try them on next weekends gigs, perhaps even as soon as a Thur rehearsal. I usually don't haul gear to rehearsal as amps are already in the space, but I may make an exception in this case.
stay tuned!
