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Increase headroom in bassman 50W

#22
chadds said:
Beg to differ. For guitar, yes. 15w can be a lot.
An 85w Showman walked all over the Bassman. A 100w Traynor YBA-1A eclipsed both. I played a 200w Acoustic at a gig along with another bassist who had two 50w Bassman heads and two 2x12 cabs and he couldn't be heard by anyone. I've used two of those Bassman with two cabs and couldn't keep up with a 40w Super Reverb.

(All of these amps were new or less than 5 years old so cap jobs weren't due.)

Though it's not my fave amp this is the reason the SVT exists.
Click to expand...

Doing it wrong then. Been using 50w head for bass for a year now. Got a loud cab. Plus obv recorded examples.
 
#23
I have started a topic 2-3 days ago

Fender Bassman 100 SF 1974 + Ampeg SVT 810E


basically, I have this combo, although my main rig is GK Fusion 550 + 810.

Bassman 100 sounds GREAT with 810, but it distorts pretty badly on E string if you play loud music with the loud band.

simple as that.

for quiter music and/or recording - great.
if you play loud and aggressively - forget about it.
 
#25
elwuss said:
I have started a topic 2-3 days ago

Fender Bassman 100 SF 1974 + Ampeg SVT 810E


basically, I have this combo, although my main rig is GK Fusion 550 + 810.

Bassman 100 sounds GREAT with 810, but it distorts pretty badly on E string if you play loud music with the loud band.

simple as that.

for quiter music and/or recording - great.
if you play loud and aggressively - forget about it.
Click to expand...

I dont consider the ampeg 810 to be the most efficient of cabs.
 
#27
Mr. Foxen said:
Doping it wrong then. Been using 50w head for bass for a year now. Got a loud cab. Plus obv recorded examples.
Click to expand...

All of our needs vary. I gig regularly with a little 160w 2x8 BBII. Yet if this young man wants to play some serious contemporary rock/punk etc. I was just sharing how limited it could be. Actually I would love him to enjoy it as just what it is within its capabilities. It's farting out for him already. He was asking about extending it's headroom after all.

I would never tell you what works for you.
 
#28
I've played 50w and it's loud enough for some rooms/gigs, not others. It's too iffy for me. I find 100 tube watts (or 200 transistor watts) is just right for bars and parties with a 215 or an efficient 115. Cheaper to switch to something that's right than try to make a sub-optimal item somehow work.
 
#31
chadds said:
All of our needs vary. I gig regularly with a little 160w 2x8 BBII. Yet if this young man wants to play some serious contemporary rock/punk etc. I was just sharing how limited it could be. Actually I would love him to enjoy it as just what it is within its capabilities. It's farting out for him already. He was asking about extending it's headroom after all.

I would never tell you what works for you.
Click to expand...

Thing is, I play doom-drone, that's pretty much up top of the SPL requirement pile. I can do with with 50w amps because watts is meaningless. It won't be 50w that is the limiting factor, it will be poor choice of cabinets or a broken amplifier.
 
#32
kurosawa said:
I've played 50w and it's loud enough for some rooms/gigs, not others. It's too iffy for me. I find 100 tube watts (or 200 transistor watts) is just right for bars and parties with a 215 or an efficient 115. Cheaper to switch to something that's right than try to make a sub-optimal item somehow work.
Click to expand...

There is indeed a lot of common sense within this post! :D
 
#33
I had an old Blackface Bassman 50 for years. It was well maintained and all that.
I had great speaker cabs and all that.
While it sounded wonderful for what it was; it "was what it was," and I could never have gigged it.

clearly, ymmv with this, as the wide range of posts indicates.
 
#34
50 Watt head for bass will always be limited no matter how efficient or high dollar the cab is your running. OP, get your amp serviced by a reputable tech then find an efficient cab just like others here have said. Remember, you will still limited with volume and head room.
Although, this set up should sound great....again you'll always be limited with 50watts.
 
#36
I've had a '64 blackface with matching 2x12 cab for as long as I can remember. I love the sound when it's not pushed, as when practicing in my music room or accompanying someone on acoustic guitar. But, the pair is totally inadequate for most of my gigs.

Guitar players love to play through it, and several have offered to buy it from me. Perhaps your best bet is a sale to a guitarist.
 
#38
Believe it or not, I used mine for upright, with an Epi UL410.
Pretty sweet.
Those were not loud gigs though, and I eventually moved to an SWR Baby Blue 2x8.

Ah well. Times change. Don't have that anymore neither.
 
#39
:)

The elephant in the room here is that I see many tip toeing politely around the fact that for them in up to 40/50 years of playing that 50w isn't enough.

No way is 50w delivering top of the SPL spectrum clean or distorted.

Maybe your mates aren't letting on that they can't hear you.

It would seem all the manufacturers have us duped by offering us 100, 200, 300, 450, 500, 750, & 1000 watts over four decades.

Your opinion I respect your right to hold.
Stating that as fact has to be addressed, especially since the OP has already run out of headroom and wants more from his rig.
 

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