Don't go poking into a tube amp without some training. There are voltages in there that can be fatal.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
My Father's Fender Pro Reverb
- Thread starter keyofnight
- Start date
Yes. Those caps are more than dangerous. That's the worst part of it. What training can I get beside asking friends who do it and reading a lot?
A poster just said that the baffle is to thin.
Why not:
1) have it serviced by a known tech whos reputation precedes him.
2) have some one make you a repro headcase and then use it on any cab.
It's your connection with your Dad. I am trying to help you avoid regretting messing this up.
It's like he gave you an old MG sports car and you went 4 wheeling with it or had it altered to be a 4x4. Then a year later you realize what you've done to a pristine piece your Dad kept for you. Really accepting the gift he gave you, accept he didn't give you a bass amp.
I'm bowing out of this. I know your path is yours. I regret selling some irreplaceable Lionel Trains to buy a Marshall head. Irreplaceable because my Dad bought them for me in 1954.
Peace, Bro.
Why not:
1) have it serviced by a known tech whos reputation precedes him.
2) have some one make you a repro headcase and then use it on any cab.
It's your connection with your Dad. I am trying to help you avoid regretting messing this up.
It's like he gave you an old MG sports car and you went 4 wheeling with it or had it altered to be a 4x4. Then a year later you realize what you've done to a pristine piece your Dad kept for you. Really accepting the gift he gave you, accept he didn't give you a bass amp.
I'm bowing out of this. I know your path is yours. I regret selling some irreplaceable Lionel Trains to buy a Marshall head. Irreplaceable because my Dad bought them for me in 1954.
Peace, Bro.
The same poster also said that other players remove and store the OG speakers to retain their collector's value, and they replace them with something modern they can play on. I agree that this seems like the most responsible thing to doI don't want to bust the OG speakers, but I'd love to play it.
The only difference is that I would put bass drivers in instead of reproduction Jensens. Of course, I was concerned with weight, but the neodymium speakers out there are a lot lighter than the repo Jensens, so they should be easier on the baffle anyway. (Celestion 12"s are 4.4lbs, Jensen C12Ns are 7.2lbs). I wouldn't be doing anything more than the responsible thing to do. If it came time to sell it or give it to my kids, I'd put the OG speakers back in.
I suppose I just don't see what I'd be messing up? I wouldn't change anything about the electronics beside basic repairs and maintenance, I won't change anything but the speakers (if that at allif I had money for a cab, I'd just sit-er on top of a good cab). I don't mean to upset you.
keyofnight said:The same poster also said that other players remove and store the OG speakers to retain their collector's value, and they replace them with something modern they can play on. I agree that this seems like the most responsible thing to doI don't want to bust the OG speakers, but I'd love to play it.
The only difference is that I would put bass drivers in instead of reproduction Jensens. Of course, I was concerned with weight, but the neodymium speakers out there are a lot lighter than the repo Jensens, so they should be easier on the baffle anyway. (Celestion 12"s are 4.4lbs, Jensen C12Ns are 7.2lbs). I wouldn't be doing anything more than the responsible thing to do. If it came time to sell it or give it to my kids, I'd put the OG speakers back in.
I suppose I just don't see what I'd be messing up? I wouldn't change anything about the electronics beside basic repairs and maintenance, I won't change anything but the speakers (if that at allif I had money for a cab, I'd just sit-er on top of a good cab). I don't mean to upset you.
Didn't upset me, hahahahha. Enjoy that tone!
I owned a drip edge silverface pro reverb and played guitar through it. Fabulous amp. Move it along so it can be used by someone who can get its intended use out of it. If the speakers are original, please don't subject them potential abuse. Those speakers had mojo and still do for the remaining purists out here.
Or, gawd forbid, by yourself a strat or LP and have fun ;-)
Or, gawd forbid, by yourself a strat or LP and have fun ;-)
Oh my how I would feel if I opened the closet to see a Balckface Pro Reverb.
Oh my.
Oh my.
Red Planet said:
+1
I remember my dad's with much fondness. Similar tones to a Twin Reverb, but with more "give", and breakup started at more useful levels. A gorgeous sounding amp, and cheap to run, because it never broke, and didn't eat tubes like a Vox...
Oh man. I'm visiting my mother for the 4th of July, and amidst the current mayhem I unearthed the amp! It's a beauty. 
According to the Tube Chart's date code, she was built in December of `65. All in all, she looks good on the outside: the tolex is in good shape, save a few scraped corners and peeling seams; and the grille cover is much cleaner than I expected. All of the hardware is intact except for the nut for the #2 instrument jack. A few of the knobs are a little loose.
The GZ34 tube is missing, and its socket was covered with a withering piece of masking tape. A quick Google search tells me that people pull that tube to get more gain.
The reverb tank is there; I don't like how the RCA cables look, but those are easily replaced. The fuse cap is missing.
Anyway, here are a few pics.
I'll post more pics when I get more pics.
Nope. It's mine. Even still, I'm not sure if I care too much about the "intended use" of amp in this case (especially when there isn't a vast difference between the Bassman and Pro Reverb circuits. If we stick with previous intentions, when will we ever innovate?
I called these guys up as per your suggestion (and after being disappointed by my conversations every other tech in SC county (—they just didn't know anything about older Fender Amps). They quoted me 98 bucks to service the amp (cleaning, biasing, checking components, grounded cable…
. They quoted me 300 bucks for everything I want (el caps replaced, new tubes, new speakers).
I will take it to them next weekend and see what they say in person.
According to the Tube Chart's date code, she was built in December of `65. All in all, she looks good on the outside: the tolex is in good shape, save a few scraped corners and peeling seams; and the grille cover is much cleaner than I expected. All of the hardware is intact except for the nut for the #2 instrument jack. A few of the knobs are a little loose.
The GZ34 tube is missing, and its socket was covered with a withering piece of masking tape. A quick Google search tells me that people pull that tube to get more gain.
The reverb tank is there; I don't like how the RCA cables look, but those are easily replaced. The fuse cap is missing.Anyway, here are a few pics.
I'll post more pics when I get more pics.
Nope. It's mine. Even still, I'm not sure if I care too much about the "intended use" of amp in this case (especially when there isn't a vast difference between the Bassman and Pro Reverb circuits.
If we stick with previous intentions, when will we ever innovate?Sounds to me you should take it in and have it checked over by a competent amp technician. I highly recommend King Amplification over the hill in Los Gatos (next door to Keith Holland Guitars). They know this vintage stuff backwards and forwards and I use them to service my old Fender gear and they're very cool people.
Congrats on a beautiful find
I called these guys up as per your suggestion (and after being disappointed by my conversations every other tech in SC county (—they just didn't know anything about older Fender Amps). They quoted me 98 bucks to service the amp (cleaning, biasing, checking components, grounded cable…
. They quoted me 300 bucks for everything I want (el caps replaced, new tubes, new speakers). I will take it to them next weekend and see what they say in person.
i have a 65 fender twin and 59 bassman, both sound excellent! with bass.
i used them at practice when (when we still did that).
i never pushed them..... my strat straight in though..... DAMN!
i used them at practice when (when we still did that).
i never pushed them..... my strat straight in though..... DAMN!
holy crap!
don't ruin that thing by trying to play bass through it!
first, it's only like 35 watts, and not the same circuit as a bassman. (you won't hurt the electronics, it'll just be weak and distorted.)
second, an open-back 2x12 is no good for bass anyway. it's just the wrong tool for that job no matter what speakers you put in it.
i guess you could use it to power an actual bass cab at bedroom volume, but what's the point?
clean it up and take care of it as the classic guitar amp that it is.
don't ruin that thing by trying to play bass through it!
first, it's only like 35 watts, and not the same circuit as a bassman. (you won't hurt the electronics, it'll just be weak and distorted.)
second, an open-back 2x12 is no good for bass anyway. it's just the wrong tool for that job no matter what speakers you put in it.
i guess you could use it to power an actual bass cab at bedroom volume, but what's the point?
clean it up and take care of it as the classic guitar amp that it is.
you mean a 12ax7 at the other end?The GZ34 tube is missing, and its socket was covered with a withering piece of masking tape. A quick Google search tells me that people pull that tube to get more gain.
without the GZ34 it won't make any sound at all.
Fixing this up to use it for a bass amp would be the same as cutting the back end off a '57 Cad Biarritz to make it into an El Camino.
lolthere is so much mixed advice here.
Usually when people take sides about a subject like this, it means that there are lots of biases at play. It's hard to know who is correct (or telling the truth). I know this is the case with me: I really did want to just play the damned thing and get some use out of it. I'm already biased.
King Amplification in Los Gatos had no problem suggesting bass speakers for it, but perhaps they just want to make a buck (or they just gave a bit of bad advice). Other shops don't know, and one said not to do it.
A lot of things don't make sense to me now, and I'm admitting ignorance and defeat. I don't know: why guitarists can use low wattage amps but bassists cannot, how people did any gigs with older low-wattage amps (Ampeg B15 or Fender Bassman), how people still do gigs with low wattage amps (Ashdown Little Bastard comes to mind). I certainly don't know the difference between the Blackface Fenders. I'm assured there is a huge difference, but all I see is an extra gain stage here, and a reverb tank there. I'm just going to concede to people who seem to know more; I don't want to mess up a piece of history (I'll let someone else do that for me).
Most of you have taken a side for or against this. I'm not sure at all what the right thing to do. As I said, I'll likely sell it as soon as I can... buy something else. All of the fun has been sucked out of it now.
You're absolutely right. I searched for the wrong thing, said the wrong thing. Sorry.
Just to make it clear: the GZ34 is gone, and all of the 12AX7s are there. I'm not sure why they would tape up the socket in that case. Maybe it has been modified like crentest mentioned. Oh well.
Usually when people take sides about a subject like this, it means that there are lots of biases at play. It's hard to know who is correct (or telling the truth). I know this is the case with me: I really did want to just play the damned thing and get some use out of it. I'm already biased.
King Amplification in Los Gatos had no problem suggesting bass speakers for it, but perhaps they just want to make a buck (or they just gave a bit of bad advice). Other shops don't know, and one said not to do it.
A lot of things don't make sense to me now, and I'm admitting ignorance and defeat. I don't know: why guitarists can use low wattage amps but bassists cannot, how people did any gigs with older low-wattage amps (Ampeg B15 or Fender Bassman), how people still do gigs with low wattage amps (Ashdown Little Bastard comes to mind). I certainly don't know the difference between the Blackface Fenders. I'm assured there is a huge difference, but all I see is an extra gain stage here, and a reverb tank there. I'm just going to concede to people who seem to know more; I don't want to mess up a piece of history (I'll let someone else do that for me
).Most of you have taken a side for or against this. I'm not sure at all what the right thing to do. As I said, I'll likely sell it as soon as I can... buy something else. All of the fun has been sucked out of it now.
You're absolutely right. I searched for the wrong thing, said the wrong thing. Sorry.
Just to make it clear: the GZ34 is gone, and all of the 12AX7s are there. I'm not sure why they would tape up the socket in that case. Maybe it has been modified like crentest mentioned. Oh well.
It's a guitar amp. You can play it at very low volumes. But you can't hit or pluck like it was a closed back cab. Carol Kaye and Osborne did it. Two bassists. Does anyone still? It's very valuable to a guitar player. Even us dumb bass players appreciate a vintage guitar amp. If it were a pocket watch and you didn't want to wear one you'd put it in your drawer. Why can't you do this with an amp? Selling it to get a new bass amp when you wouldn't have bought a new one anyway seems like a waste. The Pro will continue to appreciate while some new bass amp will only depreciate. It's like if he gave you real old silver dollars. You deposit them and they give you 2011 paper when you withdraw.
Accept what it is. Put it in your room and enjoy the connection with your dad.
Accept what it is. Put it in your room and enjoy the connection with your dad.
1. guitar frequencies need way less power than bass frequencies; my 50-watt marshall will blow your 300-watt SVT off the stage if i let it.
2. because those were barely more than jazz gigs at the time (the bassman was replacing the upright bass in the early jazz combos, and the B-15 was a success as a studio amp).
3. that ashdown would be useless on a modern bar stage, it's another cool studio recording amp.
Key I'm not biased at all.
Trust me in 20-30 years you'll be kicking yourself for ever screwing around with this as a Bass amp. If you get rid of it you'll regret that too.
That being said it's your amp and if you want to make fire wood out of it you can.
I remember a certain 1953 Fender P Bass that I mutilated when I was 13 years old. Man would I go back and change that.
Save up your pennies and get yourself a bass amp. Put the Pro away for when you may better appreciate it.
If you must have a bass amp I'll gladly send you a Shuttle 9.0 and cab for the Pro.
Trust me in 20-30 years you'll be kicking yourself for ever screwing around with this as a Bass amp. If you get rid of it you'll regret that too.
That being said it's your amp and if you want to make fire wood out of it you can.
I remember a certain 1953 Fender P Bass that I mutilated when I was 13 years old. Man would I go back and change that.
Save up your pennies and get yourself a bass amp. Put the Pro away for when you may better appreciate it.
If you must have a bass amp I'll gladly send you a Shuttle 9.0 and cab for the Pro.
