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NAD-Super Bassman

#21
StuartV said:
I don't know about the 100T. But, I've played a fair number of gigs over the last 5 years (most on drums, for the record). All either Rock/Classic Rock or Blues stuff, in bars or small clubs. And I can say with total confidence that my Ampeg V-4 or the Traynor YBA-3 that I have been using recently (both amps are around 100W), played through my Aguilar GS410 or my Bergantino NV610, would be PLENTY for any of the gigs I have played on in that time (for whatever bass player was actually playing the gig ;)).

So, really, my point is, there's a lot of gigs where I think the 100T would be perfectly fine (probably even qualify as "great"). Whether it works for you and your gigs most likely only depends on what kind of gigs you're actually playing.
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+1
I played the 100t through the 610 today. That thing kick some serious ass. I have no desire for the 300 anymore.
 
#22
Amorica said:
I'll bet the 100t.....won't really work for gigs. Shame because that power soak feature is really cool.
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I can't say I agree with this. I guess it really depends on what your intentions are for using it, but though I haven't used the 100T, my main amp is a 120w valve amp, and it's plenty of power. I suppose if you're using the 100T through a 2x12 for a big outdoor show and desire a clean tone with plenty of headroom, yeah, it probably won't work. But if you're running it through 4x15s at full tilt, overdriven, then it will probably work perfectly.

Speaking of which, I still really want to hear the clean channel on the 100T run full up, instead of just the distortion channel.
 
#24
fenderphil said:
So, I got to fiddlin around with it some more tonite.. and I hooked up my medium sized cabs...It has that old lovin' feelin. Made these cabs sparkle. Even at low volume.

My old svt4 pro was a different type of amp for sure. Too much eq for me. It had a zing to it that I couldn't tame.

This super bassman head is different than my duoten mainly in the fact that it doesn't have a 'gain' for the clean channel. I'm assuming the channel volume = gain? I set them about the same for my passive jazz anyways. Right between 7 and 8. I can't go wrong with that much gain! Lol

Nonetheless, setting the passive eq to the 2-10-2 (closer to 3-8-3) really got me super close to the same tone as my duoten. The super bassman is much fuller and articulate.

I also noticed that this amp gets pretty warm.
Its not a practice amp... well,

Maybe a BAND practice amp, lol
The 100T would be much better suited as a 'at home' practice head.

Still can't wait to gig it this weekend.
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Hoping to hear how this worked on the gigs when you get a chance.:)
 
#25
Amorica said:
I'll bet the 100t isn't close the AD200 and won't really work for gigs. Shame because that power soak feature is really cool. Imagine a DI post power tubes! 300 doesn't have it, just the standard post preamp out. I demoed both and the really wasn't blow away with the 300 tone. Maybe it's the different power tubes...maybe it my back trying to trick my ears :-)

Anyway, I can't wait to hear your gig reports Fenderphil!!!
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It really depends on what cabs you're using and how loud and how clean you need to be. Outdoor gig where you need a huge amount of headroom? No. Indoor bar gig where you're looking for a little crunch? Hell yes.

My amp is only 180 watts and with one of my bands I've never actually needed more than a single 15" cab (of course, at times I've brought my 2x15 just because I could).
 
#26
Forgot about my update from last weekend.

Headroom. I've never had so much headroom. I've played several amps through the same cabs and I've never had this much power. Even running my svt4 pro in mono mode did not see these same volumes or clarity.

Still working on the overdrive channel. No real need for that tone in a blues band, lol. But it should come in handy if I ever start another rock band/project.

And the clean tone is amazing. Loud. Full. Dreamy.

The amp is heavy. But worth it. As I mentioned before, this is my first all tube amp and I could instantly see what the fuss is all about.

Ive played ampeg for years. Had a svtbsp-pro pre with a rmx poweramp, also a svt4 pro. I've played through an old svt on top of an old 8x10.

I've played through the gens benz 900w micro head as well as the streamliner 3 tube micro head.
Played through the carvin 500w micro head and the carvin redline1000. Ive played through mesa hybrid heads and markbass stuff by the score. And although all of these amps will 'get the job done' .

plug into an all tube amp, set the eq right and pluck one open e string, and the difference is apparent.

I still have my combo for smaller gigs, but this fender is the best amp I've ever owned.
 

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#27
Hmmm. Maybe I'll have to go back to the store and try it out again. I have played all tube amps for most of the past 30 years, these days into Bergantino NV cabs. I currently use an Orange AD200 or SVT VR so I have a good point of reference and ears that are used to quality tube gear. As I have posted, while I "liked" the 100T into the Fender 610 cab it certainly did not send me rushing out to sell gear to get a better tone. It had that nice traditional vibe that I recall from the old days of Fender 100s but I did not get that sense of power. I obviously missed something and admittedly I did not try the overdrive channel as I would not use it. Must go back in the weekend.
 
#28
Very cool, thanks a lot for posting your review.

How would you describe the response in the midrange? One concern I have with the traditional Fender tone stack is that 10 is supposed to be "flat" for the mids. Any problems cutting through? I guess depending on the type of blues you're playing, the arrangements may be spare.:)

fenderphil said:
Forgot about my update from last weekend.

Headroom. I've never had so much headroom. I've played several amps through the same cabs and I've never had this much power. Even running my svt4 pro in mono mode did not see these same volumes or clarity.

Still working on the overdrive channel. No real need for that tone in a blues band, lol. But it should come in handy if I ever start another rock band/project.

And the clean tone is amazing. Loud. Full. Dreamy.

The amp is heavy. But worth it. As I mentioned before, this is my first all tube amp and I could instantly see what the fuss is all about.

Ive played ampeg for years. Had a svtbsp-pro pre with a rmx poweramp, also a svt4 pro. I've played through an old svt on top of an old 8x10.

I've played through the gens benz 900w micro head as well as the streamliner 3 tube micro head.
Played through the carvin 500w micro head and the carvin redline1000. Ive played through mesa hybrid heads and markbass stuff by the score. And although all of these amps will 'get the job done' .

plug into an all tube amp, set the eq right and pluck one open e string, and the difference is apparent.

I still have my combo for smaller gigs, but this fender is the best amp I've ever owned.
Click to expand...
 
#29
GregC said:
Very cool, thanks a lot for posting your review.

How would you describe the response in the midrange? One concern I have with the traditional Fender tone stack is that 10 is supposed to be "flat" for the mids. Any problems cutting through? I guess depending on the type of blues you're playing, the arrangements may be spare.:)
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seriously, there is so much volume with this dude, you will cut through anything. whatever you need, its in there.

I only turned up to 4, and I thought I was too loud.. the crowd didnt seem to mind, nor my bandmates, lol.

I set the tone stack close to 'flat' and play passive jazz basses. I have a feeling that with this amp, I'll be messing with the volume controls on my bass more, lol
 
#30
So I also purchased a Fender 100t about a month ago. Been through about 10 full volume practices, 10 at home sessions at home at low volume, and 2 shows.

I owned a Fender Bassman 300 (all tube) about 5 years ago and played with it for about 2.5 years. Nothing sounds like a Bassman tube amp - the grit/distortion tube goodness you can get from their amps is second to none...including ampeg svts. I got rid of the amp due to the weight and have regretted it since. I went through a micro-amp stage and it was just never the same sound wise. Was about to buy another old 300 but saw they were coming out with this new series.

So here is my take on the 100T.

Features: This amp has everything. All the old vintage features plus some new snazzy stuff. The fact that it has a constant tube status on the back is great. It basically has a blinking light that goes through a legend on the back of each tube letting you know if each one is working accordingly on an individual basis. The 100T also has a self biasing system when you replace tubes so you don't need to bring it to a tech which is awesome. Lots of other features, but my favorite is the ability to switch from 100w to 25w to Silent mode. This means I can have head bursting volume at practice/shows, get the same tone at home practicing by switching it to 25w AND for recording I can switch to silent mode without frying the amp from not being plugged into a cab - so...freaking...awesome! You also have the ability to switch the tubes from Low to Normal to Hot depending on what kind of grit you are looking for (and yes there is a huge difference on sound you can get by toggling). Fender also included a little baggy of fuses - thats awesome.

Sound (with a GenzBenz 212 New with side ports): Like I said earlier I've always been in love with Fender tube amp tones over any tube amp out there. This amp takes everything I loved about the old 300 and gives me a tone more. There are two channels so you can get a nice clean old jazz tone from the clean channel, but thats not my bag. I love tube dirt and lots of it. I use the dirty channel with the gain/blend both at 9 respecitvely. So much chunk and grit without losing any of your notes. I play in a post metal band (think Isis/Russian Circles) and the drummer and guitarist are LOUD. I'm in a corner of the room where they can't really see my rig so I got there early to see if they would notice a difference. I didn't play a note until the first song and we play about 1 minute before the guitarist and drummer stop and have to ask what happened. They were utterly amazed at how great this amp sounds - almost as geeked up as I am. It cut through the mix and just adds a whole new layer. When your bandmates stop and gawk you know you are on to something!

Power: Ok so like I said I'm in a LOUD band. I had the amp switched to 100w with the master volume set to 3 and had to turn down to 1.5. Kind of sucked but oh yeah I have a freaking feature to turn the amp down to 25w! So now at loud practice I go at 25w and have the master volume at 8. Perfect! That feature is just great. Played a couple medium size venues and have the amp at 100w and the volume at 3 and its perfect. I really can't see why anyone would ever need more headroom than this amp can provide.

Weight: Ok the amps a little bulky but using the side handles its extremely manageable. My wife actually carried the amp to my last gig so that says volumes. Compared to my old 300 this thing is a feather.

Misc: I purchased via ebay from sweetwater. First time dealing with this outfit and a week after purchasing I got a call saying they needed to talk to me. Ends up it's just the head of the bass dept and he wants to know how I'm liking the amp - it's that kind of stuff that makes me want to bring my business there!

Overall: This amp is unbelievable. I couldn't be more happy with my purchase.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about this model :)

Thanks,
Dustin
 
#31
fenderphil said:
seriously, there is so much volume with this dude, you will cut through anything. whatever you need, its in there.

I only turned up to 4, and I thought I was too loud.. the crowd didnt seem to mind, nor my bandmates, lol.

I set the tone stack close to 'flat' and play passive jazz basses. I have a feeling that with this amp, I'll be messing with the volume controls on my bass more, lol
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Cool, thanks again!
 
#34
Everyone is talking about the heads, anybody buy one of the new 8x10 cabs? How about a review.
I was thinking of saving up to maybe buy the 300 watt head and cab (have to sell a bunch of stuff first!), but it sounds like the 100 watter is loud enough for most anything....but i want the clean headroom, I never use distorion, so you think i need the 300 watter? Currious you guys think my old 100 watt bassman would have enough clean headroom for most gigs through a new 8x10 cab (of course Im not sure i would trust a 30 amp to gig with!)
 
#37
Rock-N-Dawg said:
Everyone is talking about the heads, anybody buy one of the new 8x10 cabs? How about a review.
I was thinking of saving up to maybe buy the 300 watt head and cab (have to sell a bunch of stuff first!), but it sounds like the 100 watter is loud enough for most anything....but i want the clean headroom, I never use distorion, so you think i need the 300 watter? Currious you guys think my old 100 watt bassman would have enough clean headroom for most gigs through a new 8x10 cab (of course Im not sure i would trust a 30 amp to gig with!)
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If you want clean headroom, you'd need the 300. I absolutely love bassmans for their "warm but clean" tone, but could never get that loud enough, with a 135. Seems about half way up or a little more is my sweet spot. I've wanted a more powerful bassman for a long time....maybe it's finally here. dustinfennessey says the 100 is plenty loud for him, that's cool, but he also says he likes the cranked up, driven tone.
 

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