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old school blues - 50watt bassman silverface?

S

shednz

May 27, 2013
21
0
#1
Hey all,
guitar player going to play bass in a 50s style blues band - BBKing, Muddy, guitar slim, little walter... mostly swing/jump blues kind of scene. 4 piece band - harmonica, guitar, drummer, bass. Drummer not too heavy handed. Would a 50watt bassman (1968 AB165 circuit) get me there or not enough grunt? Haven't selected speakers yet. what are experiences/thoughts? Thanks
 
#2
I used one with a Fender 2x12 cab for guitar and bass. Had to crank it almost to the max to keep up for practice and small clubs, but it did the job. Sounded pretty good for guitar with a Tube Screamer in front, and with a bass an EQ pedal worked like magic. Great sound.
 
#3
I'd say if the gigs were low to mid volume, you should be ok. I always used a 215 cab with, first the Bassman head, then a tuck n roll Kustom, which I think is the best Blues bass rig. I'm doing a similar gig to yours right now, using a Roland combo, DB700 amp, but the gig is a low volume, Bistro type situation. But, I would look for an efficient 215 cab, or a 212 cab at the least. Those Blues harp players get out of control sometimes !
 
#6
shednz said:
Hey all,
guitar player going to play bass in a 50s style blues band - BBKing, Muddy, guitar slim, little walter... mostly swing/jump blues kind of scene. 4 piece band - harmonica, guitar, drummer, bass. Drummer not too heavy handed. Would a 50watt bassman (1968 AB165 circuit) get me there or not enough grunt? Haven't selected speakers yet. what are experiences/thoughts? Thanks
Click to expand...

All this will really depend on the speakers you end up with.

I would be looking at a 215 loaded with some pretty sensitive speakers. Something like the Eminence 3015.
 
#7
I'm in a similar type Blues band.

I use a 220watt solid state Ampeg BA210 combo and it's really overkill most of the time.

Our volumes are low, particularly stage volume. Low volume suits our venues, our clients, the band interaction (we have frequent sit-ins from our local music scene), and most importantly our hearing very well.

Heck, if I could run DI into just the PA and do away with an amp altogether I would do just that.

So my opinion, if you do go with a lower wattage rig, be prepared to DI into a decent (or at least semi-decent) PA and you should be fine.
 
#8
Nevermind ... was suggesting a specific cab that we used for more volume, but I was just told that was with the 100 watter (I owned a 50 watt Bassman head with matching cab and also gigged a 100 watt Bassman for a while that was owned by the other guitarist).
 
#10
CL400Peavey said:
All this will really depend on the speakers you end up with.

I would be looking at a 215 loaded with some pretty sensitive speakers. Something like the Eminence 3015.
Click to expand...

^^^ This
I use my Fender Bassman 100T set at 25 watts and a pair of 3015's for blues all the time. At 25 watt I can get just enough overdrive to sound good in the mix.

I have used a Silver face Bassman 50 with the same speakers and it will do the job with a little od. If you want super clean tone it may be lacking a little.
 
#12
Is this the same bassman that you play guitar with? I used a Bassman 100 as my #1 amp for a long time with a 2x12 cab. I can only recall one time (outdoor gig) when I was wanting for more headroom. It all depends on how loud you need to be and how much dirt you are ok with in your sound.

I think you will find that guys like to have more headroom on tap if they need it. For some guys that means a 100 watt amp that they run at 25 watts, for other dudes it means having 1000+ watts on tap.

I have always found that a tube amp in the 100-200 watt range sounds really nice. A SS head in the 350 range is more than enough. -- IME

I think you could make the bassman work. If you have it already, then rock it. If you haven't bought the bassman yet, you might think about getting a Bassman 100 just to be safe.

I like using the first channel with the deep switch on. Try setting your treble and bass controls at around 0 - 2 to start.
 
#13
For my Blues' a billy band I rehearse with my Music Man 100 watt tube head in 50 watt mode into 2 x 3015's. i like it a lot and volume wise it's fine. Guitarist uses a Fender deluxe. Drummer shows some restraint. I can get to small or medium stage vol easily.

Our band pays attention to stage volume and we use our PA for the heavey lifting. We aren't quiet by any means but we only play as loud as necessary for the drummer and guitar sound. I'm always amazed that some folks need to carry more gear and wake up the morning after with their ears ringing...

Beyond that there are mic's and DI's ... You could always pick up an MB 200 and carry that along for when the room needs more form the stage. The Bassman and GK both like 4 ohms.
 
#15
Hey all - cheers for you're thoughts. I am in the process of buying a rig...and the bassman is available (a small miracle all the way over here in New Zealand) and I figured it would be a nice addition to the guitar amp collection if the bass work doesn't pan out or is short lived. At the moment I have a 60 watt roland cube from the 70s/80s which I actually like but I doubt it will keep up with a drummer. Reading what you are all saying sounds like I probably would be safer to go with something a little bigger or be prepared to lug a 2 x 15 around. Oh the gig sizes by the way are pretty small - it's a small town to start with - we are playing in a local pub (that probably= a bar in U.S talk) numbers can be anything from 20-100 depending on the night. Anymore thoughts appreciated - some interesting reading around this forum - cheers!
 
#16
I would use two of those with two cabs and not hear myself at all with a moderate drummer and guitarist using a 40w Super Reverb. Basement not loud.

I'd pass on that head for bass. 100w minimum. Bass is about tone. You affect the whole band and the song with your tone and touch. Headroom and watts are your friends. Ampeg V4 or V4B? Now you're talking.
 
#17
Buy used. I recommend a GB Shuttle 6.n, a GK MB 500 or MB 800. For cabs, a nice pair of 8 ohm 210's or 112's (Aguilar, GB, GK, Epifani, Bergantino, etc.), or whatever you pick/can find, or a good 4 ohm 410 or fEARful 15/6. Of course, the Mesa M9 amp is a killer, but it may be more than your budget.

A double 210 (or 112) rig is flexible, transportable, and redundant in a good way.
 
#18
I guess I can't comment. I've done gigs with a 35w single 10" practice combo.

:D

All depends on what kind of band you're in. Are you with a bunch of volume freaks or with a band who has a decent handle on volume? Or something in the middle? Old Fender bass cabs would never be my first choice for a bass cab, but I think the heads are workable as long as you understand how the Fender tone stack works. 50w is a real judgment call that is highly dependent on your band's overall volume, and if you buy it and can't use it, you're out money. If you can do a try before you buy, that's best.
 
#19
You're right - not many Fender Bassmans in NZ. Does it come with a matching cab?
How 'fresh' are the valves and components? If bits of it are tired then it could be down a lot on power.
I played a gig a few weeks back with my freshly overhauled 50watt Selmer and 1x15 TL cab and it kept up really well. It was an inside gig, not too big, no carpets etc. to absorb sound in front of us, two guitarists with the one next to me pushing his AC30 into mild overdrive. My tone was nice - not distorted. I was well pleased.
I'm sure I've read Tim1 has played his Jansen Bassman 50 at gigs with the right cabinet.
Do Fender Bassmans get overdriven fairly early on the volume scale?
 
#20
I was alive kicking and playing in those days. The Ampeg B-15 was the only game that really sounded like a bass amp and could compete. The famous folks from those days playing Fenders were playing them because that was nearly the only other game in town. As soon as Kustom, Sunn etc. came on the market there were so many toneful and more powerful amps less and less bassists used Fender. Ampeg had the B25 and once the SVT came on the market and bassists could actually be heard those Fenders became guitarist's tone treats. Even a 85w Fender Dual Showman was just enough. The 80w Sunn 200s would blow it away in volume and big full bass tone. That's before you cranked it and got that Mountain/Grand Funk tone.

If everyone is matching your volume then cool. Just know that what you hear standing in front of your amp may not be what audiences hear. I play gigs with a tiny 30w 8" amp and often with a 160 SWR BBII. Yet those are acoustic guitar volume. I want full clear tone with breakup coming from my hand attack. Bass is to be felt as well as heard even at low volume. That takes efficient speaker design and watts.

Play with your band before you buy. If you have lots of amps and can choose for each gig fine. If not and you need versatility get at least 100w.
 

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