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The Fender Bassman 100T thread

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#701
JerryD said:
yes there is more to tube amps than dirt. I can remember my 1st blackface basmman back in the 60's....Nice head but not enough power for today, but was enough back then with the groups I played with. However it developed a problem and no one could fix it. So I trade it for a Sunn. I am not into tube breakup or distortion. I tried and owned Peavey all kinds of models and this brand has been the most reliable of any amp I have used. GK RB1001, Eden 800c and Navigator. I like the navigator but had problems and Eden could not fix it, and after 4 tries they replaced it. Then I sold it and have tried some new ones but they have to much hiss. Mesa M6 & M9- to much noise(Hiss) on the amp and DI (I believe this is due to the high gain on the pre-amp stage), Genz Benz GBE1200 good amp but did not like the 3 u space.

So looking to go back to my roots. Anyway there is not a better looking rig anywhere IMHO.....

Thanks
Jerry
Click to expand...

Just my opinion, but from what you're saying I don't think the 100T is what you're looking for at all. If you just have to have a tube amp then I'd say it's obviously the Super Bassman, or some other 300 watt boat anchor. But again that depends on the type of bands/genres one's in. If it's the supper club/background music type thing, then the 100T would be super clean. But if drums and bass can/need to let loose, the 100T is going to get into that power tube distortion thing, which to me is the charm of it, but doesn't sound like would be remotely what you're wanting.
 
#703
Yes that is my thinking as well, but don't like the weight of the SB. However I have not used the 6550 tubes so was curious if there was any sound difference from the 6L6 tubes. I do have other amps to use for the lighter stuff.

Thanks
Jerry
 
#704
JerryD said:
Yes that is my thinking as well, but don't like the weight of the SB. However I have not used the 6550 tubes so was curious if there was any sound difference from the 6L6 tubes. I do have other amps to use for the lighter stuff.

Thanks
Jerry
Click to expand...

I'm certainly no tube guru so the possible consequences of the strain 6550's might put on the 100T's power and output transformers is way beyond me to even comment on. But just my way of thinking, if you buy an amp and immediately have to change what it is to meet your needs, it's the wrong amp.
 
#705
ok......love the 610! i had no idea how different a sound that a cab can bring. going back lots of pages we talked about a cab being 50% of ur sound. sooo true. now that ive played the 610 i think the tweeter on my goliath is busted. when u turn the horn up and down on the 610 the change is very noticeable. on the goliath i cant notice any change. thats me being ignorant. the GIII was my first cab so i had no experience. So ill have to check the horn on the GIII some how. if anybody has advice on how to do this it would be greatly appreciated. anyway......on my jazz there is a bad hum and slight crackle when i touch my strings. i think the sensitivity of the cab is revealing a ground problem with the bass. i think. its more noticeable with the horn full on. so when i plugged my active bass there was no crackle but still a hum especially with the horn full on and as u turn the treble up. Also when i have the amp cranked at about 8 there is a serious vibration/bad sounding distorted sound. Its def not tube grind. There is no way that the cab is not able to handle everything the 100t can throw at it right? i mean im sure if u had the bass full on and the master/levels pinned it might blow a driver but i had the bass on 2-3. do u think the cab cant handle the lowend of the 100t? idk maybe the cab is no good. i want to pull the grill of and watch the drivers while i do this. there is no pull tab that i can see so i gotta figure that out. Sorry for the long posts with so many questions but im concerned. the GIII had no problem with amp at those same levels. The cab should handle that!!!! Thanks guys!!!!
 
#711
chrisan2 said:
is there a difference between driving the vintage channel at a break-up level, versus using the overdrive channel with some gain and blend to get the break up ? Which of course can be done at a low volume level with the gain and blend.
Click to expand...

I personally don't care that much for overdriving the vintage channel. Sounds a bit raggedy to me. For that kind of thing I usually go with the active channel's overdrive/blend when needed. But both my basses are passive using input 1, haven't used a hotter active bass/input 2 so that may be a different story. I'm usually running the vintage channel just below 6, which for my basses is just under where it starts to distort, so it does add a touch when I dig in. With that, the master volume at 6 is right where the power tubes start to bark for me. I like the overdrive on the active channel as much as any pedal I've tried or used, but I only use it on maybe 4 out of our 42 songs, and only on my bass strung with roundwounds. Usually running overdrive around 5-6, blend around 5 for that.
 
#713
chrisan2 said:
is there a difference between driving the vintage channel at a break-up level, versus using the overdrive channel with some gain and blend to get the break up ? Which of course can be done at a low volume level with the gain and blend.
Click to expand...

I started out only using the vintage channel for my blues and R&B stuff but eventually started using the OD for more harder rock.

Now I am running on the OD side most of the time.
The blend gives you so much versatility. You can keep it fairly clean but get a lot more volume or turn the blend more to the OD side and get nice dirt. Playing with the two gains and OD volume you can dial in just what you want and what works with the bass you are using. Then you can get into heat settings on the tubes.....

I have had mine for over five months now and I have a lot of hours on it. I still find settings that sound good. I think it will take me years to totally figure this amp out.
Every other amp I have had I had figured out the setting that worked for me in a couple hours of play time.

One thing for sure about 100T, you can not keyhole this amp as this sound or that sound. They are all there, you just need to find them.
 
#715
hdracer said:
One thing for sure about 100T, you can not keyhole this amp as this sound or that sound. They are all there, you just need to find them.
Click to expand...

Absolutely +1! I've tried not to get in a rut with it, but I am usually running the flatwound bass on the vintage channel, roundwound bass on the OD channel. It is easy to get in a rut with though, as it sounds so good on most settings you try, you're kinda reluctant to change anything. Still don't personally like the bass boost on the OD channel though - just seems very odd to me. But I think some guys pretty much hang with it on, so there you go. So many colors available out of this amp.
 
#716
I'm a broken record!!!!

Can anyone compare the volume/headroom to like a walkabout or a shuttle 6.0?

I currently have a neox212t and am wondering if the 100t will get the volume that I need.

I play blues, classic rock and sometimes alternative rock. Never anything too heavy. My drummer is pretty loud. Guitar players are usually playing 50 watt Marshall's but we are all veterans so there are really never any arms races.

I like dirt... But I don't want to have to run it on 11 all the time and turn it to mush.

-Bill
 
#717
I have never played through or even heard a Walkabout in use.
Same for the Shuttle 6.0

If you read the thread, no one yet has complained about it running out of steam.
I use it for blues and R&B with 2 15's and can get through band practice on 25 watt clean. Hard rock on the OD channel @ 100 watt the fan doesn't even come on.

So all I can say is, It gets loud clean.
 
#718
BillisCool said:
I'm a broken record!!!!

Can anyone compare the volume/headroom to like a walkabout or a shuttle 6.0?

I currently have a neox212t and am wondering if the 100t will get the volume that I need.

I play blues, classic rock and sometimes alternative rock. Never anything too heavy. My drummer is pretty loud. Guitar players are usually playing 50 watt Marshall's but we are all veterans so there are really never any arms races.

I like dirt... But I don't want to have to run it on 11 all the time and turn it to mush.

-Bill
Click to expand...

I have a Bassman 100 (1977), use an Aguilar 2x12. My band is a 5 piece rock band - 2 guit, keys, drums...

Not exactly same set up, but pretty close. I will say say that I've never felt for headroom. I can only think of one time where I wanted more. It was an outdoor stage, floating on the water, with no walls on any side around us. Just went into a bit of distortion,,, but the thing is... that sounds pretty good.

Remember that mine is a vintage, and it seems like most folks say that the 100T has even more headroom.
 
#719
Thanks guys! I really appreciate your opinions.

There is no question that the tone of these things is great. I'm just being cautious so that I don't end wishing that I just spent the extra $300.

Honestly, I'd probably enjoy the tone of being a little ruff on the power tubes.

If anyone else can weigh in, that'd be great. I'm probably going to order one this weekend.
 
#720
BillisCool said:
Thanks guys! I really appreciate your opinions.

There is no question that the tone of these things is great. I'm just being cautious so that I don't end wishing that I just spent the extra $300.

Honestly, I'd probably enjoy the tone of being a little ruff on the power tubes.

If anyone else can weigh in, that'd be great. I'm probably going to order one this weekend.
Click to expand...

Look back over my posts and you'll see those were my exact concerns. Except I was 90% sure that power tube distortion was what I've been seeking for years, and was always trying to simulate with an endless string of stomp boxes. But I didn't want a soft sound without punch. I eventually just took the chance and went for it, and the 100T is actually more than I hoped I would be getting. As HD Racer pointed out, it can deliver a huge variety of sounds and colors.
 
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