Hi Chrisan, pleased I could be of some help to a kiwi Talkbasser. The word I got was they are not bringing in the 115, I didn't ask about the 410 but the inference I took was that it will be 610 and 810. I must admit that I am really enjoying my 100T into the GK Neo 115iii, it fits fine on top and looks good but it would have been nice to have had a Fender badge on it....sigh. Oh well - I am not a GK user normally, but I am very impressed at the way the single fifteen can handle the amp and a nice, punchy tone too. It may have turned out for the best.
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The Fender Bassman 100T thread
- Thread starter Tim1
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I have been a bit disappointed with the new Fender 115.
Had a leasurely test at a shop with a Bassman 100T.
Twofold intention, one - I wanted to see if it would bring anything to the table tonewise that I dont have with my SF Dual Showman (it doesnt) and two - I was/am looking for a 115 with a suitable form factor (26" wide) for my Dual Showman.
The 115 had no real lows. Going down the B-string in half tones, you could clearly hear the point, where the bottom went missing. Maybe it can improve when fully broken in, but I doubt it. Then, I started hearing some chuffing noises at medium volumes. Couldn't start taking the front off to investigate the port diameter or maybe there was some dampening inside flapping loosely... anyways... bit disappointed. Form was right, price was right, but tonewise, my Aguilar GS210 runs rings around it.
Also compared the Bassman 100T into an Aguilar DB410 and Bergantino AE212, both sounded great in combination with the Bassman. Great amp, one does need to familiarize with the active EQ section of the overdrive chanel and the gain structure when using the blend knob. I'm a bit envious at all those modern cons it has to offer, but tonewise (for my tone goals) no different to my Showman.
Just to be certain, I also tried the Aguilar TH500 into the 115 with the same results, no bottom and early chuffing. Ah well....
Had a leasurely test at a shop with a Bassman 100T.
Twofold intention, one - I wanted to see if it would bring anything to the table tonewise that I dont have with my SF Dual Showman (it doesnt) and two - I was/am looking for a 115 with a suitable form factor (26" wide) for my Dual Showman.
The 115 had no real lows. Going down the B-string in half tones, you could clearly hear the point, where the bottom went missing. Maybe it can improve when fully broken in, but I doubt it. Then, I started hearing some chuffing noises at medium volumes. Couldn't start taking the front off to investigate the port diameter or maybe there was some dampening inside flapping loosely... anyways... bit disappointed. Form was right, price was right, but tonewise, my Aguilar GS210 runs rings around it.
Also compared the Bassman 100T into an Aguilar DB410 and Bergantino AE212, both sounded great in combination with the Bassman. Great amp, one does need to familiarize with the active EQ section of the overdrive chanel and the gain structure when using the blend knob. I'm a bit envious at all those modern cons it has to offer, but tonewise (for my tone goals) no different to my Showman.
Just to be certain, I also tried the Aguilar TH500 into the 115 with the same results, no bottom and early chuffing. Ah well....
I feel like I get more breakeup/tube distortion driving the 25watts hard. I'm using the Fender bassman pro 410looks very nice together!
Hey Dustin - this is what I'm very interested in. As you learn the amp I would think you'd (we'd, soon) be able to get a different, Jack Bruce-ish distorto at 25 watts, as that's as much power tube distortion as it is preamp tube distortion (plus speaker cone distortion for that matter). So, can you switch it between 25 and 100 watts song-to-song as you need? Is there any no-no's about that?
Tracking says mine'll be here tomorrow. My bass weenie is vibrating like crazy.
Freight Train said:
Hmmmm...not sure. I'm always on heavy overdrive/distortion with the bands I'm in so never crossed my mind about switching watts settings between songs. Dont remember any warnings in the manual but could be wrong. I'm stoked for you to get yours man!
One thing about that potentially is, I believe the DI output on the back only follows the power amp when it's in studio mode with speakers off, then it's a 25watt power soak. But with speakers on the DI follows the preamp stage, pre or post eq. So the board wouldn't get the extra power amp crunch if you're using speakers onstage. I think.
Can't wait to start experimenting tomorrow!
Can't wait to start experimenting tomorrow!
Hi OldogNewTrick, interesting comments on the new Fender 115 neo cab, and kind of mirrors my experience with their new 610 neo cab. I just did not feel it handled the real grunt or lows of the 100T as well as i am used to - confirmed quickly as soon as I got the amp home and played it through my Bergantino 610 or the Berg 215. Tonewise if you found it no different to your Dual Showman then I guess Fender have achieved their goals with the vintage channel, and the overdrive/modern channel is where this head gets really interesting and fun. Maybe the importers did me a favour not bringing in the 115 - as I said I am VERY impressed with its sound into the GK115Neo iii.
Tim1 said:
I tried the amp with my GB 212 neox and much preferred the fender 410. All up to personal taste I guess
I like the tone of it here. I'm not so much into grindy.
Fender Bassman 100T en Organigrama Guitars - YouTube
Fender Bassman 100T en Organigrama Guitars - YouTube
towards the of that vid, when he's playing pick style, you gotta watch the price tag hanging on the speaker cab....
I keep my tone much cleaner... guess is time again to jumper the channels and get some (up)roar.
I also prefer a much cleaner tone. But this one is a lot cleaner than the vids on the Fender site with Tony Franklin and the others. I would really love to hear one set for a nice clean, thick tube tone.
Gonna try the 410 neo this week. I'm not gonna buy it like a woman buying a purse to match her shoes, but damn that cab with the 100T looks so hot, it's gonna have to just plain blow for me not to go with it I'm afraid. Problem is, we haven't heard any of these cabs after they've been burned in. Same for the head. If it's like most tube amps, it'll only get sweeter over a couple month's use. The cabs should get rounder and fuller in the bottom.
Wow, I am speechless. I'm not exaggerating or knee-jerking. In my meager 45 years of playing, this is among the best amps I've heard, and I've heard nothing I like better. Even through my raggedy nearly 25 year old Hartke 410XL. And it's not even burned in, and I don't even know what I'm doing with it yet! What incredible butt this thing has! It took me an hour to even want to switch to the overdrive channel I was having so much fun with the passive tone stack. Can't wait for rehearsal tomorrow. I'm palpitating here.
Your description is to me the definition of what I consider a good amp...when I sit down to play and an hour goes by without stop, THAT is good tone....have it everytime I play it.
Can you record some of the clean, vintage tones? Even if it's just whole notes. I would love to hear one without all the grit.
Hey Freddels I'll see what I can get done. Would the post-power tube DI tell you anything? I've got a nice AKG C-414 I could throw in front of it, but I do nothing but mastering now and I don't even have a mic pre! Kinda embarrassing. I'll figure something out.
If the DI is representative of the tone that you'd get with a cab, then that should be fine. Thanks.
Well, after all these weeks of waiting for my guitarist's arm plaster to be removed I finally had a decent chance to play my 100T in a band situation (he just did his best - the arm is now in a much smaller cast). I was playing it through my recently acquired GK Neo 115iii speaker at our normal rehearsal room. Last time I played in that room I was using my Orange AD200 into my Bergantino NV215 cab. The 100T kept up fine, by itself into the GK I was initially unsure about the tone, but the true test came when we all started playing and it was great. No problem hearing the bass, nicely defined and very punchy. I also tried it at the 25 watts setting but preferred it at a 100 watts just for the confidence of the extra headroom - and I can assure you my drummer plays loud. Looking forward to gigging again as soon as that plaster cast is removed.
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