The Fender Super Bassman 300 thread

[rodl2005]

Ya. 2 female singers and the sax player and myself do a few also.
Yes the 2 x 115s was great. The NV412 would ALSO have been wonderful but, as y'all probly know by now, I do love those Bassman 115s. And 2 is more than double the fun.
I took the time at s.check to get the DRIVE channel really sweet and matched in volume with the VINTAGE channel too, so I was able to do some serious switching. Even more fun.
I even got to do a feedback solo

 

[99Z3]

It is nice when you have great assets to play behind! Glad that the rig sounded great! I think that I will take my SB300 and use it with my Epifani 115s on sunday at practice to see how it sounds.. I may move my D800 down the line for another tube amp..

Ya. 2 female singers and the sax player and myself do a few also.
Yes the 2 x 115s was great. The NV412 would ALSO Gabe been wonderful but, as y'all probly know by now, I do love those Bassman 115s. And 2 is more than double the fun.
I took the time at s.check to get the DRIVE channel really sweet and matched in volume with the VINTAGE channel too, so I was able to do some serious switching. Even more fun.
I even got to do a feedback solo

 

[Tim1]

Yep, the ability to mix n match is great and a lot of fun imo. I did make a wrong call at band practice yesterday, however. First practice for a long time as we reassemble after my acting break. Should have gone with a proven option but took the Orange AD200 into an Ampeg 212av. I "thought" it would have been a good match but the Orange turned from a warm head into a middy monster. I could have tweaked more to fix it but the tequila got in the way. Plus it was a new rehearsal space which didn't help, quite lively compared to the old room. Should have taken the V4B with the 212 or the Super Bassman, I know. The Orange or the Super Bassman into the Berg NV215 is tone heaven. I sometimes wish I had kept the Fender neo 610 rather than trade it for the 810 neo as the 810 is just a tad too large and intimidating for a practice . The Barefaced Four 10 should be arriving this week and I am hoping it will be a good match with the Super Bassman - light enough for an easy schlep and small enough not to get in the way and loud enough to kick ass with tone to match. A big ask really. I still wish Fender would import the neo 115s to New Zealand, our only options over here are the 610 or 810.
Good to see that you are still rocking it, Rod. You must be one of the busiest musos over there.

 

[rodl2005]

Understand @Tim1 but. ...just to aggravate you a lil more
I bought my 2nd Bassman Pro Neo 115 from Canada
Turned out about $200 AUD cheaper than buying a new one here. ...that's including freight n all. I made sure (as much as 5 at least) that it was in top condition. ..plus it was an early serial number model. ..unlike my original 2nd one which was a later model. . Which has heavier wood & was a fair bit heavier than my original 115. Now both are close in serial numbers and both are extremely lightweight.
But. ..of course, enjoy your Barefaced cab. I'm jealous! !!

 

[Tim1]

C

Understand @Tim1 but. ...just to aggravate you a lil more
I bought my 2nd Bassman Pro Neo 115 from Canada
Turned out about $200 AUD cheaper than buying a new one here. ...that's including freight n all. I made sure (as much as 5 at least) that it was in top condition. ..plus it was an early serial number model. ..unlike my original 2nd one which was a later model. . Which has heavier wood & was a fair bit heavier than my original 115. Now both are close in serial numbers and both are extremely lightweight.
But. ..of course, enjoy your Barefaced cab. I'm jealous! !!

Cheers for that, Rod. I am pretty sure that I would have been happy with a pair of neo 115s if I could have got them. I did try an Aussie shop that stocked them to see if they would ship to me, but they didn't even bother to reply so I suppose it was too much hassle.

 

[rodl2005]

Don't surprise me. ... ppl are slack these days. I'm spending today moving outta a camp /caravan park that we've had a van & annex at for the past 15 years. ...the new owners kicked us all out. ..by end of June. ... to put in new 'cabins'. I don't think they realize just how quiet it'll be here in winter.

 

[99Z3]

At practice today, instead of using the Mesa Subway amp, I took the SB300. Oh Wow, did that guy ever sound so good! I think that I might be selling a small amp here very soon!
And to add, that amp sounded so dang good with those 15s! It was pure bliss!

 

[rodl2005]

Yeah. It doesn't surprise me that many "pro" bassists are using the Super Bassman now. I'm seeing em more n more in the rigs of big shows. Where one it was almost always SVTs....the Super Bassman is there in many cases.

Your rig in the above pic looks SWEET! !! I'll say it again and again. .the Super Bassman seems to make every bass I've used with it sound the BEST it ever has.
That said, I still love my Aguilar TH500 and, to me at least, it's the ONLY "micro" that will sound solid, thick n lush. I haven't tried the new Mesa Subway, but I've tried many other class D micros and other (trad solid state) amps.... and none come close to the sheer thick solidity of the SB300 - &, to me, none do what the Aggy TH500 can do neither.
I'm keeping both and my V4B. ... altho it doesn't have the solid SLAM that the Super Bassman has, it's a sweet amp. I wish it DID have that 'slam' / heft/ solidity (whatever it really is. ...probly 6x6550s in a nice design ) and I s'pose no 100w (even all tube) amp will, but it really sounds cool and ain't heavy at all. I don't find the Super Bassman heavy either. ..only when lifting it up onto a high cab/stack, do I find it a lil awkward. But (again), I'm sure glad I bought the Super Bassman instead of a SVT-VR. Even tho the VR sounds amazing (as good as the Super Bassman? ), that extra 20+lbs makes ALL the difference for my aging muskles

 

[husky123]

It doesn't get much better than a SB300 through a couple of quality 15's that's for sure.

 

[Tim1]

Yeah. It doesn't surprise me that many "pro" bassists are using the Super Bassman now. I'm seeing em more n more in the rigs of big shows. Where one it was almost always SVTs....the Super Bassman is there in many cases.

Your rig in the above pic looks SWEET! !! I'll say it again and again. .the Super Bassman seems to make every bass I've used with it sound the BEST it ever has.
That said, I still love my Aguilar TH500 and, to me at least, it's the ONLY "micro" that will sound solid, thick n lush. I haven't tried the new Mesa Subway, but I've tried many other class D micros and other (trad solid state) amps.... and none come close to the sheer thick solidity of the SB300 - &, to me, none do what the Aggy TH500 can do neither.
I'm keeping both and my V4B. ... altho it doesn't have the solid SLAM that the Super Bassman has, it's a sweet amp. I wish it DID have that 'slam' / heft/ solidity (whatever it really is. ...probly 6x6550s in a nice design ) and I s'pose no 100w (even all tube) amp will, but it really sounds cool and ain't heavy at all. I don't find the Super Bassman heavy either. ..only when lifting it up onto a high cab/stack, do I find it a lil awkward. But (again), I'm sure glad I bought the Super Bassman instead of a SVT-VR. Even tho the VR sounds amazing (as good as the Super Bassman? ), that extra 20+lbs makes ALL the difference for my aging muskles

Totally agree with you on that, Rod. The 20 odd pounds is hugely significant for me - makes all the difference placing it on top of an 810 between a one person lift and a two person lift.

 

[svtb15]

I know this is probably a real stupid question. I know they are two completely polar opposite type of amps..
So i will take my hits for asking. But did the Super bassman compare to the M800 well. Does one have better definition than the other.. Does either have a large smoother bottom.. How do they compare vol wise and tone wise. The SB looks like a nice amp

At practice today, instead of using the Mesa Subway amp, I took the SB300. Oh Wow, did that guy ever sound so good! I think that I might be selling a small amp here very soon!
And to add, that amp sounded so dang good with those 15s! It was pure bliss!
View attachment 857569

 

[rodl2005]

I ain't tried the M800 but do love a large smooth (female) bottom

 

[99Z3]

Kirk,

in comparison between the two, I the only way that I can explain it to you is that yes, the Super Bassman was more "focused" than the Mesa amp. I know where your coming from what I had said in the other thread about being darker. And I can tell you, that is the best word I know in how to explain it. I did have the GK MBF 800, the word for that amp for me is indeed, "Bright"! The SB300 was open but yet not wide like a "hi-fi" amp. It has weight in the notes. With those Epifani cabs, these are the amps that I have used with them. Ampeg SVT-7 Pro, GK MBF 800, Aguilar DB750 with Telefunkin tubes, Mesa D-800 and the Super Bassman 300. For me the best sound I have gotten is from the Super Bassman. And what is funny, in the progression of amps just as I have listed them to you is the exact order of the amps that I used and with each amp, the tone got better! I really like the Super Bassman amp, so much so, that I have actually thought about getting another one. That way I don't have to move the amp back and forth. Just leave the other one at practice.

Now I have not tried the Fender Custom Shop cabs I have with this amp in a band setting, but I am going to do so here really soon.. in case you missed what they looked like Kirk, here is a pic of them. They are a matched set, only 500 pair were built, the bottom cab is a "sub".

I know this is probably a real stupid question. I know they are two completely polar opposite type of amps..
So i will take my hits for asking. But did the Super bassman compare to the M800 well. Does one have better definition than the other.. Does either have a large smoother bottom.. How do they compare vol wise and tone wise. The SB looks like a nice amp

 

[rodl2005]

Be interested to hear just how they go in a band/gig setting with the Super Bassman. Slammin I imagine!
My run "up to" the Super Bassman is. .. give or take a few. ..
old 70s Aus made PA amp - 6x6CA7 power tubes for about 150w or so.
70s Fender Bassman 100
SVT 3 Pro...
Bassman 300 Pro
SVTII
V4BH
LMII
GB Shuttles
Mesa Walkabout
Mpulse 600
7 Pro
& now I've a reissue V4B, a Tone Hammer 500
& the Super Bassman.
As much as I love the Aggy and the V4B. ... the Super Bassman takes the cake over all my previous amps.

 

[svtb15]

i like your spector too.. great basses..
i was asking because my friend is out on tour with meatloaf. He is using the super bassman amp. And has so for a few years.. He told me that it makes his SVT sound Anemic.. He LOVES the Super Bassman. .. and all tube, is something that is very organic sound and feel..

i know the M800 EDIT (D800) is almost the anti super bassman on paper, but there is such a love fest going on in the other thread ( all good) i wanted to ask here..
.

Kirk,

in comparison between the two, I the only way that I can explain it to you is that yes, the Super Bassman was more "focused" than the Mesa amp. I know where your coming from what I had said in the other thread about being darker. And I can tell you, that is the best word I know in how to explain it. I did have the GK MBF 800, the word for that amp for me is indeed, "Bright"! The SB300 was open but yet not wide like a "hi-fi" amp. It has weight in the notes. With those Epifani cabs, these are the amps that I have used with them. Ampeg SVT-7 Pro, GK MBF 800, Aguilar DB750 with Telefunkin tubes, Mesa D-800 and the Super Bassman 300. For me the best sound I have gotten is from the Super Bassman. And what is funny, in the progression of amps just as I have listed them to you is the exact order of the amps that I used and with each amp, the tone got better! I really like the Super Bassman amp, so much so, that I have actually thought about getting another one. That way I don't have to move the amp back and forth. Just leave the other one at practice.

Now I have not tried the Fender Custom Shop cabs I have with this amp in a band setting, but I am going to do so here really soon.. in case you missed what they looked like Kirk, here is a pic of them. They are a matched set, only 500 pair were built, the bottom cab is a "sub".

View attachment 858522

 

[99Z3]

And I completely respect your position too! Yes.. I came a hair of getting a SVT-CL, but the day that I was shopping, I tested that amp and it was broke.. so I ended up going another hour and a half down the road to a GC and purchased the SB300 without trying that amp.. I have to say, that I will not be looking back over my shoulder missing any of the other amps that I have had.. this amp, for me is the bees knees.. I am running both channels flat, except that channel two I have the blend at 2. I don't want it any higher than that.. well mainly because I use a slight touch of chorus in my signal chain to thicken up the tone. I have two songs that I need to use reverb for some swells, that is the only time I don't use the chorus. I feel that the overdrive kind of gets in the way! But standing in front of that stack on sunday had me grinning all the time while we were practicing.. the rest of the band really loved it too! So yes I am hooked on this amp.. And how your friend describes the tone is about right in the way I see it, he just said it better than me! Oh and yes.. that Spector bass.. it is a rare bird indeed.. that is a Fore 4 LE in Kramer Era Candy Blue..

i like your spector too.. great basses..
i was asking because my friend is out on tour with meatloaf. He is using the super bassman amp. And has so for a few years.. He told me that it makes his SVT sound Anemic.. He LOVES the Super Bassman. .. and all tube, is something that is very organic sound and feel..

i know the M800 is almost the anti super bassman on paper, but there is such a love fest going on in the other thread ( all good) i wanted to ask here..
.

 

[tombowlus]

i know the M800 is almost the anti super bassman on paper, but there is such a love fest going on in the other thread ( all good) i wanted to ask here..
.

Just to be clear, are you referring to the Mesa/Boogie D-800 when you say "M800?"

 

[99Z3]

That is what I presumed, since I don't assume anything!

Just to be clear, are you referring to the Mesa/Boogie D-800 when you say "M800?"

 

[svtb15]

yes.. ooops... i have done that numerous time too... sorry folks

Just to be clear, are you referring to the Mesa/Boogie D-800 when you say "M800?"

 

[bababo03y]

I had the pleasure of playing through one of these last week. I was really surprised by how well this sounded. If I ever had to replace my Peavey Classic 400, this would be near the top of my list.