The Fender Super Bassman 300 thread

[rodl2005]

Ok. Goes to show how much I know I THINK mine do that. I'll check next time.

As usual, the SB300/NV215 combo brought the BOOM! ! I wasn't in the PA ....but it was just a (loud) pub gig. Sounded SO GOOD ...vintage channel. ..just about to break up.

 

[armybass]

Wow. Before I bought my SB 300 I wanted to try the DB751 but they are not available in my area. I compared the big amps by Ampeg, Mesa, GK and I like the Super Bassman the most. I was very happy with it (and I still am) but I was still wondering what DB751 would be like. Your comment reduces my FOMO.

The DB751 was the best amp I had ever owned until I got the SB300. I agree that there is no comparison. The SB300 walks away with this one.

 

[mntngrown]

Hey Smeet, you may have already answered this but they originally had a 5 year transferable warranty. Not your situation?

 

[Rocksolid]

My lights cycle thru left to right when I power it on, when I turn the standby on, they all flash together, usually all green, but sometimes with a couple of orange, but once I have put signal thru it for a while, all lights are solid green.

 

[azwhofan]

mine cycle at startup and stabilize once I run a signal through it (after a proper warm up of course!).
@smeet didn't you own a reeves 225 at some point? If so, how does it compare to the SB300?

 

[smeet]

mine cycle at startup and stabilize once I run a signal through it (after a proper warm up of course!).
@smeet didn't you own a reeves 225 at some point? If so, how does it compare to the SB300?

No, unfortunately I've never even seen a Reeves in person.

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

After literally agonizing for years over which all tube bass head to buy, I've decided I'm going with the SB300, and I'll most likely buy a pair of neo 410 cabs to run with it.

Years ago, I owned an SLM-era SVT-CL, then later an SLM-era SVT2-Pro, and.an 810E. What I didn't like about my SVT's was they both sounded too distorted at gig volumes, and I tried running the Master on full, using the Gain as my volume, different tubes, different eq settings, you name it, without success.

From everything I've read, the SB300 stays cleaner when pushed, compared to the current SVT's, which is exactly what I'm looking for from an all tube head.

 

[rodl2005]

I think they're pretty similar. ... the MODERN or Overdrive channel might go a little louder and stay cleaner with the controls adjusted to do so.
But. ..gee...with 2 410 Pro Neo cabs. ..that'll be YOOOOOOOOJ. ...YOOOOOOOOJ I tell ya. Like ...bigger'n the Great Wall (of Jina)

 

[rodl2005]

In addition. ... when I use BOTH my Bassman Pro Neo 115 cabs. .. I can get it so feckin loud it's silly. So much so that I actually prefer using just one 115...as I can push the amp JUST to that sweet spot. . (It really helps that the cab seems to handle a ton of power ) A cuppla weekends ago I probly SHOULDA had the 2 Bassman Pro Neo 115s but didn't think we'd be quite so crowded and thus. .the crowd soaked up the sound etc etc. . So I was pushing that cab pretty dang hard for a single 15"!!!!! Sounded fantastic but. ..I was keeping my ear on it.
When I take 2 of the Bassman 115s I virtually halve the amp master vol etc. ..
So, when I had just the 1 × 15" Bassman Pro Neo cab (have I mentioned how great it is that the Super Bassman does 8 ohm as well as 4 & 2???) ... I had the master vol up around 7/10 and vintage channel vol around 7 also. .. now there IS a LOT more vol on tap. ..even in those last 3 numerals but it was getting a nice. ..sweet power tube break up when I dug in and for the hard rock we were playing. .. superb!
I have used the Overdrive/modern/active channel - without any overdrive dialed in - and gotten cleaner sounds at the same settings. . So no doubt it'd go louder AND cleaner if I so desired
And. ..geeeez... 2 of the Bassman Pro Neo 410s. . From what I've read. .. should be awesomely loud.
Damn!!! I'm just thinking of how it'd sound. ... at similar settings to what I used with the 115 whoooo!

 

[rxdiablo]

mine cycle at startup and stabilize once I run a signal through it (after a proper warm up of course!).
@smeet didn't you own a reeves 225 at some point? If so, how does it compare to the SB300?

I've not owned one, but played through one at a gig, back to back with my SB. The Reeves had a more "pillowy" low end, but didn't dirty up or get gritty nearly as pleasantly as the SB. Again, it's at a gig, so I didn't have time to really dial in exactly what I would typically do, but just huge, clean, lows from the Reeves. And we tune as low as drop A#, so there were LOWS!
It was a nice amp for sure, but I was happy to be bringing my Fender home with me!

 

[Down_Low]

I haven't been gigging a lot lately - the band is having a quiet year, but we did play a local bar last week, so I took the Bassman and 410 along. Overkill for a fairly small room but it sounded so damn good!

 

[rodl2005]

Yeah. ..even quiet it's very sweet hey .... so thick n lush

 

[Fab Savage]

Would you guys describe the vintage channel as being dark? (accentuated/boomy lows)
I arm-wrestled with my Marshall VBA400's passive tone stack (same as the Fender) for a couple of years trying to tame the lows. I was running it with the NV412 as well which I wouldnt describe as being an overly dark cab.

Im sure the OD channel would be more pliable but I feel the strength of this amp, over say an SVT, is being able to footswitch between the 2 channels

 

[Son of Wobble]

Would you guys describe the vintage channel as being dark? (accentuated/boomy lows)
I arm-wrestled with my Marshall VBA400's passive tone stack (same as the Fender) for a couple of years trying to tame the lows. I was running it with the NV412 as well which I wouldnt describe as being an overly dark cab.

Im sure the OD channel would be more pliable but I feel the strength of this amp, over say an SVT, is being able to footswitch between the 2 channels

I'll take a stab since you've yet to have a reply, but my limited experience with the amp gave me the impression the vintage channel was pretty traditional Fender, which I would characterize as "tight" and "round." Boominess may result depending on cab coupling, but I wouldn't say it is an inherent characteristic by any means.

 

[Down_Low]

Would you guys describe the vintage channel as being dark? (accentuated/boomy lows)
I arm-wrestled with my Marshall VBA400's passive tone stack (same as the Fender) for a couple of years trying to tame the lows. I was running it with the NV412 as well which I wouldnt describe as being an overly dark cab.

Im sure the OD channel would be more pliable but I feel the strength of this amp, over say an SVT, is being able to footswitch between the 2 channels

Definitely wouldn't describe it ias 'dark'. I tend to run the bass knob on 3 - 4, mids at about 8 and treble at about 3 and it give a fantastic vintage tone that's not boomy at all.

 

[keto]

Definitely wouldn't describe it ias 'dark'. I tend to run the bass knob on 3 - 4, mids at about 8 and treble at about 3 and it give a fantastic vintage tone that's not boomy at all.

That’s almost exactly my settings as well.

 

[rodl2005]

Same. I wouldn't call it dark neither. I used mine into a NV412 for a few yrs too... Plenty of definition in that rig

 

[Fab Savage]

I'll take a stab since you've yet to have a reply, but my limited experience with the amp gave me the impression the vintage channel was pretty traditional Fender, which I would characterize as "tight" and "round." Boominess may result depending on cab coupling, but I wouldn't say it is an inherent characteristic by any means.

Same. I wouldn't call it dark neither. I used mine into a NV412 for a few yrs too... Plenty of definition in that rig

Sweet good to know - The room makes such a massive difference too of course and so many rehearsal rooms/gigs just exaggerate those lows in an ugly way, so a lot of my struggle is/was around that too.

Rod are you still running the bassman with the Fender Neo?

 

[husky123]

Same. I wouldn't call it dark neither. I used mine into a NV412 for a few yrs too... Plenty of definition in that rig

Yeah, definitely not dark. There is plenty of high end juice on tap even with the passive tone stack....bright switch too. I'd call that channel more clean and clear with that pristine glassy tube tone that all of us addicts long for. Outstanding dual personality amp. It reminds me a lot of the Meatsmoke. It can go from laying back and floating all boats to ripping your head off with the flick of a switch.

 

[Fab Savage]

Yeah, definitely not dark. There is plenty of high end juice on tap even with the passive tone stack....bright switch too. I'd call that channel more clean and clear with that pristine glassy tube tone that all of us addicts long for. Outstanding dual personality amp. It reminds me a lot of the Meatsmoke. It can go from laying back and floating all boats to ripping your head off with the flick of a switch.

Haha nice description. Thanks Husky.

I actually managed to find a store that has one in my city (I live in literally the most isolated major city in the world) and after 45 minutes of watching the poor sales guy run around trying to work out why the amp was just spitting out awful static hum.....nada. He said they just moved the amp so it might have been a loose valve or something but either way not exactly confidence building. Still I havent completely given up on the idea of one of these yet, and Ill go back next week when they have sorted it out. Hopefully.