The Fender Super Bassman 300 thread

[smeet]

I prefer the Vintage channel, with the Bass control button pulled out. The Extra Bass I really like.

In my test listening, I also thought the vintage channel has a nicer sound, more round and thick. But I think with a little fiddling I felt was able to get both channels sounding very close. Turn the blend on channel 2 all the way down, turn the mid freq toward the lower end and give it a slight boost.

 

[eyeballkid]

I dunno. No matter what I do on the first channel I cant get it to dirty up like the other one. ;-)

 

[west al]

I do like the versatility of the SB's two channels. The Vintage Channel is a bit more 60's sound.

 

[Tim1]

Had a gig last night at a country Tavern.
Fender Super Bassman and Bergantino NV412
Wow! Never ceases to floor me this set up.

I love my NV215, never really connected with the NV610 and sold it on as to my ears the NV215 was preferable, but I do so wish I had grabbed an NV412 when they were still around.

 

[rodl2005]

I dunno. No matter what I do on the first channel I cant get it to dirty up like the other one. ;-)

With a hot P bass (or especially my 74 TELE Bass with the mud bucker pup) the VINTAGE channel dirties up very nicely.
Run the ch. Volume up near Max and play hard - I find it hard to stay clean.
I did put 2 NOS 5751s in V1 & V2 tho. Maybe this makes a difference.

 

[rodl2005]

Re my comment about the SVT810 & SUPER BASSMAN pairing. .
Both times I had less than stellar results are in BIG CAVERNOUS rooms. Perhaps that had something to do with the upper mids being lacking.
I'll try again soon.

 

[Tim1]

Re my comment about the SVT810 & SUPER BASSMAN pairing. .
Both times I had less than stellar results are in BIG CAVERNOUS rooms. Perhaps that had something to do with the upper mids being lacking.
I'll try again soon.

Still, that is the type of venue where you would expect the SVT 810 to shine, perhaps with a little eq tweaking. Paradoxically, with my Fender 810 cab I found the upper mids to be too dominant. Like you I keep on coming back to my good old Berg NV cab.

 

[rodl2005]

Possibly. Perhaps we've just been spoiled by the class of the Bergs.
Hmmm 'The Class Of The Bergs' sounds like a Dr. Who episode.

 

[west al]

Re my comment about the SVT810 & SUPER BASSMAN pairing. .
Both times I had less than stellar results are in BIG CAVERNOUS rooms. Perhaps that had something to do with the upper mids being lacking.
I'll try again soon.

That's where I think you would do better with two Ampeg SVT-410HLF. Frequencies are a bit better, and the actuated horn will work as you like to set it.

 

[Tim1]

That's where I think you would do better with two Ampeg SVT-410HLF. Frequencies are a bit better, and the actuated horn will work as you like to set it.

Interesting. I often use a recent 410HLF at band practices and, despite that cab getting a bad rap in some quarters for excessive bass, I too find it is a nice pairing and the Super Bassman controls it well and keeps things tight.

 

[rodl2005]

I had a 410HLF before I had a NV610 & didn't really like it for me. Apart from its squat n heavy disposition when I 1st used the NV610 I thought a blanket has been lifted off my sound.
I DO really like the 810 and had a great sound outta it with the V4.
I'll just use it a couple more times and I'm sure I'll get it dialed in.

 

[west al]

Interesting. I often use a recent 410HLF at band practices and, despite that cab getting a bad rap in some quarters for excessive bass, I too find it is a nice pairing and the Super Bassman controls it well and keeps things tight.

I like the SVT-410HLF better with the Super Bassman, than with the Ampeg SVT-CL. Like I said in an earlier post, I like the overall design of the SVT-410HLF cab over most others. With the ports under the speakers, it raises the speakers up off the floor better. It pushes out air better than flat backed cabs.

 

[Tim1]

I had a 410HLF before I had a NV610 & didn't really like it for me. Apart from its squat n heavy disposition when I 1st used the NV610 I thought a blanket has been lifted off my sound.
I DO really like the 810 and had a great sound outta it with the V4.
I'll just use it a couple more times and I'm sure I'll get it dialed in.

Agree with you on all of that, Rod, and I have never gigged it because it is so darned difficult to move. I just keep it in the rehearsal room. My point was more of a credit to the Super Bassman - this is cabinet that is known for being "woolly" yet the SB300 was able to tame its worst tendencies.

 

[rodl2005]

I don't think I had my SVTII at the same time I had my 410HLF. Interesting that you say the SB300 works better than the SVT with the cab.
My SVT810 cab is at my girlfriends house, so I'll get plenty of chances to use it instead of my NV412.

 

[west al]

I've run across the same thing with Hartke heads not matching up very well, with Hartke cabs.

 

[Ler]

I run and Fender neo 610 or Fender neo 410 with my SBM 300, very pleased. You guys have me curious about that Ampeg now...

 

[Arthur U. Poon]

Hello Super Bassman owners,
I see this amp had 2 channels; can I approximate the low mids punchy tone of a vintage SVT with it? I'm not a big fan of the Fender Tone Stack. I'm looking for a cleaner tone than the SVT-CL, with control over my mids, and huge volume. Can the Super Bassman do this?

 

[Alexander]

Hello Super Bassman owners,
I see this amp had 2 channels; can I approximate the low mids punchy tone of a vintage SVT with it? I'm not a big fan of the Fender Tone Stack. I'm looking for a cleaner tone than the SVT-CL, with control over my mids, and huge volume. Can the Super Bassman do this?

I don't have any problem approximating the SVT tone at all - very easy to dial in on the vintage channel. It might be slightly cleaner than an SVT with the SVT being slightly louder, but both are very, very close in these dimensions. I find the EQ to be intuitive and versatile - I feel like I have complete control over my tone. The Super can produce a lot of tones the SVT can't, which hasn't been a huge plus from me, cause I usually dial in an SVT-ish tone on the vintage channel anyway. I should probably play around with the second channel more, but love what I'm hearing as my "default" setting. It's lighter, by quite a bit too - I'm pretty fit and don't mind schlepping gear, but that SVT is on the fringe of what I can carry by myself any appreciable distance. As for mojo, I'd have to give the nod to the Vintage SVT - probably will always be the king. But the Super looks cool too, stacked on a couple of Ampeg AV cabs - nice, vintage vibe and tone for days.

 

[shwashwa]

You asked for it:

"We'll Sweep Out the Ashes" cover, Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill, NC, 9/20/13. P Bass. PA support:

"Pink Houses" cover, the Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC, 12/6/13. P Bass. PA support:

Fooling around at home with the 100T, Neo 400 and a Rickenbacker 4003:

Original instrumental tune, The Tiki Bar, Carolina Beach, NC, 8/11/13. Jazz Bass. No PA support:

Original tune, the Berkeley Cafe, Raleigh, NC, 5/10/13. Rickenbacker 4003. PA support:

how does that upright sound with the 100t?
edit: oops i meant the 300

 

[sunbeast]

Hey, does anybody in the Los Angeles area have (or know where one is) one of these I could try out?
I can't find one anywhere!!! GC, Sam Ash, nobody has one, not even in the warehouses! I guess GC has a total of 6 warehoused in the whole country! But they can't get them to the local store apparently. And Sam Ash has none anywhere. They suggested I buy one and then get my money back if I don't like it after it arrives. Um, no. But I really want to try one out!

There is this weird shop downtown called "International House of Music" that stocked them when I wandered in there a few months ago. Oddly more than half of the bass amps they had stocked at the time were all-tube!