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This is sad, but I really think this is sexy.
- Thread starter Bigskybassguy
- Start date
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
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- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Absolutely nothing that matters. Really. Fart machine except in your living room—but then maybe even in the living room if you had a strong young drummer (was there anything else?).
We could not gig in a small high school cafeteria with drums, 2 guitars with small fender amps, farfisa organ with a modest Baldwin KB amp, and a couple of Shure PA columns driven by a 60 watt amp supporting one microphone. The bass was really inaudible, even when farting. It was 1966. It was hell for me.
The blackface 212 bassman was a nice looking amp that sounded fine when playing very very soft all by itself or into the microphone of some tweak head recording dork.
Just no.
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Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Jim Carr
Dr. Jim
- Jan 21, 2006
- 16,223
- 7,614
- 76
- Disclosures
- fEARful Kool-Aid dispensing liberal academic card-carrying union member Musicians Local 72-147
Please folks. I had to use one of these (original '65 bassman 212 amp) when it was still basically new. No. Just no no no.
Nice little amp head with pointless flimsy cab loaded with crappy Jensen 12" speakers. The back rattled. Total disappointment in it's day.
Yes, we tightened the fasteners, and checked the cabs integrity. BTW, the head was weak, even when used as a guitar head.
There is no poetry here, IMHO. No virtue or vintage romance. There is only a reasonable attempt by Fender to produce a closed back bass amp that used existing circuits and components for a reasonable price. They were trying to out do Ampeg's little 15n fart factory, which they did, but only marginally. Don't take my word for it, ask any serious bassist over 65. Yeah, I own it in the years, and honestly hate both those amps as anything other than studio candy or collector's toys.
I guess I am saying there is no there there, so why make it a fetish? Keep in mind that the young are not a bunch of sentimental old fools—yet.
Nice little amp head with pointless flimsy cab loaded with crappy Jensen 12" speakers. The back rattled. Total disappointment in it's day.
Yes, we tightened the fasteners, and checked the cabs integrity. BTW, the head was weak, even when used as a guitar head.
There is no poetry here, IMHO. No virtue or vintage romance. There is only a reasonable attempt by Fender to produce a closed back bass amp that used existing circuits and components for a reasonable price. They were trying to out do Ampeg's little 15n fart factory, which they did, but only marginally. Don't take my word for it, ask any serious bassist over 65. Yeah, I own it in the years, and honestly hate both those amps as anything other than studio candy or collector's toys.
I guess I am saying there is no there there, so why make it a fetish? Keep in mind that the young are not a bunch of sentimental old fools—yet.
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Bassman 500 with a Rumble 115 cab - I changed the logo on the Rumble to a "Blackface" style to match better. Haven't gigged this setup yet.
With Genz Benz Focus 115 x 2. I have gigged this rig at a loud rock club with a big stage a couple of times - sounds great.
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Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,087
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Yep, I totally get that and I think Fender made an excellent call using that format. I love vintage looks for guitar amps, just never bonded with that at all for bass gear, unless you consider the Wall Of Sound to be a classic vintage look. Link Removed
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Bassman 500 with a Rumble 115 cab - I changed the logo on the Rumble to a "Blackface" style to match better. Haven't gigged this setup yet.
With Genz Benz Focus 115 x 2. I have gigged this rig at a loud rock club with a big stage a couple of times - sounds great.
I can envision it with a 2nd Rumble 115 under it, The Genz-Benz probably sounds great but another Fender would make it classic IMHO
Go for it - I still want my old 212 bassman back and have been tempted to get one of the Bassman500s - though my plan was to get a head and cab in blond/oxblood made for it (I have a guy).
Someone mentioned the fEARful as being quiet with 350Watts - that is something to consider if you're in a loud band as I do understand they're much less efficient than most instrument cabs (much more like hifi equipment efficiency-wise). But if you are in anything less than a stadium band 350 watts should be a LOT. My personal rule nowadays is if you need more than that it should be going through FOH.
Bass instrument was an input with a capacitor on it to bleed high frequencies off - Fender though that was what people wanted from a bass (and at the time a lot of people did) "Normal" is normal. So, in Fender's lexicon Bass is NOT normal.
They WERE totally inadequate as bass amplification, but today is the era of small, good sounding amps mic'ed into the PA, so no need to hold it against them anymore.
Also - to be fair, it was 1966 - you were probably turning up the bass to b heard too, because that's what everyone though you needed to do - effectively making you A: quieter, B: disappear in the mix whenever the sound coming out of your amp was audible. Not casting aspersions - that's just what people did at the time - totally counter productive.
Also - he's talking about the 500 watt modern version. It has a little more oomph to it. Cabs are also a LOT more efficient and better designed nowadays so the combo of that and appropriate cabs means a BIG difference in volume and audibility.
And a 1965 Playboy isn't for old men?
Considering the women in that mag would be grandmothers by now...
Considering the women in that mag would be grandmothers by now...
I just assumed that one side was for "Bass players", and the other for "normal people", whatever they do..
Nope. Only 350 watts into 8 ohms. Barely there for a bar gig. See my above post.
Still have to experiment more, but from my experience so far one Genz Focus cab does sound better than the Rumble. Honestly the only reason I got the Rumble was for looks. I'd probably only use that rig for blues gigs or similar. Right now I usually use a GK MB500 into one of the Genz 115's for cover band gigs (in-ears and always have PA support). For me 500 watts of Class D power into two cabs for a 4-ohm load is plenty even if I'm not using my IEM. I've got a pair of GK Neo 112-II's on the way. I have the Genz 115's for sale but I'm starting to re-think it - they really do sound awesome, especially two of them.
I think the specs say the Bassman 500 is 17 lbs but it feels lighter. When I pick the thing up I about throw it into the air - looking at it you expect it to be a 60-lb tube head. That preamp section is very versatile (same as the Bassman 100T and Super Bassman 300).
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wmhill
Inactive
- Aug 20, 2012
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My my old buddy the guitar player had one of those - 65 or 66, can't remember which - and sold it. Idiot. Best sounding amp he's ever had. They're no great shakes for bass but I want one just for my occasional guitar adventures. They are truly phenomenal guitar amps.
The guys I hung out with always had one or two of thees hanging around as a quick spare for keys, vocals, guitar, bass etc. Of course that was a long time ago and a decent BF or Blond Bassmen head was worth $100, give or take. My first one with a cabinet loaded with Jensen's was $120 in 1969.
