Fender Bassman 50 discussion

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 3:58 pm

so i guess who ever won this 1967 Fender Silverface Bassman Amp i was looking at backed out..
i now regret bumping up my last bid..
anyways i've been given a second chance to buy it.. (hence why i regret bumping my bid..)

but is $39o (plus shipping) a good deal?

its 50 watt, needs to be converted to a 3 prong plugin still (i just don't like to get shocked...)
i mean anyone can buy it.. but yeah..

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/260880576723?ssP ... 554wt_1270

so now i'm waiting for the bassman 50 to come.. figure we might as well discuss the merrits of a 76 silverface vs say a blackface vs other models.

Ben79 · Post by **Ben79** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 4:47 pm

I've got the 100 which cost me about the same and I've been told it was a steal. I think the 1967 50 watt is supposed to be a better amp too so I'd say yeah, go for it, good deal if you want a quality valve workhorse that's easy to mod and I believe they take pedals well too.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:01 pm

yeah.. i'm just not sure how much i need it..

my current amp line up is:

Vox AC 100 CPH
Sovtek Tube Midget 50H
Fender FM 212R
and some fonovox soild state from 1958..

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:06 pm

so.. i bought it..

$90 to get it shipped to me..

stupid shipping.

johnnyseven · Post by **johnnyseven** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 5:32 pm

I have a Bassman 50, it's a bit older (1975) but has the sought after circuit (can't remember what it is) and I love it. I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:09 pm

Likewise have a bassman 50, though blackface '64 and it's utterly awesome. If I was in the US I'd probably have several Bassmans, no doubt you will love it.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:24 pm

i'm thinking i will
while i was at our (Zero Cool) jam space this afternoon picking up my 2x12 cab i played KP's (the other guitarist) Basssman 100
i've played around with it a few times and i'm pretty happy with the tone
so i suspect the bassman 50 will treat me well

if not you'll find it in the classifieds section in a few months.. (lelz)

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Wed Oct 26, 2011 10:27 pm

i'll do an demo once it shows up

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:06 am

its not a terrible price, i wouldn't pay it, but not bad for their increasing price. some days you will see them regularly sell for $600, others you can pick them up for $300 left and right. Kind of depends on your location really. being a early silverface it will have the ab165 circuit, possibly even the blackface circuit (memory fails me)
They are great amps that work really well with (most) pedals. They aren't exactly as clean as people are led to believe, but thats the magic in them

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 2:51 am

who wants a clean amp?

pro tip: not this guy

thanks for the input haze

yeah Kp picked up his bassman100 with a cab for 600 or so and then flipped the cab on kijijii the next day for $500

there has been a lot of bassmans going for about 500 - 700 as of late
i figure for 390 its not bad.. the 70 bucks shipping, pretty average to get something to the arctic tundra that weighs a bit..

i've the coin in my paypal anyways so it isn't like i'm out.. i just hold off on getting a 65 mustang for a bit (but that is okay as prices on vintage mustangs have doubled since i last bought one [i picked up my old one in 2007 for $600 with hsc now they go for 900 - 1200 or more as i don't want a RI, and a lot of places online who have good deals on them won't ship to canada])

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:36 am

shadow had a bassman50 when i was there.

he was all DUDE DON'T PLAY IT IT DOESN'T WORK

so i waited until he was away at school and the thing FUCKING RULED

fuck you shad

ban shad

Pens · Post by **Pens** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:39 am

robroe wrote:shadow had a bassman50 when i was there.

he was all DUDE DON'T PLAY IT IT DOESN'T WORK

so i waited until he was away at school and the thing FUCKING RULED

fuck you shad

ban shad

PAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Man, where has Shad been lately, anyway?

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:53 am

other than me posting as him under his profile, not much

Ben79 · Post by **Ben79** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:33 pm

I think the blackface circuit is supposed to be 'better' (there's a whole list of the different circuits somewhere on the web), but if you want to convert a silverface all you need is a soldering iron and a few replacement components and you've got yourself a winner of an amp for not much bucks.

Then the only difference is that the face of the amp is shiny silver instead of black, which we all know can impede your bass frequencies so best to colour that in with a marker pen.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 10:23 pm

depending upon how i get along with it i may add a DPDT switch to go between a "Blackface Mod" and stock..

we shall see when it shows up

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:28 am

That would require a lot of switches... most people take to missing the bass half of the circuit, leaving the original untouched. I suppose if you modded the bass half you could mount a dpdt on the faceplate and use it to switch inpus, an a/b foot switch would have the same effect without mucking up your vintage fender.

Post by **dots** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:35 am

i had a bassman 100w, too, and i loved it. i only sold it to junkbox because he needed an amp, and i didn't need three.

but yeah, takes pedals great, and has all kinds of headroom. i paid 400, and it was a 73, so i think you did really good, dude.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 8:26 pm

thanks dots

and everyone else
i'm stoked on it..'i may even use it for bass... but i play my bass with pedals so *shrug*

will report back once it arrives

Ben79 · Post by **Ben79** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 10:21 pm

I just fired up my new bassman 100 for the first time. I've got an old Orange 4x12 that needs rewiring to 4 ohms but I realised I can run the head into one of the 4 ohm stereo inputs of my cheapo Randall making it a vertical 2x12. Having only used a Marshall valvestate 65r and Jubilee 25/50 combos before I was very taken with the clean sound, it rings out so clearly and bell like it was a completely new experience for me. Mine's a 76 and I'd heard the bass channel was supposed to be shitty but I actually prefer it to the guitar channel, the 'deep' switch is useful too. Maxing out the channel and it does begin to clip a little when I bash the strings (using a Dimarzio super distortion) and even with the budget 12"s in the Randall there's a really clear deep bass that you feel as much as hear. Haven't cranked it up yet, looking forward to doing that once I've rewired the Orange. I'm probably gonna pull two of the power valves and run it at 50.

Now I just need an SG junior.

A_saVANT · Post by **A_saVANT** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:54 pm

I have a '71 Silverface Bassman that somehow made it out of the factory with blackface guts. Bone stock...alway the way down to the vintage GE tubes. Seriously, I love it. Not a bass amp. Some think it's a guitar amp. I personally believe it is the perfect Baritone amp evar.

Plays like budda. I have the matching cab too with original speakers...however I modded the cab to be a 2x12/1x15 monster. Still have the baffle though, just for the purists. Need to get some analog spring reverb though...only thing it lacks.

P.S. Get a Baritone and jumper the bass channel to the guitar channel. FTW.