ksdaddy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Picked up a '69 Bassman 50 and 2-15 cabinet the other day. The buy has been playing bass since the late 60s. He bought it used in '73 or so. It was out in his garage. He had some other stuff for sale but it was all newer. I bought this Bassman w/cab and a newer Fender 100B head for $500. I'm trying to flip the 100 watt head so I have less into the old one. At some point someone went nuts with a can of spray paint. I doubt I can clean up that mess but it's probably better left alone than to replace the grill cloth. I plugged the Tele into it and it was lackluster. Some match, some don't. I plugged my '83 P Bass into it and it sounded good. Then I plugged the '71 gold top LP with Dimarzios in it. Holy crap, I've never heard 50 watts like that! Talk about a mule kick! I made it up to '4' before my knees started to buckle. I'm currently swamped with too many amps so I haven't decided whether to keep it or not. It'll look cool at the house for a while anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Cool deal. It seems like it would be a great bass rig. Nice to have around the house. Got to be ready, can't expect every bass player to have a rig with them all the time. I am hip to blackfaced and silverfaced Fenders, but I don't know much about that one. The Blackfaced ones sound great for bass, but don't go all that loud. The later silverfaced ones, with the 'upgraded' trannies work GREAT for bass, because they give really pure and clean power. Bassman 135 with the 15" JBL is my favorite of all time. For guitar, I have always found them really bland, especially with the bass cabs. But I HAVE seen some guys use the blackfaced ones and have a great tone. And I don't think there is a cab or a speaker it won't work with. If this was a socailist country, I would supply every musician with a Bassman head in the garage or basement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanvillRob Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Cool stuff! I didn't know you could get a Bassman back then with 2 X 15". I have a Dual Showman amp I bought back about 1971 or so, and I bought a 2 X 15" bottom, but not a Showman bottom, (it's some off-brand). It's a great amp, but takes two men and a boy to move it around! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Bet that is one heavy amp. I used to have a Fender Bassman with 1-15 combo and it weighed a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfpup Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Nice one. I've owned two '65 blackface Bassman heads and they make great guitar amps - just loud! One of my best sounds ever - 50 watt bassman head, Marshall cab, Les Paul, old MXR Ditsortion+. Shoulda kept those amps. Perfect rock rig - but loud. BTW, I think it's pretty easy to clip the negative feedback loop out of those silver face ones. That a couple of other minor mods will get it closer to black face specs - if you feel like tinkering with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Congrats on buying one of the best blues/rock amps ever made.I have a '69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 cab with the aluminum "drip rails" arounnd the grille.Conversely to yours my Tele sounds great through the old amp especially with the tone rolled back about half way.You are right about the Les Paul really sounding great through it,in fact any hb'er equipped guitar really shines through it.I use my Guild S-100-NB through it and it just screams.To get that amp and cab for the price you paid was a gift especially when you consider what a monster of an amp it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Great find. I love the simplicity of the controls: volume, bass, and treble. That's all anyone should need for a clean headroom beauty like that. And yes, the spray paint job is horrid. Let some other cat replace the grill cloth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I recently got my black Bassman head back from my "baby" Bro (under age 40). But he has no idea what happened to the 4-10 cab. So... I'm slowly looking for a replacement. It worked well for rock and country bass, f'r sure, and guitar if needed. I don't think the 15" speakers in general work so well for guitar, though. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Picked up a '69 Bassman 50 and 2-15 cabinet the other day. The buy has been playing bass since the late 60s. He bought it used in '73 or so. It was out in his garage. He had some other stuff for sale but it was all newer. I bought this Bassman w/cab and a newer Fender 100B head for $500. I'm trying to flip the 100 watt head so I have less into the old one. At some point someone went nuts with a can of spray paint. I doubt I can clean up that mess but it's probably better left alone than to replace the grill cloth. I plugged the Tele into it and it was lackluster. Some match, some don't. I plugged my '83 P Bass into it and it sounded good. Then I plugged the '71 gold top LP with Dimarzios in it. Holy crap, I've never heard 50 watts like that! Talk about a mule kick! I made it up to '4' before my knees started to buckle. I'm currently swamped with too many amps so I haven't decided whether to keep it or not. It'll look cool at the house for a while anyway. An Uncle Henry's find? I don't think the 15" speakers in general work so well for guitar, though. m Not pickin' a fight here. But the one amp I wish I NEVER got rid of was one of the first run Peavey 50w blues combos, it came with one 15, and THAT amp kicked serious volume, great gain, never ever had to mic it live, and most important it was very well balance tonally. if you ever find one of these snatch it up the were great amps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 I love 15" - although Milod is right - but Wes had 15" in the Standel... And I once had the Fender cab as big but with smaller speakers facing in toward each other. Great stuff if you got the space for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 my 78 is currently on tour in my office as a doorstop.....<_< I cooked it last fall, but drifting back on topic, great find KSD, they are great amps with lots of nut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 <grin> That's why I wrote "in general." When it comes to music stuff, there always are exceptions. A cupla weeks ago I ran an AE through a bass amp with a big 15 - and it was pretty bad, although I think it could be largely "fixed." m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 Bet that is one heavy amp. I used to have a Fender Bassman with 1-15 combo and it weighed a lot. the OT is the size of an infants head...... "heavy" is being nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted February 29, 2012 Share Posted February 29, 2012 <grin> That's why I wrote "in general." When it comes to music stuff, there always are exceptions. A cupla weeks ago I ran an AE through a bass amp with a big 15 - and it was pretty bad, although I think it could be largely "fixed." m They get blasted out and then they flap - all that area trying to push/pull - the trebles are too fast for it..but the guitarist in Unicorn (obscure 70s UK band) had a Dual Showman and the cab with 15" JBLs and that was monstrous. I've always wondered because steelies get on fine with 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenderGuy1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 i want to have my first vintage silverface Fender amplifier, i've been searching ebay for either a twin reverb or a Bassman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenderGuy1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 my 78 is currently on tour in my office as a doorstop.....<_< I cooked it last fall, but drifting back on topic, great find KSD, they are great amps with lots of nut. Sinner, can i have it? i will replace the caps and the tubes and get it going, then i will play my squier with full volume treble n bass for that hendrix sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinner 13 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Sinner, can i have it? i will replace the caps and the tubes and get it going, then i will play my squier with full volume treble n bass for that hendrix sound When you can pry it from my cold dead hands..... Besides that amp has a lot of local rock history under its belt it was the bass players from Zippo Raid / Crimson ghost, it was also used in Pulp 45, and most recently as my guitar head. So no, it is not for sale let alone free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenderGuy1 Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 That'll be easy, i'll just tie it to my chest and carry it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I must say that like Milod I never had much faith in using 15s for guitar but the oness in my cabinet are superb and are voiced perfectly for guitar,in fact gguitar sounds better than bass through it.Apparently according to a FB buddy of mine who's a Fender amp restorer/rebuilder says that in that 68-69 era and the 60s in general Fender sourced its speakers from several manufacturers and they are identified by the letter code on the speaker frames-the ones in mine are most likely Oxfords but judging by the response I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were JBLs.The only way to find out the speaker type for sure is to take the back off the cabinet by removing the 2 dozen or so screws in the back panel,I'll do that some day when I get a huge burst of energy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buxom Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 I'd honestly love one of these. I've wanted one ever since I read the book King Dork. (Funny scene where these kids with a highschool rock band steal a Fender Bassman. Honestly made me lose it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FenderGuy1 Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 i tried a 79 bassman that my friend had, even borrowed it for a few days and it had the most amazing hendrix fuzz tone that i used it daisy chained with my marshall for the flanger, so i hooked my wah to the bassman, then i daisy chained the Marshall and it had the woodstock sound, the Bassman had a marshall 4x12 so it was a pretty amazing rig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender 4 Life Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 fantastic deal there!! maybe it's "lack of lust" for the Tele can be fixed by boxing the speakers w/several silica packs for a week or 2.....did the spraypaint get thru to them?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrNylon Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 From the 60's, the Acoustic 261, 2X15, a horn, in a sealed system. 125 Watts RMS, 275 watts peak. The way to make the 15's sound great for guitar, was power, and volume. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twiz Posted March 2, 2012 Share Posted March 2, 2012 Those Bassman's are LOUD. Weird question, but did you check out the tubes in it? A friend of mine got the same head, and was stoked to find the original tubes inside. I'm not sure what kind they were, but I guess they're pretty sought after. Happy New Amp Day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted March 2, 2012 Author Share Posted March 2, 2012 ...can be fixed by boxing the speakers w/several silica packs for a week or 2.....did the spraypaint get thru to them?? Huh? Never heard of such a thing. Humidity in the cone paper? I haven't popped the cabinet apart but the spray paint doesn't appear to be 'heavy'... just 'there'...(ick). The former owner said he insulated the cabinet and claimed it improved the tone. No clue there, I'm not much on making changes to amps in any sense. All I know is that the Twin is so deep (all stock, 2-12s) that you can feel it in your bowels when the low E is struck. The Bassman doesn't seem to have a lot of depth... kinda midrangey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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