Fender Bassman '59 Reissue

ShaunNecro

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 524
Bay City (Michigan)

Posted on Apr 23 2007 11:47 PM

Does anyone here use one of these either for guitar or bass? I've been considering the past couple days of making it my recording amp.

—

I am super sweet
www.myspace.com/thetremblors

Top

JakeDobner

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 12159
Seattle
5 News Pins

Posted on Apr 24 2007 02:42 AM

It should make a pretty decent surf amp. I hear it is pretty close to the 6G6 circuit.

Top

eddiekatcher

Joined: Mar 14, 2006
Posts: 2778
Atlanta, GA
1 News Pin

Posted on Apr 24 2007 05:22 AM

WoodyJ and Mitch both have one and they love 'em. Woody plays bass out of his with the AcoustaSonics. It sounds pretty big over in his studio. We will be playing out live for the first time on Wed and Thurs nights this week. We will update the thread on how the Bassman reissue performed out in the real world.....ed

—

Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps?

Top

Kojack

Joined: Jul 29, 2006
Posts: 116
Menomonie, Wisconsin USA
United States

Posted on Apr 24 2007 08:01 AM

ShaunNecro,

I picked up a 59 Bassman LTD on eBay last week. This one has a 5AR4 tube rectifier. Apparently the earlier re-issue had a solid state rectifier.

Clean sounds are great. Using a jumper cable between the inputs, you can get a wide variety of complex clean tones. Remember, I've had it less than a week, so there's certainly some "honeymooning" going on here.

If you or any of your friends play blues, this amp is IMHO, one of the best out there for the price.

My only concern about making it a recording amp is that this little doggie is loud. At 45 watts, those four 10's can move some serious air. If high volume isn't an issue in your recording space, that shouldn't cause a problem.

Keep us up to date on your decision!

Cheers,
Chuck

Top

WoodyJ

Joined: Apr 05, 2006
Posts: 1547
Bethlehem, GA
United States

Posted on Apr 24 2007 08:28 AM

Here's my '59 Bassman LTD reissue that I use with the AcoustaSonics. It sounds awesome. I think the limiting factor for using it as a live (loud) surf bass amp would be the stock Jensen P10R's. A quartet of some modern 10" real bass speakers would solve that problem. The Jensens should be great for guitar, though. I'd love to hear some serious surf guitar played through one with some Weber California 10's!

Electronically it is a VERY loud amp, and it has a nice warm, round tone with the three different types of basses (acoustic, semi-acoustic, and Fender Precision) I've used through it. Mitch says it is an awesome guitar amp and is very surfy if you hook a tank up to it, but so far I've only used it for bass.

Also, one of the many things I like about the Bassman LTD is that it is relatively light and very portable.

image

—

Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005)
The Hula Hounds (1996-current)
The X-Rays (1997-2004)
The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)

Top

ShaunNecro

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 524
Bay City (Michigan)

Posted on Apr 24 2007 02:23 PM

I'm not worried about it being too loud. If I was to use it live, it would have to replace a 480 watt bass amp.

—

I am super sweet
www.myspace.com/thetremblors

Top

SurfBandBill

Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1487
San Francisco
1 News Pin

Posted on Apr 24 2007 03:22 PM

I have no firsthand experience with the Bassman, but I have actually heard that it has drawbacks as a bass amp, and is much more suited for use with guitars hwen playing live with a drummer.

~B~

Top

PhatTele

Joined: Jun 05, 2006
Posts: 445

Posted on Apr 24 2007 04:04 PM

I was able to do some head to head comparisons between these amps: a homebrew 5F6A Tweed Bassman (Weber kit), a Holland blues harmonica amp (basically a tweed Bassman), a custom made tweed Bassman clone (non-weber), and a Fender 59 RI....it was one of those "full moon" events where all them were available to me at the same time. I had harp players and guitar players wailing through them and we would move back and forth between the amps.

Guess what...they all sounded essentially the same. Our favorites of the group (Weber kit and hand built clone) did not have the Jenson Reissue Alnico speakers. Those Jensons sounded a bit shrill.

So, what does that mean? If you can get a 59 Reissue Bassman used for a decent price, you're about 80-90% there in terms of that style of amp's tone for less than a hand wired boutique version. One downside, if it breaks, it's tough to fix.

Top

dp

Joined: Feb 26, 2006
Posts: 3546
mojave desert, california
United States

Posted on Apr 24 2007 04:07 PM

I have no experience with the reissue...but, I have some experience with an original '55 Bassman. Exceptonal for guitar, and not too bad for bass. Should be a real nice amp for studio use, as long as you're not seeking a "quiet" studio amp. Should make a very nice surf guitar amp, for sure!

-dp

Top

ShaunNecro

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 524
Bay City (Michigan)

Posted on Apr 24 2007 10:54 PM

SurfBandBill
I have no firsthand experience with the Bassman, but I have actually heard that it has drawbacks as a bass amp, and is much more suited for use with guitars hwen playing live with a drummer.

~B~

I haven't played it with a drummer, but I have played through it with my guitarist, and it sounded perfect to me at that moment. And besides, wasn't it originally designed as a bass amp anyways?

—

I am super sweet
www.myspace.com/thetremblors

Top

SurfBandBill

Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1487
San Francisco
1 News Pin

Posted on Apr 24 2007 11:29 PM

It was, but you gotta remember -- amps have added a HELL of a lot of umph since the 50s. A vintage bassman is going to hold up well, but it sure as hell isn't going to compare with something that can crank out 480 watts. If you want a little breakup, that's cool, if you want a clean bass tone, it probably ain't gonna happen.

~B~

Top

ShaunNecro

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 524
Bay City (Michigan)

Posted on Apr 24 2007 11:33 PM

I don't want a clean bass tone, I would like it nice and overdriven. I don't know if it has enough power to hold up in a live band setting (at least with those speakers), but it should be fine for recording. I just hate the fact that my amp always sounds boomy on the lower notes, and I don't recall getting that with the bassman. I am going to try it out next week, maybe we can get our drummer to help us, and I can give my opinions after that.

—

I am super sweet
www.myspace.com/thetremblors

Top

SurfBandBill

Joined: Mar 15, 2006
Posts: 1487
San Francisco
1 News Pin

Posted on Apr 25 2007 12:04 AM

Very cool - I'm interested to hear what you think of it. I know I personally like a gnarly tone as well, which is why I have a mid-70s Acoustic brand amp. Rodd, the Lava Rats bassist is all about that clean tone. I have tried playing through his rig, and I just can't get a tone that I like out of it for similar reasons.

~B~

Top

ShaunNecro

Joined: Mar 06, 2007
Posts: 524
Bay City (Michigan)

Posted on Apr 25 2007 12:08 AM

My guitarist tells me all the time to "clean up my tone", but the thing is that I have a really clean tone, and I want to dirty it up a bit. I want a bit of overdrive, I want the life that comes with a tube amp. Even if I can't use it for shows, i want to at least have a great tone on recordings.

—

I am super sweet
www.myspace.com/thetremblors

Top

ShaunNecro Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 524 Bay City (Michigan)	Posted on Apr 23 2007 11:47 PM Does anyone here use one of these either for guitar or bass? I've been considering the past couple days of making it my recording amp. — I am super sweet www.myspace.com/thetremblors Top
JakeDobner Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 12159 Seattle	Posted on Apr 24 2007 02:42 AM It should make a pretty decent surf amp. I hear it is pretty close to the 6G6 circuit. Top
eddiekatcher Joined: Mar 14, 2006 Posts: 2778 Atlanta, GA	Posted on Apr 24 2007 05:22 AM WoodyJ and Mitch both have one and they love 'em. Woody plays bass out of his with the AcoustaSonics. It sounds pretty big over in his studio. We will be playing out live for the first time on Wed and Thurs nights this week. We will update the thread on how the Bassman reissue performed out in the real world.....ed — Traditional........speak softly and play through a big blonde amp. Did I mention that I still like big blonde amps? Top
Kojack Joined: Jul 29, 2006 Posts: 116 Menomonie, Wisconsin USA	Posted on Apr 24 2007 08:01 AM ShaunNecro, I picked up a 59 Bassman LTD on eBay last week. This one has a 5AR4 tube rectifier. Apparently the earlier re-issue had a solid state rectifier. Clean sounds are great. Using a jumper cable between the inputs, you can get a wide variety of complex clean tones. Remember, I've had it less than a week, so there's certainly some "honeymooning" going on here. If you or any of your friends play blues, this amp is IMHO, one of the best out there for the price. My only concern about making it a recording amp is that this little doggie is loud. At 45 watts, those four 10's can move some serious air. If high volume isn't an issue in your recording space, that shouldn't cause a problem. Keep us up to date on your decision! Cheers, Chuck Top
WoodyJ Joined: Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 1547 Bethlehem, GA	Posted on Apr 24 2007 08:28 AM Here's my '59 Bassman LTD reissue that I use with the AcoustaSonics. It sounds awesome. I think the limiting factor for using it as a live (loud) surf bass amp would be the stock Jensen P10R's. A quartet of some modern 10" real bass speakers would solve that problem. The Jensens should be great for guitar, though. I'd love to hear some serious surf guitar played through one with some Weber California 10's! Electronically it is a VERY loud amp, and it has a nice warm, round tone with the three different types of basses (acoustic, semi-acoustic, and Fender Precision) I've used through it. Mitch says it is an awesome guitar amp and is very surfy if you hook a tank up to it, but so far I've only used it for bass. Also, one of the many things I like about the Bassman LTD is that it is relatively light and very portable. image — Jack Booth (aka WoodyJ) The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005) The Hula Hounds (1996-current) The X-Rays (1997-2004) The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012) Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990) Top
ShaunNecro Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 524 Bay City (Michigan)	Posted on Apr 24 2007 02:23 PM I'm not worried about it being too loud. If I was to use it live, it would have to replace a 480 watt bass amp. — I am super sweet www.myspace.com/thetremblors Top
SurfBandBill Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 1487 San Francisco	Posted on Apr 24 2007 03:22 PM I have no firsthand experience with the Bassman, but I have actually heard that it has drawbacks as a bass amp, and is much more suited for use with guitars hwen playing live with a drummer. ~B~ Top
PhatTele Joined: Jun 05, 2006 Posts: 445	Posted on Apr 24 2007 04:04 PM I was able to do some head to head comparisons between these amps: a homebrew 5F6A Tweed Bassman (Weber kit), a Holland blues harmonica amp (basically a tweed Bassman), a custom made tweed Bassman clone (non-weber), and a Fender 59 RI....it was one of those "full moon" events where all them were available to me at the same time. I had harp players and guitar players wailing through them and we would move back and forth between the amps. Guess what...they all sounded essentially the same. Our favorites of the group (Weber kit and hand built clone) did not have the Jenson Reissue Alnico speakers. Those Jensons sounded a bit shrill. So, what does that mean? If you can get a 59 Reissue Bassman used for a decent price, you're about 80-90% there in terms of that style of amp's tone for less than a hand wired boutique version. One downside, if it breaks, it's tough to fix. Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Apr 24 2007 04:07 PM I have no experience with the reissue...but, I have some experience with an original '55 Bassman. Exceptonal for guitar, and not too bad for bass. Should be a real nice amp for studio use, as long as you're not seeking a "quiet" studio amp. Should make a very nice surf guitar amp, for sure! -dp Top
ShaunNecro Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 524 Bay City (Michigan)	Posted on Apr 24 2007 10:54 PM SurfBandBill I have no firsthand experience with the Bassman, but I have actually heard that it has drawbacks as a bass amp, and is much more suited for use with guitars hwen playing live with a drummer. ~B~ I haven't played it with a drummer, but I have played through it with my guitarist, and it sounded perfect to me at that moment. And besides, wasn't it originally designed as a bass amp anyways? — I am super sweet www.myspace.com/thetremblors Top
SurfBandBill Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 1487 San Francisco	Posted on Apr 24 2007 11:29 PM It was, but you gotta remember -- amps have added a HELL of a lot of umph since the 50s. A vintage bassman is going to hold up well, but it sure as hell isn't going to compare with something that can crank out 480 watts. If you want a little breakup, that's cool, if you want a clean bass tone, it probably ain't gonna happen. ~B~ Top
ShaunNecro Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 524 Bay City (Michigan)	Posted on Apr 24 2007 11:33 PM I don't want a clean bass tone, I would like it nice and overdriven. I don't know if it has enough power to hold up in a live band setting (at least with those speakers), but it should be fine for recording. I just hate the fact that my amp always sounds boomy on the lower notes, and I don't recall getting that with the bassman. I am going to try it out next week, maybe we can get our drummer to help us, and I can give my opinions after that. — I am super sweet www.myspace.com/thetremblors Top
SurfBandBill Joined: Mar 15, 2006 Posts: 1487 San Francisco	Posted on Apr 25 2007 12:04 AM Very cool - I'm interested to hear what you think of it. I know I personally like a gnarly tone as well, which is why I have a mid-70s Acoustic brand amp. Rodd, the Lava Rats bassist is all about that clean tone. I have tried playing through his rig, and I just can't get a tone that I like out of it for similar reasons. ~B~ Top
ShaunNecro Joined: Mar 06, 2007 Posts: 524 Bay City (Michigan)	Posted on Apr 25 2007 12:08 AM My guitarist tells me all the time to "clean up my tone", but the thing is that I have a really clean tone, and I want to dirty it up a bit. I want a bit of overdrive, I want the life that comes with a tube amp. Even if I can't use it for shows, i want to at least have a great tone on recordings. — I am super sweet www.myspace.com/thetremblors Top

SurfGuitar101 Forums » Gear »

Fender Bassman '59 Reissue