AB165 Bassman Andy Ruhl Mod info.

[BuddyLee]

I was wondering your thoughts on the value of a AB165 Circuit Bassman with the Andy Ruhl Mod. I have the opportunity to buy one for about $800 with a 2x12 Fender cab in fair condition.

It is missing the back cover piece and the tolex is dinged up a bit. But no rust or anything visible on the inside. It had the filter caps replaced about 5 or so years ago.

I played it today and it sounded like the sex. Great fat clean tone and very sweet distortion when turned up. Not farty. It did make some noise when one of the preamp tube is tapped on but the socket looks good so I assume it may just need a new tube/tubes.

Here is a link to the mod that was done to it, it mods the AB165 circuit to similar specs of the AA864 and some people say it sounds better than either.

http://acruhl.freeshell.org/mga/main..._vs_AB165.html

Is this a fair price? Does anyone have experience with Bassmans modded in this way? The amp did sound really good to my ears.

Thanks in advance.

[Tim Armstrong]

That price might be a little high for a Bassman head and cab, but I don't think it's unreasonable, particularly if it really sounds good and works for you! Mods don't usually affect the value, except sometimes to reduce it, but in this case, it probably wouldn't...

Another way to look at it: how much would a similarly hand-wired amp made today cost you?

Tim

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

That price might be a little high for a Bassman head and cab, but I don't think it's unreasonable, particularly if it really sounds good and works for you! Mods don't usually affect the value, except sometimes to reduce it, but in this case, it probably wouldn't...

Another way to look at it: how much would a similarly hand-wired amp made today cost you?

Tim

It had that Bassman charm. Nice fat tone with clarity. I was playing Crazy ala Leon Grizzard and the jazzy chords sounded outstanding through it. I cranked up the amp to 10 and played a few riffs from Moving in Stereo by The Cars and the crunch and tone knocked my socks off. Playing with the treble turned up I tried out some Buckaroo and it growled when I hit the inversions, it sounded good with whatever I threw at it. Even Metallica

He said he would knock off a couple bucks to take care of the cost of some new tubes w/e.

I need a new amp like I need a hole in the head, but I have wanted a Bassman for a long time now and the BF's have always been out of my reach... it seemed like they were over $1k when I ran into them on consignment or at a music store... but I had not looked at them on the internet until recently. A head just sold on ebay similar but no mods for $610.

It seems like a lot of tone for a good price, like you were saying, a Booteek would cost me probably triple that kind of money... and Andy does not do mods anymore.

[JohnS]

I have always had the highest regard for Andy and his work. What price TONE?

[Tim Armstrong]

Andy did the work himself? Very cool!

I had a '68 Bassman head that was somewhat blackfaced (not sure if the mods were the same, but the idea was), and I miss it terribly...

Tim

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

Andy did the work himself? Very cool!

I had a '68 Bassman head that was somewhat blackfaced (not sure if the mods were the same, but the idea was), and I miss it terribly...

Tim

Not sure if Andy did the work or not. The guy who is selling it said he bought it with the mod done already. He plays bass mainly and said he has a '68 with the same mod that he will keep forever. He said they sound virtually identical but thought the BF would fetch more cash. I tested it out in his bands practice room. Aside from the noise that he made me aware of by tapping one of the smaller preamp tube it sounded great. A bit of white noise when the volume was raised, but I think that is normal.

I am just thinking about the price mainly... just in case I do need to sell it 6 months or a year from now. I was just hoping the mod would not decrease the value drastically and if that seemed like something that would hold its resale value at that price.

[Rick J]

Many years ago, in the Noam era, Andy Ruhl used to be a regular poster here. Are you still posting under another name Andy? If not does anyone know what he is up to?

Rick J

[Singin' Dave]

If its a BF Bassman head with the original smaller 2x12 cab and has had all maintenance done (caps, 3 prong, etc.), then I'd say $800 is a very fair and actually pretty good price, particularly if a) the mods work for you, b) you tried it and liked it and c) he'll knock of a "few" bucks for you to get some new tubes. One decent 12AX7 (RCA for me!) might be all it needs. Hell of an amp! Here's my '65:

[Ben Harmless]

The mods sound like basic Blackfacing to me, which is a good thing in my book.

It's not something I would impulse buy, but if I were in the market, it's not a bad deal, considering that it essentially doesn't need any work done.

[BuddyLee]

I am still torn, if I buy it I am out of GAS money for a while and have to wait on the Jazzmaster I have been searching for.

But I do not know if I will come across a Bassman like this in this price range with the mod anytime soon. I can probably find another AB165 for ~$500 but then I would have to have it modded to bring it up to snuff.

The AA864s seem to be insanely high priced, and it seems really unlikely to find one for sale nowadays from somebody who does not know how rare they are. Not like in the olden times.

It is such a unique sounding amp I am biting my nails thinking about playing through it again. I have been looking at my pile of guitars and thinking about selling one to absorb the cost. I do not REALLY need 3 Telecasters. =)

[Tim Armstrong]

Buy it! Nothing worse than remembering "the one that got away"!!!!

Tim

[BuddyLee]

Originally Posted by Singin' Dave

If its a BF Bassman head with the original smaller 2x12 cab and has had all maintenance done (caps, 3 prong, etc.), then I'd say $800 is a very fair and actually pretty good price, particularly if a) the mods work for you, b) you tried it and liked it and c) he'll knock of a "few" bucks for you to get some new tubes. One decent 12AX7 (RCA for me!) might be all it needs. Hell of an amp! Here's my '65:

It looks almost identical to that amp. Same amount of aging. The cab is not the original one, but it matches well. It has 2 new Mojo MV30 speakers that sound good. It has the piggy-back hold downs and the tilt legs on the side. No back cover, but that is an easy part to make/buy.

I think I am going to buy it, if worst comes to worst I still have my retirement I can plunder if the economy does not pick up this year...