1967 BF Bassman vs Newer 59 Bassman RI

benhenny · November 29th, 2005, 08:08 PM

It looks like the old Bassmans are going for about the same or less than the 59 Reissues. Any thoughts on which would be the better way to go? I sure like those 59 RI LTDs.

Dacious · November 29th, 2005, 09:21 PM

If you want the new one, buy it.

If it were me, I'd buy the BF in a heartbeat. But I'm not you.

Tim Armstrong · November 29th, 2005, 10:01 PM

They're totally different amps, as I'm sure you know. I had a '68 Bassman head that was purely delicious, in a Fender clean way. But part of its charm was the $185 price I paid for it in a pawn shop in 1991...

Cheers, Tim

Paul G. · November 30th, 2005, 07:02 AM

Many guitar players (including myself) are fans of Bassman heads.

They sound and feel nothing like a 59RI. If its a Tweed Bassman you want, the BF and SF heads are not a substitute.

P.

Texsunburst59 · November 30th, 2005, 09:07 AM

Here's a pic of my 66' Bassman the was modded by David Allen. It started out with the AB-165 circuit and had the Normal channel converted to the AA-864 circuit. The bass side was converted to a Tweed Bassman/Marshall Plexi circuit. You can now use an A/B box to switch between the 2 sides. It's really a very versitile amp now.

Philo · November 30th, 2005, 06:10 PM

Can you describe the tone of the tweed side a little?

I've been thinking about doing this with my 67 Bassman.

Right now I have a 5F2 tweed preamp there, and am not using the middle tube.

Philo

Texsunburst59 · November 30th, 2005, 07:41 PM

The bass side of the bassman with the switch set on deep is the Tweed Bassman setting. The sound is very thick in the lower mids. It has a lot of girth in the tone. It may sound that way cause I'm using it with the closed back cab. It starts to sustain at about 3 1/2. I'm almost sure that it would sound a whole lot different with an open back 2x12 or 4x10 cab. So far everyone thats heard it is very impressed by all 3 tones available.

Deacon Blues · November 30th, 2005, 10:35 PM

I was just purusing eBay today looking at BF and drip edge Bassman amps. I'd love to score a blonde Bassman.

Maj. Lee FUBAR · December 1st, 2005, 09:24 PM

As far as speakers/cabinets, what do you guys match up you BF Bassman's with?

Lance · December 1st, 2005, 11:58 PM

Killer amps!

I've got a BF Bassman. It's stock. Buttttt.....it took almost a year to locate a period correct matching bottom for the head. Before I got the matching bottom , I used the head with a Marshall 2x12 bottom and loved that tone. The new bottom is loaded with two different types of Webers (I forget which) but it's great. Ted W. made the recommendation and I went along. Also, with a Weber Mass, this is a great rig....I usually add a touch of reverb with a Holy Grail and that's about all you need.

But...the idea of modding the bass channel sounds very interesting.

To be honest....I really think the bassman sounds better for my strat than my tele. The tele rocks but I think it's a better match to my BF DR.

Texsunburst59 · December 2nd, 2005, 09:11 AM

I had this cab made to exact bassman cab specs and loaded with weber californias. Californias are basically D-120 f speakers made by JBL. They are those speakers with the orange or gray baskets that everyone pays a fortune for. Anyway, the cab and speakers sound awesome,but I think I'm going to have a 2x12 or 4x10 open back cab made to have a more top end to my tone.

stantheman · December 2nd, 2005, 10:30 AM

25 years ago when "The Speakeasy" was on Norfolk St.
in Cambridge and Son Seals was playing there regularly
he always used a Blackface Bassman and what I'm pretty sure was a 2X12 Fender Bottom (smaller cab-the one that's the size of a Twin) through a Guild Starfire VI.
That was one of the most funky raw sounds imaginable,
truly ROADHOUSE - no 'verb whatsoever.
This was during the "Midnight Son Period" which if You were forced to take 10 recordings to another planet would be a no brainer. Something about "Dry" Fender Amps and Semi-Hollows is just killer.
*Regarding the first generation 1959 Re-Issue Bassman;The only thing short of a hand wired board that'll really get Me into Tweed Territory with just a cord is replacing the preamp tubes with 12AU7's - yeah all three of 'em.
Total and complete warmth - ZERO harshness. I did it
and now it sounds like a Narrow Panel '56 Champ in a
side by side just shall we say - bigger.

rusticman · December 5th, 2005, 01:04 PM

i have a '65 BF bassman stack. the thing with old amps is that thay need to be worked on. i got a kit with all the parts from torres and its now like new.

mark norwine · December 5th, 2005, 03:34 PM

Tone heaven:

Take an AB165 bassman, leave the preamp AB165; rewire the inverter & power amp to AA864.

Perch the now-modded head on top of a marshall 1960 with 25W greenbacks, rewired in parallel for 4 ohms.

Can tone get any better than that? :)

November 29th, 2005, 08:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
benhenny Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 199	1967 BF Bassman vs Newer 59 Bassman RI It looks like the old Bassmans are going for about the same or less than the 59 Reissues. Any thoughts on which would be the better way to go? I sure like those 59 RI LTDs.

November 29th, 2005, 09:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dacious Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Godzone Posts: 2,623 35 Photos	If you want the new one, buy it. If it were me, I'd buy the BF in a heartbeat. But I'm not you. __________________ My other Telecaster is a Thinline The Tele Bible, Ch 1, v 10 Love thy Telecaster, covet not thy neighbour's Strat!

November 29th, 2005, 10:01 PM	#3 (permalink)
Tim Armstrong Moderator Doctor of Teleocity Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Berlin, Maryland, USA Age: 49 Posts: 10,257	They're totally different amps, as I'm sure you know. I had a '68 Bassman head that was purely delicious, in a Fender clean way. But part of its charm was the $185 price I paid for it in a pawn shop in 1991... Cheers, Tim __________________ http://www.moodswingers.org

November 30th, 2005, 07:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
Paul G. Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 885	Not the same thing. Many guitar players (including myself) are fans of Bassman heads. They sound and feel nothing like a 59RI. If its a Tweed Bassman you want, the BF and SF heads are not a substitute. P. __________________ Listen to your mother

November 30th, 2005, 09:07 AM	#5 (permalink)
Texsunburst59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 357	66' Bassman Rig!!!! Here's a pic of my 66' Bassman the was modded by David Allen. It started out with the AB-165 circuit and had the Normal channel converted to the AA-864 circuit. The bass side was converted to a Tweed Bassman/Marshall Plexi circuit. You can now use an A/B box to switch between the 2 sides. It's really a very versitile amp now.

November 30th, 2005, 06:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Philo TDPRI Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 43	Tweed Side of Blackface bassman? Can you describe the tone of the tweed side a little? I've been thinking about doing this with my 67 Bassman. Right now I have a 5F2 tweed preamp there, and am not using the middle tube. Philo

November 30th, 2005, 07:41 PM	#7 (permalink)
Texsunburst59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 357	David Allen Bassman Mod The bass side of the bassman with the switch set on deep is the Tweed Bassman setting. The sound is very thick in the lower mids. It has a lot of girth in the tone. It may sound that way cause I'm using it with the closed back cab. It starts to sustain at about 3 1/2. I'm almost sure that it would sound a whole lot different with an open back 2x12 or 4x10 cab. So far everyone thats heard it is very impressed by all 3 tones available.

November 30th, 2005, 10:35 PM	#8 (permalink)
Deacon Blues Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 498	Interesting I was just purusing eBay today looking at BF and drip edge Bassman amps. I'd love to score a blonde Bassman. __________________ This is the age of the expanding man.

December 1st, 2005, 09:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
Maj. Lee FUBAR Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Traverse City, MI Posts: 168	What do you match up you BF Bassman with? As far as speakers/cabinets, what do you guys match up you BF Bassman's with?

December 1st, 2005, 11:58 PM	#10 (permalink)
Lance Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 2,197	Yup.... Killer amps! I've got a BF Bassman. It's stock. Buttttt.....it took almost a year to locate a period correct matching bottom for the head. Before I got the matching bottom , I used the head with a Marshall 2x12 bottom and loved that tone. The new bottom is loaded with two different types of Webers (I forget which) but it's great. Ted W. made the recommendation and I went along. Also, with a Weber Mass, this is a great rig....I usually add a touch of reverb with a Holy Grail and that's about all you need. But...the idea of modding the bass channel sounds very interesting. To be honest....I really think the bassman sounds better for my strat than my tele. The tele rocks but I think it's a better match to my BF DR. __________________ Lance "not very good...but I make up for it by playing loud"

December 2nd, 2005, 09:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
Texsunburst59 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Texas Gulf Coast Posts: 357	Closed back Repro Bassman Cab. I had this cab made to exact bassman cab specs and loaded with weber californias. Californias are basically D-120 f speakers made by JBL. They are those speakers with the orange or gray baskets that everyone pays a fortune for. Anyway, the cab and speakers sound awesome,but I think I'm going to have a 2x12 or 4x10 open back cab made to have a more top end to my tone.

December 2nd, 2005, 10:30 AM	#12 (permalink)
stantheman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: White Mountains Posts: 5,071	FWIW.... 25 years ago when "The Speakeasy" was on Norfolk St. in Cambridge and Son Seals was playing there regularly he always used a Blackface Bassman and what I'm pretty sure was a 2X12 Fender Bottom (smaller cab-the one that's the size of a Twin) through a Guild Starfire VI. That was one of the most funky raw sounds imaginable, truly ROADHOUSE - no 'verb whatsoever. This was during the "Midnight Son Period" which if You were forced to take 10 recordings to another planet would be a no brainer. Something about "Dry" Fender Amps and Semi-Hollows is just killer. *Regarding the first generation 1959 Re-Issue Bassman;The only thing short of a hand wired board that'll really get Me into Tweed Territory with just a cord is replacing the preamp tubes with 12AU7's - yeah all three of 'em. Total and complete warmth - ZERO harshness. I did it and now it sounds like a Narrow Panel '56 Champ in a side by side just shall we say - bigger. __________________ Somebody Loan Me A Dime

December 5th, 2005, 01:04 PM	#13 (permalink)
rusticman Tele-Meister Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: NORWAY Age: 29 Posts: 404	bF bassman i have a '65 BF bassman stack. the thing with old amps is that thay need to be worked on. i got a kit with all the parts from torres and its now like new.

December 5th, 2005, 03:34 PM	#14 (permalink)
mark norwine Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: New Jersey Age: 50 Posts: 1,382	Tone heaven: Take an AB165 bassman, leave the preamp AB165; rewire the inverter & power amp to AA864. Perch the now-modded head on top of a marshall 1960 with 25W greenbacks, rewired in parallel for 4 ohms. Can tone get any better than that? :)