Fender Bassman 15: I don't get it

My son (aged 15) has been looking for a new amp, and he's fallen hard for the new Fender Bassman 15. 350 CLass-D watts, tube preamp, single 15", tweed TV-front cab. Decidedly old-school amp, despite the digital power section.

I just don't see the attraction, he's into more modern stuff, especially Flea. Seems to me that one of the GK Ultra Light series would be a good choice for him. Also, the Fender is expensive - it's going for a grand, which seems quite a bit higher than most combo amps in that class.

Has anybody played the Bassman 15? What's so special about it? Is it worth the premuim price?

Get an SWR Redhead and don't look back. IMO.

Don't all bass amps sound the same? Some just louder than others?

kidding. You guys are going to tell me there's huge differences, I know, I know.

Good amp but you pay the Fender nameplate surcharge. I went Line 6 years ago and never looked back. YMMV.

To my mind, there is nothing special about the Fender Bassman TV15 - except the high price ...

A friend of mine is a real vintage fan but in the end he followed my advice and bought a Roland CUBE 100 BASS. After his CUBE was stolen he thought what to do - and he bought the Roland CB-120XL because it has the right sound, weight and power ...

The alternative for a Flea fan could really be a MB 212 (oer MB210 plus later ext. cab).
Lots of power, light weight ...

I'm a long time admirer of tweed but I just couldn't find the volume and tone from the TV15. It's also very heavy, a consideration for us older guys more than the kids.
I thoroughly enjoy gigging with my G-K MB212. Power, light weight, reliable and competitively priced (70% of the TV15).

There are a whole lot of better amps for less money!

Tim

Some people like 'em, but the price stops me cold. This is something Ampeg could get away with, but Fender? Fender isn't known as a great name in bass amps.

Look for used Sunn amp.
Sunn has a legend to it's name, almost every pro-player admires Sunn amps, they sound astounding and they are a lot cheaper than Fender amps.
I bought one really cheap and never had any regrets (well, besides the bulkiness and weight, maybe :razz:)

I'm with Cadfael & Gunny. I think an MB210 now and a 1-15 cab later would be a great setup. Take the amp alone for smaller gigs (only 33 pounds!) and take the extra cab for more power/volume/bottom for bigger gigs. I hate combos that max out their power capacity by using an internal speaker that matches the minimum load.

Hi Rich,

I don't agree to the 115. :wink:
I had a GK Backline 210 combo (before I became a Roland addict).
The best combination was the GK 210 combo with a 410 cab. This makes a 610 stack, the 210 make the "hearability", the 410 can not be "actively heard", but adds loads of warmth, volume and bass fundament ...

A 410 has a better efficiency than a 115 and can better compete with the 210 (which get the same power as the ext. cab). A 410 also has a higher "surface" and "moves more air" than a 115 ...

But that's all "future music" ...
Only that you don't think of a 115 as ext. cab automatically. A GK 410 (or 212!) would also be great. And I agree to the "combo for small gigs" and ext. cab for bigger gigs. I have never heard the MB series combos, but my GK Backline had an excellent sound with a good bass fundament ...