Bassman Reissue question
Does the Bassman Reissue that was made before the LTD have a printed circuit board? Also out of what material and construction method for the joints is the cabinet made? I know the LTD is a pine cabinet with finger joints.
Thanks,
Jon
The Bassman RI (circa 1990's) was made with a printed circuit board and had a solid state rectifier which was changeable for a tube/valve rectifier. The cabinet was made from marine quality plywood.
The Bassman LTD has a pine finger jointed cabinet and is far closer in specification to an original '59 Bassman, although it still has a printed circuit board. Either one of the reissues make great harp amps with a few minor tube swaps..
Hello Jon- Looks like you got some good answers from the guys on this one! The Fender Bassman amps are printed circuitboard, but one of the main reasons I don't hate them is that the tube sockets and jacks are chassis-mounted. This makes them MUCH sturdier and easier to repair than amps that mount everything on the printed circuitboard!
Skip Simmons
Hi Skip. I have been seperated from my 59 BMRI for quite awhile (long story). It will be back in my loving arms soon and in need of a retube. I had been running the original Groove Tubes and was happy enough with the tone for guitar. Does the amp need to be biased if I change the SS rectifier to a tube rectifier? Thanks.
Hello Johnny- Thanks for writing. First, are you sure you need all new tubes? I doubt it. If you are setting it up for harp, I'd try some lower-gain preamp tubes, but the power tubes may be just fine. I would also say that checking the bias when changing to a tube rectifier would be good, but not essential. Some harp guys like the solidstate rectifier, especially outdoors.... give it a try.
Skip Simmons
Give the 5U4 rectifier a try, it's a nice change for the Bassman.
I have a question on my 2004 Ltd Reissue as well - I just changed out the stock tubes for three matched Baldwin 12AU7's across the board. Its certainly closer to the vintage sound that I desire, but not close enough. My question is - do vintage tubes help the cause in an amp that is so modern? I see these tubes selling for 5 times what I spent, but the gain is the same and the design is the same (I think) ...........can you hear a difference?
If I was thinking of spending that much money on vintage tubes I'd ask some guys who have done the deed. A friend of mine recently put $500.00 worth of NOS vintage in his Bassman Reissue without much change in tone. What seems to make the biggest difference is vintage Jensen P10r Speakers reconed and tenderized. I've heard two Reissue Bassman with the speaker and tube changes (not NOS) and they sound fantastic.
Hello SacTown- Thanks for writing. In general, new tubes are not as consistent or reliable as old tubes. The tonal differences between vintage and new-production tubes can be very subtle, but an experienced ear can usually hear a difference between say, your old 12AU7s and a new JJ version.
The more important concern with your RI Bassman is substituting lower-gain tubes (12AU7s or 12AY7s) for higher-gain tubes (12AX7s). This has a dramatic effect on both gain, volume, and tone. I would suggest a 12AY7 or 12AT7 in the middle position. Having a 12AU7 in that position makes the tone controls less responsive.
I don't think that vintage Jensen P-10R speakers would be a realistic option for most people to consider. $800 is not an unusual price to pay for a set of four.....! The RI Bassman is a modern classic. An awful lot of pros and semi-pros have used them for years. In my opinion, the only mods to consider are tubes. If I wanted to try some different speakers, I would consider ceramic magnets for more bass, but the stock Eminence Alnico speakers are fine for all but very high-volume players.
Skip Simmons
I have to agree with Skip on the Vintage speakers being expensive. I've thought in the past... in 20 years will we be thinking the Eminence speakers are the ones to get just like the Jensens are today?
Jon, I had one of these a while back, and if I remember correctly, it had a PC board. The cabinet was still pine finger jointed. I still have my original '59 Bassman 5F6A. I had some trouble with it years ago and that is why I bought the 1990 reissue. Once I got the '59 back on it's feet, though, I dumped the reissue off on a friend.
An important lesson learned: Don't set drinks on a vintage amp (even though you'll see drink rings on most of them).