Bassman Chronicles

The 1959 Fender Bassman Amplifier has been the standard for gigging blues harmonica players since we've had to deal with loud bands in the 1960's. Priced around $10,000, the originals are now collectors items and are no longer practical options. The 1959 Fender Reissue Bassman (originally released in 1990), though not the most friendly amplifier to play stock, can be purchased for a very reasonable price in the used market (~$700) and with some tube changes it can sound fantastic. The new LTD gets closer to the common modifications used by customizers (tube rectifier, shellacked pine cabinet and adjustable bias pot... though the speakers are less desirable than the 1990's models) and can be purchased at most music stores.

With the help of Contributor Mark Overman and Gary Smith, this series is dedicated to chronicling the complete story of how to purchase, modify, setup and perform with the 1959 Fender Bassman Reissue Amplifier.

For more information on years, models and circuits visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fender_Bassman

For a deeper look at the circuit design visit: http://www.ampbooks.com/home/classic-circuits/bassman-summary/

For this amp's schematic visit: http://support.fender.com/schematics/guitar_amplifiers/59_Bassman_schema...