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Post subject: Bantam Bass Amp
Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:56 pm
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I'm always on the lookout for old Fender amps for sale. I came across one the other day I'd never heard of and isn't even referenced in Dave Hunter's "Fender Bible" or "Soul of Tone." The amp is the Bantam Bass Amp that has some kind of styrofoam speaker. It was produced I think from 69-71. Anyone have any experience with one of these?


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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:45 pm
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No personal experience with the Bantam Bass but I did see and hear a new one in a San Antonio music store about forty years ago. Its "speaker" damned it to total loozer-dom. If the Dual Showman with a pair of D130Fs were considered as a 435 horsepower Sting Ray then the Bantam Bass was equivalent to a 15 horsepower moped. Teagle & Sprung make mention of this amp in their book.

HTH

Arjay


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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 9:02 pm
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I guess that's probably the amp you're talking about, here's a picture for reference.

Note: this Bantam is not mine.

Image

The Silverface Bantam Bass amp sported a very unusual Yamaha 15'' trapezoidal speaker with a polystyrene cone.

Polystyrene isn't a durable material and might cause these speakers to blow up often.

Fender adopted the Bantam circuit in the Bassman 10 combo amp introduced in 1972.


Retroverbial, Nedorama and Aclempoppi can help you further.


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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 9:04 pm
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Power Amp: Tube; 2 x 6L6GC, 40 watts RMS @ 8 ohms

Preamp: Tube; 2 x 12AX7

Rectifier: Tube; 1 x 5U4GB

Speakers: 1 x 15" Yamaha trapezoidal

Channels: 2; Normal and Bass, 2 inputs per channel

Effects: None

Controls: Normal - Bass, treble, volume; Bass - Bass, middle, treble, volume

Dimensions: 16 H x 16 W x 5 1/2 D inches

Weight: n/a


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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 10:28 pm
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I don't think those dimensions are quite correct, Chromeface. The Bantam (like the later Bassman 10) used a modified Super Reverb Chassis -- which would put the width at around 25¼". I think the cab height would be close to that of the SR's as well, judging from the pic you've posted. Cab depth at the bottom would've been around 10½" or thereabouts.

HTH

Arjay


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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 7:46 am
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Speaking of the Bassman 10, it's effectively a silverface 4 x 10 combo amplifier loaded with a CTS 10 8Ω speaker and 50W RMS. This amp was also offered with JBLs.

CBS, who owned Fender at the time, switched later to the ultralinear output topology and increased the power from 50 to 75W RMS. It was during that period (1977-1982) the Bass channel has given a midrange control pot.

Bassman 10s produced between late 1980 and 1982 sported blackface cosmetics and a silver grey grillcloth with sparkling white threads.

This Bassman 10 (which is not mine) was produced in the late 1970s. It displays the 3-band EQ on the Bass channel and the "scripted tailless" decal which debuted in late 1976/early 1977.

Image


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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:33 am
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Thanks for the replies. I guess that the Bantam amp could be fited with a more conventional speaker which would improve it's playability. They apparently don't have much value in unmodified condition anyway. There is one on e-bay with a "buy it now" price of $495 or offer.


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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 10:26 am
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It might be worth $350 at best if the chassis is functional. The cab, like all from that era, is not constructed as robustly as the earlier amps and would benefit by replacement with a solid pine box built with lock-jointed corners and a screw-in baffle. However the amp's 8Ω output tranny would limit the choice of speaker configurations.

Arjay


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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 10:38 am
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l88vette wrote:
Thanks for the replies. I guess that the Bantam amp could be fitted with a more conventional speaker which would improve it's playability. They apparently don't have much value in unmodified condition anyway. There is one on e-bay with a "buy it now" price of $495 or offer.


Good idea!

I didn't like the infamous Yammy styrofoam trapezoidal 15" speaker. Polystyrene causes the cone to blow up frequently.


Weber makes high-quality 15" speakers. The 15A125 and 15F150B sound like an excellent replacement stuff for the ill-fated Yamaha styrofoam trapezoidal junk. Celestions, JBLs and Eminences are also good.


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