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Post subject: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:41 pm
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Hi,
So, I just bought this (what looks) original and very unusual (at least to me) 1967 piggyback cab, the thumbscrew distances indicate it was for a Bassman, and it has the unusual arrangement of a beautiful 1X 15" CTS speaker, combined with a 12" Oxford. I don't believe this is an aftermarket change, the speaker divider on the front Baffle looks stock for the 15/12 combination, and offset for the larger speaker. So, I've never seen one before, how rare are these? And were they indeed made for the Bassman? I have to admit, that 15" CTS speaker is just a killer and perfect for a good Bassman head!! I have to recone the 12" though.....both speakers date to '67 and the cab is definitely a Fender original.

The back panel is the standard size of any cab for 2X 12" arrangement and has the centre holes for the divider (not offset like the front), but this could be a swap, or even maybe a one-off build.... I can't be sure....

Could this be a one-off production piece, or more likely an aftermarket change made by some industrious amp nut way, WAY back in the day??
Thanks in advance!!


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Post subject: Re: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:28 am
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How about some exterior dimensions and a pic or two for starters?

A 15-inch speaker in a small-box Bassman enclosure is a near impossibility without relocating the center partition to an asymmetric configuration and drilling new screw holes in the rear panel to secure it to the case. An all-new baffle board would thus be required.

It is not a stock Fender cabinet. It's likely that someone got "creative" with it many years ago, possibly even a dealer. I once owned a big-box '67 Bassman cab that had been dealer-converted to a 4 x 12 configuration. Cosmetically there were no visual clues that the baffle board had been replaced, with the original grill cloth simply reattached.

How about the EIA codes on the speakers and how they compare to the date ink-stamped inside the cabinet?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 3:03 am
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Hi Arjay,
I'm sure you'll know, you were the guy I was hoping would spot this. Yes, it is an asymetrical configuration, with the centre brace on the front baffle offset. Sorry for the junk images below, they are from the original add.... The cab code (F041966), and CTS 15" speaker code (137725) are easily seen, the dimensions for the cab are: 32X20X11.5, it's identical in size to my 2X12 '64 Bandmaster cab, but the top thumbscrews are much closer together, and as I said, the front baffle brace is offset to account for the size of the 15" CTS. It has had the Fender Logo put back on, the baffle has the logo base still in the top left corner, and you can see the partition from the front image.....the cabinet code has me confused though...

Image

Image

Image


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Post subject: Re: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 8:25 am
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As I suspected, it's an authentic Bassman cab from 1966 that's been modded. The 12-inch speaker appears to be an Oxford 12T6 (OEM for a Bassman or a Twin Reverb of this era). The 15 seems to be an Eminence, many of which were used in Sunn and Ampeg amps of the period. The EIA codes of each speaker (if present and legible) will reveal all.

How does it sound?

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:02 pm
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Grill cloth looks right for the period and 49th week of 66 stamped on the inside of the cab is formatted and the right font. And it would appear that the someone, somewhere down the road in this cabs life, simply reused the original baffle but cut it out for a 15 on one side. Looks like they did a pretty decent job of it too!

I would also be curious how it sounds?

T2

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Post subject: Re: 1967 Piggyback 1X 15", 1X 12" cabinet, how rare??
Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2014 7:28 pm
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Thanks heaps guys, it sounds sublime to be honest, better than my 2X12 early Oxford cabs (back when the earlier Oxfords sounded good)! That early Eminence speaker (CTS, as per the EIA code) is the ducks nuts, PERFECT for a Bassman circuit. I still have to have the 12" Oxfart reconed though (can't find any EIA code).


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