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Post subject: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 6:50 pm
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Give me some leeway on this one guys, as it is coming to me second-hand. Yesterday my bass playing little brother from Athens, GA, called to ask me a question about a speaker cab he'd seen. According to him, it appeared to be a late sixties/early seventies Fender 8x10 bass cab, with a built in power amplifier. A slave amp of some sort possibly? To the best of anyone's knowledge, was such a thing ever produced by Fender, or is he looking at a very well done chop mod? Thanks for any replies, I haven't been able to find any info online. Yours Fenderly, O.


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Post subject: Re: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2015 7:01 pm
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That sounds suspiciously like the powered speaker module that was part of the transistorized Super Showman amp. There were two available configurations -- a 4 x 12 version and an 8 x 10 version, each powered by a self-contained 200-watt solid-state amp. TMK, these cabs were not designed nor certified for use with a bass guitar. The only artists I can recall using them were Ike Turner and Jan Hammer during the latter's Focus days.

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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: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:51 pm
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Thanks, Arjay. I knew that when it came to the world of even the most arcane and obscure Fender products, you would know about them if anyone would. As always, thanks for your help. Best always, ...O.


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Post subject: Re: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 7:59 pm
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Here's the complete rig, as shown in the 1970 Fender catalog......

Image

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: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:19 pm
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Thanks again, Arjay, I found a Forum link from several years back where you discussed these items with a (gasp!) flute player who had an original set he had owned since new. To the best of your knowledge, do these cabinets truly require the special power cord mentioned, or will any regular speaker cable work for connecting an amp head to the powered speaker module? And what in the world is "Dimension IV?"


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Post subject: Re: Fender 8x10 POWERED Bass Speaker?
Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 10:24 pm
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I have never actually examined a Super Showman so I really can't comment on what cables are required to interface the pre-amp with the powered speaker modules. As for the "Dimension IV", it's some kind of gimmicky echo effect that relied on an oil-filled can to produce it. IIRC, the oil was deemed to be a serious carcinogen and was ultimately banned for use in consumer products. Fender also produced a stand-alone Dimension IV unit that operated via the same concept. It was only cataloged for a couple of years until it was discontinued due to lackluster sales.

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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