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Post subject: BassMan '59 LTD piercing highs
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:51 pm
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Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 10:24 am
Posts: 55
I just sold my DRRI to get some more bottom end and perhaps a little more clear volume (I use pedals for overdrive) and I thought I was going to get the BassMan reissue until I tried a '98 combo today.

It had 3 out of four speakers changed to Jensen Ceramics and it may have something to do with it but they were not new, they had played a lot of gigs. I couldn't dial the sharp piercing highs out of it and I had to let it go again. Too bad as I really liked the big firm bottom end of it :lol: Was it a lemon? Do other BassMans sound like this too? I found several reviews saying the same thing.

What other amp (Fender or not) should I be looking for? I want the Deluxe Reverb sound, only even smoother, varmer and with more bottom end. Please don't tell me that I need to get something vintage to get that warm sound, those vintage prices are ridicoulous and I want dependable gear, not something old that breaks down at every other gig!! I also want something not heavier than the BassMan.

JimR


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Post subject: Re: BassMan '59 LTD piercing highs
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 2:17 pm
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Joined: Tue Jul 24, 2007 1:09 pm
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Location: Richmond, VA
I'm fairly new to the '59 Bassman (I recently got a 2005 LTD) myself, but I don't have any problem with getting rid of unwanted highs even though my weapon of choice is a Telecaster.

One thing I learned really quickly was that the tone and volume controls are very interactive, and affect the one next to it to some degree. I.E. Increasing treble increases upper mids, mids affect lower treble and upper bass and bass affects lower mids. If you're like me, and are used to using the "magic 6" on blackface style amps like the DRRI, you find out in a hurry that the '59 RI is a different beast entirely. (Our poor lead singer did too - poor girl's ears were bleeding after my first solo with that amp :shock: )

After tweaking things for a while, I found I liked things set up like so:
guitar in input 2 of the bright channel
channels jumped: input 1 bright to input 2 of normal
volume of both channels matching in a range of about 2 1/2 to 4
Treble 5, Mid 5, Bass 3, Presence 3 1/2

This yields a nice, rich, and very dynamic clean sound that gives up just a hint of input distortion when you slam the strings hard.


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Post subject: Re: BassMan '59 LTD piercing highs
Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:22 pm
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I have a 1990 model and my settings are almost the same as yours moonrider. Jumping the channels together makes a huge difference. I use mine with a TS 808 with just alittle drive and it sounds great.


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Post subject: Re: BassMan '59 LTD piercing highs
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:10 am
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Thank you both, I might have to go back and try again with your settings.

How about changing a few tubes to get it darker?

JimR


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Post subject: Re: BassMan '59 LTD piercing highs
Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 7:18 am
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:08 pm
Posts: 2889
try weber cts 10's alnicos

Tweed and ceramic don't mix well in my book (my opinion only).

Having owned both fender RI Bassman RI's a 1990's and an LTD and having installed the webers in the LTD I can tell you it made a world of difference in tone !!!

The circuit tends to be fairly warm in the normal Channel.

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