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Post subject: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:01 pm
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I am currently interested in purchasing a fellows 5F6-A, however I don't believe amp in question originally came with a ground switch installed. Is it of concern or detrimental to tone in any way to have this switch installed? From what I understand it is used to alleviate hum, but I am unsure as to whether there are any drawbacks.

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Sincere thanks in advance.


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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:14 pm
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The original 5F6-A circuit included a "ground" (ie: polarity) switch as per this schematic......

http://web.archive.org/web/200805160934 ... _schem.pdf

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:19 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
The original 5F6-A circuit included a "ground" (ie: polarity) switch as per this schematic......

http://web.archive.org/web/200805160934 ... _schem.pdf


Hi Arjay, that does help. Glad to know the world isn't going to boil over should I eventually acquire the amp. Thanks!


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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:19 pm
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The ground switch is unnecessary if the amp has a properly grounded three-conductor power cord.

I did not wire the switch up in my Weber 5F6A clone. In fact, I removed it completely and plugged the hole with a chrome panel plug.

The orginal Fender 59 Bassman Reissue (early 90's) included a functioning ground switch. It was removed in the LTD version.

http://support.fender.com/schematics/gu ... ematic.pdf

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:22 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
The ground switch is unnecessary if the amp has a properly grounded three-conductor power cord.

So, in this case, the switch is purely accessory?

bluesky636 wrote:
I did not wire the switch up in my Weber 5F6A clone. In fact, I removed it completely and plugged the hole with a chrome panel plug.

Right, that's beginning to seem the logical thing to have done. :roll:


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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:27 pm
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Toronado wrote:
bluesky636 wrote:
The ground switch is unnecessary if the amp has a properly grounded three-conductor power cord.

So, in this case, the switch is purely accessory?

bluesky636 wrote:
I did not wire the switch up in my Weber 5F6A clone. In fact, I removed it completely and plugged the hole with a chrome panel plug.

Right, that's beginning to seem the logical thing to have done. :roll:


I would compare it to the schematic I posted. That looks to be a MojoTone kit. I'm not familar with their design. Personally, I would disconnect it as long as the power cord is grounded. You can leave the switch in for appearance sake if you like.

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:47 pm
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bluesky636 wrote:
That looks to be a MojoTone kit.

The seller is offering me an older Victoria which at once point came with the Mojotone speakers.

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:55 pm
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Toronado wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
The original 5F6-A circuit included a "ground" (ie: polarity) switch as per this schematic......

http://web.archive.org/web/200805160934 ... _schem.pdf


Hi Arjay, that does help. Glad to know the world isn't going to boil over should I eventually acquire the amp. Thanks!


As mentioned, the polarity switch is totally obviated in the case of a 3-conductor power cable that's correctly wired and grounded to the amp's chassis.

Fender's early blackface re-issues included a rear-panel ground switch, apparently only as a sop to historical accuracy. It was totally non-functional though, as can be seen in this pic of my first-year (1994) DRRI......

Image

As can be seen, there's never been a wire soldered to any of the terminal lugs -- it's purpose is totally cosmetic.

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:02 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Fender's early blackface re-issues included a rear-panel ground switch, apparently only as a sop to historical accuracy. It was totally non-functional though, as can be seen in this pic of my first-year (1994) DRRI......


Interesting. FMIC really did go to greater lengths to make accurate reissues in the 90's.

bluesky636 wrote:
That looks to be a MojoTone kit.

I'm sorry - - now I can't get the thought out of my head that this could possibly be a fake. I trust your knowledge, Bill. Are you saying that the innards of the amp are certainly not that of a Victoria? The seller has come off as a genuinely nice guy to me and I trusted him, but that one line has been rolling in my head since last night as noone wants to shell out their hard-earned money on something that is not the real deal. Can anyone authenticate the amp based on these shots?

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 6:49 am
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Its not fake, its just someone following the original design to the letter. There are mods out there to re-purpose that switch. Imagine using it to turn an attenuator on and off?

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 7:12 am
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No, I don't beleive it is a fake either. The speakers threw me off. Several kits use Orange Drop type caps and carbon comp resistors. My Weber does not. A look at the current version on the Victoria web site shows that they have removed the ground switch. The current amp looks very similar to this one with some minor differences. Chalk any concerns you may have up to ignorance (mine!). :D

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 7:16 am
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DetroitBlues wrote:
Its not fake, its just someone following the original design to the letter. There are mods out there to re-purpose that switch. Imagine using it to turn an attenuator on and off?


Yeah, I tried to use the switch location to select a couple different values for the bright cap including none. Problem was, even though I used shielded wire, the switch is right next to the power transformer - hum city! I ended up just pulling the switch and plugging the hole. I saw another 5F6A clone that used a switch there to remove the tone stack from the circuit. I wasn't able to see inside the amp though so I don't know how it was implemented to avoid the hum problem.

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:25 am
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Thank you gentlemen, my mind is at ease thanks to all of your prompt and helpful insight. I am pulling the trigger tomorrow; NAD thread to follow! :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:07 am
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It looks like a righteous build, Toronado.

Rawk on!

:lol:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Looking at a Bassman - Quick Question
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 11:26 am
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Yeah, I was going to say, if it were a fake someone has gone to great lengths to make it look like a quality build! :lol:

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