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Post subject: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:02 am
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What's up folks?

So I picked up a '59 Bassman RI a few weeks ago. As the the little card with suggested tones that came with the amp mentions I tried out the feature of "bridging" the Normal and Bright channels by plugging the guitar into Input 1 on the Bright channel, and running a short patch cable from Input 1 on the Normal channel to Input 2 on the Bright channel.

My idea is to replace the short patch cable with 10' instrument cables and my effects board in between the channels, essentially using the "bridging" like an effects loop. But thought I should ask folks if this is a good idea before going ahead. Just want to make sure I'm not going to fry anything.

I'm trying to understand what's actually happening with the signal path. How is the signal being routed between all the inputs? Is it going from the guitar to Bright Input 1, then OUT of Bright Input 2, and into Normal Input 1? If I wanted to put some time-based effects like delay and flange between the channels would I set it up like this?:

1. Guitar to Bright Input 1
2. Instrument cable from Bright Input 2 to effects input
3. Instrument cable from effects output to Normal Input 1


Last edited by Misterboston1 on Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:09 am
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Your perception of how the signal path(s) are routed is correct and there is no potential for hazard by trying the configuration you envision. It may work fine, it may not -- but there is no danger to your amp or your pedal board.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:16 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Your perception of how the signal path(s) are routed is correct and there is no potential for hazard by trying the configuration you envision. It may work fine, it may not -- but there is no danger to your amp or your pedal board.

Arjay



Okay, great, no danger other than not sounding too good. Awesome, thanks.


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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:21 am
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Post the results of your experiments so others with the 5F6-A re-issue might benefit from whatever these tests reveal.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 10:49 am
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Yes, I'll definitely film this if the results are even close to desirable.


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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:09 pm
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Misterboston1 wrote:
What's up folks?

So I picked up a '59 Bassman RI a few weeks ago. As the the little card with suggested tones that came with the amp mentions I tried out the feature of "bridging" the Normal and Bright channels by plugging the guitar into Input 1 on the Bright channel, and running a short patch cable from Input 1 on the Normal channel to Input 2 on the Bright channel.

My idea is to replace the short patch cable with 10' instrument cables and my effects board in between the channels, essentially using the "bridging" like an effects loop. But thought I should ask folks if this is a good idea before going ahead. Just want to make sure I'm not going to fry anything.

I'm trying to understand what's actually happening with the signal path. How is the signal being routed between all the inputs? Is it going from the guitar to Bright Input 1, then OUT of Bright Input 2, and into Normal Input 1? If I wanted to put some time-based effects like delay and flange between the channels would I set it up like this?:

1. Guitar to Bright Input 1
2. Instrument cable from Bright Input 2 to effects input
3. Instrument cable from effects output to Normal Input 1


I'm not sure that there is any real value in doing this.

The 59 Bassman doesn't really have separate "channels" per se. It has bright inputs and normal inputs. The normal channel consists of 1/2 of V1 and a volume pot. The bright channel consists of the other half of V1 and a second volume pot with a bright cap across it. The outputs of both volume pots are then mixed together before being fed to a cathode follower and the tone stack. The only real control you have will be the individual volume controls. The normal input is fairly dark sounding and the bright input can be very bright with its volume pot turned below 12:00 when compared to the normal channel. You can try setting the amp up like this and twiddling the volume controls, but I doubt it will be any more usable than just jumpering the inputs normally and feeding the combined input with the pedal board. That's what I do.

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 7:45 am
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Hey Bluesky,

Thanks for weighing in. All I can do is try it out and see what happens right?

As I'm thinking about it, I might run the guitar through my "tone" effects, Compressor, Overdrive, and Wah, then to the Bright channel. Then send it to the "time" effects, Delay, Phaser, Reverb. This way I could just take the time effects out of the signal path altogether by turning the Normal volume off.

Anyway, bought a new amp and a new pedalboard within a week of each other, and haven't had an afternoon to myself without the wife and kid in the house to tinker, so of course I'm driving myself CRAZY thinking of all the permutations of the setup that I could try, lol.

I'll give this "effects loop" setup a shot, and if it's more trouble than it's worth, I'll scrap it. Mainly I was just brainstorming out loud.


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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 8:28 am
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If you want to give your amp true channel-switching capability, add a Radial Big Shot to your pedal board. You still won't have independent EQ control over each channel (as Bill has mentioned) but you will be able to switch your time-based effects in and out of the signal chain as you prefer without having to resort to disconnecting cables or turning down volume knobs in the middle of a song.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 12:09 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
If you want to give your amp true channel-switching capability, add a Radial Big Shot to your pedal board.



Already got one, bottom right. Bought it 10 years ago to use with a Vox AC30 Custom Classic that had two inputs but no footswitch for channel switching.

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The setup pictured above basically splits my signal to two paths, one for tone effects, one for time effects. The two paths are reunited at the Ernie Ball Stereo Volume/Pan Pedal, which can be used either as a straight-up passive volume pedal OR to pan between two inputs and two outputs. As a volume pedal it works great, nice smooth action. But using it to pan is a bit dicey, it's not linear at all. At heel down it's ALL of one channel, at toe down it's all of the other, and at any point in between it's an equal mix of both channels at half volume. If it smoothly raised one as it lowered the other it'd be great but in practice it's super choppy. I'll probably end up either using it strictly for volume, or take it off the board altogether.


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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:27 pm
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A decent volume/pan pedal would be nice. As it stands now, I can do right, left, or both when playing two amps simultaneously, but no pan/sweep between right and left. Perhaps a better pedal with a more linear pot might be in order. Sho-Bud......?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Bridging Channels on '59 Bassman RI... Effects Loop?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 4:30 pm
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Good luck.

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