New to the forums and looking for some advice.

Long story short - recently had hand surgery and my doc told me that guitar playing would be excellent therapy.

I have a 1984 American made Strat and a 1973/1974 Fender Bassman 50 amp.

Haven't touched either in 5 years. Turned on the amp the other day and it immediately blew the fuse. Called a local tech and he gave me a repair estimate of $150 - to $250.

I'm the original owner of the amp and everything is stock. the caps or tubes have never been replaced.

My question is - should I go ahead and have this amp repaired and hang onto it? I'm just a guitar hacker who doesn't play that well. I have had this amp so long, it would almost be like losing a brother if i were to part with it.

I do have a Fender Frontman 212R on order.

I'm kinda thinking this amp deserves to be with someone who would use it...and not rip it apart.

This may sound weird - but I need help with my decision! That's why I'm turning to the Fender community.

Thanks

Ed Geary
Orlando, Fl

Welcome aboard, Ed.

It sounds like you want to keep the amp. That doesn't mean that you
have to repair it right away, if finances are an issue.
Follow your heart!

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

thanks for the reply and the welcome!

I'm discovering this amp may be older than I originally thought.

If so, and the value goes up, I'm really not sure what to do!!

amp tech tells me that this Bassman is a much better amp than anything made today.

e

Hi Ed

My advice......keep it.

As Miami Mike said wait till finances allow the repair. I am sure if you let it go it will haunt you for many years to come.

_________________
ukraider
"money cant buy you love but it can buy guitars!!!!!!"

You probably won't easily replace it for what you can get for it, however an amp that works is always worth more than if it doesn't so at the very least fix it. Then find out exactly what it is and what its worth and then decide whether its worth selling or not

Its already probably worth more than what you originally payed for it but if you're not using it its a dust collector (I have a lot of those). The upside is it probably won't lose any value so think of it as a small bank account.

Is it like this one with a 2x15 cab?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYO8nNfZiKg

_________________

Now on Facebook Too

I'd have to say "Keep it" or have it repaired and then secretly get in touch with me to discuss......the weather!!

Once repaired and reconditioned, the Bassman will outlast the Frontman 212R by a factor of three or more .

Arjay

_________________
"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

Welcome Ed,
I'd keep it and get it repaired. It would be well worth the investment. It will seriously last longer and sound better than Frontman 212R. I'm not saying the Frontman is a horrible amp, it just ain't a Bassman. Plus once repired, if you do decide to sell the Bassman you have no problem getting the repair money back.

_________________
Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I think you answered your own question right there.

Of all the "Horse Trading" I've done over the years, there are only three items I want back...and I knew I didn't want to sell them when I did (each of them had to be sold to make a house payment, etc.).

Keep it, fix it when you have the money, play through it again and you'll probably be happy you kept it.

Welcome to the Forum, by the way.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

Welcome to the forum Ed.If I may offer some input,I'd strongly urge you to hang on the that Bassman.I have a '69 Bassman and if your amp sounds anything like mine it should be a blues and rock monster.I have sold and traded a lot of gear over the years and have lived to regret each one.Although you may be on the fence about parting with it now if you do let it go I can guarantee you that the time will come when you'll be kicking your own butt for getting rid of it.A $150 -$200 investment to get a great amp like that up and running is a small price to pay for great tone.What kind of speakers are you using in it?

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

OK!

You guys convinced me to pull my head out of my butt and hold onto the amp!

I do have to admit that I love the sound of my strat thru a Boss reverb pedal and this amp.

The cabinet has 2 x 15" and for some reason I think they are JBL's.

You'll need to open the cab up to confirm that.

Arjay

_________________
"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

$200 sounds like a lot to replace a fuse.

_________________
Rated "M" for meaty.

Unless you're in dire finincial straits, I'd say to hold onto that Bassman! It would certainly cost you a lot more than $200 if you had a change of heart and decided to replace it at a later date.

I personally have had a few pieces of guitar equipment (mostly effects pedals) that I had sold but later missed and decided to replace months or years later. It ended up costing me more money than it would have if I had just held onto the original equipment.

This 'guitar therapy' that you're starting could be that start of a whole new love affair with the instrument. You may be cranking up that ol' Bassman again sooner than you think.

I say hold on to the Bassman, return the FM212R and use that money to repair the Bassman. The FM212 is NOWHERE near the quality of the Bassman.

_________________
Check out my new FB music page!

https://www.facebook.com/TheDevilandMe.Music