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Post subject: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 5:16 am
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So finally the new Bassman Tube heads are out... WOW. fantastic!

This amp is like everything I want, but how does it compare to the TB1200 or 600?

I will either be purchasing one of the new bassmans or one of the TB heads and the reason I was considering the TB heads was for convenience, reliability and weight etc. But how do they sound compared to the all tube heads? I was under the impression that the TB range was essentially a classic Bassman tone, but do they pull it of in the same way or would I just regret not getting the real thing?

Also, does anyone know how the New Bassman 100T would compare volume/output-wise to a TB600 if both were paired with the new Silverface 4x10 cab?


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Post subject: Re: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:57 am
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I can't speak regarding the new Bassman line as I've only seen the photos, however Fender's previous Bassman 300-Pro (the rebadged Sunn 300-T) would win the volume contest against ANY solid state amp I ever played no matter how many watts the solid state amp said it had. I think it sounded better than the SVT Classic. If the new Super Bassman is any sort of improvement then it will possibly be the best amp on the planet. I think the Bassman 300-Pro was about perfect.

I have a 450 watt Ampeg solid state head and even an old Fender 100 watt tube amp betters it. A 200 watt Sunn 2000S makes it sound like a practice amp.

There are two advantages to solid state amps or hybrid amps over all tube amps. They are much lighter in weight and you don't have the worry of wanting to buy new full tube compliment every few years or feel the need to keep spare preamp tubes on hand "just in case." All tube amps win on tone and volume. The tone is better on an all tube amp than on a hybrid too. Hybrids do sound warmer than all solid state amps no doubt, but still not quite like an all tube amp.

It is often said that solid state amps win on reliability but I've seen so many solid state amps fail that I'd say it is about even on reliability and tube amps may even have an edge there so long as you maintain them and transport them properly. I think a solid state amp has a chance of living through a short drop that a tube amp doesn't, so instead of saying solid state amps are more reliable I think I'd vote solid state amps are more rugged. But discounting drops I think all tube amps are just as reliable as solid state if not actually more reliable. They don't seem to be as sensitive to dirty power issues that can wreck a solid state amp.

While any amp is going to need maintenance sooner or later, the truth is that tubes are expensive to replace. A sextet of 6550's alone is over $200. Eventually, after several years, some people completely re-tube just because they think they should and not because they actually have a problem with a tube. I see 70's tube amps all the time with all original or mostly original tubes that work fine.


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Post subject: Re: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:18 am
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wow, thanks for that excellent reply.

The New Bassman 100T sounds like a good bet. Check out the specs on Fenders site.
Amongst other including an old Fender M-80, I currently use an Ashdown Classic Klystron 575w combo amp (1x15). Do you think the Fender 100T paired with one of the new 4x10 fender bassman cabs will be more powerful? I find the tube wattage vs solid stage wattage a bit confusing.


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Post subject: Re: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:57 pm
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Firstly, I've not seen either new Bassman head. Secondly, I wouldn't buy anything that heavy for myself at this point either. If I had roadies to move it, then maybe.

The only way to know for sure about volume is to A/B compare them side by side. I don't have a Klystron and never have. I'm certain the old 100 watt Bassman 100 tube head would eat my 450 watt solid state Ampeg's lunch. I have A/B compared those 2. But for only $400 more dollars the Super Bass is one of the kings of the production bass amps along with the Ampeg SVT Classic and the Markbass all tube head. You won't find a louder production bass head that those.

Regarding the tube versus solid state loudness issue there are several factors. Firstly, a watt is a watt, so on paper there should be no difference, but in actual practice there is.

Part of the difference has to do with the methodology used to rate the amp. Manufacturers find ways to skew the data to make an amp look better on paper. You will find this out when you put two different maker solid state amps both rated at the same power side by side and A/B compare them. Almost always one will be louder.

Consider too that a solid state amp rated at 1000 watts at 2 Ohms only does 250 watts into 8 ohms, it should be considered a 250 watt amp when ran at 8 Ohms and not considered a 1000 watt amp. The tube amps usually do their power rating regardless of speaker load. As a general observation, tube amps get loudest before you get to 5 or 6 and over about 7 or 8 nothing much happens volume wise but some compression. Solid state gets louder all the way up but you get into clipping and they start sounding really bad plus clipping can blow speakers.

Since I avoid running any amp much past half volume (5 or 6) the tube amps seem much louder to me and perform better with lower distortion and more headroom. I also think they handle low end bass frequencies better. Low end bass frequencies take a lot of watts to generate. Tube amps seem more fluid and musical. I figure if an amp isn't loud enough at 5 or 6 then I probably need a bigger amp. At 5 the Bassman 300 Pro would jar the fillings in my teeth outdoors. Never saw such power. Then there is the class A/B power amp versus class D power switching amp. I don't think personally that a class D amp has the beef of an A/B. It just feels weaker to me.

I don't carry tube amps anymore and haven't owned one in about 20 years. The last one I had was a Sunn 2000S. I do however use the tube rigs when they are provided at festivals so long as I don't have to move them. The heaviest piece of gear I move anymore personally is a 2x10 neo cab. Eventually you get to the age where, unless you are a star player with roadies, you realize that while you'd love to play through a tube rig, you just don't wanna move them anymore.


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Post subject: Re: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 3:07 pm
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For anyone considering carrying their own tube bass rig around, you might find these back and neck strengthening exercises beneficial:

Image


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Post subject: Re: New Bassman Series Vs TB Series
Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:32 pm
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:lol:

Yeah, I feel like that when I pick up the Twin Reverb.

Art


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