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Post subject: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:31 pm
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Okay, so for a good gigging Fender tube bass amp, what are opinions on best vintage and best modern amps.

I have been running an SS Peavey Tour 115....600W ClassD with a 1x15 and 2x10 Mesa cab which gives me plenty of power in clubs but outdoor fests without careful tweaking, I start to get some unwanted distortion and it is just a bit lacking in tone when pushed too hard. I really want to move to a tube amp in the future. Would really like to get a Fender if possible. I have about a grand to spend, maybe $1200 max.

Your thoughts....


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:56 pm
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Runnerman wrote:
Okay, so for a good gigging Fender tube bass amp, what are opinions on best vintage and best modern amps.

I have been running an SS Peavey Tour 115....600W ClassD with a 1x15 and 2x10 Mesa cab which gives me plenty of power in clubs but outdoor fests without careful tweaking, I start to get some unwanted distortion and it is just a bit lacking in tone when pushed too hard. I really want to move to a tube amp in the future. Would really like to get a Fender if possible. I have about a grand to spend, maybe $1200 max.

Your thoughts....


Firstly I have NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER with the current Bassman stuff. However both of those current heads are out of your price range anyway.

The vintage BASSMAN heads from the 60's/70's are mostly underpowered by modern bass amp standards, but make good guitar heads. The Bassman 135 and SUPER BASSMAN are better but still not quite enough oomph. Also the DUAL SHOWMAN head which was a dual purpose head is good but still probably not quite powerful enough to replace a 600 watt head, but still a real good tube bass amp. Frequently you find these Dual Showmans still paired with the original 2x15 JBL cab. SWEET! But still sort of short watt-wise on paper, but loud as heck...and a booger to move too.

I think the best suggestion is to seek out a good used Fender Bassman 300 Pro OR a Sunn 300T. These two are essentially the same amps with different badges on them. Fender or Sunn either one is a great amp and I like them better than the Ampeg SVT personally due the superior tone shaping capability and XLR out. At 75 lbs per copy I just couldn't hack one now though. In my present situation I am not looking for a tube head at all, but since you are I thought I'd give you my 2 cents.

This is possibly the best tube amp I've ever tried and I've owned a lot of them. This particular Fender/Sunn model whipped up on Ampeg real bad. Yet the Classic is still on sale while the Bassman 300 Pro isn't. I can't see the logic in that. As recently as 2012 there were still some new Fender badged ones left in some Fender dealerships who were blowing them out for under dealer cost.

There is precisely one Fender Bassman 300 Pro for sale on eBay right now with an opening bid of 1100 and about 3 days to go. It even comes with the corresponding Fender 4x10 Pro cab. It is in Mesa, AZ and the guy won't ship it. You have to pick it up. Bummer huh?

There are a couple of Sunn 300T's on eBay. One comes with a road case. I'd suggest a road case with wheels.

Whether the badge says Fender or Sunn, they are the same amp. Either one will probably be cheaper than a new Bassman tube head and I know for a fact this was the best Fender or Sunn tube amp I ever tried out. (Like I said I've not tried the new Bassman 300.) If only I felt like moving a 75 lb head.

I previously owned the Sunn 2000S bass head, which is a highly revered and incredibly expensive (now) vintage tube bass amp. (When I sold mine for $350 about 20 years ago the Sunn 2000S wasn't quite as revered as it is now.) Anyway, I'd take the Fender Bassman 300 Pro/Sunn 300T over a Sunn 2000S. I never in my life tried a tube bass amp of any make that I liked better. I tried out both the Sunn and Fender versions and they are identical in design and performance. I think in the long run the SUNN version will probably be worth more just because of the Sunn name, but other than the brand badge there is no difference I could tell between them down to the same knobs.

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 3:42 pm
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Some great stuff there Brother Dave. Thanks for your candid assessments.

I was also thinking of the Dual Showman as the best Vintage possibility and wondering if paired with the right cabs if it could be a good option.

The 300T's are now definitely on my "look for" list. I'm in NC also so the drive to Arizona is pretty much out for me. :D


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:34 pm
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brotherdave wrote:
I think the best suggestion is to seek out a good used Fender Bassman 300 Pro OR a Sunn 300T.


+1!

If you wanna move some serious air, either of those will surely do it.

8)

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:11 pm
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Runnerman wrote:
Some great stuff there Brother Dave. Thanks for your candid assessments.

I was also thinking of the Dual Showman as the best Vintage possibility and wondering if paired with the right cabs if it could be a good option.

The 300T's are now definitely on my "look for" list. I'm in NC also so the drive to Arizona is pretty much out for me. :D


What made the Dual Showman sound so good with bass was the 2x15 JBL D130's. It actually is 100 watts RMS. The Bassman 135 would be about the same with the same cab. However the Dual Showman is much easier to find than a Bassman 135 because there were far more of them made. I've heard it said that while the Bassman 135 was widely considered to be a 135 watt amp that it really did more like 100 watts RMS which would make it about the same as a Dual Showman.

The thing about the Dual Showman is that when I see one for sale it is almost always sold with the original cab. That just is not the case with the vintage Bassman amps I run across as they are almost always not with the original cab.

All these old amps are finicky and require maintenance to be even somewhat reliable and that can be costly. I would steer you toward the more modern Sunn 300T or the Bassman Pro 300 which would be more powerful and in all probability good for another decade at least with minimal maintenance such as preamp tubes.

Any good modern front ported 4x10 would serve well with a Dual Showman or Bassman 135. You could stack a pair of them if you wanted. It really would be hard to make either of these amps sound bad tone-wise, the catch is making it sound loud. But for maximum volume I'd probably use 4x10's or 4x12's. The current Bassman 4x10 and 6x10 Neo cabs would be a fairly good match cosmetically. Also Avatar has some Fenderish cosmetics available as an optional upgrade. The reason I'd go with modern 4x10's or 4x12's instead of the vintage Fender 2x15 or 4x12 arrays is because modern cabs are far more efficient. I am not a fan of rear ported cabs, especially if you are trying to squeeze watts, and with either of those vintage heads you will be squeezing hard. I'm pretty sure you'd be much happier with one of the more modern Fender/Sunn 300 watt heads from a volume, reliability and maintenance cost standpoint.


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 2:12 am
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brotherdave wrote:
What made the Dual Showman sound so good with bass was the 2x15 JBL D130's.


Uh...... :?

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 9:46 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
What made the Dual Showman sound so good with bass was the 2x15 JBL D130's.


Uh...... :?

Arjay


Well that is what I think. Should have prefaced it as my opinion.


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:47 am
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brotherdave wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
What made the Dual Showman sound so good with bass was the 2x15 JBL D130's.


Uh...... :?

Arjay


Well that is what I think. Should have prefaced it as my opinion.


A big Plus on the 15" JBL's, over Jensen, Altec Lansing, and SRO. Image

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 10:29 am
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brotherdave wrote:
Retroverbial wrote:
brotherdave wrote:
What made the Dual Showman sound so good with bass was the 2x15 JBL D130's.


Uh...... :?

Arjay


Well that is what I think. Should have prefaced it as my opinion.


My point is, JBL's D130F is not a bass driver. For those applications, the D140F is specified. They were a no-cost option for the Showman and Dual Showman and an added-cost factory upgrade for various Bassman models.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:45 pm
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Yep that's true Retroman.


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:51 pm
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Retroverbial wrote:

My point is, JBL's D130F is not a bass driver. For those applications, the D140F is specified. They were a no-cost option for the Showman and Dual Showman and an added-cost factory upgrade for various Bassman models.

Arjay


Arjay, is it easy to tell the difference?


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:32 pm
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The foil-cal on each JBL will identify the model and its impedance. The visible structural difference between a D130F and a D140F is the latter's ribbed cone. "Behind the scenes", the bass driver uses a copper-ribbon voice coil (the guitar speakers employ aluminum), a stiffer cone of thicker composition, and a slightly beefier suspension system to limit cone excursion under low-frequency, high-power conditions.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:27 pm
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The NEW FENDER BASSMAN amps- 100T & SUPER BASSMAN are GREAT amps!!!!!

I've got the 300w SUPER BASSMAN it's the BEST amp I've ever owned! & I've had LOTS of amps. All tube- Ampeg SVT, SVT-CL, SVT-VR, SVT2 - all good amps, butt he Super Bassman is is just as sweet & lush as the OLD 70's SVT's or SVT-VR PLUS it has the 2nd channel & ability to blend the overdrive!!
Here's mine- (on a Bergantino NV412 sealed cab)

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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 7:51 pm
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The new 300 yes, the new 100 probably is better than a solid state anything but not as good as the new 300 or an old 300 Pro or Sunn 300T. I think for the money a new old stock 300 Pro would be a swell find.


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Post subject: Re: Best Fender tube amps for bass
Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 8:05 am
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This one, if you can find or get one: Image

http://ampwares.com/amplifiers/fender-400-ps-bass/

With the appropriate cabs, you wouldn't have to worry about it, I think. If I were to want to buy an old Fender tube amp, that would certainly be on the top of my list if I wanted a massive tube amp. The trade off is that head also weighs 84 pounds. At least you'll be getting a work out carrying that thing. :P

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