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Topic: 1971 Bassman for pedal steel? |
Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 1:39 pm |
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Did a session the other day and got real nice tones. Have any of you used one much for live shows?
Thanks
Dave
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Jack Goodson
From:
new brockton,alabama (deceased)
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 2:04 pm bassmman amp?
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| dave, i have i believe a 1970? i am going to have ken fox re-do it. i have been wondering lf any one was using one. if u dont mind what effects if any did u use?....thanks jack |
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George Kimery
From:
Limestone, TN, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 2:06 pm 1971 BasShan for pedal steel
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| There is a local guitar player that uses one with his Telecaster and it sounds really good. Tom Brumley used one for steel. Bass amps in general, have a good track record for steel amps. I have a Trace Elliott Elf bass head run through a GD Walker Stereo Steel cabinet and it sounds real good. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 2:11 pm
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I used a Fender bass amp for years on steel. 
Erv |
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Dave Zirbel
From:
Sebastopol, CA USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 2:17 pm
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| Quote: |
| if u dont mind what effects if any did u use?....thanks jack |
jack, we just used a delay or reverb plug in from Protools for tracking, but did not record the verb. When I use amps with no spring reverb I have an MXR Reverb pedal that really works well for me. It's subtle.
dz
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Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 3:08 pm
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No comparison with a Bassman, but my spare/rehearsal amp is a Roland 60XL bass cube. I have my own theory of why bass amps work so well.
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Kerry Johnson
From:
the Bay Area, CA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 4:44 pm
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***
Last edited by Kerry Johnson on 15 Dec 2019 3:45 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 4:44 pm
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Yes.. Over the years I have had/used BF Bassman, a few different SF bassman, and a 70's Bassman 70. They were ALL good for steel.
Actually for steel alone, the SF amps and Bassman 70 were probably a bit better than the BF. A bit cleaner and brighter .. As stated, they all sounded great.
add a good reverb pedal and you've got the sound. I have used 4x10 cabs, 2x12 cabs, and single 15 cab. Tone wise I thought the 4x10 and 1x15 were better sounding than 2x12. Not enough guys using 4x10 for steel... Its a really good sound with the right amp.. bob
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Ron Shalita
From:
California, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 5:21 pm
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I use an original 59 Bassman... sounds great!
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Been playing all of my life, Lead Guitar, and Pedal Steel, sing Lead and Harmony.. play other Instruments also but I hate to admit to it.. |
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Dale McPherson
From:
Morristown, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 6:46 pm
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| Guys, Which of the Bassman heads do you recommend? I notice some have 3 knobs, some have 4 and some have a master volume. Confusing if you don't know. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 11 Dec 2019 11:09 pm
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| I have a black Tolex, white-knobbed 1964 6G6-A that sounds wonderful with guitar and lap steel, but I've never been able to get a pleasing pedal steel sound from it. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 1:05 am
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I've used blackface/silverface Bassmans at one point or another. If they're set up clean with a good cab as Bob C. suggests, they can sound very good.
Right now, my only Bassman is a '57 2-input 4x10", which is really great for guitar or steel if the stage volume doesn't need to be ear-numbingly loud. I agree with Bob that 4x10" is oft overlooked but great-sounding for pedal steel with good speakers. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 1:52 am
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well did you use the NORMAL input channel or did you use the BASS channel which has a passive EQ at the input stage ?
The Normal side channel is nothing short of a very nice clean 50 watt amp.
Most guitar players who use a Bassman are plugged into the NORMAL side. I have done this many times as well thru the years , just sold a 72 Bassman head, should have kept it !
The only drawback is these amp heads do not have a MID control which may or may not be an issue for a player.
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Steve Hinson
From:
Hendersonville Tn USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 5:20 am
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I carry a blackface Bassman head as a spare(studio)...it sounds great but I wish it had a little more clean headroom...
The silverface Bassman heads DO have a little more clean headroom...still not enough for live for around here anyway...everybody around here plays too loud...
SH |
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Tommy Boswell
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 5:41 am
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My Bassman 70 head has plenty of clean headroom, it's the ultralinear model that somehow gets more wattage out of a pair of 6L6's.
And even without a mid EQ I can dial in good pedal steel tone on the normal channel with bright switch. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 8:21 am
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The Bassman I had had the separate speaker cabinet and I used the stand alone Fender reverb unit along with it.
I traded it all off for a Twin Reverb with the JBL speakers.
Erv |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 9:58 am
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| Jack Hanson wrote: |
| I have a black Tolex, white-knobbed 1964 6G6-A... |
My mistake! I just pulled it out from under the bed and it's not a 6G6-A, but rather a 6G6-B. The date stamp is "NF," so it is indeed a '64. I have not an inkling what the difference would be between the two circuits.
In the Smith book, the point is made that Mr. Fender made changes to the Bassman amp on a yearly basis, if not more often, from its inception in 1952 until he handed the keys over to Columbia.
I have a new TT-12 speaker that's sitting here waiting on a new Greg's Pro Audio cabinet that the big brown van is supposed to deliver tomorrow. The 6G6-B will be one of the amplifiers I'm gonna put in rotation to break in that new TT-12. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 5:16 pm
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| Dale McPherson wrote: |
| Guys, Which of the Bassman heads do you recommend? I notice some have 3 knobs, some have 4 and some have a master volume. Confusing if you don't know. |
They are all good..
The later models will say Bassman 50/Bassman 70/Bassman 100 on the faceplate .
They will tend to have more headroom than earlier Silver face or Black face models of the 60's to early 70's.. However, to my ears they sound a little less "sweet" if that makes any sense.. My Bassman 70 was good pedal steel and guitar amp.. Not quite the tone of say a 69 or earlier Bassman , but plenty close enough, and they run cheaper than earlier models..
Do not be afraid of ANY all tube bassman head if its in good shape and priced right.
They are all good sounding, rugged reliable amps that will outlive you if you take reasonable care of them.. If you play in screaming loud bands they are not the right amp.. If you can't keep up with your band with say a Peavey Session amp, forget about using a Bassman of any type.. You are outgunned, and need to find another band.
Some great players used Bassman amps at some point .. The 2 most notable were Chalker, and Brumley, so yeah, you will be in good company... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 6:44 pm
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I had a solid state Fender Bassman head for a short time. It was horrible, no matter what instrument or cabinet I plugged into it. It was an evil electronic experiment.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 7:31 pm
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| b0b wrote: |
| I had a solid state Fender Bassman head for a short time. |
The bass player in my high school rock band traded in his blackface Dual Showman for one of those things when they were first introduced. It went straight back to the music store after its first gig. As the story goes, the legendary Forrest White resigned from Fender rather than approve production of those solid-state amps. They were dogs, and he knew it. |
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Tom Gorr
From:
Three Hills, Alberta
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Posted 12 Dec 2019 9:09 pm
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Going by memory, the later 50s Tweed Bassman's have the end of chain tonestack that the word "Bassman" are famous for, whereas the BF and SF circuits had early chain tonestacks more like the guitar amps - perhaps with slightly different values and gain structure.
Most amps can be used for near anything. My first dirt pedal was running my electric guitar through the mic input of our ss Sony home stereo system and OD ing the crap out of it - divine! |
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