Fox Vintage 5D6 Bassman amp Hand Wired (( Keeping It ))

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Ken Metcalf
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Fox Vintage 5D6 Bassman amp Hand Wired (( Keeping It ))

Post by Ken Metcalf »

Fox Vintage 5D6 Bassman #13 Hand Wired amp Not for Sale.



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Features of the Fox Vintage 5D6 Bassman amp Hand Wired amp:
-D2F custom fit cover
-Mallory 150 caps -Sprague Atom filtering caps -F&T bias cap
-JJ power tubes and 12AX7 tubes -Electro Harmonix 12AY7 tubes -JJ 5U4GB RECTIFIER!!!!
-Mercury Magnetics for all transformers and chokes
-carbon comp resistors (except the 2 watt power -resistors, Metal oxide)
-Carling switches -Switchcraft jacks and plugs
-CTS pots and 1 Alpha pot
-Jensen P10R speakers with bells for the lower 2 speakers
-finger jointed pine cabinet with lacquer finish
-2000 degree rated heat shield tape for the area behind the power tubes (old amps used asbestos)
-Vintage cloth covered wire

No devices, circuit board or tube sockets are mounted with sheet metal screws! The circuit board is mounted to the 6/32" x 1/4" stainless steel standoffs which are mounted to the chassis with a 6/32" locking nut with plastic insert. Tube sockets are mounted with stainless steel 4-40" screws and lock nuts. Transformers are mounted with 8/32" screws and lock nuts. There are a few modern day adds to the amp for safety, efficiency. The 6.3 volt heater circuit is fused at 6.3 amps and the +5 VAC is fused at 12amps. There is an in-rush current limiter on the 120 VAC line that helps protect the amp as it first comes on.

Channel 1 normal, channel #2 is bright. Two inputs per channel. . Input 1 goes to parallel 12AY7 triodes via a switching jack on input # 2. When input #2 is used it is a single triode input, inputl #1 is then grounded unless plugged into. When both #1 and the #2 input are used each goes to a single 12AY7 triode section.

After working on and listening to Albert Talley's 1954 Bassman (serial #0035), model 5D6 Ken Fox had decided to build eleven of these. The dual 5Y3 rectifier in the 5D6 Bassman was only made for a very short period. The later 5D6A and 5E6 used dual 5U4GB rectifier tubes.
The Bassman was designed for the first mass-production electric bass, the Fender Precision Bass. It was introduced in 1952 and discontinued in 1983. Up to until 1954, the Bassman amps had only 1 speaker (circuit 5B6), but it was the four 10" speaker combination (officially introduced in 1955 as model 5D6-A) that came to be the greatest and most sought after amplifiers in history. The first 4x10 Bassman amplifiers started with a batch of prototypes in November and December 1954, model 5D6. No schematic for the 5D6 circuit have ever been found, and only 5 of these early examples have been found to have survived. The earliest serial number known to still exist is 0013, but 0032, 0075, 0077, and 0780 are also known to exist. These rare few are known to sound better than the revered 1959 5F6-A circuit, and are fetching prices in excess of $15000 USD
Last edited by Ken Metcalf on 10 Oct 2023 6:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Chris Boyd
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Post by Chris Boyd »

A work of musical art...
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Patrick Huey
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Post by Patrick Huey »

Ken,
this is a 50 watt I assume from the two output tubes?
Beautiful amp, by the way! And the Bassman is the iconic circuit that paved the way for the eventual creation of the iconic Marshalls and every other “loud a@@ rock and roll” amplifier made.
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!!
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Ken Metcalf
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Post by Ken Metcalf »

I believe it is rated at 33 watts and is fairly clean as it was designed for Bass.
Cranked up it will approach the Rolling Stones type vibe.
I have just played it clean with guitar and steel.
It is a very good amp for steel guitar.
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Patrick Huey
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Post by Patrick Huey »

Ken Metcalf wrote:I believe it is rated at 33 watts and is fairly clean as it was designed for Bass.
Cranked up it will approach the Rolling Stones type vibe.
I have just played it clean with guitar and steel.
It is a very good amp for steel guitar.
Ken,
you are correct. The old Bassman was very much sought after by rock guitarists and for its nice breakup when cranked….early Stones, The Who, Cream, etc and it was the precursor to the Marshall “Plexi” which was just a modified Bassman. Jim Marshall actually had a Bassman he used to build his first design. They were very difficult to come by in the UK.
The only bad thing was to get “that crunch” you had to turn the volume to max and they were deafening loud 😂 as overdrive pedals and separate master volumes had not come along yet. These still make great rock guitar amps with an overdrive or boost pedal in front you don’t have to crank them to “eleven” …just ten 😅
Anyway that is definitely a beautiful very obvious work of the highest skill and immeasurable love and pride put in it.
Outstanding price as well for a hand wired top shelf sure enough “boutique” amp…with regular TLC from a good amp tech that amp will be absolutely trouble free and will play FOREVER. I have a factory twin pack matched set of unused NOS 1960’s 6L6 Sylvanias I would drop in that in a heartbeat. Wish I could afford it.
Good luck with the sale it shouldn’t last long. I shared this with a few friends as well.
Pre RP Mullen D10 8/7, Zum 3/4, Carter S-10 3/4, previous Cougar SD-10 3/4 & GFI S-10 3/4, Fender Steel King, 2 Peavey Session 500's, Peavey Nashville 400, Boss DD-3, Profex-II, Hilton Digital Sustain, '88 Les Paul Custom,Epiphone MBIBG J-45, Fender Strat & Tele's, Takamine acoustics, Marshall amps, Boss effects, Ibanez Tube Screamer, and it all started with an old cranky worn out Kay acoustic you could slide a Mack truck between the strings and fretboard on!!
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Ken Metcalf
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Post by Ken Metcalf »

I'll tell you a story about this amp.
When I was living in Austin Texas I had the honor and pleasure of working with Neil Flanz.
I was playing my telecaster when Neils Steel King amp died.
I said there were two channels and he could just plug in to mine.
Neil plugs in and his eyes just about popped out of his head and he says what kind of amp is that?
I told him and he was amazed by the sound and tone.

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Ken Metcalf
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Post by Ken Metcalf »

I believe the components in this amp would cost this much or more in kit form.
2nd thoughts about selling it.

Going once....

Going Twice...
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Ken Fox
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Wattage and value

Post by Ken Fox »

Closer to 40 watts I’m certain. And I could not put this amp together today and sell it for less than 3500
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