Blackface Bassman / Showman / Band Master Questions

[DK Sears]

How different, or more appropriately, what are major differences between these amps?  I am getting the urge to add something like one of these to my collection.

I am looking for something with a good clean sound and will play well with my MXR CB '79 Distortion and CB Modified OD as well as my Amptweaker TightDrive and TightRock pedals.

I already have a Mesa Stiletto Ace and a Soldano Astroverb, but would really like a vintage amp head to add to my options and to have for a more portable option.

Thoughts?

 

[Tonar8352]

Every thing you need to know about vintage Fender amps in all their incarnations can be found on this site. Scroll down the left side of the page until you find the model you are after, click on it and it will tell you what you need to know.
http://www.thevintagesound.com/ffg/

 

[Kostas]

Showman: 4 x 6L6
Bassman/Bandmaster: 2 x 6L6

I have a '66 Bandmaster and a '73 Bassman 50 (Silverface). I like both and to me there's no big difference in sound. Fender used different circuits over the years but Silverface Fenders are very good amps. I prefer them from the RIs they are making right now. In the mid 70's they switched to Ultra Linear transformers and they put a master volume so I can see a difference in these amps.

The Showman will be the loudest of all although all amps have enough volume to play anywhere you want. The Bassman is louder than the Bandmaster, it has a bigger OT. In my apartment the highest I have put the Bassman is on six and the Bandmaster on ten. Both are very loud, I was able to play a few chords to see how it sounds, I can't stay for long close to such a loud amp and 4x12 cab.

I have read that Bandmasters have a sweet spot and somewhere on six and up they start to overdrive. Not mine, it's clean on ten with low/medium output pickups and my 100W 4x12 cab.

You will find more differences with Blackface reverb amps. They have one more tube (for the reverb) but it affects the tone also. I would buy any of the amps you asked. They have a great clean sound and they like all pedals. They are easy to fix or modify. They are amps for life :icon_thumright:

 

[DK Sears]

Thanks for the info.  The link was very informative.  I really appreciate the responses.

 

[Tempest]

I recently got a 66 BF Bassman.  I actually prefer the bass channel on it, its much warmer and fuller sounding.  And it stays clean up to about 7.  The Normal channel breaks up a little earlier and is...much brighter, obviously. Haha.

It's really loud too, I just finished a gig with it and couldn't get it over 3 where I was playing.  Sounds great as a clean base for my pedals.


BTW, love the signature

 

[dudesweet157]

I had a '68 Bassman head for about a year.  I used it with a 212 Avatar cab with a Vintage 30 and G12H30.  It was a glorious sound on 3, however, that was too loud for all but one venue we played.  3 was big, beautiful clean, 4 was edge of breakup with more gain after that instead of volume, and towards the end of a 4 hour gig, 3 started to get gainy as well.  I replaced it with an Egnater Renegade that I just didn't get along with, and replaced the Renegade with an AC30.  The AC30 sounded great but weighed a ton, so it got left home and I just used my Super Champ XD miked up.  Eventually sold the AC30 to pay for car repairs.  Still really miss the Bassman.  It just had the most beautiful, big, 3D clean tone.  I

 

[DK Sears]

Thanks for the info guys. 

I'm looking for something that I can use with our church praise and worship band.  I want to have it as something a little more portable as a head and leave my cabinet at the church.  This option intrigues me because it looks a little more affordable right now compared to some of the new amp heads out there, even some of the better imported heads, like the PRS Se line and the EVH 5150 III 50 watter.  Great clean tones that handle pedals well and American made.

 

[jackthehack]

The above is without a doubt the most bizarre piece of forum spam ever posted here...

 

[mayfly]

Yea, that was pretty far out.  Not even trying to follow the thread or the tone of the group 

 

[Tempest]

Thanks for the info guys. 

I'm looking for something that I can use with our church praise and worship band.  I want to have it as something a little more portable as a head and leave my cabinet at the church.  This option intrigues me because it looks a little more affordable right now compared to some of the new amp heads out there, even some of the better imported heads, like the PRS Se line and the EVH 5150 III 50 watter.  Great clean tones that handle pedals well and American made.

I play similar music, works great for it!