Wow what great work. That definitely is taking a POS and making it in to a Jem. You are a true professional Lyle. The camera work is so clean and clear, the upgrades are very appreciated.
The master volume for the Wrecked side to balance with the clean is what I'm interested in . I successfully installed and modded with a post phase mv but having troubles with seperating the 2 channels and what type of volume to seperate them . Thanks again Kevin
Bassman heads were always the subject of torture experiments because in the days before cheap good quality effects they were not very desirable. Everybody wanted reverb amps. As a result people tried to get them to fill the slot of a Marshall. Therefore tons of hack butchery. I did however actually buy a modded one a friend of mine had built about 10 years earlier by a friend of mine who had his own shop. I never opened it up to see what he had done because one day a customer walked in with a Dual showman reverb and matching cab with JBl’s that looked brand new and he needed to trade it for something on wheels because his wife needed to be able to move it out of the living room whenever she wanted and I had that bassman on a 4X12 cab on wheels that was easy to move. I traded straight across. It was the sound financial decision and in fact I kind of felt guilty but he assured me it was ok. He needed to figure it out because he had practice that night. The dual showman reverb now sits collecting dust in storage and I miss that Bassman. As for the 6550 thing my Late friend Rich Koerner of Time Electronics used to do that. He used to have a close working relationship with Ed Jahns and it was actually Ed’s suggestion. Large transformer 50 watt fender amps all had the filament headroom for 6550’s and the output transformers could be double loaded without any danger to the amp. There are many amps roaming the earth with that setup out there that Rich made. Of course he would re voice the amp and install larger filter caps and such. His mods looked like they were factory. He really had a way with those amps. Unfortunately he was not a very good business man. RIP Rich.
@1:33 the reflection looks like an arc ...ah yes, the "extra" triode. At a minute and a half in, I already know it's gonna be another great vid (!) Thanx Lyle
Tweed bassman is one of the best most iconic sounds I’ve ever heard Jimi in the later years def leaned into it’s beautiful cleans Check ladyland Never heard the silver years too much
Found your channel couple of weeks ago and it's very informative. Thanks in advance. Was wondering if you'd give some advise on the mojotone 6G3 deluxe brownface amp kit. I've put it together and can tell it could be a little Marshall for sure. Aggressive little amp with good tones. Cranked up to get that Marshall ZZ Top thing works, but has a harmony ghost pitch like an octave fuzz to it. Have any suggestions to clear that and component improvements upgrade recipe?
Beautiful build! What ceramic caps do you use for replacing originals in Fenders? I recall in a video you said it is important to keep them ceramic rather than switching to orange drop?
Looking for amp repair recommendations, in western NY, I have 2 mid 40's to early 50's Gibson BR4, and BR9 that are working. Just want them checked out. Thanks
Amazing amps. So strange that Fender made them (a great guitar amp) almost by accident. Before the internet you had to be "in the know" to cotton on to how good this particular amp was for guitar. Which particular Master Volume implementation do you think think is best for this amp?
I watched one video once of a guy going over the full Princeton schematic and "explaining" the different parts and why they're there. Could you maybe do something like that with schematics? Also that amp sounded amazing!
How difficult would it be to do this to a early-to-mid 70s Bassman 10? I picked up one cheap a while back and have been trying to decide what to do with it.
What would you charge for a layout of this mod ? I have a brain tumor and reading schematics the straight lines start to wiggle and relying on layouts now . Thanks, Kevin
I have a 68 Bassman that needs work. I can't afford it right now but I'll probably send it to you when I get the money. As far as I know it's never been serviced but I haven't opened it to check. It hasn't been played in at least 12 years and that's probably more like 20.
You had a chance to poke around in any of the modern "handwired" amps from the famous brands? I know you've done videos on vox but I'm curious about what's going on inside the handwired marshalls (2061x, 1974x etc), hiwatts (custom 20/50/100) and the handwired fender deluxe reverb.
Thank you, Lyle. I'm an old timer like you, but I haven't been on the scene for decades, and then I was playing keys, sitting in. When I was last a serious guitar player, it was the 1970's. Vintage meant pre-CBS, and I was trying to get an engineer friend of mine to build me a box that made a cool new sound, a plugin called a "phase shifter," that cost as much as a brand new 1972 Strat. It was also a time when no one I knew would plug into a Bassman head, unless they played electric bass. That's what the instrument was called, by the way -- an electric bass. Anyway, I have questions: When did the Bassman become an instrument for guitar? Was this move driven by the price inflation that has consumed the tube-amp market? Are the Bassman preamp filters redesigned for guitar harmonics, and have the 15" speakers been swapped out for 12's? Thanks again for your patient exposition as we look over your shoulder.
Well, the Bassman has always sounded great for guitar, through all the different versions up til about ‘80. This individual amp had been butchered, and after talking to the owner I realized he would not be happy with a pure restoration. Given the relatively low market value of the Bassman 50 and how ruined the existing circuitry was, we went a different direction on this.
Lyle, you took a complete rats nest of a mess and made it look and sound better than stock! Your knowledge, attention to detail and immaculate work NEVER ceases to amaze me. I can only imagine how backlogged you are, but when I do need repairs done on my amp, I know where I’ll be shipping it. Even if you did misspell indulged. 😂 Sorry. I couldn’t help a little trolling.
@@PsionicAudio Me too. Usually I notice my own little mistakes I make when nobody else does. I can drive myself nuts with it instead of just letting it ride.
My...!!! Weren't you having fun😃😎👍👍👍 OUTSTANDING 😁😉😎👍 You sir, are an artiste 😎👍 This client has a keeper indeed. However...IF the client ever wishes to sell this...tell them I can make monthly payments 😃😁...🤣
@@PsionicAudio Ampeg was using the 6SL7s, and those aren't very reliable either. To this day, they're the one preamp tube set ever that blew up on me. However, in keeping with my never say never attitude, my next project is a Champion 600 with a 6SK7 preamp tube to boost the stock gain just a little but not to the extent of another 12AX7.
There's a pentode tube called the 5879 which was often used for the mic inputs on commercial paging amps; it's kind of like an EF86/6267 but having lower gain and a different pinout, and designed for low noise and low microphonics. Lots of NOS available, not terribly expensive. There's also the 6AU6 pentode (with 7 pin base), those were widely used in radio RF circuits, they're common as dirt, and so cheap that it won't matter if you have try try a half-dozen to find one that's not microphonic. 6SJ7's aren't rare ( the metal ones are commoner than the glass GT versions), but quiet, low microphonic 6SJ7' s are hard to find.
@@BoomTexan , finding decent octal base dual triodes like the 6SL7 and 6SN7 isnt generally as difficult as locating usably quiet 6SJ7 or 6SK7 pentodes. If you can find some military Jan-Spec brown-base 6SL7 or 6SN7's, those are usually less noisy or microphonic than ordinary production 6SL's and 6SN7's. There's also the uncommon and somewhat pricey RCA "Special Red" red-base versions of the 6SL7, 6SN7, and 6SJ7 (the 5691, 5692 and 5693 respectively; 5693 had a red *metal* shell), which had extra mica spacers and stiffer support structures, but those'll definitely cost ya some coin. The rare Bendix "Red Bank" versions of these 4-digit tubes can run for hundreds of dollars per pair.
Similar sounds gotten by different means. As both the Trainwreck and the Dumble ODS started off as Bassman mods, this made sense to me. Kind of full circle.
Bassman was a large transformer amp and a bandmaster was small. Bassman is rated at nominal output down to at least 40 hz with no crossover distortion and a bandmaster is not. You can load a Bassman down to 2 ohms without any noticeable problems. A bandmaster not so much. The B+ is a bandmaster will sag much more under heavy load as well not to mention its tube rectified. That may actually be a good thing though if you are looking for that sound. A bandmaster transformer wise is the same as a pro reverb or a vibrolux where a Bassman is a solid state rectifier large transformer amp. Much more stout. Hope that helps you out.
@@okayestguitar66 I guess we could also throw in names like Leonardo Davinci, Nicola Tesla or Thomas Edison when comparing the unparalleled genius that was Ken Fischer 🎸
@@scottdunn2178 Great amp builder, assuredly knew what sounded glorious. Also, a bit eccentric to believe he could hear the difference in the insulation used on the wire or the direction the electrons flowed within it. Just sayin'.
@@okayestguitar66 I knew Ken since 1988, and that's why I think of him as an Einstein. He had a really twisted sense of humor too. I'd like to know what Lyle thinks of all the braided vs. solid wire, etc.
I think it’s time we come together and rename the “Silverface” amps to “Clusterfuck” amps. I see more CF’d hack jobs than stock Silverface amps. I get it, they’re cheap. That’s not an excuse to do shit work. I completely restored a Bandmaster Reverb and it turned out to be my favorite amp for years. Leave them alone people!
Well, I guess the chassis, brass ground plate, and front and back panel are original, so I guess it's still a Bassman....but I don't see hardly any original parts in there. That's kind of a shame. I always try to keep as many original (good) parts in an amp as possible, but not every amp tech does that, especially if he decides to mod it.
This video, a Ted Woodford video, and Brad's Guitar Garage (that's "good Brad" to us) video all popped up just before bedtime; what to do, what to do? I picked this one, mostly because it's shorter and I am fading. Ted's voice can accompany me as I drink my morning coffee, and Brad's voice will be my soldering soundtrack on the workbench....
You remember that part where I said I wasn’t going to move the knobs much in this video and that I would show a wider range of sounds in the next video? Yeah, that part. That part was great.
Pretty good for tubes....seems like a whole lot of fuss when you can do the same thing without all the fuss. How; you ask? Buy a Helix. Unlimited flexibilty and you cannot tell the difference in a mix. That being said: I greatly enjoy your videos. It is wonderful entertainment to watch you make and repair magic everyday. Wish I had your knowledge. But am glad I own digital gear.
Modding doesn’t have to mean 4 new holes and added junk. Look at what you have and work with it. Great job Lyle!!
Wow what great work. That definitely is taking a POS and making it in to a Jem. You are a true professional Lyle. The camera work is so clean and clear, the upgrades are very appreciated.
You sir are a very knowledgable guitar amplifier expert. The transformation of this amp is incredible. Beautifil tones on this one.
Fantastic work Sir. This has become a very versatile amp. Great classic and bluesy tones. This amp is good to go for another decade or more.
Nice work Love that clean channel. It’s great to see something brought back to usefulness
Outstanding Lyle! I thought that Bassman 50 was long gone, great to see and hear what was done with it.
The video series I have been waiting for! I have a late ‘70s that I have been doing the researching for a build. 👍
The master volume for the Wrecked side to balance with the clean is what I'm interested in . I successfully installed and modded with a post phase mv but having troubles with seperating the 2 channels and what type of volume to seperate them . Thanks again Kevin
Beautiful tones! Clean work!
That lower gain channel sounds next level dude, wow! What a clean job you did there too. Very nice 👌
Fine work, Sir... Can't wait to hear more!
Sounds amazing!
Bassman heads were always the subject of torture experiments because in the days before cheap good quality effects they were not very desirable. Everybody wanted reverb amps. As a result people tried to get them to fill the slot of a Marshall. Therefore tons of hack butchery. I did however actually buy a modded one a friend of mine had built about 10 years earlier by a friend of mine who had his own shop. I never opened it up to see what he had done because one day a customer walked in with a Dual showman reverb and matching cab with JBl’s that looked brand new and he needed to trade it for something on wheels because his wife needed to be able to move it out of the living room whenever she wanted and I had that bassman on a 4X12 cab on wheels that was easy to move. I traded straight across. It was the sound financial decision and in fact I kind of felt guilty but he assured me it was ok. He needed to figure it out because he had practice that night. The dual showman reverb now sits collecting dust in storage and I miss that Bassman. As for the 6550 thing my Late friend Rich Koerner of Time Electronics used to do that. He used to have a close working relationship with Ed Jahns and it was actually Ed’s suggestion. Large transformer 50 watt fender amps all had the filament headroom for 6550’s and the output transformers could be double loaded without any danger to the amp. There are many amps roaming the earth with that setup out there that Rich made. Of course he would re voice the amp and install larger filter caps and such. His mods looked like they were factory. He really had a way with those amps. Unfortunately he was not a very good business man. RIP Rich.
Beautiful work!!!
Super Cool Man! Sounds and looks great.
That looks terrific. I'm sure that was an expensive piece of work, and worth every cent in the end.
This amp was in the graveyard! Great to see that you have the patience and willingness to bring it back to life.
Very nice indeed. What a great save on an otherwise stuffed up amp. Hats off to you sir.
Very cool! Sounds great!
@1:33 the reflection looks like an arc
...ah yes, the "extra" triode. At a minute and a half in, I already know it's gonna be another great vid (!)
Thanx Lyle
WOW!!! You have some time into this one. Amazing!
So neat and tidy, Beautiful workmanship, A true tradesmen.
Beautiful work.
Tweed bassman is one of the best most iconic sounds I’ve ever heard
Jimi in the later years def leaned into it’s beautiful cleans
Check ladyland
Never heard the silver years too much
Wow, that sounded fabulous.
This sounds wonderful
Absolutely killer even without the boutique walnut cabinet!!
Love your work
very clean build 🙏
Good job, great sounding amp.
Nice amp! Bassman’s can sound so sweet! Cranked, these are great Rockers. Edge of break-up just beautifully punchy.
Simply gorgeous! KUDOS!
That sounds awesome!
so thats how you mod/remake an amp, what a beauty
sounds glorious
Found your channel couple of weeks ago and it's very informative. Thanks in advance. Was wondering if you'd give some advise on the mojotone 6G3 deluxe brownface amp kit. I've put it together and can tell it could be a little Marshall for sure. Aggressive little amp with good tones. Cranked up to get that Marshall ZZ Top thing works, but has a harmony ghost pitch like an octave fuzz to it. Have any suggestions to clear that and component improvements upgrade recipe?
that sounds great!!
That first channel is quite something!
Some days ya just gotta show off! Nice Redeaux.
Beautiful build! What ceramic caps do you use for replacing originals in Fenders? I recall in a video you said it is important to keep them ceramic rather than switching to orange drop?
Man that looks good
Looking for amp repair recommendations, in western NY, I have 2 mid 40's to early 50's Gibson BR4, and BR9 that are working. Just want them checked out. Thanks
Amazing amps. So strange that Fender made them (a great guitar amp) almost by accident. Before the internet you had to be "in the know" to cotton on to how good this particular amp was for guitar. Which particular Master Volume implementation do you think think is best for this amp?
That's a Lucky Amp right there!
Awesome!
Have you worked on two rock? Any thoughts ? Your thoughts on Morgan really opened my eyes
Nice save!
That sounded great! Just curious, what kind of speaker were you running to?
Thanks! WGS ET65.
I watched one video once of a guy going over the full Princeton schematic and "explaining" the different parts and why they're there. Could you maybe do something like that with schematics?
Also that amp sounded amazing!
How difficult would it be to do this to a early-to-mid 70s Bassman 10? I picked up one cheap a while back and have been trying to decide what to do with it.
You should definitely make and sell these!
Was there much difference between the SF Bassman-Amp and the Bassman 50? I've worked on plenty of SF Bassman heads but never had my hands on a 50....
that gain channel sounds really nice.
Train Wreck on one side and Bassman on the other what’s not to like! Marshall who?
Sounds sweet, a little bit brittle but I blame TH-cam for that.
That amp sounded great! Would love to have that first channel!
When you take the wax off the board, do you only use heat and wipe it off?
Followed by isopropyl and then more heat.
Inspiring. Next demo, perhaps show with channels jumped or with an a/b/both switch?
What would you charge for a layout of this mod ? I have a brain tumor and reading schematics the straight lines start to wiggle and relying on layouts now . Thanks, Kevin
I have a 68 Bassman that needs work. I can't afford it right now but I'll probably send it to you when I get the money. As far as I know it's never been serviced but I haven't opened it to check. It hasn't been played in at least 12 years and that's probably more like 20.
You had a chance to poke around in any of the modern "handwired" amps from the famous brands? I know you've done videos on vox but I'm curious about what's going on inside the handwired marshalls (2061x, 1974x etc), hiwatts (custom 20/50/100) and the handwired fender deluxe reverb.
He did some fantastic work on a Ceriatone amp not too long ago.
Thank you, Lyle. I'm an old timer like you, but I haven't been on the scene for decades, and then I was playing keys, sitting in. When I was last a serious guitar player, it was the 1970's. Vintage meant pre-CBS, and I was trying to get an engineer friend of mine to build me a box that made a cool new sound, a plugin called a "phase shifter," that cost as much as a brand new 1972 Strat.
It was also a time when no one I knew would plug into a Bassman head, unless they played electric bass. That's what the instrument was called, by the way -- an electric bass. Anyway, I have questions: When did the Bassman become an instrument for guitar? Was this move driven by the price inflation that has consumed the tube-amp market? Are the Bassman preamp filters redesigned for guitar harmonics, and have the 15" speakers been swapped out for 12's?
Thanks again for your patient exposition as we look over your shoulder.
Well, the Bassman has always sounded great for guitar, through all the different versions up til about ‘80.
This individual amp had been butchered, and after talking to the owner I realized he would not be happy with a pure restoration. Given the relatively low market value of the Bassman 50 and how ruined the existing circuitry was, we went a different direction on this.
I used to have a 1970 Bassman 50 head and it NEVER sounded this good .
Lyle, you took a complete rats nest of a mess and made it look and sound better than stock! Your knowledge, attention to detail and immaculate work NEVER ceases to amaze me. I can only imagine how backlogged you are, but when I do need repairs done on my amp, I know where I’ll be shipping it. Even if you did misspell indulged. 😂 Sorry. I couldn’t help a little trolling.
That e kills me. I hate mistakes.
@@PsionicAudio Me too. Usually I notice my own little mistakes I make when nobody else does. I can drive myself nuts with it instead of just letting it ride.
Sweet ....
Hey Lyle, what's your opinion/view on ppimv? Is it worth it and/or even possible/practical in
this beast turned jewel (?) Thanx again 🥸
Of course it is and I would install one if it was my amp.
My...!!!
Weren't you having fun😃😎👍👍👍
OUTSTANDING 😁😉😎👍
You sir, are an artiste 😎👍
This client has a keeper indeed.
However...IF the client ever wishes to sell this...tell them I can make monthly payments 😃😁...🤣
that's some robust coax. what is it?
Killer
#PhwoarPhuckYeah!
Question for custom amp designers: has anyone experimented with 6sj7 preamps? Are they less troublesome than EF86s? I know their gain is lower...
Haven’t experimented with them but I’ve restored a lot of amps that use them. Still a problematic tube.
@@PsionicAudio I've heard a couple of early Champs (1950-1954) that had the 6SJ7 and no negative feedback, sounded pretty cool 👍
@@PsionicAudio Ampeg was using the 6SL7s, and those aren't very reliable either. To this day, they're the one preamp tube set ever that blew up on me.
However, in keeping with my never say never attitude, my next project is a Champion 600 with a 6SK7 preamp tube to boost the stock gain just a little but not to the extent of another 12AX7.
There's a pentode tube called the 5879 which was often used for the mic inputs on commercial paging amps; it's kind of like an EF86/6267 but having lower gain and a different pinout, and designed for low noise and low microphonics. Lots of NOS available, not terribly expensive. There's also the 6AU6 pentode (with 7 pin base), those were widely used in radio RF circuits, they're common as dirt, and so cheap that it won't matter if you have try try a half-dozen to find one that's not microphonic. 6SJ7's aren't rare ( the metal ones are commoner than the glass GT versions), but quiet, low microphonic 6SJ7' s are hard to find.
@@BoomTexan , finding decent octal base dual triodes like the 6SL7 and 6SN7 isnt generally as difficult as locating usably quiet 6SJ7 or 6SK7 pentodes. If you can find some military Jan-Spec brown-base 6SL7 or 6SN7's, those are usually less noisy or microphonic than ordinary production 6SL's and 6SN7's. There's also the uncommon and somewhat pricey RCA "Special Red" red-base versions of the 6SL7, 6SN7, and 6SJ7 (the 5691, 5692 and 5693 respectively; 5693 had a red *metal* shell), which had extra mica spacers and stiffer support structures, but those'll definitely cost ya some coin. The rare Bendix "Red Bank" versions of these 4-digit tubes can run for hundreds of dollars per pair.
1st channel sounds like a 2203.
In the video at least.
Particularly with the bright cap.
Similar sounds gotten by different means. As both the Trainwreck and the Dumble ODS started off as Bassman mods, this made sense to me. Kind of full circle.
What are "narbs" and what is a "Stark" channel?
Is a SF 50 watt bassman and a SF 50 watt Bandmaster non reverb as loud as each other?
Aren't Bandmasters typically 40W? That's what I always see them advertised as. Maybe it's a lower bias or runs voltages lower or something.
@@BoomTexan You might be right
All things being equal, later Bassman’s have a larger output transformer, so on paper it will be louder. Both are loud as hell though.
@@PsionicAudio You meant the 75 watt ultralinear?
Bassman was a large transformer amp and a bandmaster was small. Bassman is rated at nominal output down to at least 40 hz with no crossover distortion and a bandmaster is not. You can load a Bassman down to 2 ohms without any noticeable problems. A bandmaster not so much. The B+ is a bandmaster will sag much more under heavy load as well not to mention its tube rectified. That may actually be a good thing though if you are looking for that sound. A bandmaster transformer wise is the same as a pro reverb or a vibrolux where a Bassman is a solid state rectifier large transformer amp. Much more stout. Hope that helps you out.
It can't be a Trainwreck style amp channel without the directional, kevlar coated wire! 😂
Ken was the Albert Einstein of guitar amplifiers.
I'm not sure that Mr. Einstein knew tone... I'll take your word for it, though.
@@okayestguitar66 I guess we could also throw in names like Leonardo Davinci, Nicola Tesla or Thomas Edison when comparing the unparalleled genius that was Ken Fischer 🎸
@@scottdunn2178
Great amp builder, assuredly knew what sounded glorious. Also, a bit eccentric to believe he could hear the difference in the insulation used on the wire or the direction the electrons flowed within it. Just sayin'.
@@okayestguitar66 I knew Ken since 1988, and that's why I think of him as an Einstein. He had a really twisted sense of humor too. I'd like to know what Lyle thinks of all the braided vs. solid wire, etc.
I think it’s time we come together and rename the “Silverface” amps to “Clusterfuck” amps. I see more CF’d hack jobs than stock Silverface amps.
I get it, they’re cheap. That’s not an excuse to do shit work.
I completely restored a Bandmaster Reverb and it turned out to be my favorite amp for years. Leave them alone people!
Well, I guess the chassis, brass ground plate, and front and back panel are original, so I guess it's still a Bassman....but I don't see hardly any original parts in there. That's kind of a shame. I always try to keep as many original (good) parts in an amp as possible, but not every amp tech does that, especially if he decides to mod it.
That was the guy before me. It was ruined long before I ever saw it.
Dang, like #666. Oh well, still enjoyed the video!
This video, a Ted Woodford video, and Brad's Guitar Garage (that's "good Brad" to us) video all popped up just before bedtime; what to do, what to do? I picked this one, mostly because it's shorter and I am fading. Ted's voice can accompany me as I drink my morning coffee, and Brad's voice will be my soldering soundtrack on the workbench....
Looks like a Ukrainian amp with all the beautiful yellow and blue!! Sounds great man!!
Is it just me or is that a really bright aggressive sounding amp? It's just got no warmth at all.
You remember that part where I said I wasn’t going to move the knobs much in this video and that I would show a wider range of sounds in the next video?
Yeah, that part.
That part was great.
Sounds harsh.
Pretty good for tubes....seems like a whole lot of fuss when you can do the same thing without all the fuss. How; you ask? Buy a Helix. Unlimited flexibilty and you cannot tell the difference in a mix. That being said: I greatly enjoy your videos. It is wonderful entertainment to watch you make and repair magic everyday. Wish I had your knowledge. But am glad I own digital gear.
Tubes have their place nearly burnt down my house twice but still ise them
Modding doesn’t have to mean 4 new holes and added junk. Look at what you have and work with it. Great job Lyle!!