I finally get the greatness of BLACKFACE Fender Bassman!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- I'm playing an amazing 1966 Fender Bassman through a 1971 Marshall 1960A 4x12 Cabinet. I'm using a 2010 Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty with a 1977 Dimarzio Super Distortion in the bridge. This amp nails so many of my favorite tones, so you'll see a lot of it on this channel. Cheers Johan
There is a reason the big studio guys like Tim Pierce or Brent Mason say that you can do it all with a Bassman head and pedals. Easy to believe that when you hear Johan play it!
I couldn't agree with you more.
When you got a 1965 Bassman you dont need any pedals..You sure dont need any distortion or OD pedals.. That would just ruin the tones.
@@michaelcraig9449 what pedals would you suggest with this amp? Thanks for the informative comment 👍🏻
@@JulyTurnerMusic hit the brake pedal!
@@michaelcraig9449 yeah, if all you need is a clean tone or slight breakup. After that you’re gonna need pedals. The great pedals don’t ruin anything, they make amps better.
I had one of those about 50 years ago. I don't remember much about it except that like so many things, I wish I had kept it.
ALWAYS the way!
Why ! At 64 did same!
Thats gotta be one of the best sounds we’ve heard from you!!
Glad to hear it!
I agree! Sounds awesome
I just bought Mats Bjorklunds Fender Bassman since he passed. A great amp. It was modified in Sweden. Maybe you will identify who did it. I can mail you a pic of the amp. Greetings from Munich…..PS If you want send me your 📧 address
You can really tell when an amp, or a guitar hits that one spot in your soul...it shows in your playing.. the look of satisfaction is unmistakable.. your playing was spot on and the sound was inspiring..
I've had my '65 for 5 years now never getting rid of it. I found that beast in a antique store, one of the best moments in my life!
I've been through tons of amps, and I found my holy grail in a '66 bassman. I built a cab, now it's a combo, and swapped speakers a dozen times, and to my ears an old vintage 30 had the most character, so it remained. Thanks for another great video
Thanks! I love the older V30s too
Wow... as a working session player and a someone who works in the studio almost everyday, I must say this Bassman sounds fkin phenomenal! That chewy and full of depth overdrive, and yet still meaty, spongy and dynamic. Love it! As usual, another wonderful video Johan! Much love and respect from Melbourne Australia!
Thanks, great to hear that! Cheers
Yeah but very hot pick ups. Sounds great.
I remember when the pawnshops used to have these on a table for $120. At least 30 of them at the music pawnshops shop
Yeah and they’re still much cheaper than other original black faces.
@@JohanSegeborn I actually used these for my bass rig in high school. 😆 probably a rarity to use it for what it was made for
Yep late 80's and early to mid 90's when you could find Hiwatts for $350 all day
@@kellyjackson7889 My dad would've been in his 20s, which he would jumped on one...
@@Mr.Saltwater yes man i did the same and then sold it like a fool
I had a similar experience when I found a '66 AB165 Bassman in a shop last year. It sounded so unbelievably great that I had to buy it on the spot. Mine is stock and it sounds exactly like yours. So much more gain on tap than I expected from a blackface era amp.
Now, try running it in stereo with one of your Super Leads. I'm currently doing that with my Bassman and a Ceriatone '73 Super Lead clone. It's a jaw dropping combination.
"I even had to buy it" and then "Ace Frehely"....brilliant man!!! Thank you for the video!
Thanks! :-)
AWK!
I think you may have found "The One" for your Ace tone! Sounds amazing in a whole new way. Time to buy that Budakan Les Paul you've always wanted and rig it up for the smoke/fire effect! Great stuff as usual. Have a fantastic weekend bro. God bless and rock on 😎🎸👍
Thanks J, have a great weekend you too! :-)
One of the greatest amps ever. I've got a modded Bassman 50 and it blows away most other Fenders.
Me too! What did you have done to yours? I had the negative feedback removed, and now I'm thinking I need to reduce the bass a little at the cap(s) before the phase inverter. It sounds great, just a bit overly bassy in the deep lows.
@@onewiththings well mine was "blackfaced" and had a "fat switch" mod done where the Bright switch allows for more gain. Just a lovely powerful amp. Best pedal platform ever. Drives a Leslie cab Model 16 perfectly too.
My favorite amp channel on TH-cam. Thank you for all you do!
Thanks Tom, it’s great to hear that!
I hate to say it, as I don’t mind that this isn’t widely known, but I think the Bassman circuit is pretty much the greatest guitar amplifier ever made. I recently was able to have Bruce Zinky build a custom amplifier for me and we used the 6G6 basement circuit as the skeleton for it. Sounds great clean sounds insane cranked, and takes pedals super well. I don’t know that there’s anything out there that can beat them.
I agree. The master granddaddy of guitar tone perfection.
This sounds amazing! What a glorious crunch. And think you nailed the Ace tone, search over. Also, 1000 videos! Congrats and thank you for all you have given us. Have enjoyed your videos for years and always value your efforts and findings. Peace!
Thanks, I’m really glad to hear that! Cheers
Soo Glad you bought it, This is the ONE ! It fits you like a glove man, so cool to hear.
Oh BTW, Jimmy McCulloch used this same set up on Wings Over America tour back in 1976. Great sound.
Thanks, interesting!
Good observation, I was thinking the same thing, then I saw your comment! And he got a lot of good sounds out of it!
I think. Not a 100 percent sure. But I was thinking his was blonde. I seen wings over America on TV a few months back and was thinking he had a blond head. I’ve got one of the blonde heads and I love it. I have always liked the way the blondes sounded. And I have had both the black and the blonde and they are both great. But there’s something about that blonde with the presence control it has a little bit of a tweed thing go away now to me.
Yes,Jimmy Used Blonde Bassman’s into 25’s and his 2X12 Bassman cab’s with D120F JBL’s. Paul actually at that time was using Silver Face Bassman heads into 4X12 Marshall cabs with his Rickenbacker.
I've owned 3 ab165 bassmans and they all sounded this good 'no mods". They're a hidden jem. You do have to turn it up though.
About the possible mods made to this amp I suggest you to ask to "The Guitologist" and "Uncle Doug" these 2 have encyclopedic knowledge about old amps.
My first amp in about 1985. Back then they were so cheap. $125 all day long. Couldn't afford the cabs. Played through a wedge monitor and almost lost my hearing. Oh yea, that thing sounds warmed over but looks stock. Back to basics. Cool !
Thanks Mark!
I paid $175.00 for mine in 1994. Still use it for gigs and recording. Love it!!
This has the KISS sound but also, I'm hearing some UFO too. Sweet amp, Johan!
Thanks JRP! Great to hear that!
Whoa! That amp is killer! I worked with a young guy and he said his dad had this old Fender amp. His dad played in a band back in the 60’s. He knew I played guitar and said he would just give me the amp. From what he described to me it may have been a Bassman like this. For one thing I don’t think his dad would appreciate him giving it to me and would probably hunt me down. Secondly, I couldn’t just have him it give it to me in good conscience. His dad also had a Les Paul valued at about $150,000.00.
Nice to see the bassman getting some love.
It had a lot of gain naturally. It’s a truly unique amplifier. The one I did for my dad was the most unique of all. :-) According to oscilloscope and load, anywhere between 25 and 64 watts depending on output tube selection.
sounds great! I have a '68 silverface bassman that sounds incredible as well.
What an amazing tone! Maybe one of the best I've ever heard!
Thanks Peter, I’m really glad to hear that!
Uff! I have a '66 like that and that particular vintage Bassman can be tricky. First because of the tube chart sticker. Mine said AA165 when actually it was AB165 - which happened quite a bit apparently. You have to look at both schematics and compare it to your amp. Then, so many of this model have been modded and that can be difficult to figure out because there is a LOT of mod info out there (Marshall tone stacks and adding gain etc.) I sent mine to Kendrick to have it gone through. Gerald Weber called me to ask if I was interested in having him mod it, and asked me if I was absolutely, positively sure I never ever wanted to use the amp for a bass amp (I didn't own a bass at the time) so I agreed to the mod. The amp came back working fine and the mod works fine too - but it adds A LOT of gain. Of course the "death cap" three prong power cord mod is a must for older amps in the USA. It is a straight forward amp that lends itself to lots of mods, which can usually be reversed as long as nobody has gotten too extreme and the work hasn't been shoddy along the way. Yours looks and sounds great.
Thanks Steve! Appreciate the feedback
So I have a 1968 Silverface Bassman and a of all my amps it's one of the best all around amps I own and definitely a great pedal platform! Thanks John for demonstrating the perfect amp.
looks like the AB165 bias circuit and phase inverter have been converted to the more common earlier blackface arrangement like the AA864 version. sounds great!
Thanks James! I appreciate the feedback
Thank you for making this eye opening video. I own a 1965 model with AA165 circuit that I have never really paid attention to. After watching this video I decided to bring it out and see what it can really do. I plugged it into a 2x12 Fender cabinet with reissue Jensen C12N´s and was really surprised how versatile it sounds with my Les Pauls and Fenders and a good overdrive if you can´t play loud.
I’m floored .... those tones right there cover just about all the bases
Thanks Davey!
I hear a lot of players say the ubiquitous, this or that amp 'makes me play differently,' or 'this class of amp makes me play a certain way....'. It's good to know there are some guitarists out there who play like they want to play, despite the amp. Johan is a classic 70's hard rock dude who brings that to bare, mercilessly, on every amp he plugs into.
I’m truly happy with You Johan....I know how it feels when You finally able to put your hands on something what you were waiting for a long time...I’ve bought a quartet of 1969 T1221 Greenbacks....will keep them until I die....Would never have come to the idea to get them without knowing You!😉God bless and keep on rocking!Lets go!😉👍
That tone. I’m melting...
Sounds absolutely amazing. Better than any Marshall ive heard on this channel
Thanks Mike!
Such killer presence and attack and grind. Congratulations on such a great acquisition, sir!
Thanks! I’m glad to hear that, Cheers!
Johan congrats on the purchase! The bassman totally fits your style it’s one of the top 5 amps of all time
Thanks JJ! Yeah it’s a killer amp indeed
Bandmasters are part of the fender head family for sure..as far as the other 4? Well we look at all the hit song that’s inspire us from those mid 60s vox’s. Late 60s early 70s Marshall plexis, all those over dubs done on fender champs, some of the original orange amps Twin Reverb’s I left it open to
Interpretation lol
Bought a Bassman with 2 twelves cabinet in '67. Wish I still had that rig.....
Bought my first AB165 around ten years ago and play it through a solid pine 2x12 jensen P12Q cab. For my second AB165 i built a 1x12 pine cab with a single jensen C12N with matching dimensions so its essentially a closed back combo killer tone gigger. Im settled in with the AB165 and a custom Les Paul Junior to 1958 specs. Rock on!
Your new amp sounds really great! Thanks for turning the knobs for us at the end.
Thanks Marcel! I’m gonna try to do that in every amp video from now on. Cheers
I live here in Nashville, and just bought a 1977 bassman 70 with a mojotone 2 x12 cabinet. Sounded awesome, but I went and got a fender bassman 1 x 15 cab to add in today. I found one of ace frehley’s guitar players on Facebook marketplace. Couldn’t believe it lol. He was selling a silver face bassman head and amp combo. Went to hit him up for it and I guess he had sold it.
I inherited a Silverface Bassman 100 from my uncle... RIP. The Silverface amps don't always get the same praise as the Blackface but it truly has a nice round, glassy, pristine clean tone, especially when you jump the channels. Nice breakup too when you crank it, if you can stand the volume.
I once cranked my Bassman 100, but damn... even with earplugs in I got sick of the volume haha
I have a 65’ AA864 in a mojotone 2x10 combo cab…it’s an unruly beast and I love it
Fabulous’70s sound! So full mids really makes itself known. Excellent demo of a great 50 Watter. Thanks
That's what I'm talking about!!! I'm gonna get a 67 eventually... my birth year...love the sound
Impressive! Hope to see and hear more of it with your other guitars, and maybe even a bass!
Thanks! Yeah there will be many more videos of this one!
Second the bass
That crunch ✨
Unbelievable good tone and gain in that amp. Of course it is in your fingers as well. But a great combo. Fender Bassman and greenbacks. Keep up the joy for us Johan.
Johan
Thanks Johan, I’m glad you like it! Cheers
This amp sounds absolutely amazing! Damn!
Thanks glad to hear it!
The only modification to the AB165 circuit in that amp is the change to true adjustable bias rather than bias-balance in the original. The third fiber board near the power input cable is a something I haven't seen in an AB165, but that doesn't mean its not original. If you have one of these, avoid the temptation to take it beyond the bias mod. I think they have a better sound than the AA864 blackface and even the earlier blond circuit versions. Even the two stages of feedback should stay. Both channels in phase so you can use them together, and the bass channel can really go deep. Gets you into doom or shoegaze territory. Amps this old do need new filter caps to be fully reliable, and you might gain some power, headroom, and bass tightness by changing.
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback
You can also get more gain from this circuit by unplugging the preamp tube from the bass channel, and by using a 12ax7 phase inverter tube.
I'm going to be listening to this at work tonight, along with the playlist. Thanx man. Killer tone as always.
Thanks Chris, great to hear that!
You need to put a Les Paul through these Fender Heads, it's what makes them come to life.
Years ago when I was learning to play, I picked up one of these in a guitar store for $150 and it was my mainstay until I got a Mesa-Boogie and sold the Bassman to help fund it. Immediately I regretted it, and I regret it even more now that I’m hearing one again in all its glory, made greater by putting it through a Greenback cab. I get a sense that Johan would say “Beeg mistake!”, to my letting it go, and he would be right! 😅
Nice purchase, sounds great! Thanks for sharing. Good way to start your weekend, I’d say!
Thanks Sean! :-)
That’s a great one!
I have a ‘65 that is nearly identical in features, but I don’t recall mine to sound this thick.
Thanks!
Bandmaster from that era are HUGE as well 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
Whew. What a fire breather! I have a 64 Blackface Princeton and I had a 1970 Silverface Super Reverb. The super was gnarly.
Johan💥 ...I’m SO jealous that you found that amp instead of me ! Ahhh 😆 it’s AMAZING ☝️ ....I’d say it’s pretty much perfect 👏🏻 ....great playing, great demo....the overtones are unbelievable !
The tonal variety of this amp really is amazing! Please make a video playing it and the Vibrolux in stereo, I think those two amps would pair fantastically well :-D
Yeah let’s try that!
I have a ‘67 Blackface, and it is awesome! I play guitar, but I use it as a bass amp too, and it’s just great. It’s in perfect shape, but I made one mod of a post phase inverter master volume, now it’s perfect.
This combo sounds insane. Well beyond what I'd expect from a Bassman, but that may be my own biases.
pun intended?
I've said 'that's the best tone I've ever heard!' on so many of your videos that it's a cliche now, but...that's the best tone I've ever heard!
4:30 is so totally the sound from Deuce from Kiss Alive! Gave me goosebumps!
Thanks Juan! I’m so glad to hear that!
Oh my goodness, that first riff literally made my jaw drop. You somehow always manage to get the most incredible guitar sounds on TH-cam.
Hallo Johan, ich habe den gleichen Treble Booster, mein absolutes lieblings Pedal! Der Bass man hat damit einen super Sound. Wieder ein super Video. Bleib gesund mein Freund. 🎹🎺🎼🎤🎷🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸😉
Danke mein freund!
Congratulations Johan! Great addition to your gear!
Thanks Jens!
Yeah I would’ve bought it too! That is THE SOUND!
That sounds incredible. Getting a lot of early Page vibe here as well.
Yours looks totally stock to me. There might have been some resistor values changed but they would’ve changed out the electrolytic capacitors too. I see one electrolytic capacitor that looks like it was made sometime in the last 30 years. But that’s it. I don’t see the wires you’re talking about.
I Love my '66 Bassman.
We run a Bassmen,... an AA-165 I think,... it's the middle one anyway's,... along with a reissue Plexi from the early 90's (1994),... on two 4-12 cab's (slant's),... early Rola's with the fender,... greenback's on the Marshall,... original Ts9,... and a Robin Trower boost,... the rest is Fulltone stuff,... uni-vibe and wah,..... I'm 64..... to a long time to come by this stuff,... it was worth the wait..........
FYI, the inputs on the AB165 are in phase, so you can jump it like a Plexi.
OOOF! That's such a BIG sound with great tone. I'm a Marshall fan but.....hmmm
Sounds phenomenal. Good as anything I ever heard
Speakers speakers speakers. Killed it Johan. it's got that nice juicy compression, but doesn't fart out with the Celestions
Thanks Jeff!
I had a Fender Bassman 135 back in the late 80s to mid 90s which I had modified by an amp tech friend to give it just a little more grunt. Sounded great with my Rickenbacker 4001 and going into a 2x15" JBL speaker box. It sounded amazing, but unfortunately it was stolen one night after a gig when my car broke down. I got a cab home and came back the next day to find the glass smashed in and all of it was gone! Bass and everything. But still I had that great setup for nearly ten years.
Top man Johan. I love the Fender amps.
Thanks Geoff!
This amp really rocks! The riffing is really good too. Maybe even a bit better than it usually is, and it' s usually very good. Cheers!
Thanks, the amp is really easy to play! Cheers!
Mother of God...what a tone?!?!?!
Thanks Luciano!
Well done and Great tones Johan!
Love the split screen!
Have a wonderful weekend Brother!
Be Well All!
Have a great weekend my friend!
I believe the '64 to '66 era blackface amps are among the finest sounding amps ever created! And it's ALL of them too! I have a '64 Vibrolux and I feel privileged every time I fire it up! To me it's the "holy grail", as you say, of great tube amp sounds that produces a spanking and sparkling clean tone but when you dime it out the tubes break up so incredibly with such a sweet crunchy attack. It's the kind of amp that makes you *want* to play because the sound is just so...perfect! Amazing that in 50 years since Fender built these things no one has yet to improve on the sounds from that era's lineup. The Twin, Princeton, Vibrolux, Bassman and etc. covered most any situation and tone type any tube amp lover could want. Great demo on this 20th century masterpiece Johan! Cheers P[>
Thanks Patrick! Cheers!
I’ve always been a fan of Tweed Fenders and good clones of them. I had never really played through any original Blackface Fenders just the Reissues that really didn’t interest me much. However, last year I finally had the chance buy one my “holy grail” instruments (a first generation Fender electric mandolin from 1957). I went to the dealer to buy it and the salesman plugged it into a ‘66 Vibrolux Reverb for me to try it out. I absolutely fell in love with both. It was the best sounding amp I have ever heard. Unfortunately, the mandolin and the amp combined were more than I was prepared to spend that day so I bought the mandolin because it was definitely the more rare of the two items. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I don’t think about that amp (which the store sold a short time later). A few weeks ago they had another one a ‘65 (I think) for a much better price (condition wasn’t quite as good), but it sold before I had a chance to get to the store. I will definitely have a Blackface Vibrolux Reverb eventually.
that is one AMAZING tone!!!(actually MANY AMAZING tones)
We bought one for the bass player in a band I played in in the seventies, it sounded better on guitar than our guitar amps and made a lasting impression. Only con for using as a guitar amp was no built in reverb.
Perfect for KISS Alive!
Thanks, that’s what I’m aiming for! Cheers
Live all of the different sounds you create
I wasn't expecting such amazing tone! Beautiful!
Nailed it. That amp through that cab and under your fingers....how was it that these young players in their day caught on so fast to this killer combo? People must have been talking, or at least whispering. Searing in the most melodic way. Cheers, you nordic tone savant! You squeal in all the best ways.
Thanks my friend!
I had a ‘67 back in the 90’s man do I miss it!
When I was in high school in the early '80s I played in a few bands, I owned an early '70s metal panel Marshall superlead 100w that was the loudest thing on the planet, but failed to give me that Van Halen 1 sound that I sought so I didn't like it (I paid $250 for it in ~1981 if you're wondering). Back then we didn't know anything about amp modding etc, we just knew that EVH used a Plexi superlead and my amp didn't sound like that. My best friend played bass, he owned a blackface Bassman but it wasn't loud enough to keep up with my Marshall so he bought a Sunn Coliseum, that was plenty loud, but then the Bassman sat. On a whim I plugged the Bassman into my Marshall cab, cranked it and it sounded OK but not enough gain, so I added an overdrive pedal to the front and it was absolute magic. Tone that would bring you to your knees. Just like what I hear in this video. My guitar had a DiMarzio Super Distortion in it (I still own it) and honestly, I've been chasing THAT tone ever since.
I have a vintage '72 Fender Bassman 100watt head, and a vintage 80's 4x10" Marshall cab, with celestion speakers in the cab. I don't know the exact model, they are silver back colors though. Anyway, that combination, it ALL sounds AWESOME! Mike Ness, of Social Distortion, uses Fender Blackfaced Bassmans, and Marshall 4x10" cabs, this is how he gets his tones, and with '78 les paul, with p-90's. Anyway, it has a VERY CLEAN MID-RANGE SOUND, whatever pedals you use, it sounds awesome!!! Keep on rocking 😎 bro!🤘🤘 Sounds great!👍
There is one of these sitting on a table at the Nordstrom's near my house. It has adidas sweatshirts and snapbacks on the table. I asked a clerk why in gods name there is a early 70s bassman head on that table with snapbacks and he has no idea but everyone always asks about it. I still have no idea why its there, but its authentic and im upset to say the least.
you know what you've gotta do. I'm not telling you, but, I might be telling you. ;D
Great typical Seventies r' n' r sounds out of this amp, i like it alot! Cheers Johan!🤟🏼
Thanks Vincenzo! Cheers
I bought a 63 Bassman for $420 in 1985. Still got it and its freaken awesome
That tone at 6m15sec . . . GODLY !!!
Deff need a '66 Bassman vs JTM45 clips.
This might be my fav clip (personal reasons) from your channel so far Johan.
Keep 'em coming !
I thinks the best sounds you got so far are from the Fender amps. The old Marshall’s sound great but there’s something about the fender that’s more transparent sounding.
great amp, I had a Bandmaster from around the same time that was unfortunately stolen years ago , I would run it through an early 70s 1960A cab, this Bassman sounds great and smooth fantastic tones! thanks for the demo, have a great weekend Johan
Thanks Mark, have a great weekend you too!
I have a 66 bandmaster...I put in 6v6’s to get a bit more dirt...Love it!
Sounds great, I’ve got a 6G6-B Bassman clone and it kind of sits right between this and a jtm45
Thanks John!
Oooh, those ripper and flying v you've got up there, There's never been anything more beautiful hanging on a wall
Yeah those are pieces of art indeed
Cool, and I want one, but it seems like it's essentially the sound of the pedal we are hearing
Hey JohanAce ,) I love your persue after the perfect Ace tone; it will probably never end, but who cares. It the fun, the process and curiosity that drives. I was quite surprised to see the low value on the cap on the first preamp stage. Trevlig helg, Johan.
Thanks man, yeah is a never ending quest for sure! Trevlig helg!