I think a lot of people are hearing what they want to hear. They both sound full and warm when you need them to be and glassy and twangy when you need them to be too. Honestly tried to just listen and not watch and about half way through I lost track of which was which. They both sounded great. If anything this just proves that good guitar playing will bring out the best in any amp.
I agree. I have a reissue and it's great. I reluctantly got rid of my Marshall Bluesbreaker. Still wish I had that. But, I haven't been able to bring myself to get rid of the bassman, yet.
The bassman ltd has been my main gigging amp for 3 years now and it’s been outstanding. If you have a decent pedalboard, it’ll do ANYTHING you ask of it. On top of that, it’s just stupid reliable. Yeah, I have some old school mullards in it and that helps but honestly, I’ve yet to service the thing in any way. It’s seen hundreds of gigs, it’s been dragged out in all sorts of New England weather, every type of room imaginable. The thing just keeps on tickin....every time I flip the switch. That sort of reliability is something that I really value and it’s getting increasingly rare in tube amps.
Maybe a stupid question but what is the bassman like at low volume I need to know to do some recording at low level volumes and I can only get one sent so can't really try but I'm sure it'll be OK turned up.
@@fordprefect4345 I LOVE the bassman at lower levels. If you’re looking for the classic, tweed bark, it needs to be cranked but if you’re looking for a nice, clean pedal platform, it works well lower. The one mod I’d suggest is a 12AT7 preamp tube in your V1 slot. That’ll really help get nice tones at lower levels.
Thank you for your comment, I am trying to figure out an amp for the gigs, and looks like the bassman is the way to go. I was just worried that it's gonna be too loud at smaller gigs and rehearsal room, but I intend to use it with helix and dial it in from there.
Yeah I was a bit surprised how much midrange the super reverb had, since the tweed amps normally are the ones with the midrange hump. The blackface „should“ be scooped in its mids, but that’s not the case here. Very strange, but good sounding!
The 59 is much more present in mids than the 65. Black faces are much more scooped out and you can tell a lot in this vid. However, that’s why tube screamers are so popular with bf amps. I was much more impressed with that twang of the jazz master than anything else.
This is by far the best side by side comparison I've ever seen... I'm leaning towards the SR which is a big thing for me being a Bassman lover all my life nearly... Great job at demo'ing these 2 fantastic amps, I applaud you sir!
Great playing. Love the natural compression in the Super.Such a full thick tone with the sharp edges rounded off.The Bassman, just a phenomenal sound. Fender amps in my opinion are the best.Especially their combo amps.They just cannot be beat.Seriously the best combo amps on the planet. Your Guitar collection is impressive
Dude your playing is so fluid, and crystal clear. these are actually great tutorial videos too cause this dude hides nothing in his playing. just like srv
I love how touch sensitive and percussive both amps are. I also like Midrange punchy tone which the 4X10 speakers the Bassman Cab has. I honestly prefer the cleaner tones more than the Breakup settings since they are more useful to me personally. Great Clarity!
I own an original '66 Fender Super Reverb and a Victoria Bassman but I just wanted to say this is one of the best demos I've ever seen. Great song choice, playing, and recording.
Hi! This is perhaps the best comparison/review on TH-cam, thank you very much! I have been looking this kind of clip for a long time. You really demonstrate the sound of the amp, not your pedals or yourself. Those so called "reviews", where people play different riffs with different pedals are just worthless. We all want to hear the amps, not the pedals! This is how you do it! Keep playing, you are really good. THX!
Same here! Both great amps btw, If I had to choose only ONE of them it would be so fucking hard. However, as far as looks, definetely the tweed looks so nice and ages so well.
Very nice demo and excellent playing. "Lenny" was particularly beautiful. I think that song really showed the true differences in the two amps played clean. Oddly enough (and most appreciably and humbly so), I have been bequeathed BOTH those amps - a '59 Tweed Bassman (reissue) and a real blackface Super, a '67 I believe. I can vouch for your demo as being spot on. Two wonderful amps. Now I hope I live long enough to play both of them a lot! There is something about those tweed amps, though, that just stands above. I love blackface Fenders, especially my Deluxe Reverb, which is my everyday workhorse. But for standout vintage tones hooked up to a great Fender guitar, the tweeds have it. It's no mystery why the guitar players from those early r&r, country and blues records sounded so great. Even the cheap axes the older Chicago players used sounded awesome through the old, simply built (with care!) amps. And not only Fender amps, either. Some of the Gibson and Supro amps, etc., were the same way. Simple builds with a lot of thought ahead of time. We have to remember that this was all pretty much a clean blackboard in terms of build experience back then and they learned as they went. Pretty smart people who got even smarter. They knew back then that less was more, and that's one reason those tweeds sound that way. Cheers!
Both are great amps! But the Bassman has a more crisp,twang and defined tone than the SR. If you add a good reverb pedal like the Hall of Fame or something like a Strymon or similar I think the Bassman wins in the tone catagory. And if you really want to take it up a notch then add a BBE Sonic Stomp add the end of your chain!!! I own a 59' Bassman re-issue with an original Hall of Fame reverb and a BBE Sonic Stomp.........PURE TONAL BLISS!!!!!!
Re-spect! Great playing. As far as the amps go, the Bassman had nice top end clarity (ironically), and the Super was a little warmer and tubbier. Bassman if you've got a great bassist under your guitar, Super if you need your guitar to fill out the sound of the band.
Two great amps! I think it just comes down to the finer points and the particular sound you are looking for. Neither ever sounded bad. They actually bot always sound great, but there are differences. I can stop watching and pick out which one is being used. For my taste, I prefer the SR but that is only because I like the smoother overdrive it seems to get. But then he plays crossroads and I start to question my decision. In my experience though, I do think that for my sound I prefer a Strat and a SR. But damn that Gibson sure does sing with the Bassman! Great video!
oh my, these 2 amps are awsome, i'd probably take the Super Reverb with the verb and vibrato. BM is great but a SR is what i've always had in my head when it comes to Fender tones
Thank you for an excellent demo. First you compared two excellent amps that some of us blues players struggle with which one to buy. Second, your demo includes riffs AND rhythms which I notice many others do not (different SRV songs was a big plus for me). So all of this, plus your selection of what you played, and the variety of styles you included deserves an A+ rating! And as I read the comments, you added another important note. The listener of this demo must consider the speakers they are listening with. I listened through an iPhone, iPad, then through a surround sound television system and all were different. Thanks again for a great demo. I chose the Bassman!
What a great comparison. Well done. I learned that they’re both great. There’s a decent amount of overlap between the 2 amps but they’re different enough that it’s nice to have both
Well, I'm one old (72) geetar dood. I gigged nearly every weekend for over 20 years and used a '59 RI Bassman for many of those gigs. For smaller venues I used something appropriate to the venue (like a Blues Jr. or Princeton). The Bassman worked incredibly well and was dead-on reliable. However, I still love getting fresh sounds from my instruments so just purchased a used RI Super Reverb. I had an original 65-66 for a time back in the 70's but sold it due to it's weight. Well, I miss those great tones so I'm hoping the RI will deliver the goods. Once I get it located into its "spot" in my amp room, it ain't goin' nowhere! Trust me when I say that retirement is a good thing - as long as you have your health!! 👍👍
Sensational demonstration, especially because you revealed the purity of each of the amplifiers. For years, I used a Super Reverb RI, and despite the great find I had many difficulties to adjust overdrive pedals. In fact, except for Tubescreamer like all other pedals sounded bad (Xotic, Fulltone, Wampler etc.). I changed two years ago, for a Bassman. I confess that I prefer the BM in all directions, including clean. It's a lot more "direct" amplifier, which besides wonderfully accepting my overdrives (currently use the Rocketts Blue Note, Chicken Soup and Animal) saturates much more beautiful than the SR, IMO;-) Overall, two great reissues, although I have the impression that the Bassman RI sounds closer to what would be the original. Congratulations beautiful demonstration once again!
Thank you very much for the comment! It is all about personal preferences, i myself like both amplifiers very much, for different reasons. The Bassman has such great bite and presence to it, but you can't deny the beautiful reverb in the Super, and also the bass response. It's great to see people debating over tweed and blackface, everyone has their own preferences!
You "should" hear that Super Reverb with a BBE Sonic Maximizer floor pedal with the "Contour" all the way up and the "Process" on anywhere from 1oclock to 4oclock and just listen to the sheer PUNCH & JANGLY quality!!However..i think Those Super Reverbs should have 4 Celestion Greenback 30's in them, too!Oh..i never liked FENDER REVERBS i laways use delicious Yamaha Alesis or Boss or TC electronics DiGITAL REVERBS set on Bright Hall @ approx 10 or 11 oclock.
Really cool video! There are certain examples were I definitely prefer the Bassman and others the Super Reverb wins hands-down. Just goes to show, its all about context, and that we all really need at least at 2 luxury amps!
Definitely about context, after hearing "Can't stop" though the Bassman something was wrong, but a lot others (eg. "Johnny Be Goode") sounded awesome on the Bassman, and had something (maybe mids hahaha) lacking with the SR
They were very close until then. It's funny that the Bassman nailed Pride and Joy, I always picture SRV playing through Blackfaces. Have no idea what he used to record that.
Thanks for this comparison, it really helped, and as others have already said, it's the best comparison between tweed and blackface amps that I can find on TH-cam. It's made it clear I prefer the Bassman over the SR, so thanks again. Additionally, you're playing is great. Keep it up!
One thing to say!! The bassman maybe is the holy grail of amps, but, I think, if you want the perfect SRV cleans, then, Blackface amps is the only way except other boutique more expensive amps. Personally, here in lenny I am spotting a big difference in cleans. The super reverb sounded exactly the same with the original
What a cool riff that RHCP song has Great playing Great amps too but really sound new ya know These amps when the break in will be monsters People sometimes don't realize these things and get put off by it Good playing my friend
Excellent comparison. I've used Supers and Bassmans for gigging, and then stopped playing for a few years, but really missed the Bassman tone and presence so much that I had to get another one! I had the pleasure of playing through a couple of original Bassmans in the early 70s, and to be honest, the new reissues are not that far off the mark regardless of what some might say, especially after 6 months to a year of gigging when the speakers loosen up and components start to age and vary from original specs. Can't go wrong with a Bassman or Super Reverb.
maybe on paper. blackface amps have something about the cleans that just can't be beat but the od on the '59 Bassman is something that can't be touched imo.
I love my Super Reverb but I might need a Bassman. A lot of the time the Bassman seemed to have more but softer treble. I don't feel like I've been living a lie but I'm starting to appreciate some controlled breakup over crispy cleans.
Amazing video. What everyone failed to mention is how they hear these two amps sitting in their "ideal mix". The super reverb will work best for more styles imho. Bassman is awesome, but more restrictive in terms of getting creative with mixing other instruments around it...
This is a great demo, and very good guitar playing. The Bassman has a simple pre-amp circuit, fast and detailed, also a fatter bottom end. The Super Reverb on channel 2 has a scooped EQ, and additional top boost, so the mid would need to be turned up to sound more like the Bassman. Channel 2 also has an extra send/return 12AT7 tube that the signal must pass through, even with the reverb on 0, so the attack quickness is slightly diminished. (the fewer the tubes, the faster the pre-amp) This is true for all Fender combos, and single channel reverb amps. Each channel compliments different styles of playing. Channel 1 on the Super Reverb has a similar circuit and EQ shaping to the Bassman, a quicker, sharper attack, (true for all the Fender combos on ch 1) not exactly the same voicing and not exactly the same breakup point, but should be very close. It would be nice to hear channel 1 in another comparison if that's possible.
That’s the thing about comparisons in music, everyone hears things differently. I thought the SR had a more round tone, better defined. The Bassman sounded a bit brash, like it was throwing the chords out there. Both sound great tho, just not the same amp at all. Different strokes for different folks as they say.
@@firemarshal2629 the bassman definitely has a warmer, better clean sound. The super reverb breaks up more. They both sound great. I think it's a stylistic choice
@@profd65 I would like to report that I have since bought two used ones for a total of $1,000. Best amp I ever owned, blew my blackface deluxe reverb RI out of the water.
I grew up playing Fender Super Reverb, so I have to go with it because I love their sound. In fact, I am hunting for an old silverface model as we speak. I own a Twin Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb, but really want a Super Reverb.
Well done. Good comp. The 59 has more high end grit and glass than the 65. The 65 is a little more mellow on the high end and perhaps a little more loose on the low end yet it has a wonderful sound also. I own both, and I like them both for different reasons. Yoru video showed these differences. Good job
If I had to choose, I'd easily go for the Super Reverb; much wider tonal palette, and especially warm bass; the Bassman on the other hand has nice clean tones, but the twang comes gets into everything.
I own both of these amps, a 64 blackface super and a 91 reissue Bassman this is a great comparison the basement has more bottom I've always thought tubed for the harmonica and the super I'm headed reworked buy a great tech probably never sound as good as it does right now they're like my two kids I love them dearly both!
Its amazing the difference in the sound....... When you played "Lenny" on the same guitar through the tweed it just wasn't quite right. But when you put it through the blackface, it was like it came to life! lol Awesome playing!
I know right! The amps are both amazing, but they really have a lot of difference in the tone characteristics. I was hoping this video could represent that, and I'm glad to hear you picked up on it! Thank you very much!
I like and have used both. The SR or any Blackface Fender has a more scooped, bright tone that’s nearly a bit hollow in the mids while the Bassman is much more mid focused. I’ve been using a Bassman clone for the past few years in a 2x12 and I’ve been really happy with it. It has the same issue as the SR though, both amps need to very loud to really come alive. The reason I’ve swapped to the tweed Bassman is that it does a good clean and with a EQ pedal you can get a bit of Blackface flavor but you can push it into a Plexi tone pretty easily with a boost which is one thing Blackface amps don’t really do. I would happily gig with either, I’d just use a Tube Screamer with the Super Reverb for a mid boost and use a OCD with the Bassman that’s flatter EQed.
Very nice playing! Great comparison also. I am still stuck between these two tone boxes. I believe the bassman not having any onboard effects just makes the amp more direct and free from interruption. I'm sure a lot of people that are trying to decide between these two beasts are stuck because the Super has reverb/vibrato. However, I look it as if you want a car with power windows you buy the Super. If your ok with an awesome old truck that has manual roll up windows you buy the bassman.
I have Deluxe Reverb and the 1 channel is the Bassman circuit and that is where I usually play .input two channel 1.I find myself looking over at the amp sometimes just astounded by how great it sounds.Do your self a favor and buy an awesome amp it changed my life .Not being dramatic it really did.
I think SR is the best choice if you are looking after a SRV (or simil) tone. The bassman IMHO works better with pedal, so you can use it in other contexts too, I prefer it on stage to play also some distorted/hard-driven parts. Both very good amps tho.
I've always liked the baseman.im an old hippie and was playing when those ttpe of amps were all we had.they have became cool all of a sudden.being truly honest here ,if the mono price tube amp was available at that time ,i think they are 2 hundred dollars.anyway we would have thrown those old dead sounding chunks of lead in the closest river and jumped for joy.now im not trying to be disrespectful but id just about bet that every person on earth that play any of those old fender amps myself included, have a massive peddle bourd out front.great video by the way very enjoyable.talk in the next vid it makes the vid twice as good.😊
awesome video! Thank you so much for doing this and posting it! Exactly what I was looking for! When played clean, the Bassman's sound has a more pronounced lower midrange, where as the Super Reverb seems to have a more pronounced upper midrange. At least in the clips with the 60's Roadworn Strat. Excellent playing!
they both sound great. the SR is more hi-fidelity, more clean headroom. you can really hear that when he plays the les paul.. I think the BM sounds quite a bit sweeter with the strat, tho. the SR is just a touch icy - but in a good way.
This is probably the best point of reference one can read. If someone's been using them for a long time, that's all I need to read. I was on the fence between this bass man and the 65 twin reverb. I think I like this bass man more.
Excellent. Same speakers, but not the same wood (Baltic Birch vs Pine for the bassman) and no presence control on the Deluxe which also feature a Tube Driven Spring Reverb. I prefer almost all the time the sound of the bassman in this demo.
The reverb seems to have this mid 'honk'. The Bassman sounds more open to me. But I'm biased as I have a Bassman. :-) The trick is to jump the normal and bright channel to get the best sound out of it. Great playing. Very tight and accurate. The strat sounds amazing btw.
I love the sound of the Bassman in comparison it’s not that the other is bad but just not a tone and sound I would want. Had 2 Bassman amps and they are real versatile workhorses
This is a case of the color blue being better than the color green. No, they are just different colors, green to me and blue to you. In that spirit I like the Bassman, but I LOVE the Super Reverb. It really is the Tweed vs the Blackface sound. What I would really like to see is the Super Reverb made out of the same pine cabinet that the Bassman is. The plywood cabinet on the Super reissue takes away some of the original mid-60s warmth of the original. Still great, however. Happy with either, but decided edge to the Super. Interestingly enough, the both have the same speakers, the Jensen P10R. They also have the same wattage 45, and the same final and rectifier tubes. Of course the Super adds reverb, which is probably the best spring reverb sound of any Fender amp.
From this comparison video, I like the Bassman most often, although the Super had a few nicer moments. The Bassman had that classic Fender string slapping gulp sound more often, more noticeably, while the Super had stronger mid-tone consistently. The quality seems close enough that they need to be side by side comparisons like this to notice the subtle differences. I could be happy with either amp. I wonder if the Bassman has the extra advantage of being able to plug in an actual BASS guitar, (something I would never do to a regular guitar amp, from bitter experience in destroying a couple of solid state amps by playing a bass guitar with them)? I don't hear about folks using these 59 Bassman reissues for actual bass guitars? The Super has the advantage of the built in reverb/vibrato features with a footswitch.
HeyLiem you can indeed plug a bass guitar in it, if you keep it at low volumes. Just below the breakup point is fine and you won’t destroy your speakers. I also regularly do this to a 4x10 Blues DeVille and it sounds amazing with a Precision Bass, It gets this nice bit of distortion, that leads to a nice Motown thud!
I had a 59 LTD and now have a 65 SR and the SR is 'way more' useable. In fact people go mad for the Two Rock amps but the SR is just as good and offers same dynamics and tones but with a massive smack in the face when bravely dialed flat out! Yes is indeed HiFi sounding too and is a pure joy at any volume... Oh and as for pedals - anything you got it will love for you...
Mick Ronson I disagree, Two Rocks sound clearly different than the SR. Just watch this Slow Dancing In a Burning Room version in the video compared to the original John Mayer version played with a Two Rock, different tones for sure. Actually the Bassman in this clip it's way more close to the original tone of the song than the SR, which sounds thin and weak for that tone.
Jonathan Ydam We did a mistake when we recorded Slow Dancing In a Burning Room with the Super Reverb. The mic was way off and too far away from the amp. That's why it sounds very weak. Sorry for that.
Great review! I own a silverface Super Reverb, but...I'm really digging the BM in this demo. I've owned a few Blackface Bassman amps in the past, but I know they're different animals than a tweed or even tweed reissue. I might be checking out a tweed Bassman in the near future now!
I think a lot of people are hearing what they want to hear. They both sound full and warm when you need them to be and glassy and twangy when you need them to be too. Honestly tried to just listen and not watch and about half way through I lost track of which was which. They both sounded great. If anything this just proves that good guitar playing will bring out the best in any amp.
But a great amp will bring out things in great playing that a low quality amp could never.
The Bassman could very well be the greatest amp ever made.....My God it sounds like heaven.
I agree. I have a reissue and it's great. I reluctantly got rid of my Marshall Bluesbreaker. Still wish I had that. But, I haven't been able to bring myself to get rid of the bassman, yet.
What you've demonstrated is that we all need both amplifiers and a friend who can come over and play them as well as you do.
Good one
The bassman ltd has been my main gigging amp for 3 years now and it’s been outstanding. If you have a decent pedalboard, it’ll do ANYTHING you ask of it. On top of that, it’s just stupid reliable. Yeah, I have some old school mullards in it and that helps but honestly, I’ve yet to service the thing in any way. It’s seen hundreds of gigs, it’s been dragged out in all sorts of New England weather, every type of room imaginable. The thing just keeps on tickin....every time I flip the switch. That sort of reliability is something that I really value and it’s getting increasingly rare in tube amps.
Bassman is truly a road warrior.Weighs less than a Super Reverb also.Weight is a big deal.The Super Reverb is sooo much amp.
Maybe a stupid question but what is the bassman like at low volume I need to know to do some recording at low level volumes and I can only get one sent so can't really try but I'm sure it'll be OK turned up.
@@fordprefect4345
I LOVE the bassman at lower levels. If you’re looking for the classic, tweed bark, it needs to be cranked but if you’re looking for a nice, clean pedal platform, it works well lower. The one mod I’d suggest is a 12AT7 preamp tube in your V1 slot. That’ll really help get nice tones at lower levels.
Thank you for your comment, I am trying to figure out an amp for the gigs, and looks like the bassman is the way to go. I was just worried that it's gonna be too loud at smaller gigs and rehearsal room, but I intend to use it with helix and dial it in from there.
One of the best amp comparison videos I have seen.
Thanks man!
The bassman sounded like how I thought the super reverb was gonna sound and vice versa lol
Yeah I was a bit surprised how much midrange the super reverb had, since the tweed amps normally are the ones with the midrange hump.
The blackface „should“ be scooped in its mids, but that’s not the case here.
Very strange, but good sounding!
@@rolux4853 Check out the video - the middle setting of the Super is at 10
Samsies
Finally, someone (& a good player at that) has done a real side by side playing the same thing using a number of hip guitars.
The 59 is much more present in mids than the 65. Black faces are much more scooped out and you can tell a lot in this vid. However, that’s why tube screamers are so popular with bf amps. I was much more impressed with that twang of the jazz master than anything else.
The vintage Fenders have scooped mids not the reissues
This is by far the best side by side comparison I've ever seen... I'm leaning towards the SR which is a big thing for me being a Bassman lover all my life nearly... Great job at demo'ing these 2 fantastic amps, I applaud you sir!
joelbyrne Thank you very much for the comment!
Great playing. Love the natural compression in the Super.Such a full thick tone with the sharp edges rounded off.The Bassman, just a phenomenal sound. Fender amps in my opinion are the best.Especially their combo amps.They just cannot be beat.Seriously the best combo amps on the planet. Your Guitar collection is impressive
Dude your playing is so fluid, and crystal clear. these are actually great tutorial videos too cause this dude hides nothing in his playing. just like srv
mr.Segeborn nice to see you here, and i agree ,nice demo
I love how touch sensitive and percussive both amps are. I also like Midrange punchy tone which the 4X10 speakers the Bassman Cab has. I honestly prefer the cleaner tones more than the Breakup settings since they are more useful to me personally. Great Clarity!
I own an original '66 Fender Super Reverb and a Victoria Bassman but I just wanted to say this is one of the best demos I've ever seen. Great song choice, playing, and recording.
You definitely are a lucky man, to own those amps, especially an original!
Thank you ever so much, i really appreciate that you liked my demo!
Hi!
This is perhaps the best comparison/review on TH-cam, thank you very much!
I have been looking this kind of clip for a long time.
You really demonstrate the sound of the amp, not your pedals or yourself.
Those so called "reviews", where people play different riffs with different
pedals are just worthless. We all want to hear the amps, not the pedals!
This is how you do it! Keep playing, you are really good. THX!
rivatso Thank you very much!
I bought a '70 Super Reverb in'78 , had it 25 years and sure do miss it.
I don't miss lugging in and out lol
Came for the amps. Stayed for the playing. Great job on this one!
Thanks for the comment!
Same here! Both great amps btw, If I had to choose only ONE of them it would be so fucking hard. However, as far as looks, definetely the tweed looks so nice and ages so well.
Very nice demo and excellent playing. "Lenny" was particularly beautiful. I think that
song really showed the true differences in the two amps played clean. Oddly enough
(and most appreciably and humbly so), I have been bequeathed BOTH those amps - a
'59 Tweed Bassman (reissue) and a real blackface Super, a '67 I believe. I can vouch
for your demo as being spot on. Two wonderful amps. Now I hope I live long enough to
play both of them a lot! There is something about those tweed amps, though, that just
stands above. I love blackface Fenders, especially my Deluxe Reverb, which is my
everyday workhorse. But for standout vintage tones hooked up to a great Fender guitar,
the tweeds have it. It's no mystery why the guitar players from those early r&r, country
and blues records sounded so great. Even the cheap axes the older Chicago players
used sounded awesome through the old, simply built (with care!) amps. And not only
Fender amps, either. Some of the Gibson and Supro amps, etc., were the same way.
Simple builds with a lot of thought ahead of time. We have to remember that this was
all pretty much a clean blackboard in terms of build experience back then and they
learned as they went. Pretty smart people who got even smarter. They knew back
then that less was more, and that's one reason those tweeds sound that way. Cheers!
Thank you very much for the comment!
from times to times I keep coming back to this video.. such great tones!!
+Lauri Mattiello Thanks!
To my ear, the Bassman is cleaner with more bottom end. A fuller sound if you will. Nothing like the originals though. Both are great.
Both are great amps! But the Bassman has a more crisp,twang and defined tone than the SR. If you add a good reverb pedal like the Hall of Fame or something like a Strymon or similar I think the Bassman wins in the tone catagory. And if you really want to take it up a notch then add a BBE Sonic Stomp add the end of your chain!!! I own a 59' Bassman re-issue with an original Hall of Fame reverb and a BBE Sonic Stomp.........PURE TONAL BLISS!!!!!!
The Bassman rocks on every song you do... and oh yeah...that Gibson Les Paul Standard at the end of this video is gorgeous. Great playing too.
Re-spect! Great playing. As far as the amps go, the Bassman had nice top end clarity (ironically), and the Super was a little warmer and tubbier. Bassman if you've got a great bassist under your guitar, Super if you need your guitar to fill out the sound of the band.
Thank you very much for the comment!
Two great amps! I think it just comes down to the finer points and the particular sound you are looking for. Neither ever sounded bad. They actually bot always sound great, but there are differences. I can stop watching and pick out which one is being used. For my taste, I prefer the SR but that is only because I like the smoother overdrive it seems to get. But then he plays crossroads and I start to question my decision. In my experience though, I do think that for my sound I prefer a Strat and a SR. But damn that Gibson sure does sing with the Bassman! Great video!
oh my, these 2 amps are awsome, i'd probably take the Super Reverb with the verb and vibrato. BM is great but a SR is what i've always had in my head when it comes to Fender tones
I agree!
Thank you for an excellent demo. First you compared two excellent amps that some of us blues players struggle with which one to buy. Second, your demo includes riffs AND rhythms which I notice many others do not (different SRV songs was a big plus for me). So all of this, plus your selection of what you played, and the variety of styles you included deserves an A+ rating! And as I read the comments, you added another important note. The listener of this demo must consider the speakers they are listening with. I listened through an iPhone, iPad, then through a surround sound television system and all were different. Thanks again for a great demo. I chose the Bassman!
Wow, thank you so very much! I'm glad to hear my video is helpful, and that you enjoyed it!Thank you for the comment!
What a great comparison. Well done. I learned that they’re both great. There’s a decent amount of overlap between the 2 amps but they’re different enough that it’s nice to have both
Well, I'm one old (72) geetar dood. I gigged nearly every weekend for over 20 years and used a '59 RI Bassman for many of those gigs. For smaller venues I used something appropriate to the venue (like a Blues Jr. or Princeton). The Bassman worked incredibly well and was dead-on reliable. However, I still love getting fresh sounds from my instruments so just purchased a used RI Super Reverb. I had an original 65-66 for a time back in the 70's but sold it due to it's weight. Well, I miss those great tones so I'm hoping the RI will deliver the goods. Once I get it located into its "spot" in my amp room, it ain't goin' nowhere! Trust me when I say that retirement is a good thing - as long as you have your health!! 👍👍
Excellent. Well done comparison showing clear difference. Shows why the bassman to many - is still the king of scooped. ❤
Sensational demonstration, especially because you revealed the purity of each of the amplifiers. For years, I used a Super Reverb RI, and despite the great find I had many difficulties to adjust overdrive pedals. In fact, except for Tubescreamer like all other pedals sounded bad (Xotic, Fulltone, Wampler etc.). I changed two years ago, for a Bassman. I confess that I prefer the BM in all directions, including clean. It's a lot more "direct" amplifier, which besides wonderfully accepting my overdrives (currently use the Rocketts Blue Note, Chicken Soup and Animal) saturates much more beautiful than the SR, IMO;-) Overall, two great reissues, although I have the impression that the Bassman RI sounds closer to what would be the original. Congratulations beautiful demonstration once again!
Thank you very much for the comment!
It is all about personal preferences, i myself like both amplifiers very much, for different reasons. The Bassman has such great bite and presence to it, but you can't deny the beautiful reverb in the Super, and also the bass response. It's great to see people debating over tweed and blackface, everyone has their own preferences!
You "should" hear that Super Reverb with a BBE Sonic Maximizer floor pedal with the "Contour" all the way up and the "Process" on anywhere from 1oclock to 4oclock and just listen to the sheer PUNCH & JANGLY quality!!However..i think Those Super Reverbs should have 4 Celestion Greenback 30's in them, too!Oh..i never liked FENDER REVERBS i laways use delicious Yamaha Alesis or Boss or TC electronics DiGITAL REVERBS set on Bright Hall @ approx 10 or 11 oclock.
+Sonny Fales you're stupid
Really cool video! There are certain examples were I definitely prefer the Bassman and others the Super Reverb wins hands-down. Just goes to show, its all about context, and that we all really need at least at 2 luxury amps!
Thanks for the comment!
Now play both at the same time and get the best of both worlds
Definitely about context, after hearing "Can't stop" though the Bassman something was wrong, but a lot others (eg. "Johnny Be Goode") sounded awesome on the Bassman, and had something (maybe mids hahaha) lacking with the SR
Even in the same artist (John Mayer) some tones were better in Bassman and some in the SR
Couldn't decide until you started playing pride and joy. Bassman sounded f*in awesome
They were very close until then. It's funny that the Bassman nailed Pride and Joy, I always picture SRV playing through Blackfaces. Have no idea what he used to record that.
It is True that stevie used the bassman in recordings and some songs for the vaughan brothers!
Tele, Strat, Jazzmaster, Les Paul! Awesome video!
Its refreshing to hear some top quality playing on a you tube comparison vid.Bassman sounds better to me.
I currently own a 67 super reverb and a 58 tremolux and you did wonderfully at showing the difference between blackface and Tweed.
This one of the best guitar gear demos on youtube. 💪💪💪
Thanks for this comparison, it really helped, and as others have already said, it's the best comparison between tweed and blackface amps that I can find on TH-cam. It's made it clear I prefer the Bassman over the SR, so thanks again.
Additionally, you're playing is great. Keep it up!
You nailed "Wanted Man." Love that intro, classic Marty.
Nailed the rhcp riffs absolutely
Johan Segeborn says nice playing. i agree and liked many of Johan's demonstrations as well. Good and informative job, GRG
Great demo, helping me to make my choice, it’s the Super Reverb. Thanks 👍🏻
they are two beautifull amps but the bassman is the winner! his sound is very rich!
great video! thanks
All playing should be like this for amp/guitar demos
Thank you very much for the comment!
Great playing!
Thanks!
What would you say is the main difference between these two? Trying to decide which of them to buy! Tks
My unsolicited opinion: the speaker configuration.
the blackface has a lil more mid boost, and the bassman has just that, more bass responce
xmandlt
Dey boof gots faux speekaz dummaz
One thing to say!! The bassman maybe is the holy grail of amps, but, I think, if you want the perfect SRV cleans, then, Blackface amps is the only way except other boutique more expensive amps. Personally, here in lenny I am spotting a big difference in cleans.
The super reverb sounded exactly the same with the original
YEAH! SUPER REVERB WIN!
Lenny is such a beautiful piece of guitar work.
That Bassman breakup though! Very well done comparison.
What a cool riff that RHCP song has Great playing Great amps too but really sound new ya know These amps when the break in will be monsters People sometimes don't realize these things and get put off by it Good playing my friend
Excellent comparison. I've used Supers and Bassmans for gigging, and then stopped playing for a few years, but really missed the Bassman tone and presence so much that I had to get another one! I had the pleasure of playing through a couple of original Bassmans in the early 70s, and to be honest, the new reissues are not that far off the mark regardless of what some might say, especially after 6 months to a year of gigging when the speakers loosen up and components start to age and vary from original specs. Can't go wrong with a Bassman or Super Reverb.
Thanks for the comment!
The Bassman just has it all.
Almost all...No reverb since it was a bass amp. However, there are some great reverb pedals out there if needed.
Best demo ever. Thanks - I bought the Bassman.
+Tricko Thanks!
Did a blind test... everytime I thought it sounded great and caught my ear it was the bassman...
I watched the entire video just to hear you play, nice job!
Thank you!
Bassman all day. Much more clarity and tighter punch. I don't think I'd give mine up very easily, that's for sure!
I can’t wait to hear how my 59 Gretsch is going to sound through this bassman amp!!
maybe on paper. blackface amps have something about the cleans that just can't be beat but the od on the '59 Bassman is something that can't be touched imo.
I love my Super Reverb but I might need a Bassman. A lot of the time the Bassman seemed to have more but softer treble. I don't feel like I've been living a lie but I'm starting to appreciate some controlled breakup over crispy cleans.
Amazing video. What everyone failed to mention is how they hear these two amps sitting in their "ideal mix". The super reverb will work best for more styles imho. Bassman is awesome, but more restrictive in terms of getting creative with mixing other instruments around it...
great just as my image of both amps and they let me know that those traditional guitars sound great as I knew.
The bassman makes chords stand together nicely, almost like an acoustic
Great video. I bought the 59 bassman! Now I gotta wait until it gets here!! 😃
This is a great demo, and very good guitar playing. The Bassman has a simple pre-amp circuit, fast and detailed, also a fatter bottom end. The Super Reverb on channel 2 has a scooped EQ, and additional top boost, so the mid would need to be turned up to sound more like the Bassman. Channel 2 also has an extra send/return 12AT7 tube that the signal must pass through, even with the reverb on 0, so the attack quickness is slightly diminished. (the fewer the tubes, the faster the pre-amp) This is true for all Fender combos, and single channel reverb amps. Each channel compliments different styles of playing. Channel 1 on the Super Reverb has a similar circuit and EQ shaping to the Bassman, a quicker, sharper attack, (true for all the Fender combos on ch 1) not exactly the same voicing and not exactly the same breakup point, but should be very close. It would be nice to hear channel 1 in another comparison if that's possible.
To me, the Bassman sounds much better - more clear and up-front. The SR sounds more muffled.
Matt.... the super R is so loud and clear you wouldn't believe it, I have that amp
That’s the thing about comparisons in music, everyone hears things differently. I thought the SR had a more round tone, better defined. The Bassman sounded a bit brash, like it was throwing the chords out there. Both sound great tho, just not the same amp at all. Different strokes for different folks as they say.
@@firemarshal2629 the bassman definitely has a warmer, better clean sound. The super reverb breaks up more. They both sound great. I think it's a stylistic choice
The Bassman sounds a tad less ice-picky to me. Bassman clarity is outstanding. SR is still very good.
I definitely feel like the Bassman was more responsive to your playing. One day I'll get one.
+dostacos Thanks for your comment!
Start saving your money.
@@profd65 I would like to report that I have since bought two used ones for a total of $1,000. Best amp I ever owned, blew my blackface deluxe reverb RI out of the water.
dostacos
You got two for a grand?! You lucky dog. That’s about how much I paid for mine...my ONE bassman haha
@@dostacos1 Nice! Did you get the original or the reissues?
I grew up playing Fender Super Reverb, so I have to go with it because I love their sound. In fact, I am hunting for an old silverface model as we speak. I own a Twin Reverb and a Deluxe Reverb, but really want a Super Reverb.
Well done. Good comp. The 59 has more high end grit and glass than the 65. The 65 is a little more mellow on the high end and perhaps a little more loose on the low end yet it has a wonderful sound also. I own both, and I like them both for different reasons. Yoru video showed these differences. Good job
Why did Fender name a guitar amp a bass name ?
I love the SR just because there's more space for your guitar sound
I'm so glad I stumbled upon this video, and I can't thank you enough for posting it. And I'm with Andreas - I think I'll just get them both. ;-)
If I had to choose, I'd easily go for the Super Reverb; much wider tonal palette, and especially warm bass; the Bassman on the other hand has nice clean tones, but the twang comes gets into everything.
Bassman had more twang in my opinion. Super reverb had more bass... ironic.
You are a great player. My fav tone was the Les Paul. Very full and rich sounding.
I own both of these amps, a 64 blackface super and a 91 reissue Bassman this is a great comparison the basement has more bottom I've always thought tubed for the harmonica and the super I'm headed reworked buy a great tech probably never sound as good as it does right now they're like my two kids I love them dearly both!
Its amazing the difference in the sound....... When you played "Lenny" on the same guitar through the tweed it just wasn't quite right. But when you put it through the blackface, it was like it came to life! lol Awesome playing!
I know right! The amps are both amazing, but they really have a lot of difference in the tone characteristics. I was hoping this video could represent that, and I'm glad to hear you picked up on it!
Thank you very much!
Great demo, gotta get a Bassman now lol. Some sweet playing and nice guitars too.
I like and have used both. The SR or any Blackface Fender has a more scooped, bright tone that’s nearly a bit hollow in the mids while the Bassman is much more mid focused. I’ve been using a Bassman clone for the past few years in a 2x12 and I’ve been really happy with it. It has the same issue as the SR though, both amps need to very loud to really come alive. The reason I’ve swapped to the tweed Bassman is that it does a good clean and with a EQ pedal you can get a bit of Blackface flavor but you can push it into a Plexi tone pretty easily with a boost which is one thing Blackface amps don’t really do. I would happily gig with either, I’d just use a Tube Screamer with the Super Reverb for a mid boost and use a OCD with the Bassman that’s flatter EQed.
These are my dream amps to have. My Fender 65AV Strat is so lonely using my Marshall DSL 40C.
+Jay Marasigan Agree! These amps are just great!
+Jay Marasigan i love em too, but gimme the wail of a les paul and a marshall any day of the week :)
Very nice playing! Great comparison also. I am still stuck between these two tone boxes. I believe the bassman not having any onboard effects just makes the amp more direct and free from interruption. I'm sure a lot of people that are trying to decide between these two beasts are stuck because the Super has reverb/vibrato. However, I look it as if you want a car with power windows you buy the Super. If your ok with an awesome old truck that has manual roll up windows you buy the bassman.
Thank you very much for the comment!
I have Deluxe Reverb and the 1 channel is the Bassman circuit and that is where I usually play .input two channel 1.I find myself looking over at the amp sometimes just astounded by how great it sounds.Do your self a favor and buy an awesome amp it changed my life .Not being dramatic it really did.
I think SR is the best choice if you are looking after a SRV (or simil) tone. The bassman IMHO works better with pedal, so you can use it in other contexts too, I prefer it on stage to play also some distorted/hard-driven parts. Both very good amps tho.
I've always liked the baseman.im an old hippie and was playing when those ttpe of amps were all we had.they have became cool all of a sudden.being truly honest here ,if the mono price tube amp was available at that time ,i think they are 2 hundred dollars.anyway we would have thrown those old dead sounding chunks of lead in the closest river and jumped for joy.now im not trying to be disrespectful but id just about bet that every person on earth that play any of those old fender amps myself included, have a massive peddle bourd out front.great video by the way very enjoyable.talk in the next vid it makes the vid twice as good.😊
awesome video! Thank you so much for doing this and posting it! Exactly what I was looking for! When played clean, the Bassman's sound has a more pronounced lower midrange, where as the Super Reverb seems to have a more pronounced upper midrange. At least in the clips with the 60's Roadworn Strat. Excellent playing!
they both sound great. the SR is more hi-fidelity, more clean headroom. you can really hear that when he plays the les paul.. I think the BM sounds quite a bit sweeter with the strat, tho. the SR is just a touch icy - but in a good way.
Thanks for the comment!
There's just something about a Fender guitar played thru a Fender amp :-)
BEEN USING BASSMANS FOR 40 YEARS NEW AND REISSUE THEY ALL SOUND GOOD....
This is probably the best point of reference one can read. If someone's been using them for a long time, that's all I need to read.
I was on the fence between this bass man and the 65 twin reverb. I think I like this bass man more.
@@rrguitar1 EVERYONE HAS A OPNION BEST YOU TRY THEM BOTH FOR YOUIR STYLE OF PLAYING , CHEERS.
Bassman sounds like a warm tube amp, rich tone.
We need a 2 thumbs up category. I don't think we are going to get this tone from a pedal anytime soon.
Excellent. Same speakers, but not the same wood (Baltic Birch vs Pine for the bassman) and no presence control on the Deluxe which also feature a Tube Driven Spring Reverb. I prefer almost all the time the sound of the bassman in this demo.
The reverb seems to have this mid 'honk'. The Bassman sounds more open to me. But I'm biased as I have a Bassman. :-)
The trick is to jump the normal and bright channel to get the best sound out of it.
Great playing. Very tight and accurate. The strat sounds amazing btw.
Excellent demo of these amps. Great playing.
This is the very best comparisson of this famous amps on my personal opinon the bassman is the best amp of fender nice playing you are great friend
I like your Jazzmaster and Les Paul through the Super Reverb, and your Strat and Tele through the Bassman.
I love the sound of the Bassman in comparison it’s not that the other is bad but just not a tone and sound I would want. Had 2 Bassman amps and they are real versatile workhorses
Great vid! Hats off and looking forward the rockabilly and blues.
This is a case of the color blue being better than the color green. No, they are just different colors, green to me and blue to you. In that spirit I like the Bassman, but I LOVE the Super Reverb. It really is the Tweed vs the Blackface sound. What I would really like to see is the Super Reverb made out of the same pine cabinet that the Bassman is. The plywood cabinet on the Super reissue takes away some of the original mid-60s warmth of the original. Still great, however. Happy with either, but decided edge to the Super. Interestingly enough, the both have the same speakers, the Jensen P10R. They also have the same wattage 45, and the same final and rectifier tubes. Of course the Super adds reverb, which is probably the best spring reverb sound of any Fender amp.
Nice Travis picking on the first example. Can't go wrong with either amp.
Les Paul and Bassman does it for me. Thanks man
From this comparison video, I like the Bassman most often, although the Super had a few nicer moments. The Bassman had that classic Fender string slapping gulp sound more often, more noticeably, while the Super had stronger mid-tone consistently. The quality seems close enough that they need to be side by side comparisons like this to notice the subtle differences. I could be happy with either amp.
I wonder if the Bassman has the extra advantage of being able to plug in an actual BASS guitar, (something I would never do to a regular guitar amp, from bitter experience in destroying a couple of solid state amps by playing a bass guitar with them)? I don't hear about folks using these 59 Bassman reissues for actual bass guitars?
The Super has the advantage of the built in reverb/vibrato features with a footswitch.
HeyLiem you can indeed plug a bass guitar in it, if you keep it at low volumes.
Just below the breakup point is fine and you won’t destroy your speakers.
I also regularly do this to a 4x10 Blues DeVille and it sounds amazing with a Precision Bass,
It gets this nice bit of distortion, that leads to a nice Motown thud!
I had a 59 LTD and now have a 65 SR and the SR is 'way more' useable. In fact people go mad for the Two Rock amps but the SR is just as good and offers same dynamics and tones but with a massive smack in the face when bravely dialed flat out! Yes is indeed HiFi sounding too and is a pure joy at any volume... Oh and as for pedals - anything you got it will love for you...
Thanks for the comment! I agree with you, these amps are just wonderful!
Mick Ronson I disagree, Two Rocks sound clearly different than the SR. Just watch this Slow Dancing In a Burning Room version in the video compared to the original John Mayer version played with a Two Rock, different tones for sure. Actually the Bassman in this clip it's way more close to the original tone of the song than the SR, which sounds thin and weak for that tone.
Jonathan Ydam We did a mistake when we recorded Slow Dancing In a Burning Room with the Super Reverb. The mic was way off and too far away from the amp. That's why it sounds very weak. Sorry for that.
+GRG | Get Rhythm the only mistake you made was putting John mayer pickups in a perfectly good sounding fender strat. killed it
Super reverb rules hands down... cleaner sounds hence takes pedals well and the extra treble end will ensure less flubbiness
I love the articulation of the Bassman, but the Super definitely sounds fuller and has a better mid-range.
Thanks for the comment!
Great demo man,,if i have to choose,i think it's the super reverb but both are great!
Great review! I own a silverface Super Reverb, but...I'm really digging the BM in this demo. I've owned a few Blackface Bassman amps in the past, but I know they're different animals than a tweed or even tweed reissue. I might be checking out a tweed Bassman in the near future now!
How does it help you make up your mind if both sound awesome? What are we supposed to do now? Buy both amps?
YES
Absolutely
great playing! both amps sound great
+Dave Abrams Thank you very much!