1966 Fender Bassman

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:50 am

I'll defineatly talk about this with the guy who is going to repair the amp. Right now, all I care about is to get rid of that stupid looking master volume knob off of the front panel and get the thing in working order. The gain knobs on either channel are good enough for me, plus I have a volume pedal anyway so....I choose to ditch this modification.

Oh.....I also need a back panel for it...I might of mentioned before in this thread.

milo · Post by **milo** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 12:08 pm

There is usually a seller or two on Ebay that makes repro back panels at decent prices. Mojo makes them as well.
http://www.mojomusicalsupply.com/cgi-bin/mojotone/1005070.html

rob · Post by **rob** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 6:23 pm

I think I have found a guy on Ebay that would sell a back panel for $30. But, there's a musician's flea market scheduled near me next week. I'll be looking for one there first. Maybe I'll get lucky there first for a good price. If not, I'll defineatly give Mojo Musical Supply in mind.

Thanks!

rob · Post by **rob** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:32 pm

I have to find out, I think the head is a 1966. The bassman cabinet is somewhere in the 1970's. I'll take a couple more pics to show later. Thanks Peter for showing me the photo compressor! I can finally learn how to post quality pictures!

P.S. Notice the Master Volume knob in place of one of the input jacks on the Normal channel.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Wed May 17, 2006 9:20 am

Peter, that link you posted at the top of this page has some good advice on some mods for these. I'm actually using hi advice in a build I've been working on for awhile. Once I get some of the issues resolved with it, I should be able to report on how those mods sound.

jps · Post by **jps** » Wed May 17, 2006 2:13 pm

"I think the head is a 1966"

There should be a two letter code stamped on the tube chart which indicates month and year of manufacture.

rob · Post by **rob** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:28 pm

I have seen the code on the tube chart, but can't remember it offhand. It's packed away right now, and I'm kinda tired to dig it out now. I'll wheel it out again tommorrow and take another gander at it. Here's another picture of it without the speaker cover and with my 4001:

rob · Post by **rob** » Wed May 17, 2006 6:32 pm

BTW, I have a speaker cable that I bought a few years ago, but it's a 20' cable. Obviously, I do not need a trip hazard that long. When I bought it, the store said that was the shortest one they had! I haven't checked it out yet, but I feel there has to be shorter ones out there.

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Thu May 18, 2006 1:52 pm

The codes on the tube labels were inaccurate on some of the Fender amps. Its probably the AB165 circuit as most of them were, but hard to say. They would use up old labels on amps even though the circuit might have changed. You can at least guess on the approximate date from whatever circuit it says it is, but if you really want to knwo which circuit it is, you would have to compare what is actually in the amp to whatever circuit it says it is on the tube label and see if it is accurate.

There are shorter speaker cables definitly. Just look it up online and you'll find a lot.

jps · Post by **jps** » Thu May 18, 2006 3:01 pm

I am refering to the two letter code, such as OC, that determines the date, not whether it is an AB763 or AB165, etc.

I'd get out my Fender book with the decoder, except that it is packed away in some box somewhere in my house that I recently moved in to.

rob · Post by **rob** » Fri May 19, 2006 7:53 am

Mine has PG for a date code. It also says on the chart that it is an AB165 circuit. BUT....since it has been modified with a master volume, who knows what else in the circuit is modified.

Before I picked it up, I was going to have an amp technician do it up to be original. Since I brought it home, I think I will keep it the way it is. It works, sounds pretty decent for it's age, and I could always find a better use for that money....like paying for over priced gasoline so I can drive to work.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri May 19, 2006 8:13 am

The best way to date an amp that I know of is to look at the filter caps, (if it hasn't been recapped that is) but I was able to date my late (as in gone) 71 bassman head with the letters on the tube chart.

Robert the only thing I would do to that amp is get some correct grille cloth and a replacement Fender insignia. The rest of it looks pretty decent.

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri May 19, 2006 12:44 pm

PG = July '66. I used to have a Bandmaster head that was a PC.

rictified · Post by **rictified** » Fri May 19, 2006 3:31 pm

I had a black faced Bandmaster, don't know the year but it was one of the prettiest sounding guitar amps I've ever heard.

jps · Post by **jps** » Fri May 19, 2006 4:16 pm

Mine was the loudest one on the planet by the time Gerald Weber got done working on it at Kendrick Amplifiers.