Bad Vibrations from '59 Bassman RI

[lennon211]

Hello all, I'm having a bit of trouble lately with my Bassman as the subject line says. I've been playing bass through it and there seems to be a rather wicked vibration that comes through when hitting a low B on my basses. It will sometimes happen on a low G as well. It almost sounds fuzzlike and it gets much more pronounced the harder I hit. I've never really messed with this amp in driving it to breakup as it would blow out my eardrums, so I don't know what many of the dirtier tonal characteristics are. I will say that the amp is set somewhere around 11 (the knobs run up to 12) on the bass, around 6 on the mids and near 2 on treble. The presence is dialed up around 10. The volume is only around 3-4. Is this a loose speaker, a torn speaker, or something that is more with tubes? Any help would be appreciated as I don't know if I can afford much in the way of taking it to a tech at the moment.

[jps]

Even though it says Bassman on the amp, in reality should say Guitarman on it! Those speakers can't handle a B string and being an open back cabinet does nothing special for bass frequencies, either.

[johnallg]

AS Jeff stated. Probably the speaker cones unloading on a resonance.

[lennon211]

Thanks much for the help. I was not really sure what to make of it. I'm still adjusting to being a homeowner and being able to open up my amps and instruments sonically, putting away many of the constraints that have been built in after years of apartment dwelling. BTW, It's not a 5-stringer...it's a 4003. I'll switch back to something a little more along the lines of DURABLE then. I was just having some fun varying up my tones and the amp gave a great feel for some older stuff that I was playing around on.

[doctorwho]

... I will say that the amp is set somewhere around 11 (the knobs run up to 12) ...

Somebody call Spinal Tap, quick!

(As to the actual question, my only salient comment is that I like ported bass cabinets like my older Kustom K-100B or my Sunn Sentura II ... but I'm not a real bass player, either! )

[JakeK]

I am under the impression the ORIGINAL '59 Bassman was designed for bass, but guitarists seemed more attracted to it. When reissued, rather than a bass channel, Fender put in a bright channel.

If you don't want an Ampeg SVT, I'm sure we've got some members here who can tell you what a good bass amp would be. Good luck with you search, Matt!

[lennon211]

I'd like something that is going to give some solid punch. I'm looking at trying to locate some of the RI models that Ampeg has recently discontinued (AFIK) or one of the new Fender TV bassamps with the tweed covering.

[JakeK]

I'd like something that is going to give some solid punch. I'm looking at trying to locate some of the RI models that Ampeg has recently discontinued (AFIK) or one of the new Fender TV bassamps with the tweed covering.

Check eBay. Do you trust eBay? Check your favorite stores' online used sections, too. Vox also has released a Pathfinder bass amp.

http://www.voxamps.com/us/pathfinder/pathfinder10bass/

If you want more sound, why not hook up that tiny amp into one of these:
www.voxshowroom.com/northcoast/vox/cabinets/t60.html

[Ric-O-Buc]

Yeah - that pathfinder 10 is not exactly going to deliver more punch than a bassman.....

[lennon211]

Thanks for the suggestions Jake! I might look into the Pathfinder 10 for practice purposes when I'm at school, but I need something that has a good amount of power and is in a combo form. That's why I'll probably try the local Fender and Ampeg dealers first and move on from there. I'll take my Precision or 4003 with me to test and see that I'm getting close to, if not exactly the sounds that I'm looking for.

[jps]

So, your looking for a good small, lightweight, powerful combo amp for school?

http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lin ... =3&vedi=86

[soundmasterg]

If you can find one (They were discontinued several years ago) the Ampeg B100R is a good sounding amp that is loud enough to gig with for bass. It will keep up with a drummer and a couple of guitarists using Deluxe Reverb type amps.

The '59 Bassman was intended as a bass amp when it came out, but bass in an open back cabinet is a dumb idea, and the speakers can't really handle much bass either. Plus the amp sounded fantastic for guitar so it has become pretty much a guitar amp. When they reissued it, it is the same as the vintage ones were, but there are some ways that they compromised the design to where it doesn't quite sound the same. That said, they can be made to be very good sounding amps for guitar. Nnot for bass however unless you are playing at very low volumes, you run the risk of blowing the speakers.

Greg

[lennon211]

So, your looking for a good small, lightweight, powerful combo amp for school?

http://www.markbass.it/products.php?lin ... =3&vedi=86

I'm actually at a point where in the near future, I need a small amp to practice on at school some as well as a good small-venue amp like the B100R that was mentioned, and is one of the models that I had been looking into.

[JakeK]

I should probably look into a B100R, too. But I really want an old Showman or Dual Showman (the latter being my dream amp), then I can cover both my guitar and bass needs. I never understood why bassists ran their basses through a Showman, since it's strictly a guitar amp.

Was the Vox Super Beatle a bass amp? I know Tom Petty strictly used Super Beatles for recording bass from 1976-1982, and alternated between the Beatle and piggyback Bassman from 1984-1994, but now relies on the piggyback Bassman for recording. However, onstage from 2005-present, Ron Blair has used modern Ampeg SVT stacks.

What style of bass-stack is Howie Epstein using in this video?:

[whojamfan]

I should probably look into a B100R, too. But I really want an old Showman or Dual Showman (the latter being my dream amp), then I can cover both my guitar and bass need

The "Dream" becomes a nightmare at retube time, pretty much 2nd to an Ampeg SVT for the repair bill that ate your wallet and your brain
As far as using Showmans, (and other guitar amps for bass), plugged in to the right speaker cabinet, you would be quite amazed at how good that can sound Jake. I've used my Hiwatt for bass in the studio with great results.