ampage Tube Amps / Music Electronics	For current discussions, please visit Music Electronics Forum.

ampage archive

Vintage threads from the first ten years

BF Bassman sounds gritty.

:

3/5/2000 6:47 PM
Max	BF Bassman sounds gritty. Hi everybody! I haven't talked about my bassman for a few days. Then here is a question,how high,my bassman,should still sound clean? As well i get the distortion,about 5 on the volume,but it's kind of gritty,is it normal for an AA 165? And is the AA864 creamier? Thanks for the help. Maxx. =)

3/6/2000 4:10 AM
Naked Clarke	Max, mine is an AA165 also. August 1965. Distorts above 3 when you step on it. I hope to find out why. New caps that look good so will retube and bias. NC

3/6/2000 6:16 AM
Corwin	I just got an AB165 the other day. it distorts above 3 also. with a Dimarzio Super 3 pickup(heavy in the mids), it does the James Hetfield Garage Inc disc 1/S&M tone nicely and comes close to Iommi's tone. good dirty amp, but don't expect too much clean out of it, especially if the 220K outboard feedback resistors were removed like mine were before I bought it. Corwin

3/6/2000 6:19 AM
Corwin	BTW, even though it's a blackface Fender, don't expect the bluesy tone out of it that other BF Fenders are known for having. the Bassman is more hard rock. and is underrated, IMO. just my $.02

3/7/2000 4:19 AM
Max	Hi NC! I'll try to find out too. Best regards. Max.

3/13/2000 2:09 PM
Mark	hI GUYS This may sound really green but how do I find out what circuit my Bassman is ? I have a really old one that has a silver face. It is not a Bassman 60 however. It has 7/68 written inside the amp. I love the tone of this amp but I need to do some work on it ..restoring it. It hums fairly consistently.

3/13/2000 4:52 PM
Max	Hi Mark! It's certainly an AB165,like late Blackface,easily modable to AA864 spêcs. Look at the fender amp field page,they have the schematics. If you wan't to be sure,inside the cab,there's a tube chart,with the circuit N° on it. Best regards. Max.

Page 1 of 2