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1974 "nearly bassman"100w all valve amp


razze06
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[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/125469-underperforming-valve-head/page__fromsearch__1"]After a long period of pondering, I've decided to try and part with this.[/url]

A strange beast: 100w bass/guitar all valve amp, with all vintage top quality components components (valves are new). Probably home made in 1974, judging from the dates on the components. The power stage looks like to be a faithful copy of a 70's fender bassman 100, with two massive Fender transformers. After much investigation, it looks like the pre stage has been extensively modified from the original bassman, to resemble a fender twin tone stage, perhaps for guitar use.

The amp has been extensively serviced and worked on. Beautiful tone, with excellent higher mids and highs, sounds fantastic with my squier CV Jazz (also for sale). Volume is more than adequate for small to medium gigs, and overdrive is more than manageable.

Weighs a predictable ton, can be used as is, could be further improved or modified, or could be even broken up and sold as parts. I couldn't bring myself to do that...

What do you think, £[s]250[/s] £220? Can you find a cheaper vintage all valve amp?
Happy to entertain trades of any kind, just try me!

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Edited by razze06
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I've gigged the amp for the first time last saturday, and it performed admirably. Plenty of volume for the room (rock/soul/funk/pop 4 piece with enthusiastic drummer on heavy metal-grade Tama), just a bit of overdrive and all the warmth you could desire.

Let's say i'm in no rush to sell, but I want to get some cash to fund another modern sounding bass...

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To mine and Kripn ears it does, although it doesn't have the same preamp stage as a real bassman. In other words it does have a good amount of fender-ness to its sound, but it would be unfair to say that it sounds just like a real fender bassman. That is largely because I haven't played on in years and can't remember what they sound like exactly.

An interesting point is that the power stage is a faithful reproduction of a bassman 100, so if you don't like the sound you can presumably re-build the pre to match a bassman one, and have a full copy.

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Looks the part, and looks nicely built. I cant understand the lack of interest. People are paying much more on trying to get that sound from solid state amps with one valve in the pre amp and modelling pedals. I'm sure anybody who tries it will want it, wouldnt be much work to alter the front end would it ?

I'd be tempted if I didnt have an old silverface that I never seem to get chance to use.

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