Can You Really Use a Bassman to Play Bass Through?

[Josh O]

This may come off as a really stupid question as the original intent of the Fender Bassman was to be a bass amp to coincide with the P-bass. I've been considering getting a Fender reissue or maybe the Victoria version to be my clean for my guitar, be able to run my Koch Pedaltone through it and to also play a bass through it. I 've been toying with picking up a cheap bass to noodle around with, would the Bassman be sufficient?

 

[glasman]

Depends on how loud you are playing. A four string and low volumes they are not too bad. But anything over a whisper and you will shoot the cones through the grill cloth.

My Super reverb sounds great at low volumes with a bass, but farts out pretty quickly when you start to crank it up. I prefer my SM500 and 6x10 cab for a little thunder!!

Gary

 

[Mook]

Not a 50 watt Bassman.

But a 100 watt Bassman would. I have a 100 watt head, and I've used it many times in fairly large rooms with fairly loud drummers.

Can be had for about $350 on e-bay......


Mook

 

[bscepter]

I used to lend my 100w Marshall Super-Bass and 4x12 to an old-school roots-rocker guy and he loved it. Warm, round, full-sounding bass. Not sure about the 45w Bassman, though...

 

[aeolian]

Originally posted by Mook
Not a 50 watt Bassman.

The bass player I played with in '69 had a 50W Bassman and a P-bass. We all cheered when he got that amp. It sounded great. Previously, he was plugging into a spare channel of a 2-15 SS Jordan amp that was also running the Vox organ. We played in rec-center events, j-teen dances in gyms, and occasional parties.

Amazing that nowdays, no one will take a <250W bass amp seriously.

 

[glasman]

Originally posted by aeolian

Amazing that nowdays, no one will take a <250W bass amp seriously.

Hard to compete with 5000 watt PA's these days.

Gary

 

[Josh O]

If I got a bass, it would probably be an OLP MM copy. Not sure how close the pickup in that guitar is to the real EB/MM Stingray but if it is, that's pretty damn hefty. My buddy has a Stingray and also a Fender American Jazz Deluxe and his EB kicks that Fender in the pants as far as grunt/growl goes. Might be too much for the Bassman? A five string definetely too much? Or maybe not, I don't intend on using it in a band situation for bass anyways, more just for me to use at home and not too cranked up.

 

[waxnsteel]

Originally posted by glasman
Hard to compete with 5000 watt PA's these days.

Gary

IMO, you shouldn't try to.

 

[MVrider]

Originally posted by Josh O
This may come off as a really stupid question as the original intent of the Fender Bassman was to be a bass amp to coincide with the P-bass. I've been considering getting a Fender reissue or maybe the Victoria version to be my clean for my guitar, be able to run my Koch Pedaltone through it and to also play a bass through it. I 've been toying with picking up a cheap bass to noodle around with, would the Bassman be sufficient?

NOODLE?

If you mean just to practice by yourself and at bedroom volumes, you won't have a problem. For jams, I've let bass players play through a Victoria bassman on several occasions while I've played guitar through another amp.

I'd even use one with a drummer, provided the drummer was capable of playing at cocktail-party levels.

 

[somedude]

Originally posted by aeolian

Amazing that nowdays, no one will take a <250W bass amp seriously.

Tell me about it. Everytime I want to talk amps on a bass forum no one takes me seriously, and half try to lecture me on headroom....

....I use 100-200w tube heads. I feel they compete just fine with the 15-50w most guitarists get out of their tube heads before being told to turn down.

Besides, it's a tube head.....who the hell wants lots of headroom on a tube head?

Originally posted by glasman
Hard to compete with 5000 watt PA's these days.

Gary

If bassists learned to turn down their amps down the soundman wouldn't cut them out of the mix. Of course, you can't rely on PA support everywhere, but any venue around here that's large enough to need a big bass amp to fill already has a killer PA.


Sorry for the off topic.....

I've used a bassman for bass. Sounds good IMO, but I wouldn't use a guitar speaker.

 

[Josh O]

Originally posted by MVrider
NOODLE?

If you mean just to practice by yourself and at bedroom volumes, you won't have a problem.

Yeah, that's what I mean.

 

[hogy]

I used to play in a blues band for many years where the bass player played through a silverface 50 Watt Bassman and 2X15 cab. I'd use either an AC30, Super Reverb, or Tweed Bassman. Always worked and sounded great. You wouldn't get a crystal clear hifi bass sound, but that's not what we wanted.

I love a Tweed Bassman for playing at home. It has a very open, woody and natural character to it.

Hogy

 

[MVrider]

Just wanted to add one thing... You won't damage the head on the Bassman but higher volumes will be tough on those speakers, so take it easy.

If you come across a bass cabinet at a good price, you can always run the Bassman through that if you do need a bit more volume.

 

[Deaj]

I used to have a '61 blonde Bassman head (~40watts). Not only was it a fantastic guitar amp but it sounded breat for bass as well. It was not well suited for live use though as it would break up pretty early. It had a great rock bass tone though and recorded wonderfully.