DGBass

A nice looking example of a JCM800 Does it have 5881 or EL34 tubes?

I haven't seen that much dedicated online resource for marshall superbass amps. I've come across three types, MK1, MKII and JCM800 all called superbass. I owned a clean and stock(apart from the mains switch) 1977 MKII for over twenty years and have a pic of it taken just before it was sold on. May give you an idea what a reasonably clean MKII should look like. MK1's look more like the MK1 super leads. All Super Bass amps are usually model number '1992' and have 3 preamp valves, usually ecc83 and four power tubes usually 5881 or EL34. Billy Apple recently posted a few pics of a very clean looking JCM800 on the forum. [attachment=219891:marsha.jpg] I haven't seen many MK1's but I believe they are quite popular with guitarists so I'd expect they would sell for more. Regularly used amps of this age( 30-40years old) will all likely have had repairs at some point, finding a mint totally original MK1 or even a MKII superbass will be more difficult. Clean JCM800's are more likely and a little less expensive as not so popular with shredders.

When I think about the heavyweight gear I carried around early 80's & 90's, I am glad there are now so many options for high power lightweight setups. Maybe age (and back/shoulder pain from years of carrying hefty rigs) brings a certain wisdom! For me that says nowadays I can be easily heard at the back of the venue even if what I am playing through can't be seen from the back of the venue. I dont think thats wimping out

Looks very much like my own mesa diesel 1x15 cab. If it has the original speaker then its likely to be an 8ohm EVM 15L rated @400watts. The original heavy duty castors are very useful for moving it around, its a heavy bit of kit but pretty much indestructible build quality. I'd say you picked up real bargain for £60

I think you have a decent amp choice in the ABM. Rolling off the low frequencies a bit and disengaging the sub can make a noticeable difference and give your cabs an easier gig without compromising volume/tone. Replacing the front end tube especially if you are buying a s/h ABM can sweeten up the overall sound and add a little natural compression. I dont have any experience of the cabs you mention but from my own experience with ABM's they should be able to give a big clean sound at very high volume. I personally use a single 15 speaker unit( a mesa diesel ) which handles my ABM with ease and it stays low, loud and clean. Something like a 4x10 might be your best all round option if you want a single cabinet solution for loud rock.

[quote name='MoonBassAlpha' timestamp='1461861449' post='3038318'] Isn't that an Electrovoice logo upside down on the dust cap in the photo? [/quote] it does look like an EV dust cap to me as well. The old MKIII 260watt combo's usually had a metal dust cap type black widow. If the driver has been previously swapped then it might be advantageous to source a modern replacement unit like an Eminence. could save a few quid over the cost of a direct BW replacement.

[quote name='grenadilla' timestamp='1460207113' post='3023632'] Before you take out the fan, try a damp Q tip to wipe off the years of bar dust [/quote] I had an overly noisy fan on my 1998 ABM200H. Gently brushing of the dust that can accumulate over the years on the fan chassis and fan blades with small dry paintbrush made quite a difference. If you have already gone to the trouble of getting in about the fan and are confident working inside the amp, you could also try adding some small rubber washers between the fan body and the chassis when you re-assemble, assuming the mounting screws are long enough. On my old ABM this worked wonders to reduce fan noise.

Another TC Corona Chorus user, it came as a christmas freebie with another TC purchase and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it actually sounded. It's now a permanent addition to my board.

Mesa Diesel 1x15 cab, best cab i've ever owned. It's quite heavy but i soon forget the back pain once its all wired up. It just sounds immense.

[quote name='amnesia' timestamp='1459579055' post='3017753'] Its a combination that works really well for me too - valves plus modern cabs. [/quote] I owned a MKII Superbass for many years and it really was a good sounding valve amp with most cabs. I've never really been that interested by any of their solid state or hybrid amps since. I'm surprised Marshall haven't joined in the resurgence in recent times of quality 100watt tube bass heads that have appeared from certain manufacturers. What if...a Superbass MkIII 100watt all tube offering? It might just up their profile in the bass department.

If it's a Stingray you are after, I've been lucky enough to own two quite different Stingray fours, one a 2-band pre-EB( last I heard it was currently owned by steve-soar, a fellow basschat user ) and the other is quite a recent acquisition, a 2015 EB 3-band. The first was a slab body like the new classic stingrays and had a rosewood board and was smothered in lacquer. My current one has the 'comfort' curves found in most EB Stingray's since the 90's, and has the very smooth waxed maple neck and board. Sound wise, the 2-band eq bass had a bit more clang than the current EB 3-band eq has. The waxed neck on my EB Stingray feels very fast compared to how the lacquered neck on the old bass felt but both were equally comfortable to play. It's difficult to say which is best, If i wanted an MM to hang on the wall and play occasionally, one of the new classics with a roasted maple neck and smothered with lacquer would be on my GAS list. For a solid gigging Stingray, any EB 3-band would do from the 90's onwards.

could be a multitude of different things on an amp of this age...from personal experience of using a similar style of amp( a late seventies marshall super bass 100 mkII), orrible loud cracking sounds were caused by arcing across the base of the output valve sockets and caused ultimately by poor biasing. Cap jobs are almost mandatory in an amp this age ( espesh on the power supply circuit ). It could also be a dry joint or faulty jack/pot etc. I'd recommend taking to a reputable amp tech who knows old valve amps. On another note, most old british design 100 watters do start to grind a bit once you get to four or five on the volume knob. They don't get any louder by that point, just filthier

Swapping case suppliers during the model year is not a new thing for Fender. I bought a lefty Usa p-bass in the late 90's and getting one of those curvy fitted skb cases with it was a deal clincher. As I had to wait for a few months for my three colour sunburst lefty to arrive, sometime during that period Fender switched briefly to Vintage re-issue cases made by G&G ( similar to the photos posted) and that is what my P-Bass arrived in. I recall enquiring why no SKB and my local store said the vintage Fender branded C&G re-issue cases were more expensive(according to the Fender rep). I was given a decent value voucher at the time for my complaint but to be honest the G&G case although heavy is quite robust, tough quality, and has aged/stood the test of time well. My current Jazz has the modern square SKB case which is as good quality and much lighter. I think they both do a fine job protecting the instruments and both are 'original' equipment. if its a G&G case you have then its decent quality, they usually have an aluminium plaque attached to the storage compartment inside the case with 'made by G&G'

I owned and played a slab bodied pre-eb Stingray for about 25 years. For the last ten years of that time I also owned a P-Bass which I began playing more and more over time. Both were hefty chunks of wood, the P-Bass however was more comfortable to play and the thing about a Stingray is it sounds like a Stingray. The P-Bass sounds like a bass. I guess thats why I only own the P-Bass now. The stingray was less forgiving and suited the sound of the bands i played in back in the day. The P-Bass is a very simple instrument that can adapt to most styles. I think there is a good thread somewhere on the forum dedicated to the P-Bass. You pick it up plug it in and your ready to go. My preference out of the two is the P-Bass. Just to confuse matters I now own a Standard Jazz and haven't picked up the P-Bass since I got it! My P-Bass is a keeper though

I went along a similar down sizing route and currently own a BH250. It's an incredible little amp. Tried initially with a Peavey BW 1x15 and it was plenty loud and powerful but couldn't quite get a useable tone. Tried with various other cabs eg 6x10's /8x10's/ a 4x12 and eventually settled on a BC212 TC cab. The BH250 amps are voiced for modern horn loaded cabs, that where they really shine in my opinion. Without a horn, they can sound a bit flat if you like an upfront bass tone. Anyway, the TC cab is gone now and I use the BH as a standby to my Musicman amp and Mesa Diesel cab as its easy to take anywhere in the gig-bag. I also use it as a desktop monitor(with headphones) and recording interface as i can bounce tone-prints in and out easily from my computer. For live use, I usually preset the multiband compressor as this keeps the sound tight. Its a keeper for me but i did go through several cabs before hearing its true potential. Your powerhouse 8x10 should really show the amps tones. Hope you enjoy

I used a Mk8 for many years with the TVX410 and 1x15 Peavey carpet covered cabs. Sure it also had a built in chorus. Very beefy sound with either cab or both together. Typical Peavey tones not unlike their other bass gear. The 4x10 definitely gave it more definition and an upfront sound. The 1x15 was floor shaking but slightly down in the mix. Adding a 210 TVX or similar to your 15 cab might be worthwhile and it will certainly bring you into the mix

I've owned and played through many SS amps over the years and for convenience and reliability Peavey bass kit always did the job consistently better than any other SS amp I've used. However my mainstay gigging amp for over 20 years was a MKII Marshall Super Bass 100w( through a Musicman RH115 cab fitted with a blackwidow driver). There was just something alive about this particular valve amp that all my SS amps couldn't match. It was reliable too, only three sets of valves in 20+ years. At the moment i have a class D TC Electronic amp for ultimate portability and it sounds quite good too. Valves still feature as i am a valve amp fan, and i'm lucky enough to run a Bassman 50 and more recently an amp that i've heard called a 'reverse hybrid', a Musicman HD150 head. I've not heard much mention of the Musicman hybrids in this thread but a SS preamp and a tube power stage has been something of a revelation for me. It stays clean until very loud before the power tubes start to grind. For me tube amps equate to a bit more weight as the good ones seem to have heavy transformers. But i think they are worth it when you hear the tone. A decent graphic eq and compressor limiter on the front end will keep things tight and clean and allow control of the tone. It's a shame no other current amp makers( none im aware of) have reverse hybrid bass amps...its all the rage in guitar stuff with modelling technology and tube power stages. For the moment class D wins on convenience and portability for me but nothing sounds quite the same as a big valve amp doing its thing behind you on stage

I recently came across an old inspection tag and handbook for a bass I once owned. I bought the bass new in the early 1980's although the serial dates it as late 1970's. This may be accurate as i was advised it had been stored in a warehouse for sometime. The frets were green when it arrived and it needed a thorough clean up at the store before i bought it. I sold it on some years later as I always found it too heavy to play for any amount of time. It was visually a nice guitar and came with all the usual fender chrome work. I recently got in touch with another basschat member who now owns another of my old basses from years ago and was curious if any lefty basschat member might now own this particular old fender? I'm not looking to be re-united with it however it would be good to know someone else still appreciates it and that its still being played somewhere out there i've added one of the few old kodak stills i have of it with the chrome covers removed.

I just parted with a Peavey 1x15 BVX black Widow cab. I think it was similar dimensions to the Pro 115. They are big cabs and great subs. Did i say they are BIG? I think you have a very capable gigging cab; its the free hernia that came with mine that I didn't find so appealing

[quote name='CS2' timestamp='1369905913' post='2094137'] I personally suscribe to the 'my gear my rules' philosophy. If someone turns up without a bass amp they are assuming they are going to borrow one. [/quote] After playing local circuits with multiband nights for years I kinda subscribe to a my 'gear my rules' philosophy. I've been lucky in that I can only recall maybe one or two situations where my gear was mistreated. Contact with the other bands and the venue prior to the gig is always best to check if there is a gear share happening. I think when i was lugging a MK8 Peavey head, a 4x10 and 1x15 about i didn't care so much about sharing with anyone as that particular rig was nigh on indestructible. My gear now is a little more delicate and I would likely refuse to share if asked and have the confidence to stand by such a decision. I've never seen a gig cancelled because someone didn't want to share their bass gear with other bands for whatever reason. The DI box was always waiting in the wings.

I dabbled with a bi-amp setup some years ago using a Peavey 115 combo for the lows and a BH500 2x10 for the top end with some success using the combos built in x-over. Selecting the crossover frequency was done by twiddling the knob and listening for the best tone. Neither cab was a full range one though...the powerhouse 1x15 has switchable crossover frequencies but i'm not sure if you can disable the horn completely. What kind of setup are you using?

I've owned a lefty tribute L2000 for a few months now and its a fine bass. It's very well put together and comfortable to play. it needed a bit of setting up though and I put this down to their not being a lefty player to set it up at the factory where it was made! I felt quite at home with what is quite a wide neck at the nut end. It was reminiscent of an MM Stingray i once owned and played for years. Sound-wise it has some great tones, i've yet to work out all the combinations. I usually roll off the bass a tad as it has quite a kick when full on.

[quote name='Cosmo Valdemar' timestamp='1370126227' post='2096849'] I'm 6ft 4 and I've given up apologising. I'm sorry but that's just the way it is. [/quote]Same applies to me. Actually I also saw Rush at the SECC in the mid 2000's and there was someone taller than me obscuring the view. When i did get to see the stage, all i recall seeing was Geddy Lee dancing strangely on stage with his now signature Jazz. No Rickestacker was to be seen..anywhere!

I used one at a rock festival in1993..it was the onstage bass amp supplied by the organisers hooked up to an HH 215 cab. I played my Overwater on that occasion and i recall it sounded fine! Big clean transistor amp sound not unlike the Carlsboro Stingrays and HH VS Bass amps of the time. Not many around as i don't think they were that popular.

I have 72 Bassman 50 silverface and it works well with 4ohm loads. I wouldn't run it into any load less than 4 ohms, the output transformer was designed for a 4ohm total(its not switchable). It will happily run with an 8ohm cab at lower volumes. I use it at rehearsal with an Ashdown 6x10 4ohm cab and it is loud. I don't think there will be any problem with your Mesa cab. My amp doesn't have serious grunt, however i use a boss GE-7 to boost the low end and a limiter to keep it all tight. It keeps up with our guitarists Marshall 9050 with two 4x12's attached. The Fender bassman's tend to have a unique character as over the years they will have been re-valved/rebiased had cap jobs and components replaced. it's a very toneful amp, not seriously powerful and will drive a high power 4 ohm cab no problem. An ideal recording amp too