Bassnut62 Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 I have used a 70s Fender Bassman 135 head with an old MusicMan 1x15 cab loaded with a JBL D140 for nearly 30 years now. It absolutely nails the gorgeous valve tone, dynamics and responsiveness I want and pairs extremely well with my 79 Stingray and AVRI 62 Jazz. Over the years I’ve tried a few modern amps, like Mark Bass and Hartke; but none of them do it for me like the Bassman rig. i am now in my 60s and finally accepting that I may soon have to get a rig that is less heavy and bulky. Can anyone recommend a modern light weight rig capable of genuinely delivering the tones, feel and sheer joy of a big old valve amp like my Bassman rig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHM Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 How about replacing your rig with a modern Bassman 500 (or 800) plus a neo 1x15 or 4x10 cab? It will look pretty much the same which might be enough to convince you it sounds close enough too. The amp is a one finger lift and the cab is very manageable in and out of the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassnut62 Posted June 21 Author Share Posted June 21 1 hour ago, NHM said: How about replacing your rig with a modern Bassman 500 (or 800) plus a neo 1x15 or 4x10 cab? It will look pretty much the same which might be enough to convince you it sounds close enough too. The amp is a one finger lift and the cab is very manageable in and out of the car. That sounds interesting, I'll check them out. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHM Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 I've got the 500 + 1x15 - I love the sound and the look. It gets gigged regularly and gets lots of compliments. The preamp is a two valve affair, apparently the same unit as the all tube 300W Bassman. But the class D power amp makes it feather light. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Well I left behind the Ampeg V4B 100w valve head and heavy SVT 212AV cab and I found that most decent class D heads and new light cabs were a match for the tone Ashdown RM500 / RM800 is a good choice EICH T900 is a very nice choice ( my main amp now ) EBS Reidmar 752 also very nice, I’m selling mine as I need to thin the herd ! Cabs you could look at LFsys Monaco as it’s crazy loud and very light or perhaps Vanderkley or Barefaced ?? So much choice out there today 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 I had the 210 EV version of that cab. Jeez. . . it was as heavy as a small planet! And they only give you one handle!! One thing you'll have to accept. . . . your new rig won't sound like your old rig. So your adaptability is key. You'll have to accept that your sound is going to go through a significant change, and after 30 years that might be a hard thing to accept. I decided on a 30lb carry limit when I went lightweight. My Barefaced Super Compact is 22lbs. It's light, loud and puts out a great sound with the right amp. My amps are Aguilar. The TH500 sounds very "vintage". You have plenty of choices and many/most cabs are designed to a much higher standard these days. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 (edited) Ashdown, Stoneham and Handbox all do small tube amps. Barefaced 10" cabs are voiced very old school. Some if the suggestions above aren't in the same tonal ballpark as your current rig. Sorry @BassAdder60 the Eich you mention is fantastic, I would prefer it to the Fender Bassman all day, but if you want something close to the Fender it's miles out. Is it really getting you close to your V4B? Edited June 22 by Jack 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 How about making this change is stages? Get the new cab first and see where you go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBass Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 I think one of these would be helpful: https://origineffects.com/product/bassrig-64-black-panel/ It's a pre amp with a Fender Bassman cab sim. You will need a power amp to go with it, or a class D head that has the option to bypass the pre amp. As has been mentioned above, for a cabinet, Barefaced 10s might suit your sonic needs. Not cheap, but their new 3x10 cabinets seem to be popular. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Given that this is likely to be a purchase that you want to last you (you obviously, like me, don't change rigs often), you really should pop the Bassman head in the boot of the car and head for somewhere like Bass Direct (not a million miles from you if you're in Leics) and do some comparisons. Go on a weekday when it's quiet and you can take your time choosing. I had that same head, with either 2x15 or 1x15 matching cabs and moved it on for similar reasons - age and not wanting to lug it around. You'll find modern cabs far superior to the old Fender ones (the drivers were pretty poor - I replaced the drivers in mine with Peavey Black Widows back in the day, which were a big improvement). Fwiw, I'm running an Aquilar AG700 these days, which I like. It doesn't quite do what the Bassman did, but it's pretty close. In your shoes, I'd concentrate on finding a head you like first and then look for cabs to match it. I note you have an old Ampeg classic cab just out of shot, which would do the job whilst you look for something. Happy hunting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 9 hours ago, Jack said: Ashdown, Stoneham and Handbox all do small tube amps. Barefaced 10" cabs are voiced very old school. Some if the suggestions above aren't in the same tonal ballpark as your current rig. Sorry @BassAdder60 the Eich you mention is fantastic, I would prefer it to the Fender Bassman all day, but if you want something close to the Fender it's miles out. Is it really getting you close to your V4B? Actually I’ve got a better sound now as it’s more suited to the band I’m now in. The V4B and the SVT cab was great for more vintage rock but suitable for all genres but the weight was the deciding factor. I’m enjoying a cleaner bass sound which has helped since acquired the LFsys Monaco and more recently the Vanderkley 212 cab which are both awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bremen Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 SVP Pro preamp and a solid state power amp? Even if it's not class D it'll be lighter and cheaper than the 135 (a beautiful amp indeed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gypsyfolk Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 Genz Benz streamliner has an old school thump, very reliable and seem to sell pretty cheap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 (edited) I'd go with a Boss Katana 210 combo. Everything you need to sculpt most sounds. Every fx going. Store different patches. Tweek. Amp sims. Drive sims. Everything. They're around 22kg. But everything is there. Class a/b power section too. And loud. Proper loud. Edited June 23 by la bam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassnut62 Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 On 22/06/2024 at 12:05, chris_b said: I had the 210 EV version of that cab. Jeez. . . it was as heavy as a small planet! And they only give you one handle!! One thing you'll have to accept. . . . your new rig won't sound like your old rig. So your adaptability is key. You'll have to accept that your sound is going to go through a significant change, and after 30 years that might be a hard thing to accept. I decided on a 30lb carry limit when I went lightweight. My Barefaced Super Compact is 22lbs. It's light, loud and puts out a great sound with the right amp. My amps are Aguilar. The TH500 sounds very "vintage". You have plenty of choices and many/most cabs are designed to a much higher standard these days. Good luck. Interesting, I recently got an Aguilar Octamizer and am very impressed with its quality, sound and controls; which has led me to look at their TH500 amp. My current rig is going through a big old ported Music Man 1x15 loaded with a JBL D140, which gives a very clear almost hifi tone in the vintage amp context. Any particular cabs/speakers that you would recommend with it to maintain or get close to that phat, warm, pure vintage tone I am used to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassnut62 Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 On 22/06/2024 at 12:33, Jack said: Ashdown, Stoneham and Handbox all do small tube amps. Barefaced 10" cabs are voiced very old school. Some if the suggestions above aren't in the same tonal ballpark as your current rig. Sorry @BassAdder60 the Eich you mention is fantastic, I would prefer it to the Fender Bassman all day, but if you want something close to the Fender it's miles out. Is it really getting you close to your V4B? Never even heard of that Eich amp, will check it out, thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassAdder60 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 The EICH T900 is German built and a very modern sounding amp Clear and punchy with simple to use EQ and a clever “ taste control “ to adjust from sparkly clean to warm and dark 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulstar89 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 On 23/06/2024 at 13:13, Gypsyfolk said: Genz Benz streamliner has an old school thump, very reliable and seem to sell pretty cheap. I tried one last week. Very nice. The new genzler kinetic 800 head is another option Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulstar89 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 On 23/06/2024 at 20:16, la bam said: I'd go with a Boss Katana 210 combo. Everything you need to sculpt most sounds. Every fx going. Store different patches. Tweek. Amp sims. Drive sims. Everything. They're around 22kg. But everything is there. Class a/b power section too. And loud. Proper loud. I went the Roland store in central london to try out the new katana head and combos. I was intrigued with the combos as they are class A/B. I couldn’t get on with them. The controls made my brain hurt and I couldn’t get a sound I loved. I may need to try again. The katana head is class D and set flat sound vastly different. I came out and went to rose morris next door and tried the ashdown a evo iv…. Wow. It made the boss, tone hammer and mark bass amps and combos I tried feel and sound sterile. I love the tone hammer with a p bass bass but the evo had such a full rounded sound. I also tried the Eich t-300 and genz Benz streamliner at the bass gallery. The Eich is super clinical. Amazing eq points and taste control is good. Genz Benz streamliner is completely different. It's much warmer and round (doesn’t compare to the ashdown though). I played both through a barefaced 2x10. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 There`s certainly a lot "more" in those ABM EVO IV amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 1 hour ago, Bassnut62 said: Interesting, I recently got an Aguilar Octamizer and am very impressed with its quality, sound and controls; which has led me to look at their TH500 amp. My current rig is going through a big old ported Music Man 1x15 loaded with a JBL D140, which gives a very clear almost hifi tone in the vintage amp context. Any particular cabs/speakers that you would recommend with it to maintain or get close to that phat, warm, pure vintage tone I am used to? I believe I had 2 JBL D140's in a Dual Showman cab, many, many years ago. So long ago I can't remember what they sounded like!! Sorry. My Aguilar/Barefaced rigs are warm, clear, clean, very light and as loud as I need in the many different gigs and dep gigs I do. I've used a TH500 for over 10 years, an AG700 for about 8 years and a TH700 for about 4 years. The tone comes from the bass and amp. These cabs are pretty clean and neutral, what goes in comes out, just louder. I'm not sure how that stacks up against your MM cab. I know one person here who couldn't settle on the Barefaced cabs he bought and went back to his Markbass cab. Maybe MB cabs are worth a look? As I said before, you can sound great, but I don't believe you will replicate your old sound with modern gear. ps Barefaced do a 30 day returns policy for a full refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bam Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 1 hour ago, soulstar89 said: I went the Roland store in central london to try out the new katana head and combos. I was intrigued with the combos as they are class A/B. I couldn’t get on with them. The controls made my brain hurt and I couldn’t get a sound I loved. I may need to try again. The katana head is class D and set flat sound vastly different. I came out and went to rose morris next door and tried the ashdown a evo iv…. Wow. It made the boss, tone hammer and mark bass amps and combos I tried feel and sound sterile. I love the tone hammer with a p bass bass but the evo had such a full rounded sound. I also tried the Eich t-300 and genz Benz streamliner at the bass gallery. The Eich is super clinical. Amazing eq points and taste control is good. Genz Benz streamliner is completely different. It's much warmer and round (doesn’t compare to the ashdown though). I played both through a barefaced 2x10. Yes, you do need to spend a bit of time with the boss, but the rewards are really really worth it. In a band setting it's absolute class. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulstar89 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 2 hours ago, la bam said: Yes, you do need to spend a bit of time with the boss, but the rewards are really really worth it. In a band setting it's absolute class. I’ll make another trip after this heatwave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyb625 Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 On 22/06/2024 at 13:40, BillyBass said: I think one of these would be helpful: https://origineffects.com/product/bassrig-64-black-panel/ It's a pre amp with a Fender Bassman cab sim. You will need a power amp to go with it, or a class D head that has the option to bypass the pre amp. As has been mentioned above, for a cabinet, Barefaced 10s might suit your sonic needs. Not cheap, but their new 3x10 cabinets seem to be popular. I was going to say the same, but with a two10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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