Fender Bassman

The Fender Bassman is a guitar amplifier model, which was built in 1951-1985 by the U.S. musical instrument manufacturer Fender. The Bassman is an electrically operated music amplifier Tube-type, which was originally designed by Fender for the reinforcement of bass guitar. Throughout its history, the Bassman of musicians, however, was more frequently used for the amplification of electric guitars. For several years there has been in the range of Fender bass amp in transistor design, which are conducted under the model designation Bassman. Technically, however, they have nothing in common with the Bassman models produced from 1951 to 1985.

History

The first appeared Bassman 1951/52, almost simultaneously with the first Fender bass guitar model, the Fender Precision Bass. 1955, the amplifier was re-designed in an improved form. One of the early Bassman models wore the nickname " Four Hole", named after the four arranged in a square round sound holes of the speaker with a diameter of 10 inches. The Bassman model from 1959 was reissued in 1982 to 1989 under the name '59 Bassman ( Vintage Re -issue ) and is still in the production line of the company Fender. In the early years of the guitar amp was pure electrical amplification of the sound of the connected instruments in the foreground, with a distortion-free sound reproduction should be achieved in the highest possible volume. Later amplifiers have been considered by the musicians as sound -shaping extension of the instrument itself, as by means of electrical amplification differently modified sounds could be produced. The Bassman contributed its sound characteristics in a significant proportion of this.

The circuit of the 1959 Bassman ( 5F6A model ) was used as a template for the first amplifiers from Marshall, the JTM 45

Technology

Then as now, the Bassman is operated with electron tubes, except for the 1969 failed attempt by the company Fender Musical Instruments equip all amplifiers with the then-emerging transistors. By the year 1961, the amplifier was designed as a combo amp, but was later split because of transportation problems in the amplifier unit and speaker ( " piggy -back", German: " piggyback "). The '59 Bassman Re-issue pointed back to the form that had had the most successful model in 1959 with the circuit designation 5F6A. In the early versions of the amplifier was equipped with a speaker cabinet with 15 inch diameter, later with four speakers with 10 -inch diameter.

Use

The Fender Bassman was and is more commonly used by guitarists than bassists. The electric bass guitar called the speakers used in some pitches ( " buzz " ), which led to the rejection under the bassist. Starting in 1977, a model of the Bassman came on the market, which had 100 watts of output power. This gave the electric bass in the music band with the muscle.

Famous musicians

Among the most famous musicians, the Fender Bassman used, were among many other Buddy Holly, Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Brian Setzer. In addition, the amplifier is very popular because of its height -heavy characteristics when distorting in noise bands like Shellac ( Steve Albini 's band ) and other artists of the genre.

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