Fender Bassman 400 210 Combo

Lucky for me this amp was a gift. I've had it now for three yrs. I've been out of the gigging for a while due to a heavy work load , but recently started back up with a metal band;... short lived. Too embarrassed. This rig is definitely out of it's element there. If you're in Sunday school playing along to 'Cumbaiah My Lord'...then maybe. Speaker configuration is o.k., but that stinkin' horn! One lousy channel, but the EQ. helps out in dialing in something that will get you by if it's not too loud. One speaker is blown, don't know when that happened since I don't tax the rig. Maybe if it had external jacking so you can add a 12 or 15 to it. Right now it works best as my T.V. stand. Going w/ Kustom 310C (way cheaper), and 1200w total brutality.

I've put a Jass V, 72 pre- CBS Precision, Bentley V, and a Warwick "vette' V string through it. The Corvette did the best, but it's a Wick! Lucky there are many genre, including slow mellow Jass. The amp does it's best there and in small venues only. The electrical grounding in the locale better be up to code or you're in for some annoying disturbance. Other than that, no problems there. No effects to aid you, no special sound will come from it. It's pretty well highs or lows. I reduce the mid-range enough for metal,but not enough to wall myself up between ranges. Was using a Boss compression sustainer, but at a higher volume, you may smoke the rig. Distortion is muddy and unappealing to the ear with the lows. Again, keep volume down. It can get really ugly.

The amp may be possessed. Like I said, it's been relegated to a T.V. stand. Good for practice only. Don't show up even to a casual jam with it. Besides, it's also bulky. Thanks for the casters Fender, only good accessory on the amp. Sometimes it will sound O.K., but for the most part it's disappointing that Fender dropped the ball on this one. 'Big time'. It's never been beaten about, but it acts like it has. It has a bad instrument jack that I have to fiddle with in order for it to work. This amp was a new purchase and it's seen little action outside the home. Don't know what they paid, but I wish I had gotten the cash instead. I would have gone with something else. Not ungrateful, but what else can I say.

For now the rig will sit where it is. I don't have plans to invest in repairs, but that doesn't mean it's going to rot there either. Might use it as an anchor for the boat this summer. Don't know of any warranty. The amp has got to be past that stage already. I can't even find a picture of this rig on line. Solid state, not detachable from cabinet. Made in Mexico. Ser.# M983829 I have no idea of date of manufacture.

I've been playing on and off for 38 yrs. I'm not not currently with any band, but I like to play at home for my own enjoyment just to stay nimble. If the amp were stolen, I would feel bad only because I would have to get another table or stand for my T.V. I did have an old vintage model Bassman 100 tube amp that I dare say was better. I like the way they engineered the 400's look, but it's just not a good rig all around. I wish this rig had the heart that was engineered into the old school equipment Fender used to put on stage. The name brand took it square in the eye on this one. Fender is a piece of music history like it or not. It was there when it all started to happen in recorded music. It has put out some of the most legendary axes that any musician can ever hope to have played. Hopefully it will rebound and blow the die hard musician away again with some genius and return to it's emphasis on quality amps. At least for the Bassman.

I bought the amp brand new at Guitar Center($600) and was excited about it, I've played Fender Jazz basses for many years and loved them. Well the Amp had alot of features that seemed interesting, compression knobs and it seemed versatile enough in the store. However after about 3 hours of playing with my band it stopped working, just plain died, no warning,and not overdriving it.

I used mainly both pickups on a Jazz 70's reissue either in sequence or separately and it sure seemed to have enough power and versatility to do what I wanted it to, clean and distortion was likable for the short time that it worked.

Terrible, totally unreliable and a big disappointment. Would never buy another Fender Bass Amp, I don't know what they were thinking when they put this together. It's a shame because thay make great guitar amps and guitars.Everytime I see an ad for this product and someone famous endorsing it I've got to think what a loser they are. They might as well endorse Peavey, Rogue or Rocktron amps.

Fender was useless for customer support, if you like to be on hold and then find out that they don't have a clue then be my guest. Fortunately Guitar Center has a 30 day try warranty, so I traded it in for something else.

I've been playing for many years and play all styles blues/funk/metal/jazz I'm not exactly an expert about gear but I know what sounds good and this did not. It's possible I got the bad apple of the bunch, however the price I paid and it being brand new was a sincere disapointment. Definetly not recommend this product your much better off getting many other products (Ampeg,GK,Ashdown, even Peavey) for a fraction of the price and chances are they'll sound better and last longer.

I replaced stock (Eminence - pressed steel frame) speakers with 2 8ohm 175w Aguilar branded (also Eminence - cast frame) 10's. $100 each direct from Aguilar.

The Aguilars are MUCH better built and sound MUCH more full in low end and low-mid region.

This post is just to suggest this mod. You have to cut the side grill support to make room for the larger frame, but it's easy to do and the carpet stays intact for perfect finish.

2000 Model. Purchased it new at a local shop just before Fender jacked the prices up on everything. When I got it I was playing rock, jazz, and blues with a Fender Deluxe Jazzbass V, and it worked well enough in quiet settings. It has a fairly good EQ: Bass, Treble, Room balance(Contour), selectable parametric bass mid and treble, compressor. Also Mute, tuner out, XLR out, EQ foot switch, effects loop, NO second speaker out. The XLR out was too noisy to use with a PA at an outdoor show so they had to run my bass into a DI instead. The compressor really doesn't do anything but kill the volume. For 350watts and 2 10's this amp was never loud enough. I'm running after market speakers now and am using it temporarily as cab with a Peavey Firebass 700 head. The 450 Peavey watts sound insanely louder than the Fender 350 watts, and the mids missing from the Fender head become really aparent. This amp would rock if the head in it was about 700-800watts and it had a better XLR and compressor.

Has a nice clean hifi sound. Scooped mids with the EQ set flat, if that's your thing. Never edgy or muddy and never gritty unless you're clipping it. At lower volumes it will reproduce the sound of your bass pretty accurately. The highs can be a little hissy if the bass isnt sending a clean signal. I like the sound of the horn, its very snappy and really cuts through the mix. Unfortunatly no one will hear anything but the horn. The amp gets completely lost in the mix, even with the mids cranked. The sound is kind of subjective but to be heard with the kind of sound this amp makes, you would need to at least double the power and add a couple more tens. When you crank the mids you get a really funky jaco-ish sound, as opposed to the old-school sound you would get cranking mids on other amps.

Well honestly I beat on it and it never let me down. One of the speakers blew but what can you expect when you're running an amp with the gain on 7 and the master on 10? I replaced the speaker with Eminence Deltalite 2510's that I had to modify to make fit, and it has a nice sound now. Still not loud enough however.

Never dealt with them.

I've only been playing about 5-6 years, but I know a good sound when I hear one. This amp doesn't cut it volume wise to be useful in any kind of rock setting. If you're playing in a jazz combo with a really moderate guitar player, or in a highschool jazzband or something, then this amp will work pretty well. If you're going to try to use this in a loud rock or metal band then skip this one. Get a Peavey or if you've got a larger budget a Mesa/Boogie. If it was lost or stolen and I needed a combo I would get the new Carvin 2x12 combo and never look back.

2002 Model Combo 350w / 4 ohm 2x10 plus horn. Lots of features

Hi-Fi sound. EQ options give LOTS of variety. Really amazing for its size.

Despite others complaints, I've had mine for about 3 years and the AMP has never failed once. One of the 10's blew after I loaned it to an idiot, but that is not anyone's fault.

If Fender made a mistake on this combo, it was to overpower the 2x10 cab with 350 watts RMS. An extension cabinet would be perfect to use up some of that juice.

There are very few 2x10 stand alone cabs that can handle that much power. Just use common sense and the combo works fine.

19 yrs Exp.I would not buy it again, because I'm looking to go really high end next time.

Tha Fender amp had good features like the built in tuner, a good EQ section. That was about it, Oh, It looked cool.

I was using iit with a 53 P-Bass, Yes, a real one. A Sting bass, a Schecter Stelleto 5 string, Schecter 4 string, LTD C-304 with EMG HZ EPs, {exposed coils} Many different strings and settings and it still sounded like S---! I took it back and told them that my Fender rumble 100 was a much better sounding and louder amp with no noise. They probably thought I was crazy. Ive been playing over 40 years and think I know sound. I'll stick with my Rumble for now.

Did not have it long enough to find out.

Ive dealt with them on other products. Nothing broke, It was more of a Q & A session.

Ive been playing 40 years. I would not take one if they gave it to me. I like the looks and the built in tuner. I really didn't like the 400 at all. It just sounded crummy low and distorted. Like I said, my Rumble 100 sounded much better. I should of bought the Carvin Red Eye 600 and saved 200.00 and aggravation. I can trust Carvin. My Basses are Carvin LB 70WP, Schecter Stelleto 5, Fender Sting model, Schecter C-4, LTD C-304, Fender P-Bass Fretless,The 53 P-Bass, and last but not least, a beautiful Warwick Buzzard LTD 2003. The one John Entwhitsle and his german designer were working on before we lost him.

relitivly new amp
made 2000
no overdrive or effects
an attempt at a compresser and enhancer
cant use ''bass'' setting- to muddy

cant crank it past 3
it SUCKS
wont let u above 100 watts
limited
tweeter very annoying

2nd week cold sautering made the most godawful sound ever

sent it in came back a month later

now im havin troubles

i wouldnt know, no1 called me to update me

i hate it

i swear its possesed by the devil

im gettin an ampeg : )










try it before you buy it

1992 Fender Bassman 400 Combo. 3 Pole Parametric EQ. Some other assorted EQs (Room, Bass, Treble). Built in compressor. Adjustable Tweeter drive in back(looks passive). Active/Passive input. 2x12" + horn tweeter. Ported cabinet. Effects loop. XLR Line out with send pot. Master volume, input Gain. Pure solid state. 1U 19 inch rack mount space comes empty below the amp, above the speaker cabinet assembly.

No distortion/overdrive.

Has castors. (Thank god). Still, its not nearly as heavy as an SVT. Course, it don't sound like one either.

The Rack unit is almost 19 inches wide. What this means is that some rack units will not quite fit into the slot. I had to remove the rail, trim away about a quarter inch of particle board, and screw the rail back down. The rack is really nice, but hey, design it right next time.

I play an American Standard P-Bass. Stock. Honey ash body, rosewood fretboard.

I have a Chandler Tube drive that I mount in the rack for overdrive sounds. No other effects.

I play alternative rock. Plenty of power for clubbing, maybe a little small for bigger venues.

Very quiet, even cranked.

I really like the speaker configuration. I have the horn cranked down a bit, and I NEVER pop or slap, I play mostly fingerstyle, and I really like the thud of the amp/bass combo. I've played a Jazz through it, and the low E growl comes through nicely. The tweeter is very sensitive, so string noise is sometimes a problem. I probably should move to half rounds...

The amp itself is pretty punchy. I don't use the compressor, but it is pretty tastefully done, IMHO.

No overdrive.

There was an issue with the sound cutting out with a crackle while playing. I believe its probably a loose connection or cracked solder joint inside. Banging on the top makes it go away. Service technician was unable to reproduce the problem. When I picked the amp up, we turned it on, and Voila! Problem was back. After moving it home and to practice and home a few times, the problem has gone away.

I'm worried, still.

See above.

If I can keep it working, I'd give it a 9, until its had a year of
work under its belt, I'm sticking with a 7.

Good features, extensive EQ settings. AT the time I used this amp I played in a hip hop cover band three nights a week gigging. The sound of this amp mixed with a Fender P-bass proved to be more than adequate for the sound I was looking for. The low b-string tracked down to about the second fret but could not handle the low C and B for that matter. Pretty beefy for club gigs.

Good sound mixed with a p-bass.

This amp was the biggest piece of garbage I have ever used. Even worse than my first Crate amp. The first time I ever plugged it in, the back panel rattled on certain notes. I took this to a fender technician and he informed me that the tweeter was bad. This took about three months to fix, I think because simlar amps were having the same problem. Then it worked for six months until One night the input jack broke inside the amp(it was made out of cheap plastic) while I was in the middle of a set. This required me to plug in the 1/4 inch crooked in order to finish out the set. I then purchased a Bass Driver DI to run the amp's power amp and totally bypass the pre amp. Within a week the speakers began to buzz uncontrolably. I speculated that it could be the tweeter again so I unscrewed the tweeter and it popped out severed from both of the connecting wires, it was never hooked up! This amp is not reliable at all. If a gigging musicain avoid this amp at all costs. I do not mean to sound melodramatic but this amp is a piece of (fill in the blank). I was fed up with the shoddy craftmanship of this amp so I purchased an EDEN cabinet which is awesome!

Took a long time to fix. And it wasn't even fixed at that.

DO not purchase this amp. It sounds great but the shoddiness of the amp makes that it not even worth it. Get a Bassdriver DI and emulate the bassman sound, at least that won't break.

ALl the features I need to get the right sound.

Sounds great.

Unfortunately, after 20 minutes at half volume settings it whistles and shuts down. It has to cool off before it can be used again and only lasts another 15 min or so. The cooling fan is useless and doesnt spin continuously. Looks like Fender compromised reliability for margin. No cooling air means it overheats then goes into amplififer saturation then open loop instability and oscillation which makes the a high pitch annoying sound. When the fan goes out so does the amp. It may be an older model since it has 2 output speaker cab jacks.

Havent dealt with them yet. I bought it yesterday Sept 2003 and Im returning it today. It shutdown 6 times over the course of a 3 hour practice jam. I cant possibly bring it to a gig without its cooling fan working.

Ive played considerably, and Im a little concerned with its dependence on the cooling fan, so unless its 100% operational I dont know if id replace it.