Fender Bassman 400H Head

I bought this great bass amp as a replacement for my Fender BXR 300. I came close to buying the SWR 4004 but for some reason, the Bassman caputred me. It has everything that a regularly gigging bass player needs practiclly. I purchased it at Hollowood Music in Pittsburgh, PA.
It is a solid state amp. It features room balance which is nice, it helps to shape the sound of your signal to the size of the room you're playing in. It has an Enhance button which is helpful when I use my fingers. It also features a 3 band EQ which technically could be a 6 band. Each range has a frequency and level adjustment knob. An EQ gain is there to adjust the semi-parametric EQ whenever needed and has an EQ on/off switch which can be controlled by a footswitch. A built in compressor with a knob to adjust your compressed sound. A much needed improvement from the BXR 300. On the rear it has an line outs for XLR and a knob to adjust the level of your output into a PA. It also has sends and returns for effects and tuner and footswitch. Also it has a built in groundlift. Again in my opinion, Fender had done good. I have used this thing in different sized clubs and it stands out like a champ.

My 'workhorse' bass is an Ibanez SR405 5 string. I also use a 67 Rickenbacker 4001s, a 2001 Fender Standard Jazz Bass, and an 81 Hofner 500/1. They all sound like kings of the bass world when plugged into the bassman. My playing volume on this amp is normally a 5 on the master, and a 4 on the gain, and that's with any of the basses. My fellow bandmates use a Marshall JCM900 and a JCM200, and the Bassman cuts through with no problem. I use the bassman 410 cabnet as well as the 115. The horn level in the 410 is adjustable which is a kick ass feature.

I haven't had any problems with it so far. My BXR has lasted me nearly 8 years and if this amp is as true to it's Fender name, it should be fine.

Comes with a 5 year warranty

I've been playing bass for over 10 years. I still have my BXR 300, an old Yamaha B-100 bass amp, a VOX AC-30. If my bassman was ever stolen or lost, I would definately buy another. I have compared it to the SWR 4004, Ampeg SVT 350-H, Gallien Krueger 400RB,and the Hartke H3500, and the Fender just had more to offer for the not so rich and famous bass player. If you gig constantly, are on a budget and need a new amp that sounds excellent and has features that won't break your bank. Look at the Fender Bassman 400-H.

2002 Fender Bassman 350w Solid State Bass Head
6 channel EQ, Compressor, Room Balance Control, effects Loop
Everything we want in a bass guitar head!
So far it has been used only with a Fender Bassman 4x10 cabinet
Mics up very well

This amp belongs (obviously) to our bass player. He plays an Ibanez 5 string Ergodyne bass (a series)
I have been continually impressed with the quality of sound this rig has.
The low-B string rings true, no mud even with a lot of bass dialed in. We play a ridiculously diverse show and any sound we want is there. It is effortlessly clean, no noise in the pots. Punk funk country blues jazz rock pop - you name it! As long as you are safe with the pre-amp and match it with the output you can get some SERIOUS volume without distortion.

This is the only bass amp we have, it is only a few months old but it has taken plenty of road abuse already. It still looks great. Plays wonderfully.

5 year warranty, typical Fender.

Our bass player has only been playing for two years, he's been something of a prodigy. He's got the skills, but he's not a gear-head like me so he would never post a review.
This amp would definately be replaced by another if we could afford it.
The sound is versatile and full, VERY important for our 3 piece band
We tested a room full of bass rigs and combos, SWR Workingmans 4004, Gallien-Krueger, Trace Elliot, even a way-out-of-our-league MESA, but this amp, we were sold on. We had overlooked it and were about to buy the SWR, then we tried it just to see and we were stunned! Better volume and much more character.
Fender is finally attempting to make a decent bass amp, and they've succeeded. This amp competes with every one and they might even hop on that nu-metal market that all the manufacturers are attacking. But then come those price increases. ...sigh...

350 Watts @ 4 Ohms, solid-state, EFX loop, Active/passive input pad selector, Tuner out jack, Tuner mute with flashing indicator, Balanced line-out with level control, Gain; Room balance; bass; treble; 3-band semi-parametric EQ, Signal present indicator, Preamp clip indicator (dual LED yellow/red), EQ active indicator, Power amp clip indicator, Compressor, Master volume, Enhance, Rack space in cabinet for tuner or effects, 1 button Footswitch.

I play an Ibanez SoundGear 500, an Ibanez Acoustic Electric Bass, and a 1965 Hofner. I also use the Bass Pod. I play all types of music. The Fender Bassman 400 Head produces a very clean, crisp tone and also provides a great thump for rockers. It's pretty versatile. Good funk slap, and a great low end for Blues, Rock, and Jazz. The Room Balance knob is a great addition. It allows you to produce a nice, full sound no matter how large or small the room. I'm pretty paranoid about distortion. I keep a very close eye on the settings so that they don't clip. I prefer a clean, well defined tone.

So far so good. I've used it without a backup. I haven't had it long enough to say it's dependable yet. I take very good care of my equipment, so I expect this one to last me for years to come. I also own a Fender Ultimate Chorus, and it's still primo. Have had it for years now. I'm very satisfied with Fender's quality.

I haven't had it long enough to have it repaired. I haven't dealt with Fender yet. So I can't provide a rating in this category.

I am very satisfied with the Fender Bassman 400 Head. For $559.99, I got a great deal on this Basshead. I play big venues and am not worried about the quality of this product. I love the sound it produces.
Te only drawback is that it is a beast. It weighs 42lbs. But I think this baby was built to last. I nicknamed it "The Hippo" because of the way it is shaped. It reminds me of that Hippo's mouth from the Hanna Barbera cartoons. Ooops, sorry! Showing my age.
I would definately recommend this Bass Head.

Specs: 350 Watts @ 4 Ohms, solid-state, EFX loop, Active/passive input pad selector, Tuner out jack, Tuner mute with flashing indicator, Balanced line-out with level control, Gain; Room balance; bass; treble; 3-band semi-parametric EQ, Signal present indicator, Preamp clip indicator (dual LED yellow / red), EQ active indicator, Power amp clip indicator, Compressor, Master volume, Enhance, Rack space in cabinet for tuner or effects, Black Tolex, Metal grill, Footswitch: 1-button =


I would like to comment on the difficulty of speaker removal. The company uses rubber amp feet to mount the grill and dampen vibrations that result from the perforated metal. Although this does result in better speaker protection and looks cool I am constantly
retightening the screws as they tend to vibrate loose with time.

If you are replacing the speaker lay the cabinet on its back and remove all the mounting screws, then slowly tilt the cabinet back to the upright position while holding the speaker in place (you may have a friend help out), then as you release pressure on the speaker it begins to fall out, just keep a grip on it or perhaps only set it up partially to help keep a grip on the speaker. This is necessary as the speaker is inset flush to a counterbore (ledge) and impossible to grip while laying on its back.

I am using a 1990 Fender JP90 with 2 Fender 115h cabinets. I seem to be able to get the highs I need with out going to the 4x12 cabinet.
The Parametric EQ is a little awkward, by trying to determine where the cutoff is for each frequency adjustment and then adjust the gain, I find my self setting everthig at 0 and using the bass and treble control to get a real positive adjustment, instead. The whole system seems to get a little distorted at half volume even with the gain cranked down as much as possible.

Ive only owned this amp for 6 months and have already blown a speaker, the head seems to be holding up.

Fender seems to have adopted a real hands off approach to thier service. You have to drag your item into an official service repair center and then you are at the mercy of who your dealing with with out any intervention fron the manufacturer itself. I've yet to see how they come through on the warranty but after talking to a warm body on the phone at fender the want nothing to do with it. No factory service.

This amp sounded great in the store, I compared it to a Hartke system, a Gallien Kruger, a SWR and a David Eden. I though the sound was comparable to each, except the Hartke. Being a bass player in a Blues Band I really didn't want that Hartke "Transient Attack". I also didnt want to pay 2 grand just for a David Eden Head...ect... So I determined that the Fender was the best bang for the buck. Once again I learned tha old lesson. You get what you pay for.