Fender '59 Bassman LTD Reissue 410 Combo

This was purchased in 2007. You know the features like the back of your hand. It's been around for a while. The best feature is probably the fact that if a speaker blows it will not damage the transformer. The channels can also be bridged for an even sweeter sound.

I play a 1999 Fender American Standard Strat, 1999 Gibson Smartwood Les Paul, 2008 American Standard HSS Strat through a Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb, Marshall JCM 2000 DSL w./1960 BV 4x12 cab with an Ibanez TS9, newer model Tube King and various Boss and MXR pedals.

Everything sounds great through this amp. It sounds big and muscular. It is the sound of pure tone. I bridge the channels for a sweet and bright sound. The only problem I have is that I cannot turn it up loud enough to produce any natural tube overdrive, because it is just way too loud, but the Tube King makes it sound like a Marshall and that is good enough for me. The clean sound is truly inferior to the '65 Deluxe Reverb and I can see why Leo Fender changed his designs over the years, but this amp really has a bright, smooth and solid sound that puts most other amps I have heard to shame. The Fender Hot Rods are also great and have the same basic sound, but they just don't sound as sweet as the Bassman. This is a great sounding amp.

Sometimes, after a few hours of playing the volume fluctuates. I think it is the rectifier tube overheating, because the problem seems to go away when I give the amp more room for air.

Never had a real problem that needed Fender support.

I have been playing guitar as my main hobby for 25 years. I have owned this amp for a year and at times have thought about selling it, but then I play out with it and it just sounds so much better than the other guitarist's Top Hat, Line 6 or what have you that I come quickly to my senses. This amp was reliced by Fender and for $1,000 new-out-the-door I feel like I got an heirloom for a steal. I truly love the sound of this amp.

First of all, I had bought a Supersonic 112 because its versatily, three channels (Bassman included) and reverb, but I couldnt find out the tone that I was looking for. During two months I played it in gigs and rehearsals... I was unhappy. I couldnt get a good sound on Burn channel, very heavy and not smooth as some people are sayind.
So I went to music store to try out the Bassman... my friend, I need to say nothing else. If you wanna get rock tone, this is THE AMP. of course, this is suitable for a lot of styles of music too. But in my case, it is perfect.

This amp was made for me. Simple and full!

there is no reverb and effects loop, but there is TONE. It is what you need to play ROCK.

All knobs work very well. This is important if you use several guitars - LP, Tele, Strat, etc...

Clean sound - It??s perfect. Using my tele the amp sounded like Telecaster. Both channel (bright and normal) are usefull. Using my LP, on volume 3 or 4, slight break-up.

Dirty sound - The amp can be channel jumped. MONSTER! It delivers the real and pure overdrive. If you plug a TS 808 in front of amp, the sound will be perfect. Listen to me, I am not joking, I am saying the true. I have tried out a lot of amps and pedals and I have spent much money all my life. Today I can say - I am so happy.

I think you must try out your new equipment in several places. I made mistake when I gave 10 for the Supersonic in my last review. I had played with it only my home in low volume and not in gigs and reheasals.

With my Bassman I had the first experience in a small club the same day that I bought it. It was fantastic!!! All members of band loved the tone of the amp. The amp improved the sound of my band.

This amp is LOUD. I play it without mic on volume 3 or 4 (channel-jumped)for 200 people with my TS 808 and LTD Barber.

So for ok.

ok.

I have been playing for twenty years. I ever had a lot of amps in my life like Marshall, Peavey, Fender, etc... Sincerely I wanted to buy a Marshall Bluesbreaker 212 but your weight was the problem. Although I think that they have the same tone, of course, every one has its particular characteristic. The Marshall was well suited to my Les Paul and my Tele. I am sure that the Blusbreaker will be my next amp.
I love all in Bassman. I spent five minutes to find out my REAL TONE.
If I was stolen I would buy it again. I think it doesnt need reverb, the sound is so organic and full.

I will repeat again - Try before to buy. Anything. Any model, any amp, any guitar...

It is an amplifier, not an effects box. You can play guitar, bass and other stuff through it, and it sounds great. You can jumper the inputs to attain alot of tonal varieties. It likes stomp boxes. I can even get decent acoustic guitar sound from it. I haven't found a guitar that doesn't sound better through it. It's nostalgic with a very cool vibe. Best of all, It doesn't model anything...

I have been playing this amp steady for three years with a American Strat with Texas Specials, a Les Paul Standard, and an Ibanez 1628 FBNT. I have noticed that it takes a few months for the speakers to break in before some of the warmth of the amp emerges. I have played the amp with several different configurations. Stock with the 6l6's, THD EL 84 tube converters in both the pentode and triode versions, and with and without the use of a THD Hot Plate. They all have their strenghts and weaknesses, but I like them all. The clean in all cases is fantastic! If have owned many Fender amps over the years but this clean is why I bought the amp in the first place. The 6l6's do produce a fantasic crunch tone, but at a price...your ears! This thing is brutally loud in order to produce a respectible power tube crunch. The tube converters reduce the total output of the amp and allow it to break up at much more usable volumes. Love IT!!!

Never had a problem...

Based on the stuff other people have written, I hope I never need them!

I love the sound of this amp. I owned dozens of amps over 36 years of playing, and this is definately my favorite. You can experiment with it to get many diffent tonal options. It's just a fun amp to mess around with. I certainly would replace it if stolen. Also, if you have one of these, I would highly recommend the THD tube converters. It's like have a couple of really great sounding tube amps for not alot of extra money.

Mine was a 2006/7 model, with a beautifully lacquered finish, otherwise, stock spec. On paper - everything a Bassman should be (although not authentically wired internally!).

This is my issue with mine. It sounded absolutely wonderful clean, swirling, shimmering tones with my '73 Strat, but rather lifeless with my Gibson Les Paul and 335. I got the Bassman specifically to mate with them. When I tried to dial in volume for breakup, it reverted to ice pick shrillness and was totally untameable...

However, I have read others bemoan this too and for a serious professional, independent review take a look at this review:

http://www.legendarytones.com/fenderbassman.html

Turns out mine had a problem too:

You'd plug into either input and it'd be way down on volume (but you wouldn't realise this at first) and suddenly !BANG! from nowhere a massive burst of volume - it was painful and damaging - blast a glass to pieces on the dresser! But so painful and frightening as you never knew when it would happen! I found tapping the top of the vol knobs often brought it to volume, but obviously not good!

Although an ex demo unit, it went back under warranty that the dealer sold as 'watertight' (Dealer - www.soundunlimited.co.uk). It was with Fender and the dealer for over 7 months! The dealer sent it back to Fender twice, where it had to have main board components replaced, then two rectifiers and then a further re tube... in the end, the dealer refused to return it to me and just refunded me. The outcome was Fender wouldn't replace it or conduct more work on it and the dealer couldn't afford the work independently. This is totally unacceptable behavior.

Awful awful awful... Let down badly by both the dealer and Fender...

I loved it - it looked sublime sitting in the corner of the room and it was a coveted piece of rock 'n' roll hisory I wanted into. I love Tweeds and I thought I'd struck lucky when I nabbed this for just 700 pounds. (UK).. I wanted to love it, but cold reality is, that problems aside, it is too difficult to live with at home, regardless. I wanted that 'brown' sound, but had to make do with the clean only.

Hear it like this here when it behaved itself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d54ZxFp3SU

I can afford something a bit better now, and am looking at a Tweed Deluxe - I'd love a 57 Twin, or maybe another Bassman (Victoria?) but again, I know it will be useless for me at home... Sad thing is, I'll probably go for a clone manufacturer anyway as I don't trust Fender anymore especially for the money they ask.

Bought this one Brand new. It is exactly what I was looking for... kind of. No frills just tone.

Well it it does have one huge feature that I never see mentioned. Let me explain. It has four inputs. 1 and 2 on each "channel" Normal and bright. So far so good. Well the thing nobody talks about is that input number two on either channel is low gain. That is down 6db from the number one input on either channel.

So what does this mean? In a word, clean! Thats right if you use input number two on either channel you can turn up the volume quite loud and still have just a touch of break up. There is a slight loss in volume but If you are looking for a cleaner output this is as clean as this amp gets.

As I said you can get a pretty decent clean at high volumes using the low gain inputs. Not Twin clean but then again thats not what I bought. Otherwise Classic rock crunch, or blues drive, it's all over the dial after about 7 or so.

Very responsive to picking dynamics which is new for me and something I still don't take full advantage of. Also that crunchy drive is very controlable by the guitars volume knob.

It's funny that an amp that is so spartain in the features catagory can be such a complex animal.

The ice pick sounds were there just as others have mentioned but as I play it more and more they show up less and less. I've had it about a month and a half now and it has spend quite a bit of time with the volume between 7 and 12

Who knows?

No idea

30 years playing and I have had Blue VooDoo, 5150, Plexi, Hotrod Deville, Line 6 Flextone, Silvertone, and then a host of SS amps. Out of these the 5150 and the Bassman are my keepers.

This is another follow-up, I have the amp for almost three years now (2005 model).
Since I like it warm and deep with my RG7 strings axe (no nu-metal, only clean) I had to solve the flabbiness of the jensens while retaining their qualities.
I changed the two bottom speakers for 75 w bass celestions (took them from a Hughes&Kettner 410 bass box), perfect fit no frills.
Now the bassman weighs some more, but sounds like one.

The sound is rounder, a lot warmer, with good punch and precision. The two remaining jensens like their new companions, and this way I still have the same amp but better.
It is important not to loose the basic tone jensens give, and the two top ones are nearer to our ears so really there is no drawbacks to this way of doing (except the 8 pounds).
I also run the amp with el84 adapters so it is a whole lot warmer and rounder than stock, and despite 15 rated watts still loud.
I didn't fuss with the preamp tubes, but thanks to other reviewer's precious contributions I will try some ecc81-12au7 or some low-gain bulbs.
Playing only clean, or with my fav grindbox, I don't see the point of having only a third of gain usable (past 4 the clean ain't so anymore). Plus it complicates the settings since I run a pedal reverb in parallel on the second channel (too fast a big volume jump with stock preamp tubes).
Provided you know a thing or two, this amp is great and easy to tweak.

Like it a lot, next stop is lower-gain preamp tubes.
The good thing with el84 adapters is
1)you can choose between pentode or triode ones (the latter gives a very compressed tone when pushed, and are only 3-4 watt per tube. Also ideal to play earthy muddy grind stuff)and
2)you can have great sounding el84 bulbs for cheap (compared to the 60+ bucks the original gt costs) And you don't need to re-bias the amp!!!

Overall a very good value, and please note that despite my mods I didn't even have to open the amp (with those voltages inside you wouldn't want uh?)
Let's add: four jensens alnico plus a solid-pine finger-jointed tweed enclosure already cost you 750, and you still have no amp inside...
A good deal this bassman, and even if you don't use it you will re-sell it with profit in say 20 years.
Last but not least: beside the 57twin it is the best-looking amplifier ever!

The amp was made in the mid '90s and has square-backed Eminence Blue speakers. It is surprisingly versatile, and its clean and mildly distorted sounds are a great platform for effects and distortions, and I have managed to achieve some crushing Judas-Priest esque metal tones using a Fulltone OCD. The only feature I wish it had would be reverb, but a pedal can fix that. The Multiple inputs are great, and The controls are very responsive. Personally, I think that the most useful knob for shaping the tone on this amp is the Prescence knob, which is also very responsive.

I am using a Gibson SG Classic with P90s which offers excellent slightly overdriven, even stones-ish tones when cranked through the Bassman, and also a Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster with Bare Knuckle Slowhand Set, which sings beautifully. The amp also gave a gentle, even vocal and jazzy quality to my P90s which was an excellent discovery. I play blues, jazz, classic rock, indie rock, fusion, instrumental, and some modern rock, and this handles all of the styles wonderfully with a distortion or overdrive pedal.

The amp has never broken down, shorted out, and the tone has not gotten any worse since I got it. But since I have not gigged with it so far, we will see.

Never had to deal with it.

I would definitely buy it again if it were stolen. I tried other Fender tube amps such as a 65 Princeton, a deluxe reverb, and more, but this made all of the others seem bland and personalityless in comparison.

A fairly basic amp, the new Bassman LTD features a nice channel blending option for versatility in tone. A basic EQ makes things simple, if not a little limited in scope, though the 4x10 setup more than makes up for this with a great overall sound.

At first i was a little skeptical (and disappointed) with this amp. The "ice pick" highes mentioned in other reviews, along with the "flabby" bass seemed unavoidable, despite my best efforts. However, having owned the amp for about a year, and playing her thoroughly during this time, i've found the speakers *really* need a chance to break in. I had considered replacing the speakers, but it's really not necessary. If/when you try this amp in the store, keep in mind it will be a little stiff and needs time to settle in. Soon after purchasing this amp, i changed the tubes to Sov Tek 12au7, 5881 and 5y3 preamp, power and rectifier tubes respectively. This gives a warmer sound which can be driven harder, without breakup well past 7 on the volume controls. Using this setup, bedroom volumes can be acheived at 5 on the dial while still pushing the power tubes for a tight, warm sound. The factory setup is fine, but a little too powerful for my tastes and, as a result, too loud without the warmth. In either case, the clean is absolutely phenomenal.

I can't really say much about the reliability, though a circuit diagram is included with the amp, so it should make repairs fairly simple. Although i haven't lugged this amp around to gigs, it handles constant use well and seems very, very solid. My only concern is the lacquered tweed covering - it's a beautiful finish, and i hope it stands the test of time (or at least ages well enough to make it look cool, and not just tatty).

I've heard bad things, so i hope i never have to contact Fender. From my previous dealings with their inquiries department and speaking with my local music shop, it seems as though it's a miracle that they should ever answer their phones, let alone provide any "customer support".

I've been playing rock and metal for about 15 years, and i'm just starting to develop my own sound. My gear includes a Gibson LP Standard Faded with Duncan Antiquity humbuckers, a stock Fender Custom Shop '56 Stratocaster Relic, and a few other guitars running through a Big Muff Pi USA, and some other pedals. This amp takes pedals very well and can either be run straight into the front end, or between channels (Guitar > Channel 1 Input 1 > Channel 1 Input 2 > Pedal > Channel 2 Input 1). If I lost this amp, i'd definitely buy another one. It's really the only amp i'll use now, and i've used a few (and tried every amp in the store, including some two or three times the price). The very best thing about this amp is simply the fact that it makes you *feel* like nothing else i've played. There's a soul to it that can't be described, and it takes a litle time to fully appreciate it for what it is. All that's missing is a good distortion in front of it (and of course, a nice guitar).

The original tweed amp this was based on was designed for bass, guitar, vocals, pedal steel and keyboard use. How much more versatile can you get? The only amp that comes close would be a Vox JMI AC30 which I have also owned.

This amp is all about TONE. It's one of THE tone monsters of all time. I was frankly shocked at how well the new USA made Groove Tube power tubes sounded. I'm used to putting NOS tubes from the 50's and 60's into all my amps. This one rocked with factory installed tubes straight away. The amp I bought has sat in a local music store for two years (it was made in '06) so it's been played alot and broken in well. I'm sure this has helped the tone of it considerably. I use a Fender Jazz bass thru it as well as electric guitars (telecaster, rics, LPs) and it sounds wonderful with all of them. I cannot understand the "flabby bass tone" comments by others here. It's tight in the low end, powerful and authoritative in all frequency ranges. Not a loud amp compared to a 100 watt Marshall stack but perfect for medium gigs and the studio. And for the brittle high end comments I read here - Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares were going for a "hi fi" amp capable of handling all frequencies. The highs sound smooth and bright - but if it's too high for you roll them off with your guitar's tone knob to suit yourself. You can get KILLER tones from this amp folks.

Never ever killed a Fender amp in 35 years of playing. and I own some vintage tweeds. nuf said.

Never had to contact Fender. However, their website is very helpful with scematics and such.

10s across the board. This is a fantastic amp. Anyone who tells you otherwise does not know the history of Fender and just how huge this amp's footprint has since it's inception in the early 50's.

OK so this doesn't have channel switching, not fully loaded with effects etc. What it does have is a very straight forward circuit with nothing much to get in the way of tone. This is one of the reasons it is so touch responsive.

I play blues and for this it is perfect. I use a strat with SCNs and I can get very good tone out of it. Far in excess of my DRRI.
Now for the flabby bass experienced by users, I found I really need to turn the bass down when I turn the volume up, and visa-versa. Also please make use of the advice about blending the channels. It really works well. I have put a Keeley Blues Driver into this and am impressed with the tone but really it's one of those amps that you just plug straight into. Clean or dirty I'm impressed. Surely this is one reissue Fender got right.

Sorry, only had this for 1 month, still it should be straight forward to repair as it's a basic circuit.

I'm not anticipating any issues with reapirs as I have a long standing relationship with my dealer.

Playing seriously for 3 years, have DRRI, and sundry affects pedals. I would buy it again no probs. There's really nothing I don't like about it as it suits the blues stuff so well. I love that it's so straight forward and I don't have to spend much time fiddling with knobs to get a great tone.