Fender '59 Bassman LTD Reissue 410 Combo

I think everyone knows what this amp is about - tone. The Fender website will give you all the details on its features.

I use a Strat (with slightly hotter than stock pickups) a Fat Tele and a Gibson semi. I play country, rockabilly and lots of other styles.
This is the second Bassman reissue I've owned and I should never have sold the first one. The tone is everything..I think it, and the Tele are a perfect match, but also the Strat sounds so vintage its not funny.
This baby can be LOUD if necessary, but when its loud it sounds fantastic -actually when its not loud its great too!
From my first Bassman, I know that the speakers take a few months to smooth out, then it sounds even better. I think some folk immediately
think its a bit sharp and run off and buy speakers and tubes etc which sound smooth -bad move...the amp will do it naturally.

My first Bassman was on the road and gigged regularly and apart form a flickering on/off power lamp globe, it was totally reliable and I never even changed any tubes from stock..why on earth people need to start replacing speakers, tubes, circuit boards is way beyond me, maybe these are bedroom warriors? The PCB is well made and can withstand shocks of being on the road -the tubes are the weakest point of any tube amp.

Fender and dealers have always been responsive and no troubles here - most of my Fender gear over the last 25 years has been totally dependable with little or any warranty work required. I cant really give them a 10 though!

This to me, is the top of the tree in guitar amps - no other amp gives you that classic tone you have heard on all those old records. By the way, before purchasing this one I tried a couple of Badcat amps, a Victoria, a couple of Matchless and a Fender Twin tweed reissue..I thought to myself, why do I need to spend all those extra dollars when the Bassman LTD kills them all in tone - I plugged a Tele in to the Bassman turned it up, and immediately bought it -that tone sold me!

Just the standard volume and tone controls. What else do you need? The reason Fender tweed amps sound so good is the simplicity of their circuits. This amp needs nothing more. Turn it on and play

I am using mine with a Fender 50th Anniversary Strat. Pedals sound great through the Bassman. Better than any other amp I have used. I currently go through a Swamp Thing tremolo pedal and a Maxon OD 808. Now, out of the box these amps can sound a bit on the brittle side. Here's what I did that made a big difference. I replaced the preamp tubes with JAN GE's. A 5751 in the first position and 12ax7's for the other two. GE's have a very smooth top end and I was surprised how much of a difference they made. Took most of the brittleness away. The amp sounds fantastic now. Also as the speakers break in it begins to sound warmer. I've recorded with this amp and had great results. A lot of people change the speakers, go to a point-to-point board, etc. If you are going to do all that, why not just get a Victoria. You would certainly end up spending as much. It's much cheaper and easier to experiment with different tubes. Play around with the different inputs( or jump them together) and the tone controls. You'll find your sound.

I know people who have been using these for 15 years and have had no problems. If it ever needs servicing, I can take care of that myself

Fender?? Customer support?? Again, I'd rather take care of it myself than deal with the company

I have been playing for 34 years and have played every Fender amp imaginable, both tweed and blackface models. I got a good price on this as it had a small dent in the cabinet. Also, Musician's Friend had a promotion and I received another $70.00 off of the scratch and dent price. I would definitely replace it if needed. It sounds great, it's easy to transport, simple circuit and it's dead quiet.
Nuff said.

Here i was given a stock mid 90's Fender Bassman with a view to convert to original handwired spec,i have a vintage repair/restoration company nr Hemel Hempstead Herts U.K,i tested the amp head to head with an original 59 loaned from a very generous owner,these amps are very basic,so no nasty tone killing Vib/rev etc,just a good clean tone path,just how it should be,i found that the R.I sounded harder than the original,and a tendency to be more noisy,the fat warm tone of the 59 just left the R.I dead in the water,one factor is the Eminence speakers used, as those across the pond say suck,and the Russian valves ain't great,but all things considered still sounds very good.plenty of power without doubt,a good rock n roll amp.

I will review at this point with the full 59 handwired work carried out.
This amp has a layout identical to an original,eyelet board,handwired pots jacks etc,the tone is now much fatter, with much more of the original 59's sparkle,i still would fit some better speakers,although the tone is far improved from standard RI,and very usable.
This amp was tested with an 82 Fender JV Strat,and a historic series Gibson Les Paul,the owner was blown away with how much better the amp sounded,and has decided this is the only amp he really needs,well maybe a Deluxe reverb for the studio.it makes sense to retro wire a reissue,originals now are hitting crazy prices,saw one go at the end of last year [04] for $11500,link the channels plug in and "ROCK"

I dont think the long term reliability for a standard RI would be that great,but handwiring as an original,well they just go on and on dont they,i think that if top quality valves are fitted, and the bias is correct,these amps should be dependable,i find that lower grade 6L6/5881 tend to have internal flashovers,and that often kills the 470 ohm load resisors,only other thing would be to have it serviced at least once a year

Fender used to be catered for by Arbiter here in the U.K and they were pretty good,now Fender have taken it back,and the support up until now has been a joke,but in all fairness it does seem to be improving.
Fender U.K is now down nr Gatwick in Sussex,they seem friendly and helpful,so let's hope this remains so.

I will answer some of this section on behalf of the owner,bearing in mind his comments,he has owned various Fender,Ampeg,JMI,Burman,among others,and i am sure the Bassman is now the one,so yes he would have another.
The simplicity and how responsive the amp is really appeal to [Martin]
owner,i think maybe he would like reverb,but knows they do suck a degree of tone out,here are some comments by myself.
These amps can be found relatively cheap in used condition,around the 500-550 GBP with all the handwiring you get a top level Bassman for not much over 1000 GBP,now compare that to a USA clone,yes they are excellent,Victoria etc and you will see where i am coming from.
So in conclusion the Bassman really does "RULE"

2004 - most important feature: This is an amp that 'moves air', fills a stage, and can be carried up a flight of stairs by one guy. I switched to this from a boutique 12" class A point to point , blah, blah, blah, badcat, etc and what a wonderful change. No reverb which is GREAT because no tone sucking. I never miss reverb with this amp. Totally fills medium size clubs - wide sound stage so don't need a monitor amp ( I always did with the 12" er amps )

old strat>>>> black cat OD-1 fuzz >>>>> 10 yr old Ibanez analog delay >>>>>amp. Have played with this set up in cover band - retro dance stuff - pop, R+B, rockabilly. Gigged much with this amp. Most of the time I'm on the mid-bridge PU out of phase position straight to amp - no effects - sometimes add slap. Sometimes fuzz on bridge PU ( bassmans LOVE good fuzz boxes - black cat is best I've found ) I have no use for humbuckers or lots of boxes on the floor.

fine - carry extra tubes, fuse - haven't needed these yet.

don't know

Have played 40 yrs. This is the amp for a strat - or any single coil I'm sure. I get a kick out of reading stuff here about changing tubes, putting in Webbers, point to point mods - it's hilarious! ( as if electrons can tell the difference whether thy're flowing point to point or via PCB !!! ) Honestly - I love to play, not solder. I have not heard an old bassman - but have heard the Victoria $3000 clone - how silly. ONE MORE TIME: 53 pounds - carry it in your arms - HUGE sound - simple knobs - no tone sucking like Marshalls with all the knobies. Heaven is playing all the stupid and cool retro tunes to a full dance floor with this thing - volume on 7.

11

i use an american strat equipped with texas specials it really bites
i play alot of country blues jazz and rock, lends itself beautifully to all styles. holds on to the clean very well but i have the action raise considerably high on the guitar to aid this.
i use a 808 tube screamer with the amp to mirror the sound pioneered by srv.

dont know yet have had it a year and its still tip top so ill say its reliable.

again i dont know, however the amp is based on a simple design and if a problem does arise it will be easy to identify

Brand new 2005 lacquered tweed '59bassman.
Alnico jensens, but the 25 watters (cheapest of the line...) version.
Tube rectifier, absolutely no noisefloor. Two other new bassmans I checked did, so I think q.c. at the factory is seriously lacking.
If you want to buy one, just be sure it is silent: they are when properly built/set up.

Inputs are the most clever I know, I run my guitar in normal 2. Then a patch cord from normal 1 into my reverb/delay unit (100%wet), and from its output to bright input 1. I then precisely mix the effects level with the bright channel volume, great and clever thank you Leo!

This way I don't compromise my dry guitar's tone, and I still get reverb...

There isn't a lot of components in this amp, and that could be the reason it sounds so good, so free and airy.
A weird thing is: whatever you plug in it sounds ten times better, be it a boutique pedal or a genesis 1 basic modeler. The later sounds 100 times better through the bassman, can't stop playing...
I don't get it, because my guitar goes first in the modeler and the job is done there, no? But the bassman manages to change the frog into a prince... Magic!

Now, the sounds it can't do good enough: I tried it with my fretless, out of curiosity (it was made for that in the first place or?) and it gives poor results in this application. The Jensens can't take low frequencies, even at low volume.
I tried it with a seven strings Ibanez RG (tuned to A) and the bassman can't manage it too. Not only the Jensens but the preamp doesn't like the way healthy pickups.
But I didn't buy this amp for that.
IMO, the best amplifier around because of its fresh detailed tone.
A 7, because a bassman should take the bass after all.

Tubes, but nothing else. Given the simplicity of its electronic design I can't foresee any problems, given one knows how to behave with an all-tube amp.
Taking the time before and after the play. And yes some spare 6L6's in the back of it, too play it safe.
Its housing is first-class, could take some rough move.

These amps are here from a long long time, and the reissue is the same circuit. I don't think that the pcb is a bad thing at this point.
Leo would have used it too if given the chance.
Plus, you always will find spare parts for it.

My dealer is top.
Fender is absolutely not.
See the reliability section and draw your own conclusions.

A great feature is no reverb circuitry to suck your tone out.

I have to confess I only use it clean, since I rely on my trusty pedals for overdrive (jacques tube blower-jacques meistersinger-sansamp gt2 or doubledrive or classic).
Nice headroom so, if I want it louder there are mics around.
As it is, my ears are ringing hard and it is still a clean sound!
The great 4x10 open back design is hard to beat when it comes to sound dispersion. It is not only loud, but everywhere in the room so you hear it way better.

The worst thing about this amp is: any other amp side-by-side suddenly sounds flat-dull-dark-undefined.
So are three of my "till this day beloved" amps gone by now, with no regrets at all: with the bassman around I just couldn't switch them on anymore.

One more thing: the bassman is way light (23kgs, I checked) and my pals are very surprised when they find out their 5150 heads alone weighs the same...

May I foresee that in 50 years there will still be a bassman in fender's program?

2004 model; i play blues/alternative/rock.
I have no complaints about this amp...it has the jenson blue 10" alnico speakers. all tube, i think the are 6L6 power tubes, 50 watt.
4-10" speakers..

I use it with a telecaster with fender noiseless pickups..
it seems to prefer alnico pickups...

it seems they just designed things better in 1959.

This amp has the most gorgeous clean; and can sound great turned up with no pedals at all. Most importantly is this amp loves a fender Telecaster - I have strat, les paul, and tele. and the Tele is it for this amp. beautiful clean tone; or hook up a boss compressor/sustainer pedal and get some biting clean blues lead tones - just cuts thru anything but yet stays smooth and musical.
or add a distortion pedal and it freaking rocks.

use a fulltone OCD(drive at max) w/ boss sustainer and you have got seatle grunge all the way with tele bridge pickup. I also tried a sansamp classic with marshall overdrive emulation - sounds really cool too. got to use that boss sustainer pedal ahead of the overdrive though...

this amp is smoother than say a marshall slp 100 watt. the marshall would be punchier due to high wattage/headroom...

this amp is bass heavy so you need a bright single coil pickup for it; ala tele bridge. try it, you'll freak...

mine is a 2004 model; no problems so far...

haven't had to call fender yet...

this is one of the best amps made. will do absolutely majestically beautiful clean; very cutting biting blues leads; or full out grundge overdrive with blistering overdrived leads... all thru a tele mind you. never annoying in sound; always smooth and musical...

also run it thru a fulltone tube tape echo and it will send shivers down your spine...
mind you, i own the following heads, marshall jcm800, 1959SLP, vht pittbull 45, mesa single rectifier. they are all great amps.
if i had to pick one, i think i'd go with the fender bassman...

I don't want to submit a review on this amp because I don't own one!! However one of the reviews here states that his amp keeps blowing fuses and that this amp is a piece of junk. If you read his review he says he has swapped 2 of his input tubes from 12ax7's to a 12au7 and a 12ay7. While these tubes are pin identicle they actually operate in a completely different way than a 12ax7. The 12au7 draws 8 times the current that a 12 ax7 does and the 12ay7 4 times as much. The fact that a 12ax7 uses a grid bias of -1 or -2 volts also means these other tubes are not biased correctly (that's why they distort sooner)

By my quick reckoning using these two tubes requires the plate supply to deliver an additional 21mA more than it was designed to. Many supplies are only delivering 100 - 150 mA total....wonder why he keeps blowing fuses?

Using the wrong tubes can damage your amp and void warranty.....know what you are doing before you mess with them.

I got a 2004 model. I had to question the logic of (basically) buying 1950's level bass amp technology for my guitar in the 21st century, but as soon as I plugged and heard the tone, I had no choice but trade in my Marshall TSL 100 stack(pure crap by the way). 1 glorious clean channel and no reverb compared to my Marshall's 3 channels of mediocrity w/ effects loops, and useless buttons. Somehow the LTD, with pedals, still is more versatile, although not metal (how many metal players rock tweed anyway?). I'm a David Gilmour/SRV/Clapton/Hendrix kind of strat guy.

I got your standard Strat w/ tex specials. The amp loves good pedals like tubescreamers and my Tonebone Classic, but does not really respond that great w/ more modern technology such as EMGs or Line6. Lots of hum, but has a booming warm glassy tone and the break up is as amazing and classic as it gets. I think the great tones start from a pure clean tone, and this one is certainly one of the best. Insanely responsive, and tubular balls all the way.

It goe through tubes pretty quickly, but you don't have to get it biased if you stick w/ groove tubes. It hasn't broken down on me so 10 so far.

I don't know

I've played for 12 years and in some bands. I'd get another one if it wasn't lost or stolen. I love the simplicity and immediately achievable tonal range, but damn if I don't miss the reverb. I've played Marshalls, Peavey 5150, Line6, Mesa/Boogies but they all had too much crap that just made me feel like I couldn't "find" great tone. Just too many tone sucking knobs. If you are considering purchasing an amp and love pedals (you're on Harmony Central User Reviews, of course you do) try out this amp.

I know I gave it all 10s but my god man, the tone!

basic one channel, four input classic.

well i waited a year before i submitted a review and i think if i had review it when i got it then this part would be very different.I needed to let the speakers wear in and the only way you can do that properly is to play it loud.at first the speakers sound brittle and a little harsh, give time and this will settle down.

This amp amazes me ever time i play it.

Im only playing a strat through this amp, may try it with humbuckers in little while.

if dont like at first try playing it in a different room, if your in a small room it wont sound that great, put it in medium size club and you'll know what its all about.not a pratice amp! this amp just needs to breath in a good room because it has an huge amount of punch. for overdrive if in a smaller room-something like a tube screamer is good, if in larger room you can just play the amp straight cranked, or cranked with fuzz face of some sort.

As for PCB vs point-point i would say there is no reason to worrying about it, im not comparing it to an original even though i have played them and they sound great. It just dosn't matter.It sounds the business as long as you know how to use it properly and your a good guitar player.


the only thing i did change was the valves (nos jan phillips). it makes a bit of differnce, but not essential.

no problems so far.

not needed yet.

classic amp , almost any style depending on pedals and how you use it.not really for metal.

but its the best amp ive ever had.