kudzurunner
3398 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:33 AM
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Not mine, but the real deal. One owner, all original, and unbelievably good looking. Is this really the original tweed? Hard to believe. But the guts and speakers look original. One owner! If you've got $10,000 sitting around, it's yours:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1955-Fender-Bassman-5E6-Tweed-Combo-Amp-Guitar-Amplifier-/150857374350?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item231fccda8e
Lots of photos. I'd like to know what Rick Davis and the other heavy amp techs here think, from a purely visual inspection. Those filter caps look awfully new. NOS, perhaps? I just can't believe an amp can look this nice after more than 55 years, even if it's been sitting in somebody air-conditioned closet all that time.
Last Edited by on Jul 21, 2012 6:37 AM
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eharp
1898 posts
Jul 21, 2012
6:53 AM
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air-conditioned closet?!?
heck- i'd buy the amp if i could just use the closet!!
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5F6H
1274 posts
Jul 21, 2012
7:58 AM
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"Those filter caps look awfully new. NOS, perhaps?" Link isn't working for me, but there would be no advantage to using NOS filter caps, in fact it would be a distinct disadvantage - they only have a relatively short short shelf life & working life of a few years. They degrade with time, usage slows that degredation compared to sitting idle. Regularly used filter caps 20yrs old would be better than caps that have sat around idle for 5yrs.
Replaced filter caps are fact of life & a reassuring sign in a player amp.
NOS coupling caps, no problem there as long as they have been tested for leakage if previously used.
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mandowhacker
183 posts
Jul 21, 2012
10:44 AM
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"Replaced filter caps are fact of life & a reassuring sign in a player amp."
I have a friend who restores tube amps and radios.
He says that if someone swears a 45 year old amp is "original" to steer clear of it, or at least don't stand too close when it's plugged in.
He explained that a lot of the components have lifespans that have expired and in an old amp they are either dead or have been replaced.
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Just when I got a paddle, they added more water to the creek.
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chromaticblues
1276 posts
Jul 22, 2012
3:39 PM
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$10,000
Ah well oh I think ah well yeah it's nice, but it's $10,000!!! Are you fing kidding!
Bullshit aside I do like the older Bassmans. I think that one is cathode biased, which sounds better to me.
I have many responses that are not allowed here!
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FreeWilly
285 posts
Jul 23, 2012
12:35 AM
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http://muziek.marktplaats.nl/versterkers-bas-en-gitaar/574500814-vintage-fender-bassman-versterker-uit-mei-1955.html
Look, another one. Only 2.900 euro's for this one. And it has some parts replaced. For non-museum guys, this might be ideal..
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5F6H
1276 posts
Jul 23, 2012
3:46 AM
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@Chromaticblues: "Bullshit aside I do like the older Bassmans. I think that one is cathode biased, which sounds better to me." I think you'd have to go back to the 1x15" bassmans (5B6, 5C6) to get the cathode biased models. All the 4x10" amps (5D6 onwards) were fixed bias.
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chromaticblues
1278 posts
Jul 23, 2012
4:44 AM
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@5F6H Oh thank you! I thought that one was old enough to have the Cathode bypass cap.
It's been a while since I've looked into it because people are trying to sell them for $10,000!
Kidding, but it is impossible to get a good one cheap so to me it doesn't matter. There are so many amps that can work well. The hype around the Bassman is something I've never liked.
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