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Topic: Fender Bassman 100 with Black Widow? |
Cameron Kerby
From:
Rutledge, TN
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Posted 5 Feb 2017 2:17 pm |
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Has anyone tried using a Fender Bassman 100 with a 15 inch black widow speaker? I've heard good things about the Bassman and am curious. I'm not even sure what speakers originally went with the Bassman or if they were even voiced correctly for steel. And If someone has tried the Black widow and doesn't like it, what might be the ideal speaker for it? Really seeking the clearest vintage sound.
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Sho Bud Steel Guitars
Vintage Peavey Amplification |
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Fred Glave
From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2017 12:36 pm
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I never heard a steel running through a Fender Bassman. The Bassman doesn't have reverb on it, but other than that I don't see why not. Of course you'll have to run reverb and/or delay as a plug in. The later models BM 100 has head/speaker cab all in one, and the earlier ones had a separate head and 2-12 cab or a 1-15 cab. I think there may have been a 4-10 cab too. I also think they came with Fender speakers, but EV or Black Widow should be just fine. I'd go neodymium for weight personally. Just make sure it's rated properly.
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Zum Encore, Zum Stage One, Fender 2000, Harlan Bros., Multi-Kord, |
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Rick Barnhart
From:
Arizona, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2017 12:56 pm
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| Fred Glave wrote: |
| I never heard a steel running through a Fender Bassman. |
Sure you have, you just might not have known what it was. 
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=312431
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Clinesmith consoles D-8/6 5 pedal, D-8 3 pedal & A25 Frypan, Pettingill Teardrop, & P8 Deluxe. |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2017 3:12 pm
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I used its smaller brother a Bassman 70 for several years.. Used a Holy Grail reverb with it.. It had an outstanding sound, 100 % authentic sweet Fender tube goodness. PLENTY of power.
I think a Bassman 100 would be a great amp for steel.. Personally i do not like Peavey BW speakers with Fender amps.. To me they sound "tubby or "tanky" when used with Fender heads... I much prefer a JBL or Weber California with Fender tube amps... bob
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I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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Cameron Kerby
From:
Rutledge, TN
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Posted 9 Feb 2017 1:20 pm
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Bob, thats kinda what I was thinking as well. Ive never heard of anyone using Fender heads with Peavey speakers. I just happen to have a 15" BW speaker cab that needs to be put to work. It also seems very rare for people to use 15" speakers of any kind in fender amps. Personally I gotta have a 15" for a beefy bass tone.
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Sho Bud Steel Guitars
Vintage Peavey Amplification |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 9 Feb 2017 3:10 pm
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The Fender Vibrosonic had a 15, usually a JBL. It was marketed as a PSG amp. Lots of guys still love them, if they can handle the weight. But yes, 12s are more common.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Daniel Haymore
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 14 Feb 2017 4:08 pm
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I use a silverface bassman ten and a closed back cab with a black widow 15 and I think it sounds pretty good.
I'd go for it, no reason not to. If you want to change speakers down the line you always have the option. |
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 17 Feb 2017 3:23 pm
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A Bassman 100 is just a simple 100-watt tube head. It's voiced fairly "neutral" for a Fender (see below) and can be an "OK" steel amp, although IMO it does not have the warmth of earlier silverface and blackface Fenders. It will stay pretty clean, though.
If you buy one make sure it's been serviced - most of the ones I see have never had even the most basic service done (filter and bias caps and the bias adjusted) and often are close to blowing transformers.
IMO a Black Widow is a very "average" speaker - there are smoother sounding speakers from Weber and Warehouse Guitar Speakers that will handle 100 watts - or 50 if you use 2 - and are also very efficient. The original Bassman speakers were relatively inefficient and had "scooped" mids - not the usual type of frequency curve you want for steel, especially considering the amp - although *relatively* neutral, for a Fender - is still a bit "scooped" (something that can be tweaked by any good amp tech.
One speaker caution - *don't* ever run a single JBL D130F or D120F with an amp over 70 watts. They were originally 60-watt speakers (JBL used a weird specification that implied they were 100 watt speakers) and will have lost some power handling over the years.
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No chops, but great tone
1930's/40's Rickenbacher/Rickenbacker 6&8 string lap steels
1921 Weissenborn Style 2; Hilo&Schireson hollownecks
Appalachian, Regal & Dobro squarenecks
1959 Fender 400 9+2 B6;1960's Fender 800 3+3+2; 1948 Fender Dual-8 Professional |
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