These 40 watt amps are known for their bold and pristine clean sound as well as their classic unmistakeable dirt. Fender users manuals, free download musical instruments, guitars. It is a 50 watt guitar amplifier driving 4 10 woofers being driven at 2 ohms. Download fender bassman 5f6a circuit in pdf document here. Webers 5e6a and 5f6a amp kits replicate the fender tweed bassman circuits from 195557 5e6a and 19581960 5f6a. Up to the blonde bassman with blonde colored tolex circuit 6g6 they all had tube rectifier, but since then a diode rectifier was used. Fender bassman was a bass amplifier introduced by fender in 1952. Fender bassman 60 operating instructions manual pdf.
Although it was originally designed for bass guitars, it is often used for normal electric guitar in rock and roll, blues and country music. This is what the front looks like without the name plate put on yet. The fender bassman amp is a compact, portable musical instrument conservatively rated, with all necessary controls for handling complete high fidelity music reproduction. The sound that emanates from any guitar amp is more than the sum of its parts, and only a detailed analysis of exactly how your signal is shaped along the way can reveal just how that. To the point now, i found this reasonably priced kit for a fender 5f6a bassman clone. Looking to get a fender head for an avatar 2x12 with a vintage 30 and greenback. Proceedings of the 19th international conference on digital audio effects dafx 16, brno, czech republic, september 59, 2016 the fender bassman. The blackface bassman with black tolex covering and black knobs existed basically unchanged until 1967. Personally i have a silverface bassman 50 with a tonspotter loaded cabinet. The classic american amplifiers of the 50s and 60s inspired us to create the, errrrr, american classic series. The fender bassman 5f6a family of preamplifier circuitsa. The flagship fender bass amp the flagship of the fender bass amp lineup is the mighty super bassman. The bassman was designed for the first massproduction electric bass, the fender precision bass. One of the guys there showed me the fender bassman 25, because it was his personal favorite amp.
This included a transistorized version of the bassmana 105watt piggyback beast with. He mentioned that jim marshall had ripped the circuit, for what he believed, from the bassman. The early era of fender bassman amps laid the groundwork for virtually all rock combos to follow, so much so that it was the 4x10 bassman that inspired the very first marshallbranded amp in 1962. Each part of that classic design is analysed in isolation and then the bigger picture is there to be seen. Fender 59 bassman operating instructions manual pdf download. Proceedings of the 19th international conference on digital audio effects dafx16, brno, czech republic, september 59, 2016 the fender bassman. Fender bassman 5f6a tube amplifier schematic design. These classic vacuum tube amps from 1959 are often the first choice of todays awardwinning guitarists and professional musicians. I use a fender reverb unit, so i have that end of things covered. This circuit was featured in the 4 x 10 tweed bassman amplifier combos manufactured by the fender electric instrument company from 1957 1959, and is universally recognized as one of the greatest guitar amplifiers.
The fender bassman is a bass amplifier introduced by fender during 1952. The ltd version has a lacquered tweed covering and 4. The fender bassman model 5f6a was released in 1958 and has become one of the. The fender bassman1 a multiple success story gitec. One of the most powerful and versatile fender bass amps ever made, its a stadiumlevel 300watt tube head designed for the biggest shows and the largest stages, with enormous fender bass sound and sparkling vintagestyle fender looks. That era bassman is the holy grail of tweed fenders for a lot of players and collectors. This retube set for the fender tweed bassman 5f6a tube amplifier consists of the very best vacuum tubes we have to offer. Bassman 5f6a, bassman 5f6a, tweed super, super 5f6, brown super, super 6g4, super 6g4a, 8087 original 120v version power transformers. The newest version of this reissue is the 59 bassman ltd. Legendary fender bassman the tweed covered fender bassman is considered by many to be the epitome of tone, and every current tube amplifier myth revolves around this amplifier. The cap board is usually located outside the chassis in a dog house next to the choke but it will. The next stage in the bassman 5f6a centers around a 12ax7 tube containing two triodes, the first of which is another voltage amplifier.
Starting in mid1957, this map had four inputs instead of two. So with that being said, here are a few pictures of my copy of the fender bassman 5f6a guitar amplifier. Fender forums view topic bassman 5f6a and 6g6b differences. At 50 watts, it competed easily with the common instrumentation of the day. Bassman amp from fender, called the bassman ltd from inside, so. Service manuals, schematics, eproms for electrical technicians. Admittedly, they sound great for guitar, but lets back up a little and see as fender makes a bass amplifier. The fender bassman 5f6a, third edition richard kuehnel on. The greatest guitar amp of all time original fender 1959 bassman youtube. Fender forums view topic fender bassman model 5f6a. The greatest guitar amp of all time original fender 1959. Fender bassman from arbiter the most wanted guitar in britain today telecaster by fender 1966 mid 1960s uk advertisement for fender guitars and amplifiers. In 1954, the bassman was upgraded from a 1x15 to a 4x10inch combo.
The pictures below are of the third oldest known 4x10 amp ever made. Mod your bassman reissue for vintage tone singlecoil. The vintage hifi free downloads, service manuals, owners manuals, plans. Original 5f6a fender bassman with a gibson les paul standard 1959 reissue. Teaming the precbs fender stratocaster and the late 1950s tweed fender bassman amplifier has been a dream for most every guitarist at least once in their playing career, and more stars have used this combination of gear or something extremely similar to make memorable music than perhaps any other coupling of guitar and amp. Btw, the tweed 55 60 bassman 5e6a, 5f6, and 5f6a all had 4 10s. Fender tweed bassman style transformers by classictone. Been checking out fender bassmans but someone told me that the fender supersonic sounds much like the old 66 bassman, but with extra components to model the 65 vibrolux. Think it also has a high end gain channel for some more marshall crunch type of stuff. Im not trying to improve the 5f6a so much as im trying to make the amp more versatile.
The fender bassman was originally intended to amplify fender bass guitars, but soon was adopted as a guitar amplifier. Keep in mind throughout this lesson that fender is in business to make money, and the bottom line is a. Sep 15, 2011 this is a hand built by me fender 59 bassman. Ground switch is deleted, 3prong power cord, balanced 6. Bassman 10 1976 bassman 10 1978 bassman 20 1982 bassman 25 20002005 bassman 30. The information contained herein is confidential and proprietary to fender musical instruments corp. The ceriatone 5f6a amplifier is based on the tweedcovered amplifier of the same designation. Eyelet boards are a bit hard to come by, so i designed my own. You might like this if you add it to the 5f6a circuit. If you would like this kit assembled for you by one of our techs, you can email your request here. Every serious guitarist should have some sort of 50s bassman in their arsenal.
So its got tweed bassman on one channel and black face fender on the other. Use our extensive knowledge, experience and customer feedback to select retube packages that. The fender bassman 5f6a, third edition paperback september 8, 2009. Mojotones tweed bassman style amp is based on the late 50s 5f6a circuit. This kit must be shipped with signature required for delivery. The silverface bassman amps are also awesome, but they dont sound like the tweed combos except in a vague fender sense. Download fender bassman 5f6a tube amplifier circuit diagram in pdf document. There is a recovered tweed bassman i think 5e6 or 5f6, not 5f6a up here in boston for about 5k. I also have a late 1957 hipower tweed fender twin amp, 83 rectifier model, that i put in a separate head cab and it sounds fabulous with bass. I have owned the reissue gave it to my son, and i have built a few myself. Fender bassman clones gearslutz gearslutz pro audio.
View and download fender bassman 100 operating instructions manual online. Fender narrow panel tweed bassman february 25, 2011 november 30, 2017 admin 9 comments. Download fender bassman 5f6a tube amplifier circuit diagram in pdf. I filled those with input jacks, bright switch and volume, treble and bass controls and wired in a ptp modified ab763 black face fender circui, minus the reverb and trem. Fender 59 bassman operating instructions manual pdf. I dont expect anyone to mod their original 5f6a bassman but if you have a bassman reissue or home build like me then adding some switchable mods can be beneficial. The following information is taken from an article the e street bands equipment by dave marsh, musician no. I went in search of a bass amp that could be heard over the drums. In the early 1960s, fender had been distributed in the uk by jennings, but by the middle of the decade arbiter had won the contract. Fender wasis not good at keeping their schematics up to date. If you want a good fender you have to buy a custom shop top of the range, and even then there is no guarantee.
While the original bassman combo of 1952 was intended to accompany fenders new electronic basses, it didnt take long for rock and blues guitarist to embrace the raw tube power of the line. If ordering for an older discontinued amp, please include photos or as much descriptive information on the product as you can. This is my 5th weber build and it is handsdown my absolute favorite. Who knew the bassman could out marshall a marshall. This cathode follower tone stack became an archetypal model for countless amplifier manufacturers to follow including jim marshalls first amp designs. View and download fender 59 bassman operating instructions manual online. Heres one for you all, my 1st attempt at building a bass amplifier, a bassman 5f6a copy with dual gz34 rectifiers and twin 6550 output tubes. None of the amp books i have delve deep enough into how the circuits actually work looks like this book does and may even go too far into the math. That it is a fender bassman and in pure working condition, makes this amp extremely interesting. Add to this the fact that the first marshall amplifiers were largely leveraged from the bassmans circuit design which in turn spawned a countless array of further clones as time passed, and its easy to understand why the fender bassman was the. Since the bassman is the blueprint for the first marshall, it is capable of great overdrive sounds be it by itsself or pedals.
This was a period that encompassed fenders 1965 sale to cbs and the summer 1966 start of fenders illfated experiment with solidstate electronics. If you are unable to create one of these document formats and would be willing to send in your hard copy to the address above, wed be happy to scan it and return it to you promptly. Original power and output transformers, choke coil replaced. Ive seen plenty of guff on the internet that a bassman with twin 6550s isnt worth it, i beg to differ. I know the amp tech who works at the shop selling it and he says it was sent back to fender at some point and retolexed by them, so it seems that at least some of these had been redone in black tolex by the factory.
Fender bassman bass guitar amplifier vintage guitar. Aug 10, 2014 beyond the improvements themselves, the the fender 59 bassman ltd shares the same fourinput, twochannel design with independent controls for volume on each channel in addition to presence, bass, middle, and treble controls that go to 12. While each instance or variation of the bassman design is slightly different, most have a classic sound that is recognizably bassman. The wikibassman article reflects upon known, newly uncovered information and fresh insights towards the 1954 5d6 4x10 bassman. Combined with british voiced speakers like g12h30 or emi tonespotter, the bassman is the bomb. Mar 21, 2015 the newest version of this reissue is the 59 bassman ltd. To open downloaded files you need acrobat reader or similar pdf reader program. Nov, 20 my friend and i were talking about some old classic amps and he showed me a video of a bassman sounding pretty gnarly. I know they were originally designed as a bass and guitar amp, hence the name i guess, but im still wondering how well they perform. This is my fender bassman 5f6a guitar amplifier project. Up to until 1954, the bassman amps had only 1 speaker circuit 5b6, but it was the four 10.
Fender bassman 5f6a amplifier project by edmund henke on. Pdf the fender bassman 5f6a family of preamplifier circuits. It was introduced in 1952 and discontinued in 1983. The third edition extends the heritage of the fender bassman 5f6a by examining the modifications marshall incorporated into its famous bluesbreaker combo and plexi amplifiers.
It sounds absolutely amazing i am selling it only because i need the cash and i also have an axe fx ultra. So, i guess the answer to this question, for me anyway, is a definitive yes to using the fender bassman model 5f6a amplifier for electric bass. Fender bassman 5f6a tube amps circuit circuit schematic. The fender bassman 5f6a knows this, and pays homage to this template of tone like no other book on the market. In early 1952, the fender bassman amplified a great new invention the fender precision bass guitar. The story the guy at eugenes told me over the phone was fender offered a deal where you could get the amp recovered in the. It is disclosed solely for use by qualified technicians for purposes of equipment maintenance and service. This is, in our opinion, perhaps the most important continue reading american classics 5f6a bassman. The bassmans wide stage coverage, touch sensitive dynamics, and fullfrequency swirl make it the perfect vehicle for building a great tone with almost any guitar or effect pedal hooked into it. Sep 08, 2009 circuit analysis of a legendary tube amplifier. Most serial number charts do not include the 1954 fender 5d6 4x10 bassman. Fender has a tendency of creating a look rather then addressing the essence the sound.
The 5f6a was jim marshalls choice circuit for the first jmp 50s, and jtm45s. This amplifier was made in the 50s, and was available as a 4. The fat jimmy vintage series 5f6a is our authentic recreation of the legendary 5f6a tweed bassman circuit. The grandfather of rock and roll, says carl verheyen. That left a bunch of open holes for the nomral channel side of the chassis. The tweed 53 54 bassman 5b6 had 1 15 and the blonde 60 bassman head came with a 1 12 cabinet. Its not really the volume im worried about since rehearsals dont get that loud and most gigs are via the pa so. Build the worldfamous tweed bassman 5f6 guitar amplifier. I have heard many cheap chinese amps sounding way better. Also, youll notice that just about every other fender amp has grid stopper resistors on the grids of the power tubes. Almost anything any of the other fender amps can do cept tremelo it can do better.
The fender bassman 5f6a, 3rd edition by richard kuehnel i am thinking of ordering it and was hoping to get some comment from anybody that may already have it. This paper presents a wave digital filter study of the preamplifier circuit of 5f6a. The purpose of the mod was to eliminate a scratchy sound when the pot is turned due to dc voltage on the pot in the original presence circuit design. Fender bassman 100 operating instructions manual pdf download. View and download fender bassman 60 operating instructions manual online. Finally the 5f6a bassman along with the 5f8a twin were the first fender amplifiers to have a full tone stack featuring treble, bass and middle controls which was very unique for a 1950s guitar amp. Try as i might to find its shortcomings, as i can with so many other fender and other designs, i just cant. The 5f6a bassman s rep as one of the best amplifier designs ever made is well deserved. The previous version of the bassman 5f6 had a 25uf25v bypass cap on the second tube 12ax7 across the 820 ohm cathode resistor. Best speakers for fender tweed bassman 5f6a 1959 tweed bassman and the ltd reissue the tweed bassman, or 5f6a circuit, is one of the most lauded circuit designs in guitar amplifier history. The boards are printed circuit boards, and using a heat gun, i removed all the copper clad. The story the guy at eugenes told me over the phone was fender offered a deal where you could get the amp recovered in the new stuff and respeakered. If you believe this it makes sense that it would have the 59s in there, and maybe one blew and an. For example its more accurate to say tweed 60 bassman or blonde 60 bassman since they both existed and are completely different amps and circuits.