Axes & Artifacts - Fender Bassman Shoot Out (1958, 1959, & 1960)

[@millstap]

I have a 1959 and 1960 Bassman. The 1960 is probably one of the most popular Bassman videos on KZbin. I have noticed a difference between them. They are very close but the 1960 is magical. It has a very dark, completely shredded Tweed and I think it lets the amp breath a little more. The 1959 has been retweeded which, to me, makes the cabinet sound kind of tight. Also, all of the speakers have been reconed. The 1960 P10R's were all reconed at Orange Co. Speaker (I miss that place) with paper type voice coil formers. They sound very open and the sound seems to spread more out of the back of the amp. The 1959 P10R's were reconed by several different people using Kapton formers and are more focused sounding, very unidirectional. Maybe they sound more like P10Q's. It is interesting to hear these amps with PAF's. I have only played Strats and Teles through mine. The single coils don't push the amp near as hard and I get a very clean tone out of mine. The 1959 in this video sounds a lot like mine and it is a retweed too. Actually, it looks like they have all been retweeded. I would never retweed them if I could help it. I'm sure a lot of times it is necessary. I'm surprised you could sit there with the amps on 6. Do you know what type speakers are in the 1959 and 1960? Thanks for this video.

[@aaronbrown0417]

millstap i got a gutted 59 ltd with everything to 5f6a specs....i was just cranking my bassman up to 11 today. The tele strat and jazzmaster didn't push the front nearly as i thought it would... even on 10 on the guitar the notes were very clean and extremely touch sensitive.... now i can do that with my es guitars and les Paul's but i gotta be extremely delicate in my attack...i gotta really turn down to completely clean up the sound.... you just can't get a better tone than a bassman

[@taggmanibanez]

@@aaronbrown0417 The thing I've found with the bassman circuits is that you need to check all of the pre-amp voltages, especially the V2 cathode follower plates, there needs to be a difference of 120v between pin6 and pin1 or you will not get the gain levels or tone. Also if any of the preamp voltages are to high that will make it too clean. Reference the 5f6-A schematic for voltage readings, but reference the re-issue schematic for component values(long story, some of the component values on the original schematic are wrong), and of course make sure the power tubes are biased properly.

[@taggmanibanez]

Hey these are the closest thing I've found to the original P10R tone, www.tedweber.com/10a100-t , they are unreal amazing, they have that open airy thing like the real ones.

[@PeterDad60]

How about a Marshall 2245/JTM45? I love the tone, unfortunately I returned two of them because they had issues. Purchased a '59 Bassman LTD and expect to get in late November 2019.

[@patrickrosington1174]

@@PeterDad60 get a metropalous GMP45 its a perfect clone of a1966 JTM45 i have a 62 jtm45 clone my a legendary builder best amp ive owned.

[@noi5emaker]

John you're a real trooper. Thanks for fighting though the pain to bring us this! Now go and convalesce like your doc told you to!

[@mookytc]

Just found this video. John fresh out of surgery displaying his skills and the tone of the bassman. Great material! Thanks..

[@srwaite7]

You can't keep a good man down for long! Glad you are back in the saddle, John. Rock on!

[@gusdupree2508]

Hey PG, I know you can hear me ,we haven't had a axes and artifacts In a little while ,miss it

[@nycLPplayer]

58 all the way...low end blends better when I listen with nice headphones. Bond ending was awesome.

[@bengalvin9932]

RIGHT ON! 58 SOUNDED THE BEST TO ME TO! i am using headphones as well so people out there who are not try it with a good set of headphones because like NYC LP PLAYER it was not even close the 58 killed it!

[@jade5773]

Agreed

[@TheThinker39]

Thanks so much for this very enjoyable video. Us ordinary folks don't get a close look and close listen to such pristine and legendary amps and guitar. Now I know how the primo original stuff sounded. And I always enjoy your wonderful guitar playing. I had my appendix out many years ago, and you're a real trooper doing this so soon after the operation. Nothing like modern medication, I guess. Thanks and best wishes!

[@ethompson526]

John and crew please make these more, longer and with more vintage instruments (mostly amps and pedals) thanks you're the best!

[@fretbored1]

John, I love taking it out with Goldfinger.

[@withmygoodeyeclosed]

John is such a cool guy. I think component drift on those old amps also have a lot to do with the difference in tone.

[@davidkieltyka9]

Yeah, a fellow appendectomy survivor! Had mine the same week Hurricane Katrina hit. Was up & around quick too. The marvels of modern surgery…

[@Goomer]

Hope your feeling better John. Cool demo.

[@johnbohlinger]

Thanks Goomer. Totally recovered. We filmed this a few months ago; my appendix quit on me while on tour. They took it out in South Dakota. I road the bus back to Nashville and filmed this the next day. Dedicated and medicated.

[@TomRC88]

glad to hear you're ok! keep on roking!

[@Robstafarian]

I hope you were able to let go of that synthetic opiate quickly and easily.

[@nt-hd5fo]

He was feeling good during this demo due to the vicodin ;P

[@michaelparson-mcnamara782]

Nice. I used to have a '59 and a '60 Concert, but alas, I sold them to stay afloat. Of they were much cheaper then! I bought 'em both in 1969 or '70. My favorite amps ever.

[@edtweed5e4-a]

I have a 59 Bassman and it sounds unbelievable just like these monsters! Great video but could have done with far more of the amps tone, love to hear more from them

[@KentBuchla]

Most of the differences are probably due to the really wide tolerances of component values. Huge swings of up to 40% difference are easily found.

[@brettmarlar4154]

The '59 is the brightest. the '58 and '60 sounded nearly identical. They seemed to have more low end response.

[@ernieflanaganstingraybassm1463]

John it sounds really good with your les-paul custom with my favorite pickups on a les paul P-90'S ROCK !!!!!

[@niklassilen4313]

"Subtly different".. lol. Yeah, they all sound _completely_ different. Nice shootout! Good video.

[@holmes1978]

Excellent John Sir !

[@jca6160]

Love Axes and Artifacts

[@justinshaffer3214]

Wonder if the '58 is a 5F6 (no A)? To my ears, it's got that slightly bigger low end, less focused sound that the earlier ones have (with cathode bypass cab on v2). Could be another factor though. Great sounds and playing!

[@80srocker65]

Some of the best sounds ever heard

[@VonBluesman]

John you better get yourself home and heal up, follow the doctor's orders for recovery. I hope you get well soon, loved the demo and the last P90 Les Paul sounded amazing. Play On Jimi !!!

[@johnbohlinger]

Thanks VonBluesman. Totally recovered. We filmed this a few months ago; my appendix quit on me while on tour. They took it out in South Dakota. I road the bus back to Nashville and filmed this the next day. Dedicated and medicated.

[@Sparky6string]

All were great- the 60 was the best.

[@strings2wood]

335 neck. Blocks look pretty for sure. I like the feel and connection between player, instrument and amp which feels more immediate with dots and frets where there's nothing if that makes sense.

[@michaelogden5958]

If any of you guys are ever in Nashville, Gruhn Guitars is a "died and gone to heaven" place. :-)

[@RoelCyborg]

hi John that last guitar with the bond tune sounds great ,, perfect for,,,,is it an old solit LP with a bigsby on it (with P90 picks) look so simular to a Gretsch G6128T Duo Jet ,, great tune makes me wanna play ~_- cheese

[@13opacus]

John please do a full version of thunderball!

[@jimmyjams1974]

That amp sounds great. Wonder how loud it was.

[@atquinn1975]

Wow, that 59 Bassman was rockin! Get well soon John.

[@iradole8362]

Bollinger, you are the man!

[@fonzybrookestone727]

I need that 58!!!

[@whimpypatrol5503]

Did they check the inside of the es335 for some original Gibson Kalamazoo employee fingerprints?

[@telecaster-ns3vr]

You could have lined up three 58s in 1958 and they'd all sound a little different from one another. Same goes for any amp of any year.

[@mdub048]

get well soon, JB. The '59 with the 335 o.o!!!

[@Anson120]

LOOK at his rings. Those are freaking amazing. Those are "my diamonds".

[@mattrogers1946]

This tweed Fender Bassman and BFSR were the best amps Fender ever made.

[@underpressureman]

Does anybody know what years the (5F6-A)Re Issues that were made in Brea, California were produced? They are the the ones that have a 5AR4 Tube Rectifier / 2x6L6GC / 3x12AX7) I'm curious because I just aquired one but I can hardly find any info on these earlier Re Issues. Thanks

[@TheNaturalust]

Wow cleanest looking single dot 335 I have ever seen. That is BIG bucks. The 1960 Amp sounds best IMO.

[@mattrogers1946]

Jimmy Page played on the Goldfinger recording. Although he played acoustic on the track, John plays a Les Paul that's very much like the guitar Jimmy used during his studio days. Coincidence?

[@omikl]

...and the circuits all came out of the RCA tube book,

[@ericbauer6703]

They are the same because different people made them and because all the components drift in different ways. Who knows if all of those have the same original coupling caps, etc. And would be great to know the speakers, guessing the first two had P10R's

[@SkillCult]

Ha ha, I actually shot a vid on vicodin the day after my appendix operation. Turned out pretty good...

[@scottmartin1876]

I’m going 58 because it sounds more Who’s next Townshend haha..even though I know he used a tweed Bandmaster. They all sound lovely though :) Awesome bit of Goldfinger at the end!

[@eddriantaez7027]

Hi friend, could you tell me the model of the guitar you played? Please it would be very useful for me and if not the price would be too much, Thank you

[@buddyollie7400]

Edd orion antarex He played a 1960 Gibson es 335 and a 1956 Les Paul with p-90s... The first one was the 335, then the Les Paul...

[@eddriantaez7027]

thank you

[@buddyollie7400]

Edd orion antarex Yo welcome homie👍🌿

[@meshplates]

Different bias, reconings or not, bias levels, caps and resistors and of course tubes.

[@speckofdust21]

wow...they sound super different... almost like different aplifiers

[@MatthewDAmico94]

John is high af I love it

[@daveramos1744]

Was that the theme song from Goldfinger?

[@timburle4980]

How can you sit in front of that amp on 6?

[@andrewbryan359]

You are a bad man doing that so soon after the op. I suppose you carried the amps about too! Hope you are recovering well. Great video.

[@boonfire3714]

Oo I like the 60. I was really surprised that they even sounded different! Ah tube amps eh? Strange beasts

[@BioStuff415]

wow... all different and all good. Wonder if all te guts are the same.

[@Quicksilver_Cookie]

Can't quite understand why people keep referring to PAF as some specific type of pickup. It literally means 'patent applied for', and for quite few years Gibson put that stamp on all of their humbuckers in no relation to magnet type and other parameters. Maybe I'm missing something, but it really doesn't tell us anything about a pickup.

[@gusdupree2508]

MrCorvusC during those paf years they were wound I believe to a time rather than an amount , after that the machines changed , basically the paf pickups would be asymmetrical and the patent # would be symmetrical, kinda like how 57 classics are now and burstbuckers are like Pafs

[@richardlester2389]

my '58 is great. The tube identification sticker on the inside of the cab says 5u4 tubes, not 6l6.

[@bradcarroll3719]

Richard Lester for the rectifier yes. The twin power tubes are 6L6’s

[@richardlester2389]

Sorry, mistake, I meant to say the rectifier tube was 5u4 and the power tubes are 5881

[@johnmarshall3903]

Keep looking!

[@chrismartin500]

I thought the 58 growled most, the 59 had the best note separation, the 60 seemed twangy. Id take any one of them but liked the 58 best.

[@bassmangoodman5516]

beautiful

[@dimiaraujo90]

Fun fact: I always preferred Fender amps with Gibson-Style guitars, and Fender guitars with British-Style amps. Seems like a much more richer marriage.

[@spyderlogan4992]

1960 for me.

[@felixjordanguitar]

you're a trooper

[@Ogeiddiego777]

58 all live!

[@FLdb-wj4wc]

Great guitar player

[@earlycuyler8719]

Seems the upkeep would bare more on tone than anything

[@SeeMick1]

Love the James Bond music.

[@staffansvahn]

1960!

[@billrand4138]

be nice if you showed the settings on these vids :)

[@soofitnsexy]

lol just turn it up....they are awesome...no bad setting

[@Plaza240sx]

why no talk about the 51 Bassman?

[@lolobuggah2670]

They did.

[@davidbuzzin426]

👍😉❤1958❤😉👍BETTER SAG , GRIT & WARMTH👌😁

[@johnrowe5716]

I am saddened to say that I have had occasion to deal with Gruin Guitars on two separate occasions: one when I had $330 cash---PERIOD----given to me specifically to buy a guitar by a newlywed couple after I had lost all I owned to a thorough burglary; the second time, years later, when I could have purchased almost anything in the store. Though I do not drop names, I have played with "A-List" guitarists/bassists, at my behest not because they begged me for the opportunity. Still, they could have said, "no." (And I learned from them...a lot.) Both my interactions at Gruin were treated with such snobbery I could have counted the hairs inside their respective noses. Sad, that...we could have done a lot of business; they've done plenty anyway..

[@94nolo]

Great playing. Twin all day. :b but all Bassmen are also great though.

[@reggiehobbs8800]

DAMN

[@buddyollie180]

I literally couldn't tell a difference LoL

[@willdenham]

What a dramatic difference between 58 and 59.

[@bdmanization]

7:04 58’ 7:32 59’ 8:03 60’

[@averyadrian1534]

‘58 was the dirtiest... me likey

[@yjmsrv]

Playing comparison finally starts at 7:10- lot's of talk before that...

[@cruller23]

That 58 would be my choice--nice and fat with more gain for my single coils.

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

11 people dont know what tone is. 11 dislikes really?

[@jpbanksnj]

Yeah, Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, Yeah. Oh... Really... Yeah, Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. Sure Yeah, Yeah. Yeah. OK. Got it.

[@Fugettaboutit]

You guys just wake up?

[@247spiritualsoldier]

Must be super loud in a room

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

But yes the 59 all the way

[@bacicinvatteneaca]

"this circuitry was copied in what would become the best amp in the world" which is why patents should NOT exist and any and all research should be done to the advantage of the entire human community.

[@taghazoutoo]

this is so stupid. bassman with gibson guitars .u need fender strat if u really wana know how it sound like

[@cowitch100]

58 is sweet

[@iwillnevergetone5]

I say we torch all vintage instruments & gear and start anew, that way young broke players like myself can actually stop feeling bad about never affording gear of this caliber. also the stupid instrument hierarchy will be lessened. Ha

[@falcon45ca]

Be patient, lots of amazing quality vintage gear can be bought for a good price. You just might have to wait more than the high-speed internet age has made us accustom.

[@iwillnevergetone5]

falcon45ca I hear ya. I'm actually pretty happy with my current non-vintage gear. I'd just like the option to check out some of this older coveted gear without all the prestige attached to them is all

[@DiedrichKnickerbocker1783]

1960 for me.