Vintage Tube Amp

Up for sale, a 1964 Fender Bassman in perfect working order. The last iteration of the Brown Panel-era “Piggyback” Bassman with smooth blonde tolex and gold sparkle grillcloth, this Fender drives two Sovtek 5881 (6L6GC) power tubes for 40 powerful watts of pure tube power. Like the Tweed amps that preceded it, the Brown Panel circuits respond well to picking dynamics with Fender’s hi-fi, glassy clean tones. The EQ controls have a huge sweep, and after around 5 on the Volume dial, the amp cascades into rich tube overdrive that compresses noticeably and is particularly roaring and thick. It’s the kind of natural tube saturation that only comes from pushing a well-designed Fender circuit to its limit. A Pre-CBS Fender Blonde Bassman was used on more Beatles recording sessions than the Vox AC30, was a particular favorite of Pete Townshend, and has become the amp forever linked with Brian Setzer’s classic Rockabilly tones. It’s hard to beat this particular Bassman circuit for a tone that bridges the gap between the dynamic grit of the Tweed circuits and the shimmery cleans of the Black Panel line. The circuit is extremely original and professionally serviced with just a couple new smaller electrolytics in the preamp and a modern three-prong power cable. All of the famed blue molded Ajax capacitors are intact in the preamp, an essential part of the sweet, musical character of Fender’s Brown Panel circuits. With stock Stackpole pots, carbon comp resistors, and cloth-covered leads. All of the Schumacher-made transformers are intact, with date codes from early 1964. The tube chart is intact inside the head cabinet. The tube complement includes a pair of Sovtek power tubes that have been properly biased, and the preamp tubes consist of a combination of vintage and modern valves. The head retains the original smooth blonde tolex and gold sparkle grillcloth, a cosmetic combination only seen in early 1964. The tolex exhibits some various marks commensurate with age, with a couple spots of light staining where sap in the knots of the pine cabinet has made its way through the tolex, and some cigarette burns on top. The raised Fender logo on the head is original, and the black faceplate retains its full set of cream barrel knobs. The hardware includes the original piggyback clip bars, nickel corners, sphinx glides, and handle.