'65 Blackface Bassman head conversion...

[Williams]

Question for Bassman experts: I'm going to buy a bass guitar and start playing bass again (I started my musical life as a bass player). So instead of buying a bass amp I'm thinking about converting my '65 Blackface head to sound more like a real bass head instead of a guitar head, and just buy myself a bass cab. Can this be easily done without extensive mods that are irreversable, or am I better off just buying a new bass amp??

Thanks,
-Kevin

[chuckocaster]

if it hasn't been modded, then it will sound like a bass amp when played on the "bass" channel. just make sure to get a 4 ohm bass cab to play thru. i know several people who play thru a stock bassman with a bass, and they sound killer. i never have thru mine cause it has been modified to be strictly a guitar amp.

[Williams]

It hasn't been modded (i think), but I though the reason why it became more of a guitar amp than a true bass amp was because it sounded better through a guitar than a bass...
I'll give it a try though. What type of 4 ohm cab do you reccomend Chuckocaster?? I was thinking one of the Mesa bass cabs if not Fender...

-Kevin

[BLUELOU]

MOD (# 1) REALLY SIMPLE THIS CAN BE DONE TO NORMAL CHANNEL OR BASS CHANNEL OR BOTH IF YOU LIKE THE SOUND AFTERWARDS.......

ME I PERSONALLY DO THIS TO TE BASS CHANNEL AND LEAVE MY NORMAL CHANNEL INTACT STOCK SO I GOT BEST OF BOTH WORLDS.........

THIS IS A REAL SIMPLE MOD IT TAKES LIKE 5 MINUTES AND IT WORKS SERIOUSLY ...............
THERE IS A TAN LEAD COMIN OUT OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD THA GOES TO TWO RESISTORS SOLDERED ACROSS BOTH JACKSOF INPUTS JACKS
IF YOURE GONNA USE THE BASS CHANNEL YOU CAN BY PASS THESE RESISTORS EASILY
ALL YOU DO IS UNSOLDER THE TAN WIRE FROM THE 2 RESISTORS THA ARE SOLDERED TO BOTH INPUUT JACKS AND SOLDER THE WIRE DIRECTLY TO THE HOT LUG
EASY ENOUGH

LEAVE THE RESISTORS IN TACT ON THE JACKS OK THEY WONT SHORT OUT DONT BEND THEM OR ANYTHING
(ONLY ONE JACK ON THE CHANNEL WILL WORK)

YOU ONLY USE ONE JACK ANYWAYS I USE TH FIRST ON OF EITHER CHANNEL SOLDER THE WIRE DIRECTLY TO WHICH EVER HOT INPUT LUG YOU WANT TO USE ONLY THA INPUT JACK WILL WORK ON THA CHANNEL

CAREFULLY RE INSTALL THE PWR TUBES ANDD PUG IN AMP HOOK IT UP TO SPKR CAB AND LISTEN
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE ? YUP !!!!!!

WHILE I AM IN MY AMP I USUALLY GO ALL OUT WITH THIS ALSO

(MOD #2 ) ITS TIGHTER SOUNDING
ANOTHER EASY MOD I DONE IS THIS "YOU DONT HAVE TO"
ITS A IDEA TRIK I USE

ALSO ON THE BACKSIDE IN CHASSIS THERE IS MAIN SPKR JACK AND EXT SPKR JACKS

LOCATE THE TAN WIRE ()( THESE WIRES ARE CLOTH COVERED )
THA IS COMIN OUT OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND GOIN TO THE MAIN SPKR JACK HOT LUG......ITS A WHITE TANNISH CLOTH COVERED WIRE ......ONLY ONE GOIN TO THE MAIN SPKR OUTPUT JACK

YOU CAN UNSOLDER THIS WHITE/TAN WIRE

CAREFULLY CUT SNIP OFF THE END A LITTLE SO NO BARE WIRE IS EXPOSD OK CAREFULLY SEAL IT
AND I USE HEAT SHRINK TUBING I COVER THE WIRE END WITH THIS AND SHRINK SEAL IT UP ......
I COIL THE WIRE 2-3 TURNS TIE WRAP IT SHUT TO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING GROUND OUT OR ANYTHING IN THE CHASSIS

LEAVE THE WHITE/TAN WIRE SOLDERED TO CIRCUIT BOARD ALONE AND JUST UN SOLDER IT FROM THE MAIN SPKR JACK HOT LUG ONLY.... AINT GONNA HURT ANYTHING


BY THE WAY IF YOURE WONDERIN WHA IS FEEDIN THE SPKR OUTPUTS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
DONT WORRY......OK ?CHECK THIS OUT - read on

THERE IS A( black) FEED LEAD ALREADY FEEDIN THE SPKR OUTPUTS SO YOULL BE OK USUALLY ITS A PLASTIC BLACK WIRE FROM YOUR TRANSFORMER SOLDERED TO THE HOT LUG OF MAIN SPKR OUTPUT JACK ...... ITS A BLACK WIRE DO NOT UNSOLDER IT....leave it alone =========
LEAVE THIS HOT WIRE ON THE MAIN SPKR HOT LUG CONNECTED DONT UN SOLDER THIS OK.......THIS FEEDS THE MAIN SPKR OUTPUT JACKS ......

ON MOD # 2 MAKE SURE THE UNSOLDERED DISCONNECTED WHITE CLOTH WIRE IS REALLY SEALED UP NICELY AND NEATLY NO CHANCE OF IT GROUNDING OUT OK ....!!!!
IT'S FUN
YOU'LL HAVE A MUCH TIGHTER LOUDER BALLSIER AMP IN LIKE 5 MINUTES ...

JUST A SIMPE IDEA

GOOD ON ABOUT MOST FENDER TUBE AMPS WITH MAIN SPKR OUT PUTS AND EXTRA ONES JACKS

GOOD LUCK
YES I HAVE 2 BASSMANS WITH THESE DONE
I DO IT MYSELF ITS EASY AND TOTALLY REVERSIBLE IF YOU DECIDE YOU GONNA SELL TE HEAD OR AMP

JUST NICE IDEA

HAVE FUN AND LISTEN TO THE POWER make sure not to touch any caps in the exposed chassis and disconnect the pwr and spkr wire before workin on amp

you can carefully fire up amp without head cabinet and just hook up the pwr cord in the wall and spkr wire up to your spkr cabinet plug in and PLAY

LISTEN TO THE BEFORE AND AFTER SOUNDS DIFFERENCES

PLEASE
dont touch inside of circuit boars resistors or caps
I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH
BE CAREFUL WITH ELECTRONICS



GOOD LUCK
GOD BLESS
BLUELOU:) LEMME KNO WHA YOU THINK !!!

[Williams]

Thanks LOU, I'll giver a try tonight....
Now I just have to find me a good bass speaker cab...

-Kevin

[BLUELOU]

I USE A CRATE 4X10 CAB WITH A TWEETER I SHUT OFF ITS A SMALL BASS CABINET I BOUGHT USED FOR $200

LATER I LOADED IT WITH BLACKWIDOWS BUT THE STOCK SPKRS ARE KILLER

I WENT WITH BLACK WIDOWS BECAUSE MY BASS HEAD IS A OLD PEAVY BIAMPABLE DOUBLE AMP BASSAMP CALLED MEGABASS


IT IS SO POWERFUL ITS AROUND 600 WATTS ITS VERY MUCH LIKE A HARKE HEAD BUT I LIKE MINE BETTER THE PEAVY IS BUILT LIKE A TANK ITS GOT BUILT IN COMPRESSOR AND CHORUS AND BRIGHT SWITCHES TEN BAND EQ AND XLR OUT SENDS AND ITS LIKE 2 BASS AMPS IN ONE RACK MOUNT HEAD AND EFX SENDS ON BOTH CHANNELLS ITS A REAL WORK HORSE
ITS KILLER AND I AINT INTO PEAVYS BUT
WITH PEAVY STUFF AMP WISE
I LIKE BLACKWIDOWS BY PREFERENCE IN MY CABS THEY WORK WELL WITH PEAVY PRODUCTS IT MATCHES



WITH YOUR BASSMAN HEAD I'D TRY THE CRATE CABINET LOOK ON E BAY USED THEYRE CHEAP AND UNREAL I SWEAR
THE CRATE CABINET IS SO AFFORDABLE AND WILL SOUND KILLER WITH YOUR BASSMAN HEAD

ITS EASY WAY


CRATE CABS ARE BUILT SO TOUGH AND GREAT STUFF
GREAT QUALITY TRUST ME I DONT LIE
PEOPLE KNOCK CRATE I LOVE CRATE / AMPEGS YUP SAME COMPANY ALSO ST LOUIS MUSIC

ITS UP TO YOU JUST IDEAS BRO

I WISH YOU BEST