Re: Amp Content (How Little I Know...)

"jh" <jh@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:jck939$iks$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Am 18.12.2011 06:18, schrieb RichL:
"Spender" <Spender@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:fkrqe7h8alimtl7kphcpho2go81u1ag16p@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
What exactly is the difference between a bass amp and a guitar (non bass
guitar that is) amp? The frequency response of the tone stack? Other
tonal differences? Or is it just a name?

I'm curious because I have seen references to vintage Fender amps being
drooled over by guitarists as some sort of Holy Grail. Now I forget the
name of the example I am thinking of. It was a 4x10 from the 60's I
think. It made a note of saying it is a bass amp, but it seemed to be
highly sought after by lead guitarists.

This shows how little I understand. My gut would tell me that the best
bass speaker would be 15" or more. Big booming sound, big booming
speaker. But it seems like many bass amps have 10" speakers.

Bassman. Fender Bassman. That's the amp you're thinking of. Oddly
enough, they tend to run cheaper these days than other vintage amps of
their generation. The earliest Marshall amps were based on its design.

The desirable bass amps today are vastly different. Bassists tend to
want high-fidelity reproduction as opposed to an amp that colors the
sound and distorts. So you won't find many *bassists* seeking out a
Bassman.

A 4x10 cab can sound as good, if not better, than a single 15. The key
is that at that low frequencies, the speakers are in phase with one
another over a fairly wide range of angles, so what matters in terms of
reproducing bass frequencies is the total area (10 squared x 4 > 15
squared). The four 10" speakers tend to act as a single speaker. Of
course there are tonal differences. Some folks tend to use a column of
speakers rather than a square array; that's the best for a wide
horizontal angle. But the high fidelity is important, too. That's why
you'll find bass speaker cabs with tweeters and horns and crossover
networks to bring out the high frequencies more crisply. You'd be hard
pressed to find those features in a modern speaker cabinet for guitar.

Hi Rich,
i doubt that a tweed 4x10 Bassman is "cheaper" than other vintage amps....

If so, would you please tell me where....

I should have been more specific. I was referring to the head only, and not necessarily the tweed version.

http://www.guitarcenter.com/In-Store-Vintage-VINT-1968-FENDER-BASSMAN-HEAD-106067671-i1582582.gc

<http://www.ebay.com/itm/Early-Blackface-Fender-Bassman-All-Tube-Guitar-Bass-Amp-/260915844452?pt=UK_Consumer_VintageAudio_RL&hash=item3cbfcbd564>

Locally (Maryland, US) , in the past couple of years I've seen some blackface heads for as low as $500 and silverface heads as low as $400. Much cheaper, for example, than late 70s/early 80s Marshall heads.

.

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