Fender Bassman
The Fender Bassman is a guitar amplifier model that was built by the American musical instrument manufacturer Fender from 1951 to 1985 . The Bassman is an electrically operated tube music amplifier that was originally designed by Fender to amplify electric basses . In the course of its history, however , the bassman has been used more often by musicians to amplify electric guitars . For a number of years, the Fender product range has included transistor-type bass amplifiers , which are sold under the model name Bassman . Technically, however, these have nothing in common with the Bassman models produced from 1951 to 1985 .
history
The first Bassman appeared in 1951/52 almost simultaneously with Fender's first electric bass model, the Fender Precision Bass . In 1955 the amplifier was redesigned. One of the early Bassman models was nicknamed the “Four Hole” , so named after the four round sound holes of the loudspeakers arranged in a square, each with a diameter of 10 inches. The Bassman model from 1959 was reissued from 1982 to 1989 under the name '59 Bassman (Vintage Re-issue) and is still part of the Fender production line today. In the early years of guitar amplifiers, low-distortion reproduction of the string vibration at the highest possible volume was aimed for. Later, musicians began to see amplifiers as part of the instrument itself. Because with the technically imperfect electrical amplification, new sounds were generated. For example, the distortion, especially through overdriving, enriches the signal with additional overtones. The overdrive also leads to compression , which in turn leads to a subjectively much longer decay time of the sound. This opened up means of expression for the guitar format that were previously reserved for strings or wind instruments. The sound is shaped by the musician by exploring and exceeding the technical limits according to his own aesthetic perception. Like other early attempts at a compact, transportable loudspeaker amplifier, the Bassman contributed significantly to this development by means of constructive compromises.
The circuit of the 1959 Bassman (model 5F6A) served as a template for the first amplifier from Marshall , the JTM 45 .
technology
Then as now, the Bassman is operated with electron tubes, apart from the failed attempt by Fender Musical Instruments in 1969 to equip all amplifiers with the transistors that were emerging at the time. Up to 1961 the amplifier was designed as a combo amplifier , but was later divided into an amplifier unit and a loudspeaker box ( “piggy-back” , German: “ piggyback ”) due to transport problems . The '59 Bassman Re-issue had the shape that the most successful model from 1959 with the circuit designation 5F6A had. In the early versions the amplifier was equipped with a loudspeaker with a diameter of 15 inches, later with four speakers, each with a diameter of 10 inches.
use
The electric bass guitar, which was new at the time, overwhelmed the loudspeaker chassis used, especially due to the open construction of the housing. Interfering noises ("snarling") led to rejection among the bassists. It was only with the further spread of the Thiele / Small model for the dynamic loudspeaker that the technical basics were sufficiently understood to actually be able to provide the required acoustic performance in the targeted low tone range. From 1977 a model of the Bassman came on the market, which had an output power of 100 watts, but without making changes to the open design. The Fender Bassman was and is used far more often by guitarists than by bassists.
Famous musician
Most famous musicians who used the Fender Bassman included Buddy Holly , Buddy Guy , George Harrison , Stevie Ray Vaughan and Brian Setzer , among many others . The amplifier is also very popular with noise bands such as Shellac ( Steve Albini's band ) and other artists of this style of music because of its treble-heavy properties when distorting .
literature
- Helmuth Lemme: electric guitar sound. 1st edition, Richard Pflaum Verlag, Heidelberg, Munich, 1994, ISBN 3-7905-0675-3
- Helmuth Lemme: Guitar amplifier sound. 1st edition, Richard Pflaum Verlag, Heidelberg, Munich, 1995, ISBN 3-7905-0717-2
Individual evidence
- ↑ Michael Doyle: A History of Marshall: The Illustrated Story of the Sound of Rock . Hal Leonard Pub Co, 1993.