RE: '59 Fender Bassman & RI - Why?

["Jimbeau Harp" <jimbeauharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From: Ray Beltran <raybeltran@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>So here's what I want to know...
>Why is the '59 Fender Bassman and it's reissue considered by many to be the
>"holy grail" for amplified harmonica? I know what guitarists think of the
>amp. But why harp? What is the earliest known use of this amp, does anyone
>know? And how did it all snowball to make this amp de riguer?
>

Ray,

Considering all the great advice you've put out on harp-l about amps and the 
Bassman, it's interesting to me that you're posing this question.

It's also interesting to me that Bassmans are popular with guitarists and 
harp players, for whom the amp was NOT designed for, and unpopular with bass 
players for whom it WAS desgined for.

Given the different needs of guitarists and harp players in their amps, one 
thing that would seem to stand out is that the Bassman readily lends itself 
to different set ups for different needs. The simplicity of the original 
design meant that it can be tailored for different uses. Of course this is 
true for many other amp models; it just seems that the Bassman is 
particularly adaptable.

As for me, I bought one (an RI) because others said good things about them 
and, more importantly, I had good info about mods that I, a blithering idiot 
when it comes to electronics, could do myself. I didn't have to do all this 
"research" myself. Others posted all the info you'd ever want to mod the amp 
successfully for harp usage (if I remember correctly, it was Jeff Hale(?) 
who put up a very useful post about tube swaps, etc. several years ago.) 
I've also had my amp tech do other mods.

As far as that goes, I've had pretty good success with it. It has broken 
down on me a couple of times, but I still think it's been fairly reliable 
otherwise. I use my BM RI now when I need "heavy artillery". That is, I'm 
going to play in a situation where I need a lot of volume. Usually this is 
when I'm playing with a buddy of mine who is a very aggressive and loud 
guitarist.

For my own band, I never use it. Instead I prefer my Premier Twin 8R. It's 
lighter, has great tone, and in most situations, it's sufficiently loud 
enough. When it isn't, I just mike it through the PA.

But I'm still glad I have my Bassman, even though I curse its weight every 
time I use it.

Sorry, no help to answering Ray's questions about the origins of the 
Bassman's rep as a harp amp standout. Most likely, most such stories are 
going to be apocryphal anyway, but still fun to read.

Jimbeau

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