Fender Bassman (AB165 Blackface)

(random internet photo)

Make / Model: Fender Bassman (AB165 Blackface head)
Year: 1965
Purchased: Ebay, 2003
Price: $300

Build Quality

Eh

Sound Quality

Average

Impressions

There are certain things that are mythysized. One, Neve preamps. Two, anything the beatles used. Three, Old fender stuff.

And this is the later.

Generally, I avoid old stuff because I feel the music has probably been played out of it, the magic is gone, per se. And after owning this amp, yeah, I still think that.

This amp sounded really, really good, at loud volumes, kind of. But it also had this odd sound, that I can only desribe as harsh. The odd thing, is it actually sounded more solid state, when pushed, than a lot of the solid state amps I’ve ever played.

The only way for me to play it, was pushed, and living around other human beings, meant I had to get a speaker attenuator.

Some folks argue about whether these are bad for your amp. Theoretically, they shoudln’t be.

But I killed this amp, while cranked, into a weber attenuator. I was just playing, then I heard a sizzle, the amp powered off, and smoke came out the top.

Luckily, I could full disclosure sell it broken, and sold it for more than I paid for it.

Because of the allure of myths.