'59 Bassman Tweed sound in a smaller package?

[sunvalleylaw]

I have always loved the sound of the '59 Bassman (re-issue is fine). I have listed my 1961 Fender Concert for sale, and if it sells, will replace it with some sort of tweed sounding amp. The easy thing would just be a used '59 Bassman reissue. But I would also be interested in something in a smaller package. Say a 2x10 with the same sort of '59 Bassman circuit. Anyone know of such a thing?

[sunvalleylaw]

Just was checking out the Allen Amps Brown Sugar that can come in a 2x10 combo. I like that idea as I have gotten used to more than one speaker and the more open sound. New they are $1899 built, or you can get a kit for $1,349. Anyone have any experience or info?
@duhvoodooman

[piebaldpython***]

DVM has spoken highly of Allen Amps. IIRC, he has the Sweet Spot. He bought the kit and built it himself.....DUH. He also has another really good high-end amp but the name/model escapes me. That one he didn't built. You might want to PM him directly as he spends most of his Net time on the BYOC Forum.

[duhvoodooman***]

The Allen amps, whether in kit form or pre-built, are of truly outstanding quality. Great designs and top-shelf components all the way through. But as you've noticed, they AIN'T CHEAP. Also, unless you are very confident in your soldering skills and have built an amp or two previously, I wouldn't recommend the kits, as these are most definitely NOT novice-level builds. Now, if you're ready to drop $1900 plus shipping on a pre-built 2x10 Brown Sugar, I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed. But that's about $450 more than a '59 Bassman RI will run you, so you'll have decide if it's worth the upcharge to you.

Another amp that you might want to consider is the Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb, part of the '68 Custom amp series that came out in 2014. I've read nothing but excellent reviews on these amps. I remember Joe Bonamassa commenting that "Fender really got it right" with these amps, and he's a very tough man to please. He even included the smaller Deluxe model as one of his "5 Most Underrated Amps" in an article on PremierGuitar.com. The Vibrolux model is 35W with 2x10" Celestions. It's a two channel amp, with one "vintage" channel staying true to the classic silverface Fender tone (including reverb and tremolo) and a "custom" channel with a Bassman tone stack, giving more mids & bottom end and a bit earlier break-up. Very nice sounding amp, and very flexible. As usual, there are several demos on YouTube that you can check out. And I would expect that most decent-sized music stores would have one in stock that you could test drive.

P.S. Just started a new amp build project. I picked up a BYOC Brit 45 head kit (Marshall JTM45 "Bluesbreaker" clone) and am modifying it to JTM50 specs--think 50W Plexi with a tube rectifier. The two circuits are very similar, with the major difference being that I'm installing EL34s instead of the KT66s in the JTM45, and am using a 50W Plexi output transformer to match up the primary's impedance with that tube type. The other major modification is the installation of a variable voltage regulator (VVR) in the power supply stage that allows you to dial down the final output while still keeping the amp "cranked" for that sweet Marshall crunch. Similar idea to using an attenuator, but by reducing the voltage supplied to the amp circuitry rather than attenuating the output with a resistive or reactive load, and thereby results in less tonal change.

[piebaldpython***]

DVM------That's a pretty cool BYOC project you have planned. So......uh....what has to go to make room for the newbie?

[duhvoodooman***]

Haven't advertised it anywhere yet, but I'll be selling my 2007 Vox 50th Anniversary Heritage Series hand-wired AC15 1x12 combo (model AC15H1TV). It's a great sounding amp, but it just doesn't get much use from me anymore because of a couple of other amps I've acquired in the meantime. This is the version with the EF86 preamp in the first channel, while the second is a "Top Boost" style preamp with 12AX7's. The guy I bought it from had removed the stock Celestion Alnico Blue, so I loaded in a WGS Green Beret, their Celestion Greenback clone. It's an excellent sounding speaker, and the ceramic magnet design allows me to sell the amp for a much more reasonable price--$750 + shipping to the CONUS, instead of the $900+ they go for with the Alnico Blue. More details & pics here: http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/20706

[sunvalleylaw]

P.S. Just started a new amp build project. I picked up a BYOC Brit 45 head kit (Marshall JTM45 "Bluesbreaker" clone) and am modifying it to JTM50 specs--think 50W Plexi with a tube rectifier. The two circuits are very similar, with the major difference being that I'm installing EL34s instead of the KT66s in the JTM45, and am using a 50W Plexi output transformer to match up the primary's impedance with that tube type. The other major modification is the installation of a variable voltage regulator (VVR) in the power supply stage that allows you to dial down the final output while still keeping the amp "cranked" for that sweet Marshall crunch. Similar idea to using an attenuator, but by reducing the voltage supplied to the amp circuitry rather than attenuating the output with a resistive or reactive load, and thereby results in less tonal change.

In surfing around looking at amps I re-read this. Seems like similar idea to the new-ish Fender Bassbreaker 45 which reportedly also has that feature. Yes? It is also based on the Bassman circuit, but voiced a bit british. Looks pretty cool.

See vid at 1:30 for discussion of the variable output feature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9iL2uFvfqg

http://shop.fender.com/en-US/guitar-...265000000.html

[Robert****]

The Allen amps, whether in kit form or pre-built, are of truly outstanding quality. Great designs and top-shelf components all the way through. But as you've noticed, they AIN'T CHEAP. Also, unless you are very confident in your soldering skills and have built an amp or two previously, I wouldn't recommend the kits, as these are most definitely NOT novice-level builds. Now, if you're ready to drop $1900 plus shipping on a pre-built 2x10 Brown Sugar, I'm sure you wouldn't be disappointed. But that's about $450 more than a '59 Bassman RI will run you, so you'll have decide if it's worth the upcharge to you.

Another amp that you might want to consider is the Fender '68 Custom Vibrolux Reverb, part of the '68 Custom amp series that came out in 2014. I've read nothing but excellent reviews on these amps. I remember Joe Bonamassa commenting that "Fender really got it right" with these amps, and he's a very tough man to please. He even included the smaller Deluxe model as one of his "5 Most Underrated Amps" in an article on PremierGuitar.com. The Vibrolux model is 35W with 2x10" Celestions. It's a two channel amp, with one "vintage" channel staying true to the classic silverface Fender tone (including reverb and tremolo) and a "custom" channel with a Bassman tone stack, giving more mids & bottom end and a bit earlier break-up. Very nice sounding amp, and very flexible. As usual, there are several demos on YouTube that you can check out. And I would expect that most decent-sized music stores would have one in stock that you could test drive.

P.S. Just started a new amp build project. I picked up a BYOC Brit 45 head kit (Marshall JTM45 "Bluesbreaker" clone) and am modifying it to JTM50 specs--think 50W Plexi with a tube rectifier. The two circuits are very similar, with the major difference being that I'm installing EL34s instead of the KT66s in the JTM45, and am using a 50W Plexi output transformer to match up the primary's impedance with that tube type. The other major modification is the installation of a variable voltage regulator (VVR) in the power supply stage that allows you to dial down the final output while still keeping the amp "cranked" for that sweet Marshall crunch. Similar idea to using an attenuator, but by reducing the voltage supplied to the amp circuitry rather than attenuating the output with a resistive or reactive load, and thereby results in less tonal change.

Now that's an amp I would say YES to.

[duhvoodooman***]

Now that's an amp I would say YES to.

If you're referring to the modified BYOC Brit 45, details & pics here: www.thefret.net/showthread.php/22384