Fender Silverface questions

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 12:09:51 AM

I guy offered to swap me a Fender Silverface AB165 for my Acoustic rig(220 w 406 1x18 cab). I don't know much about these. It was re tubed recently (he says "2 6l6" ) and new caps. He thought it was a 1970 or 71. I am led to believe its a 1967. Seems like a good amp but i have zero knowledge of old Fender amps. Is this considered a Bassman? I doubt i will trade for it(holding out for a Sunn Concert bass) but some info would be cool. Thank you .

Take into consideration if i did get this it would be re sold in order to get something i may actually want. So getting info on the value may help too.

NoSleepTilSleep · January 11, 2011, 01:08:28 AM

Will you be using this (yes the AB165 is a bassman) for bass? The name's a bit of a misnomer, those 2 6L6's are gonna put out 60-75watts max. Fairly useless for bass, unless you've got some stereo rig in mind.

For guitar, pretty killer, they take pedals like a champ and with a bit o' verb you get the sweetest clean tones out there.

All the info you'll ever need about any Fender amp
http://www.ampwares.com/amp.asp?id=28

Just read the last part of your post. The Bassman's tend to sell for sub $500, unless with a cab and immaculate.. your Acoustic rig is probably more valuable.

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 01:27:33 AM

i was gonna use it for bass. i know people love them for guitar. thanks. I would assume then that my move towards a Sunn Concert bass is a good better choice than the Bassman?

Lumpy · January 11, 2011, 03:30:09 AM

Quote from: hayseed on January 11, 2011, 01:27:33 AM
i was gonna use it for bass. i know people love them for guitar. thanks. I would assume then that my move towards a Sunn Concert bass is a good better choice than the Bassman?

How good does the Sunn need to be, to be better than "fairly useless"?

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 11:40:28 AM

Point well taken Lumpy. But as you know with trading amps to ultimately get what you want...the end justifies the means.

Chovie D · January 11, 2011, 12:03:20 PM

67 would be blackface. 68 was the first year for silverface. 68's and 69's will often have "drip edge" aluminum trim around the grill cloth. These are great amps since the components and circuit hadnt yet changed from blackface but the prices are still silverface

The bass player in my sludge band used a silverface bassman. I cannot recall if it was the much more suitable for bass bassman 130 tho.
Fender made ultralinear versions of the twin and bassman in the 70's. These are extremely clean and powerful amps. running at a supposed 130 watts

now, with the volume wars in todays sludge music, I wouldnt recommend the silverface bassman 50 for bass as others have said.

VOLVO))) · January 11, 2011, 12:07:07 PM

From what I understand, the Bassman 130, and it's ultra linear power section were kind of a basis for them there silver/black/silver/orange contraptions that cost 15X as much...

Chovie D · January 11, 2011, 01:44:31 PM

I dont know what yu mean by silver/black/silver/orange?

This asshole loved the ultralinear twin 130's. They are some of loudest amplifiers Ive encountered. me no like. Notice the arms of the roadies behind the amps holding the twins he just jumped off of

VOLVO))) · January 11, 2011, 02:18:06 PM

Quote from: Chovie D on January 11, 2011, 01:44:31 PM
I dont know what yu mean by silver/black/silver/orange?

This asshole loved the ultralinear twin 130's. They are some of loudest amplifiers Ive encountered. me no like. Notice the arms of the roadies behind the amps holding the twins he just jumped off of

Model T's. The ultralinear bassman 130, I've read, is supposed to be a somewhat similar amp to a Model T. Is that Uncle Ted? haha.

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 02:20:42 PM

great pic haha! Sweaty Teddy when he played music instead of playing political commentator...i wish famous people kept their opinions to themselves and stuck to their god giving talent.

ANYWAY.... This guy said it read 67 inside the head but he seemed pretty certain it was a 70 or 71. I don't really need another guitar amp but a do want a new bass amp. If i traded him my Acoustic rig, would i be making out on the deal with higher re sale to get what i want or just stick with what i have to barter with. Thus far from all your info that that the board has provided i don't think this is some thing that i want. At least i don't mind playing the Acoustic rig

VOLVO))) · January 11, 2011, 02:25:41 PM

I love Uncle Ted's music, hate his politics. Though, I wouldn't mind going bow hunting with the dude.

I say keep the Acoustic, they're great amps, and like E9th has been saying, it'll only go up in value as people inflate the fuck out of the prices of everything vintage.

Chovie D · January 11, 2011, 03:52:12 PM

I have an old sun 1200S from 1968 which would be before the ultralinear fenders. It is rated at 120 watts and DOES use ultralinear transformers. It IS LOUD and clean! I currently use it as a bass amp thru a marshall 2x15 bass cab and its awesome for that. On guitar it would drop an elephant at 200 yards. I had people telling me it was the loudest show theyve ever seen when i drug that thingto the few gigs i gigged it at. I dont know when they made the first modelt T? Its actually possible that the fender 130's were an idea taken from another amp company lke Sunn rather than the other way around. By that time Leo would have been gone and the CBS dudes had their heads WAY up their asses and were scramblng for ideas (take a look at fenders ill fated SS amps from that period, almost none of which still function today, ever seen one? me neither).

a silverface bassman 50 is currently worth $500.
a blackface around $800
No idea what teh vintage acoustics go for but I bet its rising, they are very popular at the moment.
Both would have good resale in the future, but I'd stay with what I could both USE and will go up in value and thats seems to be the acoustic for you right now.

if it has 1967 stamped on the inside of the chassis, not the cabinet,...the chassis where the amps guts are and its a silverface with no drip edge, then what you have is a frankensteined rebuilt amp and that would seriously lower its value. If it says 1967 on the tube chart, its an old tube chart. Fender used the same outdated tube charts for years, even giving the wrong circuit number frequently. Fender just used whatever parts they had till they were gone. I talked to a guy who worked there and he said in the monring theyd take a wheelbarrow and go to the parts shed and just grab whatever it was they were working on from huge bins. one day it would be twins, the next day champs and those bins had years worth of parts in em allm mixed together, so occasionally you get 70's amps with 60's pots, transformers, etc.

rock on!

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 05:48:20 PM

Amazing amount of info. Thanks guys!

I am not trading for the Silverface. It wasn't something on my watchlist so why bother. there is a guy who wants to swap a Peavey Firebass 700 w 2 x15 cab for it and he is an Acoustic collector. Very cool guy and doesn't want just the head or just the cab. he wants to keep it together and stick it in his jam room. I know i can re sell the Peavey around here without remorse and depending on if my other gear goes soon, i may have enough to get my Sunn.

ChovieD- I had a Sonaro(68?) with a 4x12 Sunn cab (orig speakers) and it was ridiculous loud! Tone monster. Used it for guitar with Po Co Rat and it killed!Lots of compliments when i had that thing

Chovie D · January 11, 2011, 06:10:00 PM

I wouldnt trade your acoustic for that peavey either. Peavey gear doesnt have perceived value. Thats not to say its not good gear, just that poeple see the name and go 'ungh, peavey" so its prices will always remain fairly low.

I think where peavey gear shines is when you find a $100 roadmaster, or a $100 classic 30. you find exceptional valueat insane prices.
This is how I felt about acoustic stuff too, it was good when cheap. But now it has perceived value so its different. I would NEVER pay what people are paying for vintage acoustics now. those were $100 amps all day long 5 years ago, we had three of em in the studio at one point and were even usng a fully functional one as a door stop.

if the acoustic doesnt do it for you and your looking to do something else, I would consider selling it to a collector who is willing to pay, rathe than trading . I tink you'll getv more value and have instant cash rather than havig to sell something else instead. I'd just keep it tho personally. They are good bass amps and are gonnea keep going up in value. horrible guitar amps

just my opinion of course. Ive certainly sold some stuff Ive regretted selling *cries

hayseed · January 11, 2011, 09:19:38 PM

I turned down lots of offers from kids who see the new Acoustic gear at Guitar center and want to split my rig up to add to theirs. NO WAY! (Insert the lecture that i give the 17 yr old kid about shitty gear and not patronizing Guitar Center by buying thier version of "vintage " gear here.) I know the Peavey is not exactly what i want . I haven't parted with my rig yet....

Lumpy · January 12, 2011, 12:40:39 AM

There's a 400 watt Peavey tube amp in the Talk Bass classifieds right now for 600 bucks. If you can carry a 95 pound head, that is a great deal.

hayseed · January 12, 2011, 01:05:58 AM

I came across a peavey Centurion Mark IV(?) at a local store last week. never saw one before. i believe it was pretty cheap. Not sure why i posted that here...

hayseed · January 12, 2011, 12:35:12 PM

My guy with the Peavey Firebass seems to be backing out on the trade and now wants to buy that Acoustic rig outright. If i can get $500 out of it i will buy a local Sunn Concert Bass with 2x15 cab. But if he doesn't take that offer, my search will continue and i will keep the Acoustic rig.