Bassman Chronicles - Equipment Lessons

The 1959 Fender Bassman Amplifier has been the standard for gigging blues harmonica players since we've had to deal with loud bands in the 1960's. Priced around ~$10,000, the originals are now collectors items and are no longer practical options. The 1959 Fender Reissue Bassman (originally released in 1990), though not the most friendly amplifier to play stock, can be purchased for a very reasonable price in the used market (~$700) and with some tube changes it can sound fantastic. The new LTD gets closer to the common modifications used by customizers (tube rectifier, shellacked pine cabinet and adjustable bias pot... though the speakers are less desirable than the 1990's models) and can be purchased at most music stores.

With the help of my student and friend Mark Overman, artists such as Mark Hummel and Gary Smith and amp experts like Skip Simmons and Dale Laslie, this ongoing series is dedicated to chronicling the complete story of how to purchase, modify, setup and perform with the 1959 Fender Bassman Reissue Amplifier.

Visit the Equipment Lessons part of the site to watch this new series.