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Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar...

mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
edited June 2004 in Musicians and Gearheads
We have a new member of the family, today, boys...

A silver-face Fender MusicMaster Bass amp! Tube pre and power, solid-state recto, 12 watts, 12" speaker. A single 12AX7 in the pre and twin 6V6's in the power... and it sounds great! Just a volume and tone knob... and based on my first impressions, it doesn't need anything else! It's got a hell of a lot more balls than my Vibro Champ (not that I'd EVER talk bad about her) and it's got a great, raunchy tone. Pretty clean, with some scuffs on the grillcloth... I'd date it around 1974 or '75. It's even got a grounded plug!

Anyone want to make an offer on it before I get too attached? I can't believe I bought the thing... of course, I couldn't believe I found it, either...
...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • SquirrelSquirrel Posts: 337
    ok i dunno wtf you're talking about...but it sure sounds awesome!!
    congrats on your new family member! :D

    love n hugs!
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by Squirrel
    ok i dunno wtf you're talking about...but it sure sounds awesome!!

    Well, it IS awesome, even if the folks here don't care...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • casper leblanccasper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    I asked about one of those a while ago. No one seemed to care. Where were you when I needed you most?

    http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=65397

    Is 300 euros a good price? It's probably gone by now though...
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by pearlwax
    I asked about one of those a while ago. No one seemed to care. Where were you when I needed you most?

    Is 300 euros a good price? It's probably gone by now though...

    They're good amps, and I love how this one sounds...

    But 300 euros wouldn't be a great price. Based on what I've read, they go for about $200-250 US in good working condition.
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    Well, it IS awesome, even if the folks here don't care...

    I care.:) Have fun with it! That's a raunchy punk sound if you crank that one! Are you SURE it's better than a VibroChamp though!:eek:

    I JUST picked up a "Gretsch Historic series" Resonator guitar today in trade for consulting. It is actually a way cool sounding guitar.
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Originally posted by who's_pearljam?
    I care.:) Have fun with it! That's a raunchy punk sound if you crank that one! Are you SURE it's better than a VibroChamp though!:eek:

    I JUST picked up a "Gretsch Historic series" Resonator guitar today in trade for consulting. It is actually a way cool sounding guitar.

    I've been thinking about dropping a Celestion Greenback into this puppy with some hot EH tubes... make a Marshall-killer...

    Nice deal on the Gretsch! I always wanted a resonator or dobro for sittin' at home on the couch and jamming. Not to mention recording... or playing a little slide...

    NOTHING is better than a Vibro Champ!
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    I've been thinking about dropping a Celestion Greenback into this puppy with some hot EH tubes... make a Marshall-killer...

    Nice deal on the Gretsch! I always wanted a resonator or dobro for sittin' at home on the couch and jamming. Not to mention recording... or playing a little slide...

    NOTHING is better than a Vibro Champ!

    Cheers! :D

    I have a Dobro, and I have both of them out right now,
    The dobro sounds awesome, but, so does the couple o'hundred buck Gretsch.
    Low end guitars are getting better these days!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    This Vibro Champ is identical to mine... wonder if that'll sell...

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38074&item=3729814521&rd=1
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • who's_pearljam?who's_pearljam? Posts: 2,104
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    This Vibro Champ is identical to mine... wonder if that'll sell...

    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38074&item=3729814521&rd=1

    :)

    I'm going up to Manny's next week. Youthinkyou'reold and I are going to the Clapton guitar auction and always make a pilgrimage to Manny's and Mandolin Brothers on Staten Island when we get up there.
    Then, of course, Falafels and beer!
    Be kind, man
    Don't be mankind. ~Captain Beefheart
    __________________________________
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    That place sounds like a cool shop to browse in...

    Of course, if they want that much for a Vibro Champ, I have a feeling I wouldn't be making many purchases.

    This Musicmaster Bass amp is probably one of my favorite purchases ever... I can't believe how cheap it was, and how great it sounds! I really want to trick it out with a new speaker and new tubes. Maybe a new grillcloth. Unfortunately, I'd spend more on a new speaker than I spent on the amp.

    On the other hand, I have a stereo reverb pedal that would probably sound great into both the Vibro Champ and the Musicmaster...
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
  • casper leblanccasper leblanc Posts: 1,246
    Originally posted by mccreadyisgod
    They're good amps, and I love how this one sounds...

    But 300 euros wouldn't be a great price. Based on what I've read, they go for about $200-250 US in good working condition.

    Hmm... Considering everything here costs 30% more (new and used), it's not that bad is it. Oh well.

    edit: never mind, it's sold already.
  • mccreadyisgodmccreadyisgod Posts: 6,395
    Well, I picked up a Weber "California" speaker for it yesterday on eBay. It's a 12" ferro-ceramic, flat-response, clean speaker rated for 80 watts. I think that thing will be really clean and glassy, pretty balls-y, really make that amp come alive. Now for new tubes... any recommendations? I want to get some serious sorta-British tone outta this thing. I was just gonna get a set of EH tubes, but I'm starting to wonder if I could replace those 6V6's with EL84's. Also, I've been trying to figure out if I can pull one of the power tubes to reduce the power wattage without killing the poor thing. If I could drop that puppy from 12 watts to 6, and then crank the everloving hell out of it, I could get some serious saturation! I know this, it stays pretty clean up until around 7 (out of 10) on the volume knob, and it saturates well starting around 5. I've tried my Variax set on humbuckers, strat single-coil, tele single-coil, and others, it sounds great for everything. I especially love the tone I get from the Strat position 4 (the Hendrix spot) while playing "Little Wing" and "Ledbetter" (through my Phase 90, of course).

    Okay, back to the original idea... what tubes?
    ...and if you don't like it, you can suck on an egg.
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