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1960 Bassman Project

MapleFlame

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
As everyone knows I love basket case guitars, but I am a fan of those critically messed with amps. Over a year ago I found this 60 Bassman that had no tweed, sprayed on microfiber color texture paint, stuck on pins stickers etc... Homemade Baffle with a 12" and 10" speaker. The chassis had a Stancor output transformer and a Hammond power trannie. It put out about 20 watts, clean watts actually. I decided to put it back to stock, ordered Classictone trannies, and necessary filter cap, diode, and resistors. Bought a mojotone baffle. The baffle the original owner was screwed in with half inch wood all on the outside. Had a gazillion screws. Cab will need upper and lower lapels or 3/8" flaps for baffle. I took out the power and output trannies. Redid all the mods to the board and put back wires where they belonged. It kept all the Astrons and most of the resistors. As you read in the other Thread, the new pot was bad so I put the cheap Japanese in there and all tone controls work. I now respect amp techs, I worked on this pretty much all day Saturday. Sans the Speakers in which I already had,all the parts and amp set me back 2080.00, cab work with retweed and work another 400.00. Amp sounds amazing and tons of clean headroom.

What it looked like to start
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MapleFlame

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Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
This is a video of what it looked like before I took it apart. Sounded pretty good at low volume but once turned up speaker flubbed, only the one ten is working. Yes I am not playing it exactly like the record, lol
<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6WVnxjisX0c" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
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MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
Here's a picture of the Classictone trannies just sitting on chassis
25446160_10212311588637525_4175792138058214940_n.jpg


Here is a picture of some filter caps, resistors and installation of the output trannie,
25507639_10212311589277541_8355556590886574603_n.jpg


First stage of Power trannie, I put the orange on the top trannie bolt with another nut and crimp on loop, same with the green and red but on side of chassis, I did not solder, drilled a hole and bolted to chassis. Installed tag board with diode and screwed to chassis. Obviously replacing "the green"
25550481_10212311590637575_5155917749464450053_n.jpg


All done here, installed 3 prong cord and put the green ground on the bottom left trannie bolt with second nut. The chassis was already drilled for that Hammond, so it didn't bother me to put another hole in chassis.
25498318_10212311591077586_809251142618057901_n.jpg
 

MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
Now the Cabinet will need a lot of tender Care :hee:laugh2: Will work on sanding and repairing upper and lower baffle 3/8" pieces
25507761_10212311972487121_1969255842390111761_n.jpg

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DrRobert

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2003
Messages
6,050
That is a big job, and an expensive project! But it's good to know another killer amp will be back in service.
 

akstrat61

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 16, 2004
Messages
1,845
Very cool amp!:salude

Congrats on getting an iconic amp back into the party!:dude::dude::dude:
 

MapleFlame

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Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
That is a big job, and an expensive project! But it's good to know another killer amp will be back in service.
Agreed and thank you.
What my objective was, to be under a price of a lower end 60 Bassman average of Reverb.com and EBay. Most that are $3500.00 are retweeds, and have major altered circuits. ie... replaced trannies. The Reissues are PC boards and still cost to redo as point to point. Classictone really nail the vintage trannies. I compared an original OT from a 54 Bandmaster to Classictones equivalent, couldn't hear a difference.
 

renderit

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Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Yes Mapleflame, I hate you too! 59 or 60 is my Holy Grail. Alas! I will never own one.
 

MapleFlame

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Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
Yes Mapleflame, I hate you too! 59 or 60 is my Holy Grail. Alas! I will never own one.

A few months back there was a 59 Bassman that had easily correctable mods and had black tolex. All the trannies were there. It went for 2550.00. Had I not had the $$ going into mine and the 54 Twin, I would have Grabbed it. Deals can be found.
 

Axis39

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
83
A few months back there was a 59 Bassman that had easily correctable mods and had black tolex. All the trannies were there. It went for 2550.00. Had I not had the $$ going into mine and the 54 Twin, I would have Grabbed it. Deals can be found.

Is that Woodstock Va and NoVa? If so, that's funny, because I grew up in NoVa and my parents retired to Woodstock.

But, the pertinent part of my reply is to concur. If you are diligent, have just enough cash in the gear fund reserve and are willing to take an ugly duckling, you can luck into some cool stuff. I got a '58 Tweed Twin last year for a stupid low price... But, it took a lot of work to get it back on the road. Let me just say, that I quickly learned a lot about amp circuits! It still needs a new cabinet... But, it's currently rocking away, back making music like it should be!
 

MapleFlame

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Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
Is that Woodstock Va and NoVa? If so, that's funny, because I grew up in NoVa and my parents retired to Woodstock.

But, the pertinent part of my reply is to concur. If you are diligent, have just enough cash in the gear fund reserve and are willing to take an ugly duckling, you can luck into some cool stuff. I got a '58 Tweed Twin last year for a stupid low price... But, it took a lot of work to get it back on the road. Let me just say, that I quickly learned a lot about amp circuits! It still needs a new cabinet... But, it's currently rocking away, back making music like it should be!

I actually grew up in Saugerties Blue Mt. NY which is real close to Woodstock. Woodstock is a cool little town, beautiful countryside all around. Very peaceful. Bearsville studios is there and Foghat recorded there. My bass players Aunt was the receptionist. Cool history, Todd Rudgren and The Band were up there too. The Big Pink house was in West Saugerties where Dylan and the Band recorded in its basement. High Powered Tweed Twin, now that will push some air. How bout some pictures.
 

Axis39

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
83
I actually grew up in Saugerties Blue Mt. NY which is real close to Woodstock. Woodstock is a cool little town, beautiful countryside all around. Very peaceful. Bearsville studios is there and Foghat recorded there. My bass players Aunt was the receptionist. Cool history, Todd Rudgren and The Band were up there too. The Big Pink house was in West Saugerties where Dylan and the Band recorded in its basement. High Powered Tweed Twin, now that will push some air. How bout some pictures.

This is what it looked like when I brought it home and was deciding on whether or not to purchase it from my friend (who was retiring and moving to Hawaii):
HOo3613.jpg

Gut shot:
DIV17DD.jpg


(understatement of the year here) - It had been messed with. Two extra preamp tubes were added, and a small transformer to add reverb in the late 60's. During a move in the early 70's coming back from Africa, the cab was damaged, so my friend, the owner at the time, cut it down into a head. At some point, the whole thing was running pretty hot, so he cut in and installed a fan... right through the tube chart :(

QKMFb9u.jpg


But, I decided it was worth rebuilding... There wasn't much in the way of original caps or resistors. The transformers are original, a few of the pots, etc. I basically gutted it and started fresh.

rIQQKeY.jpg


It's sitting in a home made cabinet that I've had sitting around a few years. I'm waiting on some extra cash to buy a nice, proper tweed cabinet for it so it can look like it should again.

It is the most incredible amp I've ever played through! Authoritative, full, rich, harmonically rich and complicated. At lower volumes, it is so, so, so sweet. At higher volumes, pushing the circuit it is a fire breathing monster! I've used it for probably a third of my gigs this year (sharing time with a Bassman Ri and a Cox Ultimate 5e3). If it wasn't so heavy, I'd probably take it to every gig. It's also my home practice amp.
 

MapleFlame

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
14,044
This is what it looked like when I brought it home and was deciding on whether or not to purchase it from my friend (who was retiring and moving to Hawaii):
HOo3613.jpg

Gut shot:
DIV17DD.jpg


(understatement of the year here) - It had been messed with. Two extra preamp tubes were added, and a small transformer to add reverb in the late 60's. During a move in the early 70's coming back from Africa, the cab was damaged, so my friend, the owner at the time, cut it down into a head. At some point, the whole thing was running pretty hot, so he cut in and installed a fan... right through the tube chart :(

QKMFb9u.jpg


But, I decided it was worth rebuilding... There wasn't much in the way of original caps or resistors. The transformers are original, a few of the pots, etc. I basically gutted it and started fresh.

rIQQKeY.jpg


It's sitting in a home made cabinet that I've had sitting around a few years. I'm waiting on some extra cash to buy a nice, proper tweed cabinet for it so it can look like it should again.

It is the most incredible amp I've ever played through! Authoritative, full, rich, harmonically rich and complicated. At lower volumes, it is so, so, so sweet. At higher volumes, pushing the circuit it is a fire breathing monster! I've used it for probably a third of my gigs this year (sharing time with a Bassman Ri and a Cox Ultimate 5e3). If it wasn't so heavy, I'd probably take it to every gig. It's also my home practice amp.


Outstanding Job. Everything looks Clean compared to before. Yeah Everything is in those original trannies. Thanks for sharing.
 

Axis39

Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2010
Messages
83
Outstanding Job. Everything looks Clean compared to before. Yeah Everything is in those original trannies. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks man. Despite the ugly cab, it sounds absolutely amazing! I'm looking forward to seeing your progress!
 
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