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My 1967 Blackface Bassman started giving me some issues so I bought a new rig for gigging etc. It has since been fixed and good as gold, but I'm already totally enamoured by having a smaller and more efficient amp. Which leaves me in a quandary.

The Bassman is likely just going to sit there, unused, taking up (valuable) space - of which I'm painfully short of here in our little apartment. So, do I sell it and let someone else use it? It's too loud for my living situation. Even my Champ can get too loud for home really! Or do I keep it, and essentially have a big expensive doorstop lying around?

Which leads me onto the next issue: value.

It's not totally stock. I installed (very neatly) a master volume in an existing hole at the back and also swapped in a Hammond output transformer so it can be ran on 4/8/16ohm - with a switch installed in the ext speaker hole. It's had a full cap job and almost all of the old noisy carbon comp resistors have been changed out for modern quieter ones.

I have the cab too, but it doesn't have the original speakers (I think there's some 80's Fender speakers in it IIRC).

So, to sell or not to sell. And if to sell, for how much...that is the multi-layed question. It's worth would likely determine my decision.

JSett wrote: ↑

Wed Aug 16, 2023 11:18 pm

The Bassman is likely just going to sit there, unused, taking up (valuable) space - of which I'm painfully short of here in our little apartment. So, do I sell it and let someone else use it? It's too loud for my living situation. Even my Champ can get too loud for home really! Or do I keep it, and essentially have a big expensive doorstop lying around?

Sounds like you've already answered your own question...

...although, as someone who owns way to many amps too loud for my current home only use, I can totally empathise with keeping gear for nothing else but sentimental value (and the occasional play through an attenuator)

I sell anything that’s not getting used so my opinion isn’t going to be based on anything more than my standard behaviour: sell it & use the money for something else fun.

I've never hoarded amps. Too big, and not useful enough. Sell it whenever you achieve emotional acceptance of the fact that you want to, but not before that point, or else you'll question yourself as to whether it sounded good enough to be worth the inconvenience.

Keeping it around, unused, until you accept its uselessness is the ticket, I think. However long that takes (which might literally happen today or tomorrow, you seem to recognize which way this is going).

Worth: I dunno, BUT i'd imagine that worth in the US is different than worth in the UK, just because of import levels in the 60s/70s. So i'd want to keep that in mind.

Also one could always build that circuit in a different form factor that works better for your needs....so if you found yourself missing it in a few years, you could always take steps to get that sound back.

I chose sell because I'd probably interested if you do decide to sell it

But then I looked on Reverb and don't think I can stretch to £2.5k to £3k for a big amp

GreenKnee wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 17, 2023 7:17 am

I chose sell because I'd probably interested if you do decide to sell it

But then I looked on Reverb and don't think I can stretch to £2.5k to £3k for a big amp

I wouldn't sell it for even close to that. I'll send you a DM

Put me in the "sell it" camp. I'm assuming your "bassman in a box" pedal is the way you're going, and it seems as though many are reaching a similar conclusion. The Sunn Beta Lead Pre seems to be the latest to board that train.

I waffled about selling mine for a really long time. Now it’s been a few years and I don’t regret it.

I only had the head and never had an original cab. I used it with a 4x10 which I also sold.

If there’s anything I miss it’s being able to move more air sometimes, but honestly 1x12 is fine for live, and my current amps sound plenty big recorded.

Dang that's a tough call. I'm usually in the "sell it if it doesn't work for you now" situation but that's a cool amp. It's okay to hold on to stuff, but I totally understand not having room for it.

I'm pretty surprised by this. This was your go to favorite app for live shows for a long time and then one problem and you have now become a small amp man! What if you play in a band with a loud drummer with no PA? I say that although I know a Bassman would not cut it for me, I need a full twin or Showman, preferably two.

BeeTL wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 17, 2023 7:56 am

Put me in the "sell it" camp. I'm assuming your "bassman in a box" pedal is the way you're going, and it seems as though many are reaching a similar conclusion. The Sunn Beta Lead Pre seems to be the latest to board that train.

I believe he recently picked up a really cute little Victory head that is probably doing a very similar thing more reliably and conveniently.

Sell it, and use the money to buy some gear you'll actually use regularly.
Makes no sense to have stuff sat around that you never use, especially if its valuable. However thats literally what I am doing with my other JM so maybe just ignore this as clearly I am no sensible enough to follow my own advice

DeathJag wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 17, 2023 9:53 am

I'm pretty surprised by this. This was your go to favorite app for live shows for a long time and then one problem and you have now become a small amp man! What if you play in a band with a loud drummer with no PA? I say that although I know a Bassman would not cut it for me, I need a full twin or Showman, preferably two.

Oh, for sure I love it, but I'm also a stickler for being super prepared and hate when gear dies at inconvenient moments (like the Bassman did 2 songs into a set last month). I love how it sounds but I don't have any special secret tone...it's a gritty clean with a Blues Driver for loud bits. I'm not fussy. I can make almost any amp sound good enough for a show at least (I often have to share backline with the size of shows we play). The amp I've switched to is still 42w but about half the size...

Embenny wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 17, 2023 10:52 am

I believe he recently picked up a really cute little Victory head that is probably doing a very similar thing more reliably and conveniently.

... exactly this. It's light enough, smaller, just as loud and sounds 99% there without the fear of something going during a show. I know what happened to the Bassman (bad tube followed by me forgetting to solder a resistor on one end I'm sure it'd be fine but the doubt is there in my mind now - and that affects how I play negatively.

I'm gonna think in it for a bit anyway. Greenknee has showed legitimate interest and I'd be happy for it to move along within the gang knowing it was in safe hands.

I'm going to clear out a load of other amps anyway, they've been breeding and I have a genuine pile of unused stuff getting in the way. I've got 3 Roland Cubes, a HRD, an Orange Super Crush, Bassman, VibroChamp, Orange Terror Bass, MiniMat, Victory V30, Orange AD5, Pignose, a home build 30w thing...and probably a few I've forgotten. Every time I go in the attic there seems to be more.

That's too many for a man with very simple tastes in amps

I really only need one amp for home (Champ) and two for gigging (1 as a backup). The rest is just fluff.

i skimmed, but do you still have the original OT? IMO the thing that makes an amp sound 'special' is the PT but people care about the OT when it comes to value.

Here in the USA it'd probably be worth $800 if working 100%