NAD: Fender Bantam Bass Amp or WTF did I just buy?!

[HedonismBot]

Just reread the whole thread and wanted to thank you for your insights. Really, I appreciate all the valid points and the good info. Cheers!

[MrShake]

Happy to help, and by all means, use anything I say as a starting point -- I'm no expert, just a rank amateur.

But, like, I don't know anything about cars. So taking mine to a mechanic, I feel like a doof not knowing what I'm asking them to do. They could take me for a ride or misinform me and I wouldn't know any better.

So I'm just trying to learn more about amp and guitar repair to avoid that problem with my hobby. Amp repair is a craft and an art, and should be respected, but I always hated getting talked down to by some good ol' boy just because they had a better soldering iron than I do. I'm lucky to have found a really honest and talented shop where I am, but I realize that's just good fortune.

Knowing the basics of what does what has given me a lot more confidence in what I use, how to gauge how well it's working, and what to get fixed or looked at if it needs repair. It started with pedals, but I'm branching out, and threads like this often helped with all the discussion, I learned much of what I'm piecing together here on OSG.

Good luck, and I'm sure people here are always happy to answer even basic questions - I know they have for me!

[46346]

great find. i was shopping for a Bassman Ten as my first real Fender amp back in 1990, when i came across one of these. it had the original styro speaker but it was dry and crumbly. i almost bought it for $60, but didn't know anything about making the right baffle for a more typical speaker. i soon found a Bassman Ten for $100, so i went for that, no regrets (until i sold it years later).


but still i wonder - could you use a Super Reverb baffle in this Bantam cabinet? or maybe there's a height difference?


meanwhile, it's cool to hear that these are still the sleeper SF Fenders!

[MrShake]

Any word back on this one? Gigged my Bassman Ten this weekend and loving this kind of amp. Get it working and I think you will, too!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[HedonismBot]

Any word back on this one? Gigged my Bassman Ten this weekend and loving this kind of amp. Get it working and I think you will, too!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I learned that the speaker wasn’t as stinky as I thought, after all (it took ordering and returning a replacement). There is a spot on the aluminum panel that smells like cigarette smoke that I’ll try cleaning with alcohol. Hopefully, this will take care of the odor. With the speaker replacement out of the picture, I don’t think I want to bother with Skip. I found a local guy who may not be as reputable, but if it’s just a matter of replacing the electrolytic capacitors - I’ll give it a shot. However, my summer school final project is due this week, I have a couple PD trainings coming up, and I’m moving out of my rental in the end of the month so, for now, I’ll just have to play the amp as is.

[MrShake]

Any word back on this one? Gigged my Bassman Ten this weekend and loving this kind of amp. Get it working and I think you will, too!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I learned that the speaker wasn’t as stinky as I thought, after all (it took ordering and returning a replacement). There is a spot on the aluminum panel that smells like cigarette smoke that I’ll try cleaning with alcohol. Hopefully, this will take care of the odor. With the speaker replacement out of the picture, I don’t think I want to bother with Skip. I found a local guy who may not be as reputable, but if it’s just a matter of replacing the electrolytic capacitors - I’ll give it a shot. However, my summer school final project is due this week, I have a couple PD trainings coming up, and I’m moving out of my rental in the end of the month so, for now, I’ll just have to play the amp as is.

Ah, I hear you about life getting in the way of amps, been there myself. Glad/sorry to hear about the speaker? Either way, glad it seems to be sorted to your satisfaction.

And yeah, I would say a tech needs to be reputable for a job like yours, but not a high-end specialist. It's a straightforward job, other than the voltage, and theoretically, anybody with any rep as an actual tech and not just "a guy" somebody knows, should have no trouble fixing you up.

Good luck, and if that thing starts acting funny in the interim, go get a Behringer to hold you over or something!