NAD - 50 years old but still looks like a teenager... now with Modulus Amps cabinet

ICBM

With apologies to @Schmo for taking so long to commit to buying this , I finally decided I was never going to see a better one - in fact I seriously doubt if there is a better one anywhere - and bought this lovely, near-completely-original '73 Fender Bassman 50. It's even got the original cover, which although a little tatty is more or less intact.

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/251358/fs-fender-bassman-50-head-silverface-1973-74-800#latest

I'm happy calling it a '73 since the latest date code anywhere on it is the 48th week. That makes it almost exactly the same age as my Rickenbacker 4001, which was a (silly, but you know how it is!) factor in finally going for it... even though I had tried to convince myself that the last thing I need is an underpowered (for bass) vintage valve amp that's actually heavier than my modern 500W Class D 1x10" combo.

I've been repairing amps since 1986 and I've never seen another one this pristine - even though a similar amp would have only been 13 years old at the time. Remarkably, even though the filter caps are original and conventional wisdom says that at 50 years old they need changing, there's no sign of any problem - the amp doesn't hum or ghost, there's no leakage, and so I'm just going to leave them alone until I have to.

The only non-original parts I can see are the output valves, one preamp valve, one knob, and the back panel screws, and the chrome bezel ring from the pilot light and the cabinet anchors are missing. By a curious coincidence I already happen to have all of those - including a pair of Fender-logo'd 70s Sylvania 6L6s - apart from the chrome bezel, which I should be able to find one of somewhere.

The only serious problem is that I'm now going to need a cabinet - the original would have been a 2x15" the size of a Marshall 4x12", but they're too big and heavy, and a bit soggy-sounding, for me to want one. For now in the house I'm using an old Marshall 2x12" combo cab wired for 4 ohms, but I really need a proper 2x10" or 2x12" bass cab, or just possibly a 4x10" if I can find a light enough one...

GoFish

HNAD! It's nice when things end up in what's certain to be a good home. Enjoy playing the Ric at underpowered volumes.

ICBM

GoFish said:

Enjoy playing the Ric at underpowered volumes.

It does of course overdrive spectacularly well, at what seems like not much more than loud home volume... although I have been told that it carries quite well to the far side of the house .

hollywoodrox

Splendid looking beast ,congratulations

Kittyfrisk

ICBM said:

GoFish said:

Enjoy playing the Ric at underpowered volumes.

It does of course overdrive spectacularly well, at what seems like not much more than loud home volume... although I have been told that it carries quite well to the far side of the house .

 I have that problem too, guests in the East Wing extension & sauna have mentioned that it seems to be particularly prone to sound transmission issues.
Congratulations on what sounds like a definite 'meant to be' purchase  

ElectricXII

Nice one. I had been watching this one, kind of, as it was just up the road from where I live, and as you say, incredibly clean. Definitely a case of want, not need, though. Enjoy!

JezWynd

Good to see it's gone to a loving home. I was tempted by it too, I love old stuff that looks like new and that's a stunning example. Enjoy!

mo6020

Beautiful amp, congrats mate. 

Schmo

@ICBM ;

Really nice to meet up with you today Sir & stoked to see the amp going to such a knowledgeable & appreciative new owner.

Look forward to seeing you pairing it with a new matching cab, that will be a cool pic to come...

Enjoy...

Supportact

Nice! That is an amazing thing. 

Alex2678

Very cool

Moe_Zambeek

Wow, much the same age as me but in way better condition!

DrJazzTap

Congratulations,  you have given me some much needed sage advice over the years (no matter how tempted I am, I'll never buy another Trace elliot speed twin).

It looks like a lovely amp 

p90fool

Wow, that looks amazing! 

maw4neu

Superb Amplifier . . .great choice :-)

Jonathangus

I'll admit I know very little about Fender amps, but that looks pretty special.

Cab-wise, maybe keep it in Scotland and give Modulus a shout?

ICBM

Jonathangus said:

Cab-wise, maybe keep it in Scotland and give Modulus a shout?

I have already wondered about that . I have a pair of neodymium 10" bass speakers which would probably be quite good with it... I had thought about looking for an old Tremolux cabinet - the heads are the same size, so the Bassman would fit the anchor bolts on one - and replacing the speakers, but of course they're vintage, and thus expensive even if you can find one.

But the Modulus F-style 2x12" looks almost perfect. I've even got a set of the anchor bolts I could fit... @Modulus_Amps - would making the cab the same size but with the baffle cut for two 10s be an option?

Dave_Mc

ICBM said:

GoFish said:

Enjoy playing the Ric at underpowered volumes.

It does of course overdrive spectacularly well, at what seems like not much more than loud home volume... although I have been told that it carries quite well to the far side of the house .

LOL

Awesome score 

randella

Lovely score, it looks in absolutely remarkable nick.

There was a silver panel Twin in a local guitar shop a few months back - I daren't go back to see if he's still got it. Was hard enough to leave it be the first time.

ICBM

So I took this to band practice tonight. I normally use a 450W solid-state Ampeg through an Ampeg 4x10" there, and we're not a quiet band... the limit light occasionally comes on when I use fuzz. So I was a bit hesitant to bother, given we can't park at the studio and I would have to carry it from the next (if lucky) street - there's no way a 50W valve amp can be loud enough. Right?

Wrong.

It's absolutely incredible how only 50W can somehow be *that* loud - if anything it seemed to fill the room better than the Ampeg. OK, it's true that it was always slightly overdriven even when I was playing 'clean', but it didn't sound farty, the low-end was deep and solid, and the clarity between notes even when playing double-stops was quite remarkable. With fuzz it just got huge and brassy, and didn't sound overly compressed either, even though it was then fairly heavily overdriven. Not only that, the *tone* was really quite beautiful - and it's got just three knobs and one switch on each channel... no fancy sweepable mids or graphic EQ - just volume, bass, treble and a deep switch. Deep switch on, all controls at 6, and there it is - perfect classic bass tone.

It's utterly brilliant. Anyone who thinks that 'low powered' valve bass amps are out of date in a modern context - and I admit to being one of them before tonight - is wrong.

And I haven't even plugged a guitar into it yet.

DartmoorHedgehog

ICBM said:

Anyone who thinks that 'low powered' valve bass amps are out of date in a modern context - and I admit to being one of them before tonight - is wrong..

I'm not sure it's just valve either.  I played bass for a couple of years through an old Peavey 80 watt (I believe) solid-state 15" combo - we weren't a quiet band, rarely miced up, and it was well up to the job.  With modern bass amps anything under 300W seems to be considered weedy.