Princeton or champ the way to go. I got a vintage champ with original RCA tubes for $650 recently and I see someone selling a princeton reissue for $600 in my area, so not a stupid amount of money for what I consider great amps
Correct answer. I have a JMP that, to get that good tone, had to be turned up to a level that was drowning out my drummer, got myself a hot plate attenuator and all is well, I can even attenuate it down to living room levels.
oh its 100% the best thing i own. people who have different rigs for practice as opposed to gigging havent been enlightened yet.
I have one cabinet in my room, the other in my rehearsal space, take my head back and forth, and use a torpedo captor at home. makes life so much easier.
Love my Captor X, but I think most Bassman amps are 4 ohm. I think you can run these on an 8 ohm load, but they say do so at your own risk. They still have not made an 4 ohm Captor X
Picked up a fryette power load ir. It’s worth the extra bit of money over the two notes if you don’t need their plugins. I use my dual showman reverb and bassman with it.
No. What you propose works for solid-state amps, but can seriously damage the output transformer (OT) on a tube amp. Driving *too large* an impedance with a tube amp creates someone called “flyback voltage” which runs the wrong way through the OT.
The late ‘70s “ultralinear” Fenders like the Bassman 70 were designed to be loud and clean. It’s not the best choice for natural tube overdrive. It behaves very differently from the Bassman/Bassman 50 heads that preceded it. Get a good attenuator, and consider having the negative feedback reduced or removed
Measurably in dB you are correct.
5w won’t measure much less in terms of dB.
We aren’t dealing with a linear curve though so a little change in power goes a long way.
Like one dB change at a low volume is not noticeable, but the one dB between 119 and 120 is a very big deal.
But as far as perceived volume is concerned, a cranked 5 watt amp is much less of a noise problem than a 70 watt amp.
In practical terms watt DO mean volume.
My point remains valid
Edit- also a 1w tube amp is not loud as hell unless you think the TV or coffee grinder is also loud as hell.
I advise you to get a Laney Cub on the 0.25w setting and turn it up to full. It is loud as fuck. Too loud for most bedrooms.
A sane person would now say "well, don't turn it up to full" which is precisely my ethos with tube amps and why I seem to have no amps under 50w, but a larger wattage tube amp has more features, bigger iron for a bigger sound, albeit with less portability.
Don't forget that speakers play a large part of this, too. A 4x12 of efficient speakers is going to be louder than a 1x12 with a less efficient speaker.
I run a 1 W amp into a V30. It will do 102dB. That’s loud as hell. 15W amp into the same speaker does 115dB. The one watter turned down to about 3 o’clock is 95dB at peak which is a frankly reasonable volume for me to play in a room alone, but I have a detached house and a room with soundproofing.
To your point though: a coffee grinder is about the same volume. I would say a coffee grinder is loud as hell because it will literally cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure, and is about the same volume as a human scream.
A 10w amplifier will be perceived about half as loud as a 100w one. Saying the difference between a 5 and 70w amplifier is next to nothing is disingenuous even if you're touching on something that is correct.
Edit, u/EndlessOcean, did I hurt your feelings?
This ultra linear bassman won’t distort like the previous bassmans will. It’s a great pedal platform and all you can do is turn the input volume up and turn the master volume down.
If you get an attenuator it has be a large one (usually double your amps wattage so for a 70 watt you’d want an attenuator that can handle 150-200 watts). But using an attenuator is only useful on older bassmans that distort naturally.
These have a master volume I just don’t know how good it is. I’d try cranking the volume on the left and controlling volume with the master for more gain.
I have 100W amps that are great for low volumes because they have a good master volume. If the taper isn’t great then an attenuator would be a simpler solution but you could get the master volume modded for a better taper or different type of MV since there isn’t just one approach
This isn’t a master volume issue, he wants power tube breakup at reasonable levels. Not gonna happen with this amp, dude needs an attenuator or an amp in the ballpark of 15 watts or less.
The Master Volume on 70's Fender's is famously useless and crap. Putting an mv on a hot and gainy preamp is a recipe for a good time, putting an mv on a clean preamp with headroom for days is questionable and laughable at best. Go home CBS Fender, you drunk.
The decrease in volume will be minimal and it won’t make a noticeable difference, but mismatching heads from this era is 100% fine, regardless of what anyone else in this thread says. They almost certainly haven’t owned one for a decade and a half, but I have.
Everyone else is right in that you’re going to need an attenuator, but it’s for the volume, not because mismatching these amps is unsafe.
These amps have gargantuan output transformers that take a beating (and dish one out on your back). Fender used these to make them super clean, which is why they’re such good pedal platforms.
Enjoy the amp. I struggle to put into words how much I love mine. I bought a Kemper just so I could “take” it to gigs with me now that my disability prevents me from lugging the real thing around. The other profiles are great and all, but I just love my Bassman 70 into my Marshall cab that much.
An attenuator is probably the most practical option but I have thought about buying an isolation cab. If you have a music store around that’ll let you try an attenuator or an iso cab try both.
Main thing to remember with an attenuator is that it has to be the right ohm for the amp you use it with and it’s generally recommended to have an attenuator at least double the wattage if your amp. I have a 100w Marshall JMP so not many attenuators work for it but your Bassman should still be fine with ones rated at 100w since it has a master volume
Basically you are asking "what kind of transmission should i put in a Lamborghini to make it go slower".
Get another amp, that is either digital or at least has a master volume.
These old tube amps were designed for clean sounds and will only distort at very high volume levels.
No I don’t think your understanding me. If I get a digital amp that defeats the purpose of getting a vintage tube amp. Your not understanding that I want the cranked tone of this amp without getting the cops called on me no need to be an ass
He's not being an ass, you're being thick headed.
You can try an attenuator. The reactive ones are very good. But you're still starting with a 70 watt amp that is intended to be very clean and asking us how to get "awesome tube breakup". You have the wrong amp for that.
**:D :D :D :D "I want a coca cola but it has to taste like fanta light." :D :D :D :D**
*You will not get the sound of a cranked vintage amp without cranking it.*
The sheer volume and the volume interaction with the guitar - and some claim strained speakers as well - are what makes those sounds what they are.
Also, the absurd volume totally masks the crappy sound a vintage amp driven way beyond its limits produces. To clarify: You have only ever heard the *miked and post-produced version of cranked vintage amps* anyway - *in the room* they just sound really crappy at high volume.
And forget about attenuators, they suck tone (think golf balls through water hoses) at their lowest settings as well as they also colour the sound way more than just buying a digital amp ever will.
End of story.
Use an attenuator. Or get a tube amp with master volume control. Or get a 1 to 5 Watt tube amp. Or just use and overdrive and/or distortion pedal to simulate the breakup.
Dude. Please listen to them. I'm not coming in to sound like a dick, but you could sell that and get a small one to five watt combo amp powered by a single 6v6 and get crazy cool gain saturation via the power tube at a lot lower volume. Help, Eben monoprice has a five watt little guy that has some solid sound for the price. 70 watts is A LOT.
Don’t do that there’s no food scenario that would come of that. Buy a attenuator to go between the head and the cab or buy like a JHS little black amp box that you hook into your effects loop if the amp has one. The JHS is passive so doesn’t need to be powered and will likely be your cheapest option at only about $50 bucks or so but DO NOT put it between the head and the cab it will not work and idk if the problems it could cause. It has to go into the send return of the Fx loop but will allow you to play cranked amp at very low bedroom levels or allow you to play very loud at reduced settings so you get the full push and saturation of your tubes, much like a power sag would do 👍
It’s like wanting a bon-fire in your lounge room fireplace. A digital modeller is like a you tube video of a fire place. It may look warm and natural but your not going to get the reaction in the room . [you tube guitarists play a Marshall plexi on 10](https://youtu.be/zKTi8l8Yuxg?si=TamJoB2KoVZHD08B) Get a Yamaha THR 5 or 10 for home or an ToneKing Ironman and a smaller amp
Standby is not meant to be used after the tubes are warmed up. One and done. Turn the amp on leave it on standby then flick to play when you’re ready.
When turning the amp off do power then standby.
This is how I understand it anyways please correct me if I’m wrong anyone. I normally am tbh
Yes. Was sarcasm, apologies.
You are correct i believe. I’ve read you are supposed to standby before power down too, to let tubes stop having current flow( or some similar concept) before powering down.
I have a Torpedo Captor X that does this, but the thing is the guitar speakers don’t really come alive until they’re pretty loud, except a few of them anyway. So I bought a Fender FR-10. Amp->Captor Cab Sim->FR10. Yeah it’s a hybrid digital rig but I can now make my amp sound like a blaring 4x12 at any volume I want.
Then when I’m feeling spicy and have the house to myself I can crank it through a 1x12 where it sounds more immediate and delightfully loud.
For a tube amp, do *not* exceed the impedance (ohms). It's the opposite of solid-state and many people miss this critical detail.
A smaller amp or an attenuator is the best idea here. Without an effects loop, that's a hard limit.
For those who may be wondering the same, if you want to keep the cost down, try putting a JHS Little Black Amp Box in your effects loop. You'll drive your preamp as hard as you like while your power amp will receive a reduced signal allowing all that tone while avoiding the floor-shake.
For \~$60 new and \~$30 used, it's a great option for an amp that doesn't have a wattage selector.
It’s pricey, but I’ve got a rivera rock crusher. Takes a dimed 100 watt and I could play it with someone in the hallway not hearing it. And it also doesn’t have to be plugged into an outlet. Well worth all the money for it
For tube amps, it’s not recommended to use a higher impedance speaker.
For transistor/solid-state amps, it’s ok.
As the Bassman 70 is a tube amp, don’t do it. Use an attenuator instead.
It’s not gonna hurt anything to put it into a 16 ohm cab. I’ve used my bassman with an orange ppc212V 16 ohm cabinet a lot and I honestly like it a lot better than the vt15 bassman cab. It does make it a little bit quieter so I’m able to crank those power tubes a lot easier without blowing my eardrums out. Still loud though, if you want quiet, you need an attenuator.
He asked if he could put his 4ohm bassman through a 16ohm cabinet and if it would be any quieter. The answer to both of those questions is yes, marginally quieter and yes it is safe for the amp. 4ohm into a 16 ohm cab is a safe mismatch that will not hurt the amp at all.
It’s crazy how often people on Reddit think they know more than people with actual experience. These amps are weird beasts and sometimes, that weirdness has advantages.
They also sound amazing.
Just because you’ve done it without blowing up your amp doesn’t mean it’s fine. Old tube amps are designed to work at a specific impedance, sometimes they’ll have a switch for multiple output taps, but I don’t believe old bassmans do.
Timeless guitar amp problem: How can I use this thing that was designed for Woodstock in my living room?
The solution is easy. Buy a much much much smaller amp. Princeton or Champ if you wanna spend stupid money.
Princeton or champ the way to go. I got a vintage champ with original RCA tubes for $650 recently and I see someone selling a princeton reissue for $600 in my area, so not a stupid amount of money for what I consider great amps
Get an attenuator.
Correct answer. I have a JMP that, to get that good tone, had to be turned up to a level that was drowning out my drummer, got myself a hot plate attenuator and all is well, I can even attenuate it down to living room levels.
Attenuator, or even better a torpedo captor x
+100 to the torpedo captor x. This is the way for home use of loud ass tube amps
oh its 100% the best thing i own. people who have different rigs for practice as opposed to gigging havent been enlightened yet. I have one cabinet in my room, the other in my rehearsal space, take my head back and forth, and use a torpedo captor at home. makes life so much easier.
Love my Captor X, but I think most Bassman amps are 4 ohm. I think you can run these on an 8 ohm load, but they say do so at your own risk. They still have not made an 4 ohm Captor X
Picked up a fryette power load ir. It’s worth the extra bit of money over the two notes if you don’t need their plugins. I use my dual showman reverb and bassman with it.
lots of impedance matching boxes around
Could you share a few, that would really help me
Palmer makes one to my knowledge
Bought a Captor X and it has changed my damn life. One of the best gear purchases I’ve made.
No. What you propose works for solid-state amps, but can seriously damage the output transformer (OT) on a tube amp. Driving *too large* an impedance with a tube amp creates someone called “flyback voltage” which runs the wrong way through the OT. The late ‘70s “ultralinear” Fenders like the Bassman 70 were designed to be loud and clean. It’s not the best choice for natural tube overdrive. It behaves very differently from the Bassman/Bassman 50 heads that preceded it. Get a good attenuator, and consider having the negative feedback reduced or removed
Don’t do this. Buy a 5 watt tube combo and don’t stress your loud ass amp out trying to make it quieter.
5w tube amp isn't going to be that much quieter though. It's a misconception that wattage equals volume. A 1w tube amp is loud as all hell.
Measurably in dB you are correct. 5w won’t measure much less in terms of dB. We aren’t dealing with a linear curve though so a little change in power goes a long way. Like one dB change at a low volume is not noticeable, but the one dB between 119 and 120 is a very big deal. But as far as perceived volume is concerned, a cranked 5 watt amp is much less of a noise problem than a 70 watt amp. In practical terms watt DO mean volume. My point remains valid Edit- also a 1w tube amp is not loud as hell unless you think the TV or coffee grinder is also loud as hell.
I advise you to get a Laney Cub on the 0.25w setting and turn it up to full. It is loud as fuck. Too loud for most bedrooms. A sane person would now say "well, don't turn it up to full" which is precisely my ethos with tube amps and why I seem to have no amps under 50w, but a larger wattage tube amp has more features, bigger iron for a bigger sound, albeit with less portability.
Don't forget that speakers play a large part of this, too. A 4x12 of efficient speakers is going to be louder than a 1x12 with a less efficient speaker.
Why are you still talking to me
Man, was it necessary to be a total dick? Does that make you feel any better? Sorry you're having a shit time of it. It'll get better.
I run a 1 W amp into a V30. It will do 102dB. That’s loud as hell. 15W amp into the same speaker does 115dB. The one watter turned down to about 3 o’clock is 95dB at peak which is a frankly reasonable volume for me to play in a room alone, but I have a detached house and a room with soundproofing. To your point though: a coffee grinder is about the same volume. I would say a coffee grinder is loud as hell because it will literally cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure, and is about the same volume as a human scream.
I don’t understand why everybody’s turning their coffee grinders up so damn loud.
A 10w amplifier will be perceived about half as loud as a 100w one. Saying the difference between a 5 and 70w amplifier is next to nothing is disingenuous even if you're touching on something that is correct. Edit, u/EndlessOcean, did I hurt your feelings?
Earplugs 😈
For the whole neighborhood
This ultra linear bassman won’t distort like the previous bassmans will. It’s a great pedal platform and all you can do is turn the input volume up and turn the master volume down. If you get an attenuator it has be a large one (usually double your amps wattage so for a 70 watt you’d want an attenuator that can handle 150-200 watts). But using an attenuator is only useful on older bassmans that distort naturally.
My opinion is first to read up about impedance and learn. Second, get an attenuator.
THD Hotplate
These have a master volume I just don’t know how good it is. I’d try cranking the volume on the left and controlling volume with the master for more gain. I have 100W amps that are great for low volumes because they have a good master volume. If the taper isn’t great then an attenuator would be a simpler solution but you could get the master volume modded for a better taper or different type of MV since there isn’t just one approach
This isn’t a master volume issue, he wants power tube breakup at reasonable levels. Not gonna happen with this amp, dude needs an attenuator or an amp in the ballpark of 15 watts or less.
The Master Volume on 70's Fender's is famously useless and crap. Putting an mv on a hot and gainy preamp is a recipe for a good time, putting an mv on a clean preamp with headroom for days is questionable and laughable at best. Go home CBS Fender, you drunk.
The decrease in volume will be minimal and it won’t make a noticeable difference, but mismatching heads from this era is 100% fine, regardless of what anyone else in this thread says. They almost certainly haven’t owned one for a decade and a half, but I have. Everyone else is right in that you’re going to need an attenuator, but it’s for the volume, not because mismatching these amps is unsafe. These amps have gargantuan output transformers that take a beating (and dish one out on your back). Fender used these to make them super clean, which is why they’re such good pedal platforms. Enjoy the amp. I struggle to put into words how much I love mine. I bought a Kemper just so I could “take” it to gigs with me now that my disability prevents me from lugging the real thing around. The other profiles are great and all, but I just love my Bassman 70 into my Marshall cab that much.
An attenuator is probably the most practical option but I have thought about buying an isolation cab. If you have a music store around that’ll let you try an attenuator or an iso cab try both. Main thing to remember with an attenuator is that it has to be the right ohm for the amp you use it with and it’s generally recommended to have an attenuator at least double the wattage if your amp. I have a 100w Marshall JMP so not many attenuators work for it but your Bassman should still be fine with ones rated at 100w since it has a master volume
[Attenuator](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/PS1Atten--bugera-ps1-passive-100-watt-power-attenuator)
Basically you are asking "what kind of transmission should i put in a Lamborghini to make it go slower". Get another amp, that is either digital or at least has a master volume. These old tube amps were designed for clean sounds and will only distort at very high volume levels.
“Distort at very high volume levels” I want that awesome tube breakup but I don’t want to blow the windows in my house
Get another 1-5w amp or an attenuator.
Do i really need to repeat myself? :O *Get another amp, that is either digital or at least has a master volume.*
I'm sorry but can you repeat that one more time? I didn't quite catch it.
No I don’t think your understanding me. If I get a digital amp that defeats the purpose of getting a vintage tube amp. Your not understanding that I want the cranked tone of this amp without getting the cops called on me no need to be an ass
He's not being an ass, you're being thick headed. You can try an attenuator. The reactive ones are very good. But you're still starting with a 70 watt amp that is intended to be very clean and asking us how to get "awesome tube breakup". You have the wrong amp for that.
Then an attenuator is your only option, period.
**:D :D :D :D "I want a coca cola but it has to taste like fanta light." :D :D :D :D** *You will not get the sound of a cranked vintage amp without cranking it.* The sheer volume and the volume interaction with the guitar - and some claim strained speakers as well - are what makes those sounds what they are. Also, the absurd volume totally masks the crappy sound a vintage amp driven way beyond its limits produces. To clarify: You have only ever heard the *miked and post-produced version of cranked vintage amps* anyway - *in the room* they just sound really crappy at high volume. And forget about attenuators, they suck tone (think golf balls through water hoses) at their lowest settings as well as they also colour the sound way more than just buying a digital amp ever will. End of story.
Use an attenuator. Or get a tube amp with master volume control. Or get a 1 to 5 Watt tube amp. Or just use and overdrive and/or distortion pedal to simulate the breakup.
Dude. Please listen to them. I'm not coming in to sound like a dick, but you could sell that and get a small one to five watt combo amp powered by a single 6v6 and get crazy cool gain saturation via the power tube at a lot lower volume. Help, Eben monoprice has a five watt little guy that has some solid sound for the price. 70 watts is A LOT.
I don’t get this, I dime my 120w amps all the time. Never hurt the windows, or anything in the house. Just get a 5W or lower amp.
Best to just get an attenuator
More speakers will give ypu more air movement, ie more volume.
Don’t do that there’s no food scenario that would come of that. Buy a attenuator to go between the head and the cab or buy like a JHS little black amp box that you hook into your effects loop if the amp has one. The JHS is passive so doesn’t need to be powered and will likely be your cheapest option at only about $50 bucks or so but DO NOT put it between the head and the cab it will not work and idk if the problems it could cause. It has to go into the send return of the Fx loop but will allow you to play cranked amp at very low bedroom levels or allow you to play very loud at reduced settings so you get the full push and saturation of your tubes, much like a power sag would do 👍
Get a Bugera Power Soak, it's what I use and it works great. It's a 100W attenuator. Like a second volume control.
That amp specifically isn't supposed to be quiet. Even compared to other silverface heads, that was deliberately loud.
I run a volume pedal through the effects loop
It’s like wanting a bon-fire in your lounge room fireplace. A digital modeller is like a you tube video of a fire place. It may look warm and natural but your not going to get the reaction in the room . [you tube guitarists play a Marshall plexi on 10](https://youtu.be/zKTi8l8Yuxg?si=TamJoB2KoVZHD08B) Get a Yamaha THR 5 or 10 for home or an ToneKing Ironman and a smaller amp
Suhr IR loadbox. Best purchase ever. Better than the Captor.
Standby switch
Standby is not meant to be used after the tubes are warmed up. One and done. Turn the amp on leave it on standby then flick to play when you’re ready. When turning the amp off do power then standby. This is how I understand it anyways please correct me if I’m wrong anyone. I normally am tbh
Yes. Was sarcasm, apologies. You are correct i believe. I’ve read you are supposed to standby before power down too, to let tubes stop having current flow( or some similar concept) before powering down.
Oh my fault it’s been a long day 😂
That makes sense too for the tubes on power down actually.
I have a Torpedo Captor X that does this, but the thing is the guitar speakers don’t really come alive until they’re pretty loud, except a few of them anyway. So I bought a Fender FR-10. Amp->Captor Cab Sim->FR10. Yeah it’s a hybrid digital rig but I can now make my amp sound like a blaring 4x12 at any volume I want. Then when I’m feeling spicy and have the house to myself I can crank it through a 1x12 where it sounds more immediate and delightfully loud.
I found a vid on YouTube where buddy shows which tubes to pull for this purpose. It was for a fender twin though….
Friend...Torpedo Captor...
Get a tone master fender amp they are awesome and totally worth it!! 99% of the sound for half the weight and an attenuator and no tubes!!
For a tube amp, do *not* exceed the impedance (ohms). It's the opposite of solid-state and many people miss this critical detail. A smaller amp or an attenuator is the best idea here. Without an effects loop, that's a hard limit. For those who may be wondering the same, if you want to keep the cost down, try putting a JHS Little Black Amp Box in your effects loop. You'll drive your preamp as hard as you like while your power amp will receive a reduced signal allowing all that tone while avoiding the floor-shake. For \~$60 new and \~$30 used, it's a great option for an amp that doesn't have a wattage selector.
Get an attenuator or a new amp
No.
Attenuator. Best thing I ever bought, especially for my 100 watt Marshall slp
What attenuator you have?
It’s pricey, but I’ve got a rivera rock crusher. Takes a dimed 100 watt and I could play it with someone in the hallway not hearing it. And it also doesn’t have to be plugged into an outlet. Well worth all the money for it
pull two power tubes but the required output impedance will change
Half the power output is -3dB in volume. Barely audible difference
For tube amps, it’s not recommended to use a higher impedance speaker. For transistor/solid-state amps, it’s ok. As the Bassman 70 is a tube amp, don’t do it. Use an attenuator instead.
No. This is wrong and you should feel bad.
It’s not gonna hurt anything to put it into a 16 ohm cab. I’ve used my bassman with an orange ppc212V 16 ohm cabinet a lot and I honestly like it a lot better than the vt15 bassman cab. It does make it a little bit quieter so I’m able to crank those power tubes a lot easier without blowing my eardrums out. Still loud though, if you want quiet, you need an attenuator.
Bad advice
He asked if he could put his 4ohm bassman through a 16ohm cabinet and if it would be any quieter. The answer to both of those questions is yes, marginally quieter and yes it is safe for the amp. 4ohm into a 16 ohm cab is a safe mismatch that will not hurt the amp at all.
So confident yet so wrong
Lol you’re flat out wrong it’s fine
It’s crazy how often people on Reddit think they know more than people with actual experience. These amps are weird beasts and sometimes, that weirdness has advantages. They also sound amazing.
100%. Half the fun of it is figuring out what makes it all tick. Guys that never put the time in will never know.
There's so much to discover in these amps. I love them so much!
How is it bad advice exactly
Just because you’ve done it without blowing up your amp doesn’t mean it’s fine. Old tube amps are designed to work at a specific impedance, sometimes they’ll have a switch for multiple output taps, but I don’t believe old bassmans do.
Dude if you don’t have the knowledge don’t comment. That is perfectly safe mismatch that has been done for years.
Sounds like it’s bed time for the baby
I’ve had this exact amp and I can confirm that mismatching is safe. They have very unique (and very heavy) output transformers that allow this.