Fender Bassman 150

Played guitar professionally 20+ years ago. Currently a bass player in a local mid life crises blues/rock band.


I wanted to get rid of my Behringer BX1200 Ultrabass combo amp. So I was researching combo amps for rehearsal and small bar gigs on Musicians Friend when I came across this amp. I tried it out at a local music store and liked what I heard. I bought it on the spot after 30 minutes of playing.

It has a very nice Eminence 12inch speaker with an adjustable horn. 4band EQ in addition to standard bass and treble controls, tuner input, balanced direct out, tilt back design (nice touch),ground lift switch, effects send/return, +/- 6db switch, line compressor. All things that contribute to the versatility of the unit. You will get a good usable tone from this amp. Oh, and it's only about 39 pounds!

During very long sets this unit will protest by getting a little "farty sounding" not on every note, but it can be annoying. take 10 and its fine. I'll be upgrading soon because my band will be playing larger venues but I'll keep this a a rehearsal amp.

Contruction is solid, durable corners lightwieght but strongsurvived a 3ft drop with no known problems. Knobs are nice, controls are responsive.

IMHO This is a much better product than the comparable Behringers.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

(Originally written by SlapKid/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Very comprehensive feature set: good-sounding compressor, rear tuner output, RCA aux input, mute with flashing LED, very low noise operation.

Serial loop, pre/post EQ XLR output with very high output level (for passive DI boxes).

150 small watts, cheap 12" speaker (4 ohms), adjustable tweeter.

Wedge design a bit bulky and not convenient except for small stages.

It's rather light but the shape makes transport very uncomfortable.

UTILIZATION

Easy to use after you install a good speaker (the 12" Eminence Gamma provides wonderful lows and a very clear sound). Even though it's an 8-ohm speaker you'll get much more acoustic power than with the original 4-ohm speaker...

Don't mess with the EQ, just adjust the compression, the tweeter and start playing.

You can get lost with the EQ and its two semi-parametric mids. The EQ sounds cold and narrow.

So it's easy to use because you won't touch it.

SOUNDS

The original speaker has a very bad dynamic response, no punch, weak low frequencies and a nicely shaped frequency response. Hats off Fender. And I didn't mention the lack of acoustic power, similar to a 60-watt amp! Everything gets better after you upgrade the speaker (12" Gamma): acoustic power, low frequencies, dynamic response. Now the amp delivers about 100 watts of power but it sounds much louder than the 150 watts of the original speaker.

But it's still a small amp and its older brother (Bassman 100 with a 15" speaker) produces a much higher sound power.

I connected the 150 to my HughesKettner stack (4x10" + 1x15", 4 ohm total impedance) and it disappointed me: no depth nor punch, no lows but good mids (however cold)... And no 150 watts!

OVERALL OPINION

I've owned it for two years and I'm fed up. In spite of the speaker upgrade it sounds cold, has a bad dynamic response and no punch. Regardless of the speaker connected.

This applies to my 5-string fretless bass. With my 4-string fretted bass it sounds even more metallic and colder... Awful!

It's bulky and not easy to transport... It's hard to find any pros!

The 150 watts rating is clearly unreal. The amp provides about 90 watts and my Bassman 100 provides much more acoustic power and sounds much better.

Fender makes a lot of money with this amp. For the same price you can get a 500 watt Hartke head plus a home-made speaker cabinet...

I don't recommend this product (not even if you have an unused Gamma 12). Fender just couldn't deliver (and it's not the first time I hear that!).

Transistor amplifier.
Power: 150 Watt
Full connectivity (with input swicht active / passive, effects loop, XLR output jack and the little + and for an amp of this power: the headphone jack (for those who like me are in an apartment)).
In terms of setting there is a 3-band EQ (bass, medium and high) with the characteristic for media to be divided into two bands (low-mid and hi-mid) which allows for very precise control of low do you spend a little time.
There was also a compressor whose action is confined solely to make the sound more even. For those who like their compression set to a quarter of hair go for a pedal because it remains discreet and limited but not inéficace.
The volume control is done through adjusting the preamp and master. I do not find interesting preamp saturation with the volume all the way (the transistor you tell me ...) but these two buttons allow a smooth and precise adjustment of volume (important detail when you can play hard home).
There is also an input for external source always come to train or play a headphone with a drum machine or a cd.
The HP can be a disconnect in déconnété jack at the rear of the preamp
The tweeter also not be disconnected or mitigate a interuptor back.
So a 9 to cause the compressor that I thought better but other than that everything is top.

UTILIZATION

The setup is rather simple, even classical. Only the setting of medium is a little difficult at first but once you understood coment it work so good.
Also because of the medium setting to obtain the desired sound can be tricky at first. However I had no trouble finding my own after some ten minutes to grind the buttons.
The quality of HP Eminence is also the appointment. For a small combo I find the sound excellent.
The manual is very basic, but are you one really need??

SOUNDS

This combo is well suited to my game that operates in all that rock to metal and funk. I think he can adapt to both jazz.
I play a Warwick Corvette Standard and is a joy, I have a round peus or bring out the grain of the low no problem with the fat. The slapping sounds good with the compressor's original amp (bcp mieu rumble as the 100 I had). I n'uttilise a distortion pedal Multidrive BSE and the whole marries perfectly.

OVERALL OPINION

I uttilise for 1 month and I am very happy. I was looking for a simple configuration and éfficacecet I typed in 1000.
For value for money I find it a little high anyway ... but this stuff is worth it for that price even though he'll have still been able to compressur a more effective ... :-(
I do it again this choice without hesitation, hoping to find used rather than pay the price of nine.
8 for the price too high.

A transistor amplifier, which has a power of 150 watts with a tweeter (Full / -6 dB / Off) that you can plug in if the DSIR. A 12-inch HP "eminence" with a tweeter.
Rglages: volume, contour, compressor, 3-band legalization mdium semi-parameter.
It is also the "traditional" practice ms, headphone jack, between tuner, mute switch with LED tmoin, etc.
- Between 1 slecteur with active / passive
- Effects loop
- XLR line output with adjustable volume pre / post EQ
- Speaker Output jack to 6.35 (4 Ohm min.)
- Aux RCA
- Dimensions: 533 x 489 x 438 mm

UTILIZATION

Usage is nice because trs simple qq rglage the sound fits the style or the modified route. Simple and convenient as tt ffective this combo is really good for bass players who want a combo that suits bcp style.
For my part I think we can easily find a good sound, when plugs directly ms ds amp if you put the effects are a little complicated ... Bcp because I hurt AGRER effects with this amp.

SOUNDS

I play mostly rock with this combo ms in 2 years jai jou many different style and he tjs will do. The pb c its unique 12-inch HP does not sound super prcis.
I play with a peavey bass.
There are quite a pallette of sound gde qq modif, the precision is not ms tjs Submitted and it is sometimes a little when you slap.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for almost two years, I would say this report qualitprix its greatest asset because it is good sound, it is too complicated rglages life with simple and effective and that provides good sound quickly. J I try bcp combo before buying this amp and I have 2 years APRS made the right choice if the bassman 250 mm seems to me the best amp com jai try thanks to its two HP has more PRCI my taste.
Ms for that price the bassman is really terrible!