FACTOIDS & TRIVIA

The 4x10 Bassman was dropped in 1960 and superceded in 1961 by a completely redesigned Bassman Amp with a piggyback configuration. The first circuit (6G6) was a 40-watt, tube rectified model mated to a 30" wide 1x12" tone ring cab. This was very short-lived, rare model made for 9 months that gave way to the 6G6-A with solid state rectifier and 32" wide 2x12 speaker cabinet. The 6G6-A is even more rare than the 6G6 as it was only made for 3 months. The sealed speaker enclosure certainly improved the Bassman's ability as a bass guitar amplifier, however, the circuit was still a high gain design better suited for guitar than bass. The earliest 6G6-A Bassman amps, such as the one shown here, were fitted with leftover 8-ohm output transformers from 6G6 production. This resulted in an impedance mismatch between the 8-ohm output transformer and the 4-ohm speaker cabinet. Even more surprising is that this amp acutally has the 6G6 circuit, not 6G6-A, but has solid state rectification. It also has a 30" 2x12 speaker cabinet. Very transitional!

 
 Power Amp: Tube; 2 x 5881, 40 watts RMS @ 4 ohms

 Preamp: Tube; 2 x 12AX7, 2 x 7025

 Rectifier: Solid state; silicon diode

 Speakers: 2 x 12" Oxford 12M6-1

 Channels: 2 (Bass, Normal); 2 inputs per channel

 Effects: None

 Controls: Bass - volume, bass, treble; Normal - volume, bass, treble

 Head Dimensions: 8 H x 22 1/4 W x 9 D inches

 Speaker Cabinet Dimensions: 21 H x 32 W x 11 1/2 D inches

 Total Weight: n/a