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  • #1

    ab165 vs ab864

    hey everyone.

    i just got my blackface bassman in the mail, i had to wait nearly three weeks for the payment to clear through paypal. ridiculous, but its here.

    i want to have the ab165 changed to ab864, and i wanted to ask what kind of differences in tone will i notice.

    also, ive seen serveral mentionings of changing the bass channel into circuitry similar to the super reverb. is that gonna sound exactly like a super, or is it just going to sound like an attempt to sound like a super?

    also, i was reading that its supposed to be very loud, but i've had it cranked to ten in my tiny bedroom and i was standing right in front of it playing with a paul, and i really didn't think it was that loud. i was thinking it might be the tubes. what combo of tubes would you recommend, and how will that combo effect the tone?

    regis, i was particularly interested in your input about the ab864s because you seem to be quite fond of them
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  • #2
    http://blueguitar.org/new/schem/fend...4_vs_aa165.pdf

    HTH!

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    • #3
      yes i read that. i was looking for more input i guess. i dont know what hth is.

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by ledzeppelinwasprettygood View Post
        hey everyone.

        i just got my blackface bassman in the mail, i had to wait nearly three weeks for the payment to clear through paypal. ridiculous, but its here.

        i want to have the ab165 changed to ab864, and i wanted to ask what kind of differences in tone will i notice.

        also, ive seen serveral mentionings of changing the bass channel into circuitry similar to the super reverb. is that gonna sound exactly like a super, or is it just going to sound like an attempt to sound like a super?

        also, i was reading that its supposed to be very loud, but i've had it cranked to ten in my tiny bedroom and i was standing right in front of it playing with a paul, and i really didn't think it was that loud. i was thinking it might be the tubes. what combo of tubes would you recommend, and how will that combo effect the tone?

        regis, i was particularly interested in your input about the ab864s because you seem to be quite fond of them
        Yes I would love to have an 864. My SF Bassman tops are a cross between the AA864 and the AB165, mostly AA864. The Phase Inverter and power section, bias, etc is the older circuit. I'm not sure what else I did as I haven't been inside one in a while. If I have time I will open one up and double check this week.

        Basically if you change the bias to adjustable fixed bias, use .1 coupling caps, 82k/100k and 220k resistors, all that will help a lot. If it hasn't been recapped and a grounded cord added do that. Get rid of the death cap. Look at the schematics and layouts of both models and see what you have. The Bassman is a pretty loud amp, what speaker cab are you using? What kind of tubes are in it? Brands? Right now I am using SED power tubes, but JJ's are good too. I have EH's in the preamp sections.

        If you want to hear what mine sound like listen to this. Two of them in stereo, SD-1 during the lead solo.

        About the Super Reverb mod in the bass channel, no it won't sound like a super reverb, but it will sound a lot better than what's there. There are other mods for that channel too.

        Max, I dunno what HTH is either?

        regis
        Stop by my web page!

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        • #5
          Hope This Helps!

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          • #6
            Hi everybody!

            Ledzep, i've done the conversion before. You have to move a wire or two under the fiberboard. Ended up nearly shotguning the whole amp with carbon film, kept the malorys tho. I added a tube rectumfrier, and SS>TR switch, as well as a variable NFB. (drilled the chassis, and that was daft!) I have a BF bandmaster which gonna get somewhat the same treatement soon. Tube rectifier; (no solid state anymore!) midle control on one of teh channels, variable NFB and my be a new trick, feeding the normal chanel into the vibrato chanel. That gonna mean removing the AC outlet to fit a switch on a steel plate (keep the original parts etc! obviously!) I think i'll have to use one of the extra tube socket hole for a switch etc.

            If this can give you an idea. Remember 864 rewire is a big job.

            HTH

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by Satamax View Post
              Hi everybody!

              Ledzep, i've done the conversion before. You have to move a wire or two under the fiberboard. Ended up nearly shotguning the whole amp with carbon film, kept the malorys tho. I added a tube rectumfrier, and SS>TR switch, as well as a variable NFB. (drilled the chassis, and that was daft!) I have a BF bandmaster which gonna get somewhat the same treatement soon. Tube rectifier; (no solid state anymore!) midle control on one of teh channels, variable NFB and my be a new trick, feeding the normal chanel into the vibrato chanel. That gonna mean removing the AC outlet to fit a switch on a steel plate (keep the original parts etc! obviously!) I think i'll have to use one of the extra tube socket hole for a switch etc.

              If this can give you an idea. Remember 864 rewire is a big job.

              HTH
              Blackface Bandmaster!!! Tube rectumfryer!! Drillling holes!!! Removing stuff!! Adding stuff!! Blasphemy!!! The end of western civilization!!

              Don't tell Bob P., he'll have a heart attack. (Sorry Bob, just kidding.)

              I'll bet it it'll sound awesome. I know a guy that did a rebuild on a junkyard Bandmaster and swapped trannys, added a tube rec and 4 6L6's to make it a power mad monster.
              Stop by my web page!

              Comment

              • #8
                Well, the trick will be to make it without drilling holes! For the tube recto, no prob, there's already a power tube hole (bandmaster and showman share teh same chassis!) For the mid control, no prob, there's already the grounding switch hole. For the chanel 1 into chanel 2, i think i'm lookin at either doing it with one of the bright switches, or may be the last tube socket hole, making a new steel plate cover which i'll be able to drill without harming the original. And for the variable NFB, there's teh Ac outlet which is easily removeable and can be replaced by another steel cover, drilled for the pot. I hope this hasn't raised too many hairs

                Btw i'm starting with this one which isn't complete. http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...0602&rd=1&rd=1

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Regis View Post
                  Blackface Bandmaster!!! Tube rectumfryer!! Drillling holes!!! Removing stuff!! Adding stuff!! Blasphemy!!! The end of western civilization!!

                  Don't tell Bob P., he'll have a heart attack.
                  "Stand back, I'm holding a calculator." - chinrest

                  "I happen to have an original 1955 Stratocaster! The neck and body have been replaced with top quality Warmoth parts, I upgraded the hardware and put in custom, hand wound pickups. It's fabulous. There's nothing like that vintage tone or owning an original." - Chuck H

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                  • #10
                    Don't worry Bob, i'll try not to devaluate it! Promise. I've got it all sorted, wiring wise.

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