Need opinions on modding Fender Bassman to EL34

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mixohoytian

mixohoytian

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Next week I'm getting a bassman 100 head. I needed an inexpensive warm tube clean tone to go along with my Mojave Peacemaker.
So I'm getting the 100 watt version for the most clean headroom and a bassman cause they aren't too hard to get when you are broke :-)

I'm not a fender guy and I don't mean to offend Fender collectors. I'm getting a silverface so that I don't screw up a classic :-)
I have a technician friend who does mods and will mod it for free. I 'm having him leave the regular channel clean, but "blackface" it and turning the bass channel into the JTM mod.
In addition to that, I was wondering if I should completely mod it and have him change it from 6l6's to EL34?
I already talked to him about keeping the clean headroom, which is my #1 priority on the normal channel.

He says I can decrease the gain stages in order to keep the EL34's clean and loud.
Anyone think this will work?

What I want is more of a warm Marshally clean, but without breakup at high volume
In other words, if the peacemaker had a killer clean channel...I want THAT

I can't afford another boutique amp, so just trying to do what I can at the present

Thanks
 
I would stick with the 6L6's and have the other mods done. For clean in general I prefer 6L6's to EL34's, so I think. You can always have it modded for EL34's later. By doing it in 2 stages you can hear what each change does....
 
There's a good chance that EL34's will draw more heater current than the power transformer in that amp can deliver. I would recommend staying with 6l6's as well, re-voicing the preamp for the kind of tone you want wouldn't take too much work.
 
In my opinion, I would leave the 6L6. That's the signature Fender sound. I have owned pretty much every possible Fender amp and never used EL34's in any of them. They rely on the depth of the 6L6 tube.
 
I have a 70 silver faced twin reverb, I had it modded to el 34, 1/2 power switch put in and choke added and modded to blackface specs, still a very very clean tone and sounds great, go for it :thumbsup:
 
i would leave the 6L6s in it. I record with a Bassman with 6L6s and its the tits.
 
cool thanks everyone
I'll see if I can get what I want out of the 6l6's before doing anything crazy :thumbsup:
Marshall Law, you have any clips of your fender clean w/ el34's?
 
As someone else mentioned, you're better off leaving the 6L6s in and having the circuit modded/revoiced to the tone you're seeking. It'd be cheaper than modding it for EL34s, I think. Besides, Bassman and 6L6 go together like peas and carrots.
 
If you're not planning on running the Bassman dirty from volume then modding to 34's is a waste of time and money. Even with power tube distortion you would notice a subtle difference, not a big one. I agree with others that modifying the preamp would be more effective if the amp doesn't sound right to you yet.
 
mixohoytian":uunb7uwo said:
cool thanks everyone
I'll see if I can get what I want out of the 6l6's before doing anything crazy :thumbsup:
Marshall Law, you have any clips of your fender clean w/ el34's?
Click to expand...
maybe I will make one later, what kinda guitar or guitars you want to hear with it, Les Paul, Tele or Strat :thumbsup:
 
Marshall law
cool, whatever you can do
I use a tele and a strat with humbucker


anything you have time for would be great!
just to get a taste of what the el34's do
then I can compare with mine, I'll stick with 6l6's for now

I'm hoping for a jtm type clean before breakup
I know the mojave plexi 45 can come with 6l6's
hoping to get it modded to sound like the cleans I've heard out of the plexi-45 which sound killer

I've seen some people went from 6l6's to KT66
wonder if that will get the bassman more into the jtm territory?
 
mixohoytian":29btjacv said:
Marshall law
cool, whatever you can do
I use a tele and a strat with humbucker


anything you have time for would be great!
just to get a taste of what the el34's do
then I can compare with mine, I'll stick with 6l6's for now

I'm hoping for a jtm type clean before breakup
I know the mojave plexi 45 can come with 6l6's
hoping to get it modded to sound like the cleans I've heard out of the plexi-45 which sound killer

I've seen some people went from 6l6's to KT66
wonder if that will get the bassman more into the jtm territory?
Click to expand...

I will do one tomorrow, so check back in the afternoon :thumbsup:
 
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