Fender Blonde 6G6-A Bassman
Model/Circuit Number: 6G6-A, 6G6-B
Years of Production: 1962 – 1964
Era: Blond
Configuration: Head and 2×12 Extension Cabinet
Controls: Brown ~ 1962-1963, Black ~ 1963-1964 forward facing w/ white labels, controls numbered 1 – 10
Knobs: White Barrel Knobs
Schematics
Faceplate:
- Front: Bass: In, In, Vol, Treb, Bass – Normal: In, In, Vol, Treb, Bass – Presence – Pilot Lamp
- Rear: Ground Sw, Fuse (3A), Power Sw, Standby Sw, Speaker Jack, Ex. Speaker Jack
Cabinet:
- Dimensions: Head: 8″ x 22-1/4″ x 9″, Cabinet: 21″ x 32″ x 11-1/2″
- Hardware: Medium Chassis Straps 4 5/8″
- Handle: Brown Plastic Strap
- Feet: Chrome Glides
- Corners: Chrome Corners with Lip
Tolex/Tweed:
- Rough Blonde Tolex ~ Early 1962
- Smooth Blonde Tolex ~ 1962-1964
- Fender Black Tolex ~ 1964
Grill Cloth:
- Oxblood Grillcloth ~ Early 1962
- Beige Brown Grillcloth ~ 1962-1963
- Beige Brown with gold sparkle Grillcloth ~ Late 1963-1964
Logo: Grill mounted, flat Brown or raised (64), chrome & black, script
Weight:
Speaker:
- Size: 2 x 12
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Model: Jensen C12N or Oxford 12M6 (8 ohms each)(For more info, check out the Jensen Replacement Speakers)
Effects: None
Watts: 50 watts
Tubes:
- Pre amp: 4 x 7025
- Power: 2 x 5881
- Bias: Fixed; nonadjustable
- Rectifier: Solid State
Comments:
Just a quick point here for information sake as that the 6G6 and 6G6A Bassman also came with a single 12″ speaker cabinet in 1961 and early 1962 which should be listed as well. They also came in both tube and Solid State rectifier versions.
I have 2 Blonde Bassman amps in the shop right now, so I just wanted to add some additional details on handles, logos and grill cloth for these 2 samples.
1962
– 6G6-A Circuit
– Ox Blood Grill Cloth
– Brown Plastic Dog Bone Handle
– Flat Logo
1963
– 6G6-B Circuit
– Beige Brown Grill Cloth
– Black Plastic Handle
– Raised Chrome & Black Scrip Logo
I have a ’64 smooth blonde tolex head and cab. Tube Chart Date NF (June 1964).
Chassis is ink stamped inside with TC2364 (June ’64),
Filter cap board stamped FA2064 (May ’64).
Tube Chart on the 6G6-B label shows 6L6 power tubes, not 5881.
Also the original cab contains a pair of Utah 12″ stamped 328614.
OOOOOOPs.. speakers are stamped 328418.. bad typo, sorry!
Привет! A stock 63 Bassman will have smooth blond tolex and a wheat grill, but don t get too hung up on the cosmetics. Over the past few decades, many of them have been retolexed or had different cloth installed. These are easy things to replace unless you absolutely need a completely original amp and cab.
My ’63 ser# BP05546 came original with the lower B+ 125P19A PT. I understand a few twins were fitted with 7591’s used that PT. Anything is possible in Fenderland.
I subbed a 125P7A clone while the original was rewound/reverse engineered but the sound was too clean & stiff for me. When the 125P19A came back so did the incredible tone/feel.
IHOP a lower B+ with 120+ AC probably mimics the factory spec PT with early 60’s 110V.
In reference to your comments about Fender 125P19A power transformer in your Bassman: was the performance you liked when using 6L6 power tubes?
Edit to above: the rare twin referenced above used 7355 power tubes, not 7591’s. I guess when that twin didn’t work out the PT’s were put in some G6G-B’s.
If your bassman has the factory spec PT try a variac at 110V…….
I have a 1962 single speaker 12 in Jensen 1220 speakerneed handles dog bone handle and strap 4 5/8 in your suggestion
Can you think of anybody that LOVES and can bring Bassman amps to Tone heaven? I have a 61 Bassman, that has some weird anomolies, and when i got it, it sounded terrible. After fixing it, my buddy left it with me, but it just doesn’t sound good. It’s spikey, and it sounds…not good.
Can you think of anybody who can make it sound good.
My pal put a master volume in it, and put a solid state Rectifier in it, along with a few other weird tweaks, BUT I would let the tech have free rein to “do what needs to be done…”
You want someone who can make it sound good? I took my Blond Bassman 6G6-B (Dec, 1963) to Giovanni Loria at Black Volt Amplification in Los Angeles. Stunned at how good it sounds now. Giovanni went through the amp doing what needed to be done. He said someone put in a solid state rectifier, but I told him to leave it in. After he recapped it, etc., he returned my vintage caps, but I’m not touching this thing, it’s perfect.
I am a Fender amp specialist, with 39 years running my own shop. I can help. I do whats best for the customer and the amp. I play the amps, and frequency sweep them to find anomalous speakers, cabinet hardware, haunted wires, tubes, etc. I have a selection of different sounding preamp tubes (and a website you can hear them), stock the most reliable components, full stock of correct parts. The business is called “Cranky’s”, in Massachusetts, the website is GuitarRepair.com, and you can hear those tubes at “12AX7A.com”. I have excellent reviews even though there is a very long queue. Expedited service is available for a labor premium. I “skid-double box” amps for shipping – never had one damaged.
I also have a 61 blond/oxblood tube rectified 6G6 amp with original 8-ohm OT
It had a weird overload/sag issue which rendered the amp unusable at volume. It took a few techs to locate the problem but it was judged as a minor flaw in the original circuit which was probably resolved by Fender as they quickly moved to the 6G6A and 6G6B revisions. It was a simple resistor fix as I recall.
Personally I would reverse the MV and SS rectifier tweaks as they are not right for that rare edition vintage amp, it sounds superb, tube-rectified when the circuit issue is addressed. I prefer it to the sound of the 6G6B amps I also owned.
You want someone who can make it sound good? I took my Blond Bassman 6G6-B (Dec, 1963) to Giovanni Loria at Black Volt Amplification in Los Angeles. Stunned at how good it sounds now. Giovanni went through the amp doing what needed to be done. He said someone put in a solid state rectifier, but I told him to leave it in. After he recapped it, etc., he returned my vintage caps, but I’m not touching this thing, it’s perfect.
Daniel,
Quailfication: I’m a guitar player who likes Beano-type sound in particular. THANKS for what you posted about the 125P19A in your Bassman: I manager to locate an original and swapped it in to replace the 125P7A that was the stock power transformer in the amp. What a difference: it fixed everything that I wasn’t quite in love with about the amp. I had been thinking about selling it because I already have a ’62 Super that was better than this amp, but now this amp is better.
Michael,
Glad to hear the lower B+ PT worked for you. It would be interesting to know how many G6G-B’s came with the 125P19A. I am lucky to own this “happy accident”.
IMOP both Blonde + BF Bassman’s used for guitar just sound + feel better with a rectified B+ under 440VDC. With the large OT, & 25uf 12AX7 cathode caps after the tone controls these amps are BIG + LOUD.
The lower B+ tames that, especially for blues players that dig in with a pick & fingers. For the 125P7A PT, use a variac or a Brown Box. Dan
When I bought my ’63 it was beat to almost death. There was barely any brown paint on the faceplate, just bashed in bare aluminum. Fortunately, Larry Rodgers provided a repro brown plate before he passed away. RIP.
The filter cap fiberboard crumbled to pieces. There was so much nicotine & grease on the circuit board you could not read the resistor color bands! Some of the wires under the board corroded green & separated.
After 3 months of cleaning & getting the PT rewound/reverse engineered, & chasing down bad connections, this ’63 road warrior sounds incredible, & almost no hum! Currently using the Phillips short bottle 6L6WGB’s.
Michael,
Hang onto that Super. It’s been reported that Brothers Duane & Dickey used a brown Super for the guitar solos on “Blue Sky”. Those 10’s must have been really cooking!
Skip Simmons is THE Fender amp repair man. Google and be happy
I picked up a 1963 Fender Bassman 6G6B and it appears to be all original. It has the original Sylvania 6SJ7 Metal tubes installed, although one of the keyholes was snapped. The other will need to be tested but it’s likely done for. It has at least o e if the molded .25 mfd 400 bcd blue caps that has busted open and it needs recapped.
He offered me $500 as it sits and quoted $200 to $400 to get in shape.
And it’s got Brown Tolex. It needs the wheat cloth replaced, someone painted it black at some point.
Rob, paint stripper and a scrub brush will do a good job of getting the black paint off a wheat grill. Did it for my 1963 Bassman and it came out great. A few flakes still in the weave but Jr. very noticeable and it’s the original cloth. That’s got to be worth one brownie pont!
Just acquired a slightly weird 2×12 cabinet for it: 1964 dated Utahs, wheat grill, black painted blonde tolex, raised logo and later handle. From the inside, everything looks original ie no extra holes. Challenge is that the handle clearance hole in the head is not long enough to accommodate the later style handle. A dog one handle fits but the cabinet was never drilled girl one. Transitional cab using up the last of the blonde tolex? Don’t know, don’t care: it sounds great.