'59 Bassman vs Victoria Double Deluxe - Q

[NY Chief]

I A/B'd a 1959 Bassman (approx 80% original) with a Victoria Double Deluxe. The DD is a 5E3 "Type" Circuit,
Class A with 1-5AR4, 4-6V6GT (the "double" part), 1-12AX7, 1-12AY7 and 2-Jensen P12Q's. I haven't played many tweeds (never a BM) but these are totally different animals.

The DD comes on hard and loud by 3 but the BM has to get to 7-8 for the same volume. Does that sound right or could there be something wrong with the BM?

The Deluxe sounds very compressed and dirty as compared to the BM, too. The proverbial rug over the cab but it's a nice grind. The BM roars with a humbucker at full tilt with the channels jumped!

[jerrydyer]

yeah, Id be willing to bet the delux doesnt get much louder after 4 or 5 but, yes they are different circuit wise. so what do you prefer. I think 6v6's are really hard to distort "just right" ..its hard to find the balance for them. I just built an 18watter with 6v6.'s

[NY Chief]

so what do you prefer.

heh, heh...they sound really good together!!!!

The DD is clean or raunch, jd. I don't think there is a "just right" really. It is great old time blues "snap, crackle, pop" LP tone!

I have nothing to compare the Bassman against to determine if it's running right is my bigger concern right now. Although it sounds pretty killer!

[fillmore nyc]

I A/B'd a 1959 Bassman (approx 80% original) with a Victoria Double Deluxe. The DD is a 5E3 "Type" Circuit,
Class A with 1-5AR4, 4-6V6GT (the "double" part), 1-12AX7, 1-12AY7 and 2-Jensen P12Q's. I haven't played many tweeds (never a BM) but these are totally different animals.

The DD comes on hard and loud by 3 but the BM has to get to 7-8 for the same volume. Does that sound right or could there be something wrong with the BM?

The Deluxe sounds very compressed and dirty as compared to the BM, too. The proverbial rug over the cab but it's a nice grind. The BM roars with a humbucker at full tilt with the channels jumped!

I think thats about right for the BM, Chief. They aren't known for mondo grind unless you really push them, same as a real old Marshall, which I know you know that the BM is the platform for an old Marshall. It SHOULD squawk like a bitch when cranked, though. With a LP, the couple of BM's that I've played thru were real screamers when turned way up, but as you said, they didnt become burners until at least 7 or 8.

I bought a Tone King Comet 40B (basically the same tube layout as the DD), and the comparison that you made between the DD and the BM would be very similar. The TK does have 2 footswitchable channels, but neither are master volume... its gotta be pushed to get appreciable grind, but it fukkin' wails when cranked, probably close to a nice 50 watt Marshall, and has much more grind than I remember the BM having.

One thing I did to the TK was replace the power tubes with a quad of Tung Sol 6V6's, and I like them a lot. They get nice and grindy in a way thats very musical. Sometimes 6V6's can sound a bit "overloaded" (similar to EL84's)... like an over-compression or something, and become weird sounding when really pushed. The Tung Sols dont do that, at least in this amp.

[NY Chief]

Oh yeah, filly, the BM with humbuckers jumpered and cranked SMOKES!!!!

The 6V6's in the DD (GE old glass) do get very gnarly.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think the BM might have a new home.....MINE!