Conference napalm::guitar

    Not to belabor the obvious, but did you try turning it (way) up?
    
    Dave

    Rich,
    
    I assume you are using the "normal" channel (one with the bright
    switch).  The classic Fender sound is a matter of just turning the darn
    thing up.   Of course, it can be pretty **LOUD** at that point but it
    should do the trick.  I find most Bassmans start getting nice and
    raunchy sounding at around 6 or 7 on the volume.   
    
    If you have been making use of the master volume or Saturation features
    of your Peavey, you will have to crank the Bassman to get the sound
    you are looking for.
    
    With a Strat, I'd try either the bright switch on and the treble at 5
    or less or the bright off and the treble up above 5, otherwise it will
    get too bright.  The bass control setting is going to depend on the
    kind of cab you are hooked up to.
    
    							Brian

    I play at home and enjoy jamming along with favorite blues and some
    jazz albums. With kids, wife, etc., I can't even turn the Peavey way
    up (well maybe when they're not at home!). I bought the Bassman because
    the price could not be beat. I forgot to mention I play straight
    through a Pockit Rockit (sp?) head phone amp to the Peavey. In this
    setup I get some nice snarly/straty tone without blowing my ear drums.
    Friends have suggested overdrive boxes, reverb boxes, or even running
    a smaller amp with those features through the bassman.
    
    Rich

    Well, as much as I love Bassmans, I'd say that for at-home playing
    it's a poor choice due to the lack of overdrive at low levels and
    reverb.  What sort of cabinet do you run it through?  I guess I would
    advocate selling it...if you bought it cheap enough you might even turn
    a profit.
    
    							Brian

    
    	I'd recommend trying a good ol' Ibanez Tube Screamer distortion box
    before you decide to sell it. The tube screamer can give you a pretty
    natural "cranked up" sound at reasonable volume.
    
    
    Brad
    

    I'm running it through the the bassman 2 x 15 cab. Brian I think your
    right, this is too much amp for my purposes. I guess I had visions
    of sounding like Buddy Guy. The Peavey is ready to die so I thought
    this setup might do. Any oother suggestions for a reasonably priced
    interesting home amp. Thank you for the replies and suggestions for
    the settings. I'll at least give them a try before it is sold.
    Thanks again,
    Rich

    The head plus the 2-15" cab...omigod...yeah, you will sound like Buddy
    Guy with that, HE PLAYS REAL LOUD YA KNOW  8^)  8^)
    
    You should look at the Peavey Classic 20 and Classic 30 amps (about
    $225 and $350 new respectively), which are about the size and wattage
    of your Backstage but tube.  The 30 has a reverb, which the 20 lacks;
    other than that for playing at home, the 20 would be ideal.  
    
    I bet you could sell the Bassman stack and the Backstage both, buy a
    Classic 20 and put some change in your pocket at the end with no
    problem.
    
    Look at note 1732.264 and 1732.276 for info on the Classic 20, 1732.310
    for the Classic 30.
    
    							Brian

    re-1
    
    It might be a bit on the expensive side,($109.50 in American Music
    Supply catalog), but you might want to try a Tubeworks Real Tube
    distortion pedal to get the "grind" you're looking for! This is,
    by far, the warmest sounding distortion pedal on the market and
    I believe it's the only pedal that actually runs off a tube....
    
    
    Mike
    
    If you should decide to sell, let me know.......
    
    

    
    Another vote for the TUBE SCREAMER ...
    
    One the guitarist in my band uses that mini-marshall stack for
    practice. The other guitarist uses one of those Rockman modules
    (I think??) and goes direct into our practice PA-mixer. Therefore,
    we don't have to set up our "real" amps for practice (I use the
    the tiny 60-watt PV Minx bass amp) and we can keep the volume down.
    The only problem has been getting that fat, crunchy tone on the guits. 
    The TUBE SCREAMER pedal solved that. They're great for the tone vs.
    volume problem. For real-life gigging situations, get a real amp
    with real tubes!! (aka - MARSHALL)
    
    My 2 cents,
    
    Billy_K
    
    

    Multiple Marshalls that is...  I mean, ya gotta have variety!
    jc

    I ditto the Ibanez Tube Screamer for cranked tone at low volume.  I use
    my 'green' Ibanez TS with the gain on about 4 and the level on about 7
    or 8, then use your amps channel volume to control noise level!  My 35w
    Dean Markley combo sounds pretty neat with my Les paul and the TS with
    the DM volume on about 3......
    
    my $.03556

    Thanks for the input everyone. I read the notes on the Peavey, and they
    sound interesting particularly the "30". I also recieved a nice note
    from Neal Orsi who does amp modifications in Worcester. The tube
    screamer that has been mentioned here, is it the TS5 or TS9 Ibanez?
    Rich

    My Ibanez Tube Screamer is a Tube Screamer Classic, model TS10.  It's
    green with a black pedal switch.  It roolz for the tone I like....the
    sustain and creamy tone of a tube amp with just a tad of distortion.
    
    dawg

    There are four TS models, TS-808, TS-9, TS-10 and TS-5.  The TS-5 is
    the cheap "Soundtank" version sellling for $40 everywhere.  The TS-10
    appears to have been dropped, the TS-9 is the $100 "reissue" and the
    808 is the earliest model, probably selling for $2000 these days  8^)
    
    To my ears, all are about the same, the TS-5 is the pick for home use.
    
    							Brian

>    There are four TS models, TS-808, TS-9, TS-10 and TS-5.  The TS-5 is
>    the cheap "Soundtank" version sellling for $40 everywhere.  The TS-10
>    appears to have been dropped, the TS-9 is the $100 "reissue" and the
>    808 is the earliest model, probably selling for $2000 these days  8^)

Daddy's has the TS-9 reissue on sale this month for $68.99.

alan

    I had a chance to meet Neal Orsi at his shop in Worcester
    saturday. As Neal and I both found out, I have a lot to
    learn about amps and effects. I probably learned more in
    15 minutes with Neal than most of the articles I've read in
    various magazines. Not being a techno wiz this was not a total
    surprise, but it was interesting. I have to re look at exactly
    what the h##l I want to sound like, where I'm playing (HOME!),
    and whether a tube amp even makes sense. Thanks for the lesson
    Neal.
    Rich

    After much deliberation, I've decided to sell the Bassman if possible.
    All interested parties either contact me through e-mail or call at
    home 508 856 9246
    
    Rich

    Still for sale, price reduced to $300.
    
    Rich

    
    
    I've just bought a Fender bassman 50 amp and one of the speaker outputs
    does'nt work ie. with the amp on 10 you can only just hear it! The
    other speaker output works fine though, has any taken one of these
    apart and fixed such a problem (i'm asking cause it looks like a pain
    to get into) also the bright switch does'nt seem to work, anyone fixed
    this fault?
    
    
    
    
    			thanks ,
    
    
    					Ewan 

    Ewan, I own one of these. The output that doesn't work (supposedly) is
    the EXTension speaker right?? Unless you are running two cabs at once ,
    it won't. THat's the way there designed.
    
    I love mine, enjoy!
    
    -kev

    
    
    Thanks kev, I had myself worried for a second then, I only got it
    last weekend! I love the tone too...
                     
    
    	Ewan