The history of the Fender ‘Tweed’ Bassman – the tube amp for bass players that became a guitar classic

Rory Gallagher’s 1955 Fender Bassman
(Image credit: Future)

As its name implies, the Fender Bassman was designed with the electric bass guitar in mind – specifically, the Precision Bass – though it has been wholeheartedly adopted by guitarists. Indeed, Fender’s current ’59 Bassman LTD amp is aimed at the six-string market, featuring in the ‘Guitar Amplifiers’ section of its website. 

This 45-watt reissue-style amp harks back to the game-changing 5F6-A circuit (one of many versions the Bassman has appeared in since its 1952 introduction) that was the basis of Marshall’s 1962 debut JTM45 amps. 

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Rod Brakes

Rod Brakes is a music journalist with an expertise in guitars. Having spent many years at the coalface as a guitar dealer and tech, Rod's more recent work as a writer covering artists, industry pros and gear includes contributions for leading publications and websites such as Guitarist, Total Guitar, Guitar WorldGuitar Player and MusicRadar in addition to specialist music books, blogs and social media. He is also a lifelong musician.