{"id":5654,"date":"2014-11-14T00:00:57","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T08:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/?p=5654"},"modified":"2014-11-14T17:02:57","modified_gmt":"2014-11-15T01:02:57","slug":"how-to-get-the-tone-of-the-59-bassman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rolandus.com\/blog\/2014\/11\/14\/how-to-get-the-tone-of-the-59-bassman\/","title":{"rendered":"Bring the \u201959 Bassman to Your Pedalboard"},"content":{"rendered":"

BOSS Legend Series: FBM-1<\/h2>\n

\"FBM-1_Marquee1\"<\/p>\n

Despite the name, Fender\u2019s famous Bassman amps have long been more popular with guitarists. First introduced in 1952 as a companion to the newly introduced\u00a0Precision Bass, the Bassman line\u00a0has seen many generational changes throughout the years that greatly affect its sound. But it’s\u00a0the tweed-covered 1959 model that’s\u00a0the most iconic, delivering a dark, woody bark\u00a0and ballsy overdrive that\u2019s served as one of the\u00a0essential blueprints for rock and blues guitar tone. Thanks to BOSS\u2019 official collaboration with Fender, the FBM-1 Fender \u201959 Bassman<\/a> pedal makes it\u00a0easy and affordable to add\u00a0this classic sound to your\u00a0rig.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A Tour of the FBM-1 Fender ’59 Bassman Pedal<\/h2>\n

Part of the BOSS Legend Series<\/a>, the FBM-1 pedal captures the essence of the \u201959 Bassman in both looks and sound. Its beige color and shiny metal control plate evoke the tweed covering and chrome faceplate of the real \u201959, and even the Fender and Bassman logos are period perfect. Like the original amp, there\u2019s a normal input, along with a second “bright\u201d input that offers\u00a0increased treble. The tone section follows the lead of the original as well, with Bass, Middle, Treble, and Presence controls, and their sound mimics the response of an actual Bassman.<\/p>\n

\"BOSS<\/a>

The BOSS FBM-1 pedal captures the sound and look of the classic Fender ’59 Bassman amp.<\/p><\/div>\n

The \u201959 Bassman amp has no master volume control like most modern amps have, so its rich distortion sound can only be achieved by cranking the amp to loud levels. The FBM-1 solves this with two volume controls: the Gain knob replicates the Bassman\u2019s volume control and allows you to dial in the desired amount of distortion, while the Level knob lets you adjust the overall volume of the pedal. At low Gain settings, the sound is clean, yet rich and sweet. As you crank it up, the sound gets thicker and more distorted just like the Bassman itself.<\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/a>

Panel knobs on the BOSS FBM-1 Fender ’59 Bassman pedal.<\/p><\/div>\n

In Use\u2014How to Get the Best\u00a0Sound<\/h2>\n

For the most authentic Fender amp emulations, it’s best to use the FBM-1 with a guitar amp that’s set clean, and with its tone controls adjusted to deliver a fairly “flat” sound. This gives this Legend Series pedal a neutral, uncolored tonal slate to impart their vintage Fender mojo upon. A clean amp like the JC-120 works great for this, but any amp set clean and flat should work just as well.<\/p>\n

\"Legend_Plate\"<\/p>\n

That said, we also recommend that you try out the FBM-1 as a Fender-flavored tone shaper for your regular guitar amp setup. For example, you could set your amp with just a hint of distortion, and then use the FBM-1 to launch it into overdrive-land for crunchy rhythm and searing solos. This method of using a pedal to \u201ckick the front end\u201d of an amp on the edge is a popular trick among tone-savvy guitarists, and it can be accomplished with any BOSS overdrive or distortion. However, using the FBM-1 in this application adds a huge dose of classic Fender goodness along with the kick.<\/p>\n