Viewer Mail: John Mayer’s Amps

bassman

bassmanOne of our esteemed charter members wrote me the following email today:

Hey Daddio,

Fender Bassman, isn’t that an amp for bass guitars? Help educate…

One of our esteemed charter members wrote me the following email today:

Hey Daddio,

Fender Bassman, isn’t that an amp for bass guitars? Help educate me…If not , then you are saying you really like Fender Bassman guitar for Fender Stratocaster… I guess amps like the Hot Rod series are a step down from Bassman amps then…Do you know what kind of amps that John Mayer uses?

Waiting for your reply homie….


Yeah, you’re quite right. The Fender Bassman is made for bass. However, guitarists from that 60’s and early 70’s genre found that the Bassman doubled as an awesome guitar amp as well. Having said that, the new Fender Bassmans are strictly for bass. That’s why you only want an original Fender Bassman or a vintage reissue of that model. Don’t get the new ones mixed up with the vintage reissues or the originals. If you decide to go that route, make sure you you use these exact key words on Musician’s Friend: Vintage Fender Bassman. Otherwise, you’ll get the new ones, which you don’t want for guitar.

John Mayer amps? Forget it dude…his set up is very, very complicated. “He uses multiple amps (usually two) at the same time and blends the results … [another source says]: His signal is routed through up to four amps, three of his signature amps and a Dumble Overdrive, all of which route into three Two Rock 2×12 cabs and a Leslie cab. This is all layered together carefully by his audio tech to get his tone.”

If you’d like to get more difinitive, you can visit Guitars and Theology. This site has got some great insight and info. Check it out. I think you’ll find it enlightening. There are even pics of John’s road gear and main axe.

UPDATE!!!!!

I forgot to answer your question about the Fender Hot Rod series. My opinion is that it is a solid tube amp, well built, with good tonal variation and color. I think you can pick one up for between five and six hundred dollars. Throw in a delay pedal and you’re all set.

 

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