Fender Bassman 5E6 1957 - Tweed

It's getting a lot harder to find original tweed Bassmans so maybe instead of concentrating on the well regarded 5F6-A's that have gotten kind of pricey if original, you might want to look at the very underrated 5E6. These dual rectifier powerhouses are a bit more gritty than the 5F6-A and will break up at lower volumes. A 5F6-A has better headroom but you have to crank the crap out of it to get the dirt you want. Want more dirt from a 5E6? Pull one of the rectifier tubes. You can't do that on a 5F6. This one has its original tweed in good condition. It's worn but not ratty. The grill cloth is original but the baffle board had to be replaced. I transferred the original grill cloth to the new baffle. The speakers are all 57's but are P10Q smooth cones. These were generally found in organs and are much more durable than the seamed guitar cones. It's rare to find an original seamed cone from the 50's that is usable at high volumes. These 65 year old cones have some life left for sure and once they go, you can recone them with whichever cone you like. The panel is near perfect-all the letters are clear and readable and the chrome has only one small spot of pitting near Volume one. Just one cap has been changed. It might be time to do the filter caps though if you are going to record with it. The transformers are all original. Even the handle is original. I believe.