Fender Play Step-by-step lessons. How Fender's invention of the Precision Bass led to one of its greatest amps. Since the solid-body electric bass guitar was largely a previously nonexistent form of instrument, what was it supposed to be plugged in to? The original Bassman was solid, powerful and loud. Fender was phasing out the TV-front style by summer in favor of the wide-panel design, and the Bassman was no exception. Restyled with a wide-panel front, the version model 5B6 was otherwise essentially the same amp as its TV-front predecessor.
The straightforward Fender 59 Bassman outperforms most of the fancy amps on the market today. In the s, the Bassman was perfect for amplifying that new invention, the Fender Precision Bass. This 50W rig allowed the bass to hold its own onstage with drums, electric guitars, and miked piano, the common instrumentation of the day. Over the years, it also won the hearts of guitarists who, after experimenting with all kinds of preamps and effects racks, found its simplicity, great tone, excellent dispersion, and touch-sensitive dynamics a true pleasure.