1958 5f6-a Bassman Baffle questions: repair or replace?
Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 3:35 pm
Hello all,
First time poster here, so I apologize if the formatting is sub-par.
I recently acquired a 1958 Bassman from a long-time friend in the VA area for $240...God Bless him!
It was recovered to look BF many many years ago, as the petina is legit, and the materials (grill cloth, logo, tolex) used are period.
I'm curious if the Fender factory took in people's gear for recovering once the new cosmetics were unveiled?
I disassembled it and confirmed all of the electronics are 100%. I moved on to the cabinet and found the typical damage to the mounting "wings". cracks that run from the inside corner of the input jack tot the finger joint, and a little separation along the cabinet finger joints.
These cracks are not concerning to me, as I can glue/clamp everything back into place and replace the reinforcement dowels.
The worse damage is to the baffle, which has several cracks. Two of the cracks are in the webbing between the upper and lower left, and upper and lower right speakers, and one of the worst is from the upper edge of the baffle into the upper right speaker cutout.
I'll need to address this damage either with some very careful glue-ing to salvage the original wood, or getting a replacement.
In your collective experience, what is the best way forward? I could call Mather Cabinets, Armadillo, Mojotone, etc. to RFQ on repairs, or RFQ on a new baffle.
If replacement is the right path, I'd prefer not to DIY a new baffle and just pay/wait for the pro solution, as my living situation cannot accommodate woodworking.
If the information would be valuable, I can also post my detailed notes and measurements of the original baffle. I know that there is always some discussion as to thickness, material, etc and maybe that information would shed some light on the truth.
Attached are two pictures, one of the amplifier fully assembled and running, showing the BF cosmetics, and the second is a disassembled shot of the baffle, showing the cracks.
Again, please advise if my formatting or attachment of the files is flawed! I need more practice posting!
Cheers all, glad to be a part of a community dedicated to this information!
-YT
First time poster here, so I apologize if the formatting is sub-par.
I recently acquired a 1958 Bassman from a long-time friend in the VA area for $240...God Bless him!
It was recovered to look BF many many years ago, as the petina is legit, and the materials (grill cloth, logo, tolex) used are period.
I'm curious if the Fender factory took in people's gear for recovering once the new cosmetics were unveiled?
I disassembled it and confirmed all of the electronics are 100%. I moved on to the cabinet and found the typical damage to the mounting "wings". cracks that run from the inside corner of the input jack tot the finger joint, and a little separation along the cabinet finger joints.
These cracks are not concerning to me, as I can glue/clamp everything back into place and replace the reinforcement dowels.
The worse damage is to the baffle, which has several cracks. Two of the cracks are in the webbing between the upper and lower left, and upper and lower right speakers, and one of the worst is from the upper edge of the baffle into the upper right speaker cutout.
I'll need to address this damage either with some very careful glue-ing to salvage the original wood, or getting a replacement.
In your collective experience, what is the best way forward? I could call Mather Cabinets, Armadillo, Mojotone, etc. to RFQ on repairs, or RFQ on a new baffle.
If replacement is the right path, I'd prefer not to DIY a new baffle and just pay/wait for the pro solution, as my living situation cannot accommodate woodworking.
If the information would be valuable, I can also post my detailed notes and measurements of the original baffle. I know that there is always some discussion as to thickness, material, etc and maybe that information would shed some light on the truth.
Attached are two pictures, one of the amplifier fully assembled and running, showing the BF cosmetics, and the second is a disassembled shot of the baffle, showing the cracks.
Again, please advise if my formatting or attachment of the files is flawed! I need more practice posting!
Cheers all, glad to be a part of a community dedicated to this information!
-YT