Fender Bassbreaker 45 - Amplifier Manual

Introduction

The Bassbreaker 45 is the flagship of the Bassbreaker amp lineup, with the sound of pure tube greatness, a versatile variable output level control and other terrific features. Bassbreaker guitar amplifiers continue the acclaimed lineage established by the great Fender Bassman® amp of the late 1950s, taking classic Bassman design and "breaking" it with features including unusual-for-Fender circuitry and components, dark gray tweed covering, refined pointer knobs, and the early Fender block-letter logo.

With its powerful sound and distinctive style, the Bassbreaker 45 comes in combo and head models, and its output control knob adjusts the power from 45 watts down to a single watt and anywhere in between, letting guitarists find that just-perfect sweet spot in the studio and on stages of all sizes.

Bassbreaker 45 also features normal and bright channels with triple inputs, a modified '59 Bassman circuit, two EL34 output tubes, dual 12" Celestion® speakers for tighter rock distortion (combo model), presence control, impedance select switch and more. The Bassbreaker 45 head pairs neatly with the Bassbreaker BB-212 speaker enclosure.

Register your Bassbreaker 45 online at www.fender.com/product-registration.

Control Panel

1. NORMAL input: Plug instrument in here for NORMAL channel use.
2. BOTH input: Plug instrument in here for simultaneous NORMAL and BRIGHT channel use. Provides extra gain and tonality options that can be achieved with the '59 Bassman and other amps by "jumpering" the NORMAL and BRIGHT channels together. Historically, this was done by using an external cable. Use the VOL NORM and VOL BRIGHT controls to blend both channels.
3. BRIGHT input: Plug instrument in here for BRIGHT channel use, which provides greater high-end "sparkle."
   Use an external A/B box for greater input flexibility.
4. VOL NORM: Adjusts NORMAL channel volume.
5. VOL BRIGHT: Adjusts BRIGHT channel volume.
   When using the BOTH input, start by turning VOL NORM (D) and VOL BRIGHT (E) all the way down. Turn up VOL NORM to preference, then "top it off" by turning up VOL BRIGHT to preference. Alternately, turn up VOL BRIGHT to preference first, then "fill in" by turning up VOL NORM to preference.
6. OUTPUT: Sets output power level from one to 45 watts. Also adjusts drive level to power amp so power amp distortion level remains constant.
   After setting all other controls to preference, adjust OUTPUT to get desired tone at any power level from one to 45 watts.
7. TREBLE, BASS, MIDDLE: Tone controls for both channels.
8. PRESENCE: Adjusts ultra-high frequency tone after all other tone controls, adding distinctive high-end "sparkle" different than that of the TREBLE control (G). Resides in the power amp section and works with both NORMAL and BRIGHT channels.
9. POWER INDICATOR: Illuminates when Bassbreaker 45 is on.
10. STANDBY: Standby mode (switch down) keeps tubes warm and is used during short intermissions in lieu of turning amp off. Deactivate standby mode (switch up) when resuming play. When turning POWER on (K), put amp in standby mode for first 30 seconds, and also for 10 seconds before turning POWER off.
    Using the STANDBY switch helps extend tube life by reducing heat stress.
11. POWER: Turns Bassbreaker 45 on (up) and off (down).

Rear Panel

12. IEC POWER INLET: Using the included power cord, connect to a grounded outlet in accordance with the INPUT POWER voltage and frequency specified at the power inlet.
13. FUSE: Provides electrical over-current protection. With power disconnected, replace a blown fuse only with one of the type and rating specified on the amp's rear panel.
14. PARALLEL SPEAKER OUTPUTS: Connect external speaker enclosures here. For the Bassbreaker 45 combo, to use an external speaker enclosure in combination with the internal speakers, plug external enclosure into EXTENSION SPEAKER. To use an external speaker enclosure only, plug external enclosure into MAIN SPEAKER (internal speakers will automatically be disconnected).For the Bassbreaker 45 amp head, use the MAIN SPEAKER jack when using only one enclosure (there will be no sound if the MAIN SPEAKER jack is not used). See tables at right for acceptable parallel speaker enclosure impedance combinations for the Bassbreaker combo (above) and head (below) models.
15. IMPEDANCE SELECT: If no external enclosures are connected to PARALLEL SPEAKER OUTPUTS (N), this switch should be set to the 16Ω position. To avoid damage when using PARALLEL SPEAKER OUTPUTS, this switch must be set in accordance with total impedance load as shown in the tables at right for the Bassbreaker combo (above) and head (below) models.

Using two speaker enclosures of different impedance ratings is not recommended. If using enclosures with different ratings, set IMPEDANCE SELECT switch (O) to the lower of the two speaker enclosure ratings. When using both speaker jacks, do not use an enclosure rated at less than 4Ω. When using MAIN SPEAKER jack alone, do not use an enclosure rated at more than 16Ω.

To avoid damaging the amp, put it in STANDBY mode (J) or turn it off (K) when changing speaker connections and IMPEDANCE SELECT switch (O) settings.

Bassbreaker 45 combo acceptable parallel speaker enclosure impedance combinations with correct IMPEDANCE SELECT switch (O) settings:

* NOTE: When a plug is inserted into MAIN SPEAKER jack, internal speaker load (16Ω) is automatically disconnected and does not affect total impedance load.

Bassbreaker 45 amp head acceptable parallel speaker enclosure impedance combinations with correct IMPEDANCE SELECT switch (O) settings:

Specifications

TYPE: PR 3614

POWER:
Requirements: 350 watts
Output: One to 45 watts (adjustable) into 16Ω/8Ω/4Ω

IMPEDANCE: 1MΩ (all inputs)

SPEAKERS (INTERNAL): Two 12" Celestion® G12V-70 (8Ω each, 16Ω total, combo model)

EXTERNAL SPEAKER ENCLOSURE: Bassbreaker BB-212 (optional, PN 226800000, contains same speakers as combo model)

TUBES: V1-V3: 7025/12AX7A/ECC83 V4-V5: EL34

ACCESSORIES:
Combo cover (included, PN 7706657000)
Amp head cover (included, PN 7706658000)

DIMENSIONS (COMBO):
Width: 26.22" (66.6 cm)
Height: 22" (55.9 cm)
Depth: 10.5" (26.7 cm)

DIMENSIONS (HEAD):
Width: 26.22" (66.6 cm)
Height: 10.75" (27.3 cm)
Depth: 8.5" (21.6 cm)

WEIGHT (COMBO): 55 lbs. (25 kg)

WEIGHT (HEAD): 32 lbs. (14.5 kg)

Product specifications subject to change without notice.

For questions and troubleshooting, contact a Fender specialist at: |
1-800-856-9801 (U.S. toll free)
1-480-596-7195 (International)

Documents / Resources

References

• http://www.fender.com/product-registration

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