Bass amplification

frobbert · June 07, 2015, 11:23:07 AM

Going to buy a new rig. Ditching the old combo and going for a big stack now so this is going to be expensive. Tried out several things the past week at the local music store:

Ampeg Portaflex top with a speaker cabinet. Sounds good enough (not as good as the SVT III though but I'm afraid the budget won't allow that). A definite con is that it's fuckin' Heavy (in terms of weight that is).

Markbass 4x10 inch speaker with a digital speaker. Good sound but lacks rawness. It's good if you play jazz I guess. But alas, I don't.

The same Markbass speaker with an Aguilar Tone Hammer 500. It's all digital so it weighs next to nothing. The drive button is a definite plus with this one. Hey I know, it's rock so you gotta have tubes right but damn, it's cool to have a heavy and raw sound without having to resort to pedals and shit.

A definite pro with the Markbass is that it weighs next to nothing. A definite con is that personally I think it's fuckin' ugly to look at (but maybe if I take of the logo)

Haven't tried the Hartke because I heard bad stories about it.

I don't know. It would be nice to hear it with the entire band but I can't bring them with me in the shop. And it's not like buying a sandwich either.

Any tips or advice? Or any experience with the brands mentioned above?

everdrone · June 07, 2015, 11:31:52 AM

I have gallien ultralight 410s and they look cool! mine weigh 40 pounds each. you might wanna look into that. they sound killer. I have a peavey 450 tour head, and a line 6 lowdown 400 head. each head is cheap and has heavy tones.

justJon · June 07, 2015, 05:30:58 PM

Our old bass player had the Markbass 4x10. It was ugly, he draped it with a burlap sack. I kid you not!

I always thought it sounded too clean. Got an ElGrande bass fuzz, and that helped, then he started using my acoustic 2x15 cab. and all was well.

Mr. Foxen · June 07, 2015, 09:31:06 PM

Cab is the biggest deal, as it determines the limitations on your sound. Stuff in stores is way behind the curve of what's available now. Score a Greenboy Dually 2x15, and you have light weight and as much volume as you'll ever need. I use a Barefaced equivalent and its loud enough to make my drummer pass out with a 100w head. I just use two and 200w heads because I'm a fucking dick. Kappalite laoded for the upper mid agression, or the Faitals for smoother and bit broader range. I go Kappalite because distortion.

Also, class D isn't digital. Digital amps are the modelling jobs and stuff like the TC Rebelhead with a digital front end. Power section is still class D analogue.

giantchris · June 08, 2015, 01:40:23 AM

I'd strongly recommend trying one of the Gallien-Krueger MB500 or MB800s they sound REALLY nice and have a nice easily portable form factor. Depending on budget for speakers it really depends on what you like. Personally I like 15" speakers so I generally use my Epifani PS115 and plan to get a second one. If you want to go full-range a Greenboy styled cab would obviously be ideal but if you don't have that kind of money getting an Avatar TB153 with the faitals is a cheaper almost as good choice. Or you could get a used SWR Triad or a used Carvin LS1503 and swap the speakers since the Carvin has similar specs to a greenboy. You also might be a 10" speaker guy in which case the fender rumbles are pretty cheap and sound good or you could try to get a nice used avatar or something like a schroeder.

Think about what level of volume you need and what form factor you need since you're going to be schlepping this crap around corners and up stairs at venues. Like I have an SWR Goliath SR. 6x10 which sounds great but I fucking hate it because its a pain in the ass to get into a venue.

Danny G · June 08, 2015, 12:02:47 PM

If you already have a 100w tube guitar head that can run loud and clean, then you already have an amp and can focus on getting a cab.

I use my JCM800 as a bass head all the time. It's not my SVT but does the trick quite nicely.

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liquidsmoke · June 09, 2015, 02:46:15 AM

The Tone Hammer preamp pedal unit sounds good and works great straight into a power amp. The light tuned 2x15 idea sounds awesome.

tombhex · June 09, 2015, 11:48:13 AM

I bought a ToneHammer 500 because my V4 was getting to be troublesome to take to and from gigs and feels fragile in its old age. I've never been happier with my tone. It's versatile, powerful, efficient, and takes pedals well. Also plays nicely with any cab I've ever used with it. I think I want to downsize from Marshall 215 and Ampeg 410HLF to either a neo 410 or a neo 212 (Bergantino or Aguilar, probably) for ease of use without lack of power. I'm never going to be playing a huge show again and I can always be miked if that's the case.

The ToneHammer was one of the gear purchases I'm most glad I took the leap of faith and made and I can only hope you enjoy yours as much as I enjoy mine.

Pissy · June 09, 2015, 01:13:17 PM

Quote from: Danny G on June 08, 2015, 12:02:47 PM
If you already have a 100w tube guitar head that can run loud and clean, then you already have an amp and can focus on getting a cab.

I use my JCM800 as a bass head all the time. It's not my SVT but does the trick quite nicely.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1 for 100W tube head for bass. Mine sounds awesome, and it's loud enough for our 3 piece. I play it through a 610, mind you. That actually sounds better to me than a standard Ampeg 810 for some reason. I've done the comparison.

Jake · June 09, 2015, 03:14:34 PM

I will agree with you on the Ampeg 6x10s. If I remember correctly, some 10s are sealed and some are ported, ya? Could have something to do with it?

Danny G · June 09, 2015, 05:36:30 PM

I run my 2x15 with it.

Only draw back is I HAVE TO REMEMBER TO SWITCH THE OHM SETTING....

I really don't want to run a 4 ohm cab with the head at 16. That'd be bad mmmkay

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Pissy · June 09, 2015, 05:54:44 PM

Quote from: Jake on June 09, 2015, 03:14:34 PM
I will agree with you on the Ampeg 6x10s. If I remember correctly, some 10s are sealed and some are ported, ya? Could have something to do with it?

It's ported for sure. The 810 isn't. Not sure about differing chambers. Never really had to open it up in the 13 or so years that I've had it. Of all the equipment I play, it has been the most reliable.

Lumpy · June 09, 2015, 05:57:25 PM

Quote from: Jake on June 09, 2015, 03:14:34 PM
I will agree with you on the Ampeg 6x10s. If I remember correctly, some 10s are sealed and some are ported, ya? Could have something to do with it?

I believe that gives the 6x10 a bit more low end than the sealed 8x10.

I like the 8x10s...

frobbert · June 20, 2015, 11:02:38 AM

Thanks for all the advice. In the end I decided on a Fender Bassman TV 15. Alreadyy gigged with it once, it does the job

CID Vicious · June 23, 2015, 11:48:20 AM

FWIW for the next guy...

Just built a killer one hander 212. Rocks for guitar or bass. GK D class "subway" combo cab that likely fried. Free.

Beta 12a off CL, $50

EV12L clone with Neo mag, $75. Would dish more but don't want someone getting fired over a leaked prototype.

Those amps the cab came from, Talkbass dudes were running them up against two stacks no complaints about volume or lows or sitting in the mix.

I grabbed a Behringer BDI21 and did the Franken P mod to it, which bypasses the mid cut and wow ok NOW this sounds like an SVT. BDI21 = Bass Driver DI by Sansamp.

The Laney does get loud with this on bass but tricky to dial in. I like clang but too much treble, mucch better with the BDI21.

*However* of course having a "spare" tube head doesn't help if you're not lucky enough to currently have one and isn't ideal.

So? I'm getting a Behringer iNuke. The $170 version has PLENTY of power and DSP. So if you want to high or low pass, run say a 412 with Greenbacks for mids and highs and a bass cab for lowd, you can, easily, without extra boxes. ~8lbs too.

So...say $200 for cab (assuming your cab isn't free), $45 for modded BDI21, & $170 for an iNuke.

For...roughly $420....

....you'd have a mid pushing mutha of an SVT sound, all the wattages (ALL of emm) & it'd fit in CRX and weigh less total than a typical 412 cabinet by itself. And get double duty out of it as a guitar rig - swap out the BDI/BDDI for a Tri A.C. and you got three channels of Fender Marshall and Mesa tones any way you want them, & all analog too.

The Tone Hammer head does look like a good piece. I'm assuming it's likely more by itself than the rig I'm suggesting. Piece it together one at a time, personally got the preamp first.

bbottom · June 24, 2015, 08:26:33 AM

Quote from: frobbert on June 20, 2015, 11:02:38 AM
Thanks for all the advice. In the end I decided on a Fender Bassman TV 15. Alreadyy gigged with it once, it does the job

I was looking at one of those for my surf band.

zachoff · September 12, 2015, 12:08:19 AM

Late to the party, but you will never know how something sounds until you play it with your band... You just won't. You can have a rig that generally sounds awesome, but you'll never really know until it actually happens.

I'm one of those people that thinks rigs that generally sound awesome are 810s and 300W tube heads.

Yup, I'm one of those. But.... I don't play through an 810 or a 300W tube head right now. I play through an Orange TB500 and a cab/speakers I put together myself... So, context matters. Something someone might mention here might sound like absolute ass in your band and something that someone thinks sounds like absolute ass on here might sound like gold in your band.

My advice... Try things out. Try lots of things out. Buy low, sell high, but buy and sell until you figure out what you like. Craigslist is your friend.