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ruinedhero posted:Also if any bass players want to talk about bass amps, baseheads ( It all depends on what you need, and what you're willing to haul. SVTs can sound amazing if they're working properly and paired with the correct cab (ideally an 8x10 or 2x15 or something else that's going to push a lot of air), but I find that even the vintage ones break up too early for my taste. If you're going for that full-on tube roar, and you're willing to schlep a fridge around, then an SVT could work wonderfully - but avoid the new "Classic" SVTs. I have played several, and they all have a nasty, buzzy distortion when the gain is turned up. This could be helped by a preamp tube swap, but I am not willing to invest more money in an amp just to get a usable sound out of it. As Ferrous Wheel mentioned, the latest craze in bass amps is lightweight, high power Class D amps coupled with 2- and 3- way speaker cabs with dedicated woofers, mid drivers and tweeters. I haven't had the chance to try out one of those types of cabs, but I did play a Mesa Walkabout Scout combo in a music store that absolutely blew me away. I couldn't believe the amount of low end that was coming out of that little box, and it had a nice tube warmth that is often missing from the little mini amps. I currently run a Gallien-Krueger 1001RB-II through an Avatar 2x12. The GK is okay for cleans, but I really don't enjoy the distortion that comes through on higher gain settings, and the EQ isn't centred the way I like it. I've been really impressed by bass amps from Mesa Boogie and Aguilar, so I'll be looking more into those companies when I eventually replace the GK. Side Effects posted:Speaking as an amp repair tech, guitar speakers just aren't made to reproduce the low end frequencies that basses produce unless run at very low volume. If you want, you can bypass the guitar speakers and run the amp into a bass cabinet, that would totally be fine. I wouldn't even try that. I fried a VT-22 that way.
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Jul 8, 2010 06:24
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), or whatever - please contribute here. Ampeg is the poo poo, but price wise it goes well over $1000 so I would love to hear good budget setups for bass as well.
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Side Effects posted:There is literally no reason this would happen unless the amp and the cab didn't match up or the amp somehow overheated. Playing bass through a regular guitar amp head is absolutely harmless but it will shred guitar amp speakers. Bass through guitar head, yes, no problem, but I would be very cautious about disconnecting the speakers on a vintage combo. The amp in question did have some prior issues though, so it probably wasn't just the bass that killed it. Alas, it now sits in our jam space collecting dust.
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Jul 8, 2010 07:45
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Ferrous Wheel posted:If you need prefab I think DR Bass builds the most affordable two and three-way designs and offer plenty of custom options. DO NOT under any circumstances order a cab from Dr. Bass. Every thread on Talkbass about that company is full of horror stories from people who have never received their cabs, and have been completely unable to get any answers via phone or email. I believe the owner of the company is currently in prison for fraud charges.
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Jul 9, 2010 23:28
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ruinedhero posted:I'm adding pavlovian to my list of cromulent words. I have literally never heard a good live tone out of a 5150 or a Mesa because their users all seem to love scooping mids to the point where the guitar sound is either complete mud or ear-piercingly bright. Not a dig against the amps, just an observation about the people who seem to prefer them.
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Aug 2, 2010 22:43
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Epi Lepi posted:Posted this in the Bass megathread but haven't really gotten any answers. Are you willing to go the separate head/cab route or would you prefer a combo?
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Sep 25, 2010 23:04
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Combos will be cheaper, but head/cab will give you greater flexibility as well as more purchasing options. I recommend buying used no matter which option you decide on- my local craigslist usually has several old bass amps and cabs for less than $200. Peavey and Hartke are usually good names to look for- their older stuff goes for pretty cheap, but it's good quality and dependable. If you're buying new I've heard good things about Roland's Bass Cubes. Avoid cheap amps that have a zillion features- in my experience they just produce many different shades of crap.
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Sep 26, 2010 01:51
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I thought this thread might appreciate this. Olde Crow Cabinets just made a pair of cabs for a buddy of mine. Each one has a Jensen 15" and two Celestion 12"s. 
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May 3, 2012 06:30
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I love the old Ampegs for bass. The V series sound better to me than the SVT, and with enough speakers they can easily keep up with a heavy band. An opened-up V4 through an old fridge is one of my absolute favorite bass sounds. When I was playing in a metal band, I once had to use the guitarist's V2 through a homemade guitar cab, thanks to another band swiping the bass cab from our shared rehearsal space for a recording session. I literally couldn't believe how good it sounded, even with the bass on my amp all the way down to avoid speaker damage. That was probably one of the best sounding rehearsals we ever had, actually. I killed my friend's VT22 by disconnecting the speaker and plugging in my bass cab, though it was with his full blessing, and probably would have happened if the amp had been pushed hard with guitar, too. It sounded real nice before it blew up. I should ask him if he ever got it fixed, or if it's still sitting in our old jam space.
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Nov 12, 2013 04:49
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