JONPAUL wrote:

You have a tube guitar head already, don't you? Use that!

LeeVanCleef wrote:

Noel, if you have the opportunity and if the impedances match, try your bass with your Music Man or your Quilter through the Kustom bass cab. Could turn out to be more than good enough. Some guitar amps work terrific for bass with appropriate speakers.

I have a 5-tube Music Man 212 130-HD combo amp. I thought it was a generally bad idea to play a bass at louder volumes through a guitar tube amp? I often play my Bass VI through this amp, but not at performance volumes. Is it really safe?

I've been hearing good things about the Quilter Tone Block 200 as a bass amp head, but I don't own one, and it's more expensive than the 350W Ampeg anyway.

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what Carol Kaye played when she recorded that song?

Decisions, decisions.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Last edited: Aug 28, 2014 21:38:35

After someone on this forum gave me the advise to look for a Peavey Mark IV I patiently browsed the bay for one. After a couple of weeks I've found one for ~250.00 USD incl. a flightcase and shipping.
All I can say is 'wow'. This amp really rocks! Sturdy! Workinghorse. All I had to do was some contact spray on the inputs, as it's been sitting for quite a while. It takes 2-8ohms and just changes the output accordingly. So no need to look for a matching cab. We currently use it with a 2x15" bassman cab (JBL D140F) and it sounds outstanding warm and punchy.
Our bass player also tried out my '76 bandmaster head with the same cab and we didn't like it as much as the Peavey. It sounds a little warmer, but the breakup is just too much.
Playing in another band where the bassplayer uses a Fender Rumble head with a matching and very small 4x10 cab, all I can say about these is: stay away! He always complained about the mix and the guitar volume vs. his bass. Up to the day when I suggested he should try a 2x15" Showman cab we have in the practice room with the Rumble head. Made such an ridiculous difference that I couldn't stop laughing when he played the first tones on it. So the Rumble head isn't that bad, but the cabs are plain crap IMO.
Obviously this is not the same amp as the OP linked to, but I assume that it is 'almost' the same...

The Hicadoolas

Last edited: Aug 29, 2014 01:46:32

WoodyJ wrote:

Brian, I apologize for taking this thread so far off-topic.

Actually, Jack, taking this thread off-topic is my doing. I'm on the Internet so seldom and briefly these days, I didn't search for another topic to discuss other amp solutions.

But, everyone's comments and advice are proving very helpful. While I'm disappointed no one has anything good to say about the new Fender Rumble amps, I'm glad I asked. I've already found muddy, farting, buzzy, underpowered bass amps for cheap money. I didn't buy them either and no sense spending a lot more for the same problems.

Thanks!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Great thread, especially for we non-bass players. So, if I read Lee's comments correctly, the major difference between guitar and bass amps--not the only difference, but the main one--is what the speakers will tolerate? Good to know.

So, Peavey recently introduced their Vypyr VIP line of amps that lets you select for acoustic, electric or bass guitar. Does anyone know how they are handling the speaker issue? And has anyone had any experience with them? Maybe this should be a new thread but seems to be following the same vibe so I included my comments and questions here.

Thanks!

More cowbell?? Nah...More Reverb!!

Everyone is inevitably going to have their own opinions regarding what sounds the best. It really is a completely subjective matter. One man's Showman is another man's software plug-in. It's been that way with music gear since day one. I'm sure that cavemen sat around the fire and grunted about the merits of hitting certain stones together over others.

IMHO, FWIW, coming full-circle after years of playing, listening to and doing sound for countless brands, styles and formats of bass amplifier, I have come to the personal revelation that fundamentally and at the core, nothing sounds as good as when the signal is created through tubes. There is a warmth, an organic quality, a sense of headroom and depth that just doesn't come from solid state or other modern technology without tubes. Is it as simple as saying "it's all about the tubes." Actually, yeah, I think it is. I believe that for far too long those ubiquitous statements "it doesn't matter as much for bass amps" or "it's really all in the hands of the player" have allowed for too much compromise and a diversion away from the fact that tube amps do sound better. All of this of course made all the more complicated by companies wanting to sell amps, keep costs low and manufacture equipment that is more electronics than amplifier. There's a reason why the Ampeg SVT has remained the industry standard for years and years. As we all know from studying Surf music, modern technology does not necessarily equate to better tone. The quest for tone should always come first--before any concerns about cost, practicality, efficiency, etc. As John Blair said to me recently..."We used to carry our Showmans and huge 15" cabinets to every gig without even thinking about it. It's just what you did. You didn't care about how much they weighed or how big they were. That was the only way to get those tones!" Viva la tube bass amps!!!

I drank the bass amp Kool-Aid too. I continually tried to convince myself that "it doesn't matter as much for bass" and that "it's all in the hands of the players" until I'd compare the sound of my solid state to that of a killer sounding tube rig. It might not make that much difference once the sound guy gets through with it and through FOH, but on stage and to the player's ears, man, it makes all the difference in the world. If you're not satisfied, I mean, truly satisfied with your tone, what's the point? Because they're lighter, cheaper and smaller? Who cares? There's no reason the bass player shouldn't be on just as much of a tone quest as the guitarists.

Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio

Great choice, those 80s Peaveys are great amps. And at the moment it is a good time to purchase them as noone sees their beauty.
@BJB: you are absolutely right regarding the old JBL speakers and I wasn't referring to a certain cab. When I speak of cab, I think of the wooden crate + speakers, due to the lack of english knowledge. And the stock rumble cabs come with such weak speakers that my suggestion would be not to buy them.

The Hicadoolas