April Birthdays 
**Warning: this is a long post. Buying an entirely new rig doesn't happen very often and the process and final decision was undertaken with considerable thought and effort, so I wanted to share with everyone.
After a ridiculous amount of research and consideration, I recently gave in and decided to join the rest of the 21st century bass-playing world and invest in a "micro rig."
Regardless of the style(s) of music one plays, I think there comes a point in a working musician's life when logistics and practicalities become more of a priority and like any specialized field, it's important to be aware of the current cutting-edge and most recent technological advancements.
In relation to our beloved Surf instrumental genre, this is not meant to become a discussion about vintage or "authentic" vs. modern gear. Everyone has their own subjective opinions about this and lord knows, share them whenever the opportunity arises. IMHO, particularly for bass, especially in 2017 with so much incredible high-end gear available, playing Surf through a heavy Fender tube head and old-school speaker cabinet is not necessary or required, UNLESS the band's entire vision centers around being a "traditional," "authentic" and/or "vintage" experience. Basically, if the band is going for the "time machine" approach to Surf, you'd better have the Fenders. Otherwise, the only thing that really matters is the quest for the very best tone possible.
Personally, the material I play most often live (Insect Surfers & Tikiyaki Orchestra/5-0) is not "traditional" in the 60s Surf tribute "time machine" band way. It is not as important to see or hear the Fender stacks as the backline.
Of course, tone is not the only thing that matters, but the first, most important consideration. After that comes portability, volume, compatibility. Especially if playing often and it involves travel, these considerations become more and more important.
Enter the Quilter Bass Block 800. "Micro" bass amp heads have been all the rage for a number of years now, seemingly getting more and more "musical," more lightweight and having a smaller footprint with each new model. Just about every bass amp company has realized that this concept is extremely popular and the way the industry is headed. Some models have proven to be stand-out examples for years now: Genz Benz, Markbass, The Aguilar Tone Hammer series, the GK MB series, the Ampeg PF Portaflex and Micro VR series. And more recently, TC Electronics stepped up to the plate and now Darkglass has raised the bar.
After trying many of these and more, factoring in Quilter's long-standing understanding of, appreciation for and support of the Surf genre, and experiencing their Block products first hand on tour, the BB800 became "the one to watch" to finally make the plunge myself.
Several factors made the decision quite easy. First, the head is 4 lbs. soaking wet and produces and incredible 800 watts of clean power. This is far more than I ever need, especially with FOH support, but it's so nice to know that the head is capable of handling ANY size gig. Second, the amp is dual voltage--no transformers are required when bringing it to a non 110/120 country. Third, the head can be adjusted to work with ANY ohm speaker cabinet. This is a lifesaver when dealing with crappy pre-existing backlines! Their head may suck, but chances are there is a halfway decent cab to plug into!
Touring with Lorenzo last January ended up being an incredible learning experience and real-life practical test for his newly acquired Pro Block and Quilter products in general. We literally completed an entire tour in a Kia Soul--3 guys, full backline and luggage! We had two Quilter blocks that fit underneath the trunk in a tiny storage area, virtually taking up no space whatsoever! We were packed so tight that if the amps were any larger, there's no way we could've fit! Also, seeing the consistency that Lorenzo was able to achieve night after night in completely different rooms was a real eye-opener!
I would always question Matt Quilter about the approximate date of consumer availability of the BB800 and for quite some time it continued to be delayed. Thankfully, Matt brought the prototype he had toured with in his Rolling Stones tribute band to the SG101 Convention last August and a perfect opportunity arose to hear how it performed in a large hall and loud band setting. Thank god, too, because the provided Bassman 135 fried yet again! Shortly after, the big announcement came from Quilter that the BB800 was finally available! Next came the copious digestion of user's reviews and first-hand reactions.
It was clear that this head was something special and it was time to catch the technology wave and ride it into the future, rather than being jaded, curmudgeonly, or stubborn and closed-minded about gear.
Now that I've had the chance to use it in several different situations, different rooms, varying volume levels, and with many different speaker cabinets, I can honestly say that this is an absolute work of art and has truly set a new standard in bass amplification. Aside from the practicalities, this thing SOUNDS like an amp! It does not just sound like an abundant power source with no "soul." It has definite "tonal qualities" to it that make it sound musical, not sterile. My guitar player Jim continues to comment about how "tube-like" it sounds and that it's the best amp he's ever heard me play through! Granted, I will NEVER get rid of or stop using my precious custom Fender Studio Bass head for certain situations, but that thing is just not practical in so many ways and the BB800 provides a similar kind of tonal satisfaction. I mean, there's no way I could try to bring that thing on tour in Japan in March!
But there's more to the story...much more!
OK, so brand-new technologically-advanced micro-head acquired! But what to pair it with? Should I just use the cabinets I own, or is there something equally cutting edge speaker-cabinet-wise that may be a game-changer? Could there possibly be a smaller footprint, more lightweight professional speaker cabinet that would be a perfect match for the Quilter? New obsessive research on current state of the art bass speaker cabinets commences...
I really never realized how idiosyncratic and specific a speaker cabinet for bass can be. When one starts reading about the current crop of "boutique" makers that have dedicated their lives to creating the best bass speaker cabinet humanly possible, one begins to understand the complexity and uniqueness of this particular beast. One also realizes that these smaller guys really care about providing something different--better, stronger, more quality, better tone specifically for bass. It really is a matter of re-inventing the wheel, so to speak.
I won't go into the vast amount of technical specifics that separate these cabinets from their more traditional assembly-line competitors. Just a brief look into the hows and whys of any of these makers websites and one gets the overwhelming idea--Greenboy, Bergantino, Bag End, Epifani, EBS, Genz Benz, Aguilar, Schroeder, AccuGroove, Genzler, LDS, etc.
Which brings us to...BAREFACED AUDIO!!!!
At one point, I started looking into what are generally considered the very best bass speaker cabinets in the entire world today, regardless of location, price, size, output, compatibility or any other parameters. Throughout the various forums, online reviews, bass-centric publication opinions, user feedback and anything else I could find, Barefaced Audio consistently came up.
Barefaced is a small, independent company based in Brighton, in the south of England with an unbelievable vision, attention to detail, track-record and customer service. After seeking out and trying as many of the aforementioned cabinets as I could in person, I ultimately just decided to go for it and put all my faith in Barefaced, unseen and unheard in person.
I began a personal conversation with the owner of the company who was more than happy and went the extra distance to discuss my tonal vision, other gear and ultimate goals. Once a model was decided upon (in my case the Super Compact), I placed a deposit and almost to the day, 3 weeks later, my gorgeous new cabinet was on my doorstep, FedEx overnighted from Brighton!
With no exaggeration, because I have no reason to, I knew that this cab was on a whole other level from the moment I first plugged in. It is full, round, warm, articulate, punchy, clean, visceral, and fills the room in a way I've never experienced before. And, it continues to sound even better after every playing session, having a chance to really break in and open up.
But what's the big deal? Well, not only is it complete tonal bliss, having a purity and transparency that really makes a Fender Precision come alive and sound they way it's "supposed to," but it produces the equivalent volume of a typical 4x10 cab, while only weighing 21.5 lbs. with a footprint of 22" high x 17.5" wide x 12" deep!!!
What??? How is this possible? There must be some compromise? I can assure anyone that there is not! This thing is a true piece of engineering mastery and really does re-invent the bass cab wheel. But how? Barefaced utilizes a custom-made proprietary driver that is unlike anything else. (For full geeked out specs READ HERE). In addition, the cab has a very specially designed and constructed enclosure (For full geeked out specs READ HERE).
At the end of the day, I could not be happier or more musically satisfied! Not only does the entire rig sound gorgeous in every way, but I can carry the cabinet with one hand, and put the head in the pocket of my gig bag!!! I cannot wait to try this combination at every gig in the future! It really does provide a tremendous amount of inspiration!
Insect Surfers
The Tikiyaki Orchestra
The Scimitars
Lords Of Atlantis
Fiberglass Jungle - Surf Radio
Last edited: Jan 15, 2017 20:22:18
