School me on bass amps

Achtane · Post by **Achtane** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 1:24 am

If you wanna be louder get more speaker. If you want more headroom get a million watts.
These are just generalizations though.

nad · Post by **nad** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:01 pm

I keep up with bands using a 20 watt solid state combo amp.

I can drown out a drummer with 65 watts and a 1x12" cab.

I kill unborn children with 220 watts and a sealed 4x12 cab.

Solid state distortion is awesome, but fuzz usually sounds better with tubes.

Headroom is overrated. Amps sound better on the edge of oblivion.

bigchiefbc · Post by **bigchiefbc** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:13 pm

D.o.S. wrote:Solid state + fuzz sounds like balls (in a bad way) with bass.

Also, since you come from the land down under
NSFW: show
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McsWKczU6wc[/youtube]

Check out Lemon amps:
http://www.tymguitars.com.au/?page_id=622

As someone who plays bass through an SS amp, and has many fuzz pedals. I beg to differ, my respectable friend. Unless I just have always sounded like balls this whole time. In a bad way.

01010111 · Post by **01010111** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:30 pm

bigchiefbc wrote:
D.o.S. wrote:Solid state + fuzz sounds like balls (in a bad way) with bass.

Also, since you come from the land down under
NSFW: show
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McsWKczU6wc[/youtube]

Check out Lemon amps:
http://www.tymguitars.com.au/?page_id=622

As someone who plays bass through an SS amp, and has many fuzz pedals. I beg to differ, my respectable friend. Unless I just have always sounded like balls this whole time. In a bad way.

I used to use a peavey tko for my bass amp and it sounded good with fuzz. But it never has been loud enough for some reason, it runs a 15 inch speaker with 75w. On the other hand, solid state guitar amps, as a general rule, do sound bad with fuzz.

warwick.hoy · Post by **warwick.hoy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:46 pm

I'm in the more is better camp, especially if you are ready to gig. I think with solid state rigs you want headroom. I pump 900 watts from a Stereo poweramp into a 2x15 and a 4x10 (and thinking about adding another 4x10). My preamp isn't cranked,...maybe about 10 o'clock but that can pushes the poweramp reliably with enough volume to settle in with a spastic drummer; without clipping the poweramp into safe shutdown mode. Is it overkill? Some may say so,...but I like that I can turn up if I need too without having to worry about killing my poweramp and I'm not intentionally killing it with volume.

The thing that I've found with most local bands that gig around here; in which their bassist tries to get away with a small or underpowered rig, is that no matter if there is FOH support or not the bass sound is always lacking lowend. To compensate for lack of volume to cut through the mix,...bassists will often times push the mids and cut the lows and the result is a weak overall band sound.

I think it sounds better to push the mids for cutting through but not at the expense of cutting watt gobbling lows; hence a decently powerful rig is needed. Push those hi mids and give it some lows for a nice full sound.

Of course this all subjective and YMMV and tube amps are a whole nuther ball of wax.

I think tube amps sound better "cranked to oblivion". So you don't need as much power to get a tube amp to sound good and bring it in terms of volume and lowend.

As far as the OP goes,...if you are just looking to have a decent sounding at home practice amp, just about anything will do. I use an Ashdown Perfect Ten and it my not be perfect (as the name would suggest) but with the right amount of time spent EQ'ing,...it's perfectly serviceable. Anything you may find in combo form would be fine, Ahsdown, Ampeg, Trace Elliot, Acoustic,....hell even a cheap Behringer would be fine for at home use...just try before you buy.

As far as playing a guitar through a bass amp (and vice versa),....my issue with that doesn't lie so much in the fact that the amp may be designed for bass and not guitar,....but more so in the fact that speaker (or speakers) is (are) most likely voiced for bass frequencies.

So with that in mind,...if the OP has an 30w Orange Tube amp,...might worth while just to source a decent bass cab to pair with the Orange head and bam,....you've got a sweet tube bass practice amp. Again try before you buy and make sure you got you ducks in a row in terms of impedance.

tuffteef · Post by **tuffteef** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:50 pm

small fortune for a lemon

warwick.hoy · Post by **warwick.hoy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:51 pm

Also to touch on the Tube vs SS with fuzz,....

There was a fella who shall remain nameless that was militantly adamant about only using Tube amps with Fuzz/Disto/Overdrive (talking with bass guitar here),...to the point of flamage of those that disagreed with him. That fella's mindset caused a lot defensiveness from Fuzz>SS user,....but I like that I'm not seeing any I'm right you are wrong and you dumb for being wrong in this discussion,....so big kudos fellas.

While I think there is some merit to what he who shall remain nameless says about Fuzz into Tube amps,....I think the issue is more a guitar issue then a bass issue. I also think that he who shall remain nameless is a little too set in his ways and I'm not convinced that his particular tone is all that great, well it's a decent tone for dad rock, but that's about it.

Again I'm perfectly happy with my fuzz sound into my SS rig,...but I think the amount of power my rig pumps contributes to that satisfaction, and I definitely want to have a go with a Tube amp just to compare and contrast.

nad · Post by **nad** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 4:59 pm

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you're serious about fuzz, passive basses, tube amps, and cabs without tweeters is the way to go.

But, I also say Fuck Tha Rules (with a side of What The Fuck Do I Know? on the side). If you find something you like, then you win. Hooray! :joy:

warwick.hoy · Post by **warwick.hoy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:06 pm

I get away with it by purposely searching out fuzzes that are fine with a buffer in front,....pushing gobs of power and just turning off or disconnecting my tweeters (I hate em anyway).

:thumbs:

Did I mention I want a tube amp and a passive bass? :lol:

D.o.S. · Post by **D.o.S.** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:10 pm

warwick.hoy wrote:Also to touch on the Tube vs SS with fuzz,....

There was a fella who shall remain nameless that was militantly adamant about only using Tube amps with Fuzz/Disto/Overdrive (talking with bass guitar here),...to the point of flamage of those that disagreed with him. That fella's mindset caused a lot defensiveness from Fuzz>SS user,....but I like that I'm not seeing any I'm right you are wrong and you dumb for being wrong in this discussion,....so big kudos fellas.

While I think there is some merit to what he who shall remain nameless says about Fuzz into Tube amps,....I think the issue is more a guitar issue then a bass issue. I also think that he who shall remain nameless is a little too set in his ways and I'm not convinced that his particular tone is all that great, well it's a decent tone for dad rock, but that's about it.

Again I'm perfectly happy with my fuzz sound into my SS rig,...but I think the amount of power my rig pumps contributes to that satisfaction, and I definitely want to have a go with a Tube amp just to compare and contrast.

His Psychedelic Jamz also left a lot to be desired, if I'm on the same wavelength as you are.

warwick.hoy · Post by **warwick.hoy** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:12 pm

Oh,...we are,...as I think just about anybody from TBFX would be.

:lol:

xxxx xxxxxx = Kitten Fucker.

D.o.S. · Post by **D.o.S.** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:14 pm

tuffteef wrote:small fortune for a lemon

can't you just pay it in dingo hides or kangaroo feet or something?

Oh, and, this is what happens when you google:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g44YJ4Gl2r4[/youtube]

theavondon · Post by **theavondon** » Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:22 pm

I seem to get by fine with <300W RMS with my Sunn. Saul bout dat speaker surface area, brah

Fuzz_Pi · Post by **Fuzz_Pi** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:03 am

D.o.S. wrote:
warwick.hoy wrote:Also to touch on the Tube vs SS with fuzz,....

There was a fella who shall remain nameless that was militantly adamant about only using Tube amps with Fuzz/Disto/Overdrive (talking with bass guitar here),...to the point of flamage of those that disagreed with him. That fella's mindset caused a lot defensiveness from Fuzz>SS user,....but I like that I'm not seeing any I'm right you are wrong and you dumb for being wrong in this discussion,....so big kudos fellas.

While I think there is some merit to what he who shall remain nameless says about Fuzz into Tube amps,....I think the issue is more a guitar issue then a bass issue. I also think that he who shall remain nameless is a little too set in his ways and I'm not convinced that his particular tone is all that great, well it's a decent tone for dad rock, but that's about it.

Again I'm perfectly happy with my fuzz sound into my SS rig,...but I think the amount of power my rig pumps contributes to that satisfaction, and I definitely want to have a go with a Tube amp just to compare and contrast.

His Psychedelic Jamz also left a lot to be desired, if I'm on the same wavelength as you are.

I'M MARK OLSON FUCK BOTH OF YOU

Boxbie · Post by **Boxbie** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:59 am

More speakers is more sound totez!!
No argument there!

I just got sick of hauling around a 1x15 and a 4x10. I found a bigger head running an efficient 4x10 lugging-effective.
Obviously yr 300 watt head through a wall of fridges will be loud enough!
I just meant that SS bass heads doesn't wanna be run up full or as was previously mentioned, true low bass is the real victim.

May all your milages vary wildely! :poke:

ilovefuzz.com

School me on bass amps

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