amp for squier bass vi

[unobasso]

My squier bass vi is on order but starting to wonder now about an amp.

I play mostly double bass & have a nice amp for that - an acoustic image contra.

I've read that a guitar head/bass cab gets you the best of both worlds and while I can unplug the amp's speakon and use a guitar head into the cab, it'd be a hassle to switch mid gig. (Does anybody make a speakon a/b switch?)

So... the brain wave this morning is wondering if a 'guitar amp in a box' or treble booster pedal get the best of both worlds while using the same amp. Any thoughts?


ub72

[Uncle Grandfather]

so you want to switch from guitar head to bass head mid gig? guitar head for bass VI and then you would heads to play bass? The bass VI is just a small scale bass, and I've had great success playing it through my bass rig.

if you want to play bass VI and then play guitar and swap cabs? remember classic guitar tone is playing through the fender 4X10 bassman, which is a bass amp. you can play guitar or bass VI through guitarhead/bass cab so long as impedance match. maybe weird on guitar if bass cab has horn tweeter....didn't really answer your question

[Gone Fission]

I'd indeed look at one of those amp-in-a-pedal sort of things. Tech21 has them in a bunch of flavors, and Joyo knocks off most of those flavors. Catalinbread has some good ones, too.

Me, I wouldn't be looking at something like a Bogner modern guitar preamp-in-a-pedal sort of thing so much as something that's copping the vibe of an older amp that people used for guitar and bass back in the day. Fender, low gain Marshall, Hiwatt, Ampeg, Vox (McCartney's bass sound to this day), that sort of thing. If you're also bringing your upright, Orange might be a bit too far up the gainy/grindy scale.

[Holy Schnikes]

I use an Ampeg Micro head and two matching 2x10 cabs OR a bass spec'd Hovercraft Dwarvenaut OR if I need a super loud amp my early '70's Ampeg V4. I really need to add a 1x15 one of these days tho...

For dirt/fuzz, I've found the Bass VI gets along with several. TAFM, Fuck/Mini, Iron Pig/RAT, Baby Thunda, Elements just to name a few.

[Psyre]

I plan on using my bassman through the bass channel. I also gpt a sunn concert bass I will be running through a 4x12. I think they will both work out great.

[rfurtkamp]

I've been running mine through a Jazz Chorus or a Fender Mustang V/4x12.

Fuzzes, well, it likes almost all of them, the octave and sputtering ones the most (and responds differently with the strangle switch in glorious ways)

[Derelict78]

I'd indeed look at one of those amp-in-a-pedal sort of things. Tech21 has them in a bunch of flavors, and Joyo knocks off most of those flavors. Catalinbread has some good ones, too.

Me, I wouldn't be looking at something like a Bogner modern guitar preamp-in-a-pedal sort of thing so much as something that's copping the vibe of an older amp that people used for guitar and bass back in the day. Fender, low gain Marshall, Hiwatt, Ampeg, Vox (McCartney's bass sound to this day), that sort of thing. If you're also bringing your upright, Orange might be a bit too far up the gainy/grindy scale.

McCartney uses a mesa 400+ live.

[Gone Fission]

McCartney uses a mesa 400+ live.

Okay. I'm not a fanatic or anything, but I saw a fairly modern rig rundown where he was using a Rose Morris era AC-30 head as his basic bass sound.

[unobasso]

Thanks! I know the vi is weeks away put I'm getting antsy for it....

I'll probably wind up having two different pedal boards - one for my upright and one for the bass vi with some kind of amp-in-a-box pedal at the start of the chain - with a/b switch between the two.

Of course, part of the fun is f*cking up the signal so who knows what'll actually happen... ;-)


ub72

[khaavren]

A bit off topic but does anybody know where you can get this bass in Canada? Do want.
All of the major retail stores don't have it in stock (Long & McQuade, Axe, etc)

[Psyre]

They are pretty well on back order until February for most places.

[MrNovember]

A bit off topic but does anybody know where you can get this bass in Canada? Do want.
All of the major retail stores don't have it in stock (Long & McQuade, Axe, etc)

I emailed L&M the other day about it and they told me I'd just have to put down a $50 fully refundable (if I decide not to buy it) deposit and they could order it in.
I emailed back about how long it would take but haven't heard back.

EDIT: back on topic, I plan on playing mine through a Fender Excelsior.
It seems to hold up to everything else I throw at it but probably won't be too loud in a band setting.