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Bass map/cabs etc 
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Bass map/cabs etc
I reckon after this month I'll have put enough money to one side for my holiday next year to be able to treat myself to some kind of bass map, max of £200 either new or used. At the minute I can see two routes - a combo or get a cabinet and run my Laney through it until I can afford a nicer bass head. At the minute a combo seems more appealing as it's just easier, everything in one package etc. But I know from gigging experience that head/cab is a bit more convenient to move around, spreads the load etc. I will be mostly using this amp to play at home but it'd be nice to have the ability to play with a band - DI out might be useful?

I really like the Ampeg SVX plugin with my favourite being the SVT Classic model. Would the Ampeg BA115 get anywhere near close to a similar sound? It's a lot cheaper for sure. Also are there any mapz that come with built in compressor and tuner? Might be handy.


Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:02 pm
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Ampeg BA115 is a nice sounding bass amp, small-ish, kind of a fair bit physically heavier than one might expect.

Around here they can be had cheap.

I have also repaired two of them. Which is a small sample size, but kind of odd being that i don't really do too much repair work. They weren't bad to work on, but both had blown similar things.

Oh also, one of them had cracked both of its speakers(the 15" and the tweeter) which i thought was odd on a pretty new map.

In proper condition they do sound nice and go cheap though. I also found the EQ controls very pleasantly effective for getting a good range of sounds from really clean and boomyscoopy to a pleasantly aggressive sharp middy reedy thing, and multiple points in between.

I dunno what is available in the UK. Around here, i always tell everyone to buy 80s Peavey shit for cheap/solid/good bass gear. :red:

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Thu Oct 11, 2012 9:11 pm
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Simethicone
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
I like Ampeg in general. They seem to have good EQs across the board. The B100R sounds nice and can be found cheap around here as well; that's this guy:

Image

Ampeg does have a "house sound" in how their stuff is voiced.

Here in The States, maximum bang/buck is, as Chris said, probably Peavey. They are monstrously ugly. They weigh a lot. They actually do sound pretty alright, too, and are cheap. And last for-goddamn-ever. There are plenty still going strong from the Reagan administration (or Thatcher as the case may be) with no more problems than crackly jacks or scratchy pots, which should probably be expected given their age and the abuse a lot of them have seen.

Most all but the cheapest bassmaps have a DI on them somewhere, so you should be good there. Compressor I can't speak for. Some stuff has it, some doesn't. It's not uncommon, but for cheap it's probably dependent on finding a cool used piece that has one. Or using a guitar stompbox compressor out front.

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Fri Oct 12, 2012 12:02 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
hmm cheap and reliable sounds good. What models of Peavey are worth a look? I think they may be more expensive over here though, I never see many Peaveys about.

this looks suitably retro- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Peave ... 27cbbb7ec2 .. no DI though, looks pretty basic.


Fri Oct 12, 2012 6:33 am
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
also keep an eye out for an Ashdown combo. I have an EB180 or something like that. Was cheap but it really did it's job well. I know it had a DI and I think it had a compressor, but would not swear on it. I theck Ebay UK there a few up there.

This is the one I had

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ashdown-EB15- ... 23236465d9

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Fri Oct 12, 2012 8:16 am
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
I imagine the beauty of Peavey, their cheapness:quality, will be lost across the pond. I have no idea about that model you posted, but a lot of the better peaveys are also really fucking loud heads.

Ampeg and Ashdown are probably two of your best bets, especially for a starter bass amp. They have good EQs that make good bass noise and will sound like a lot of the bass noise you have heard. I am also going to throw GK's hat into the ring with this: http://www.musiciansfriend.com/amplifie ... -combo-amp

Image


I have heard some good things about these and they will definitely bring rock tones. They are also light if you go to jams and I think they are pretty decent featurewise. They have other models with different speaker combos too.

Really one thing you need to do is try out a few different amps with different speakers, as a 15", a 12" and a 10" are pretty different from one another. I would shoot for at least a 10" speaker though, anything smaller than that and you might as well just plug into your guitar amp. There ARE good cabs made with like, 3 or 4x8" speakers, but they are expensive and silly IMO. Generally speaking, 10" punch, 12" bring the bang and 15" bring the boom; meaning, 10" will be a tighter more focused sound with a little more oomph from the mids to highs, 12" will be loud and aggressive sounding with lows to mids and 15" will be big and bassy sounding with mostly lows and mids to highs sprinkled on top. All of them are good for all sorts of sounds really.

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Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:22 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Well, knowing what kind of music I like to play, what do you reckon would be best in a single speaker combo? I guess I should go and try some out at some point. I really hate amp shopping, always feel like "that twat" who plays too loud in the shop :red:


Fri Oct 12, 2012 9:20 pm
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
El-Todgo wrote:
Well, knowing what kind of music I like to play, what do you reckon would be best in a single speaker combo? I guess I should go and try some out at some point. I really hate amp shopping, always feel like "that twat" who plays too loud in the shop :red:



I know the feels.

I personally wouldn't hate a 1x12" bass amp. I am a fan of 10" and 12" though. 15" are great too, but I (like chris mentioned somewheres else) tend to cut out a bit of the low end from my bass anyway, especially when dirt is involved. Distorted bass through a 12" speaker is pretty fucking rock and roll, and that scales up to 2x12" and 4x12" as well. Of course, 2/4/8x10" cabs always make for a good punch the ol' testicles.

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Fri Oct 12, 2012 10:37 pm
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Simethicone
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Single speaker? 12 or 15. The two Ampegs at the top of the thread are 15s. (The blue diamond tolex B100R I posted seems to go for about $250 USD (used) around these parts. They are discontinued now; they sound very good IMO.)

It may pay to be the twat who plays too loud in the store, at least momentarily. Try pushing the preamp gain on things to see if/how it breaks up. Given your guitaring seems to be Dirty Bearded Manrock, I'd think you'd want some grit in yer bass, and some bass gear is cleanycleancleanclean. 'Specially more modern stuff. So if you can push it and it produces an acceptable overdrive, that's probably a good thing.

But yeah, 12 or 15. 10s I like in bigger cabs. I do like the clarity of them (a 2x10 + 1x15 stack is Not So Bad). But If I had only a single speaker to work with, I'd go for something bigger. And mind you, my bassing style is pretty busy, even on my funk stuff my tone is not clean, and is kinda midrangey. But I'd still go for the larger speaker to maximize low-end heft in a combo. (Unless I found a 1x10 that had clearly superior toan.)

GK is a worthy contender. I had one of their cabs, which my bassist now has, and he has a GK head to go with it. Different flavor than Ampeg, though, but a similarly versatile EQ. He's jonesing for an SVT, though, and... We all support this decision, truth be told. They are both good, but different tone and feel.

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Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:18 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Thanks for your help so far :tu: So far I've found I do like a bit of dirt on my bass, though clean is sometimes nice as well. My favourite bass sound ever is that in Russian Circles' Geneva at around the 2:30 mark. Gloriously filthy whompage. I have a keeley rat I was intending to use with the bass so I could maybe get away with a cleaner amp.


Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:59 am
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Winston Wolf
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
I would say an inexpensive 1x15 combo would get you where you need to be. Ampeg, GK, Peavey , Ashdown.. all good choices.

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Sat Oct 13, 2012 11:17 pm
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Simethicone
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Ashdown is from the UK, no? Might be easier to find cheaper there.

Also, that bass toan on Russian Circles' Geneva is brilliant. It really caught my attention the first time I heard it and I've loved it ever since. No idea what it is, but it's up there as far as amazing filthbass toans. Rats have a good rep for bass dirt, too. (Disclaimer: never used one myself. Only going off what I've heard/heard of.) But a pedal I've considered purchasing for dedicated bassfilth. (Though Rat + AC30 is sorta a well-liked sound, too...)

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Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:21 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
I reckon the Keeley one might be better as I believe it cuts less bass out of the toane. I used it as my main overdrive boost for ages and it's a great sounding pedal. I still need to re-house it actually since I drilled a massive hole in the casing to fit a suitable PSU on my bodged together pedalboard :red:

Somebody on the BKP forum is selling an ashdown combo so I'mma see about getting that :D


Sun Oct 14, 2012 5:27 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Has anybody heard of Red Sub? They look pretty cheap but somebody on the BKP forum reckons they're good especially for the money. http://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Ba ... ar-Amp/IQP

Could the Line Out be used as a DI out or is it better to get something with a "proper" XLR DI? Also how many watts is enough for playing with a drummer?


Sun Oct 21, 2012 1:26 pm
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Never heard of those but they look pretty cool, especially for the price.

As for volume with drummers, the last few bass amps I used with a band were all 200-400w tube heads through 4x10s, and they had more than enough volume for loud ass rock and roll. I haven't used a small combo in a loud situation recently so I am not 100% sure but 100w through a 1x12 or 1x15 will probably be audible with a reasonable drummer, but you might get buried easily depending on the situation.

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Sun Oct 21, 2012 4:05 pm
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
hmm so I'm looking these again now I have a bit of spare cash and people are asking what I want for xmas. I don't think playing with a band will probably actually happen for a fair old while and if it does a PA would be present, so would the little 35W one be good enough for home practice and plugging into said PA? The company G4M says they're voiced toward the ampeg style of toane which intrigues me :D


Wed Nov 28, 2012 9:33 am
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
El-Todgo wrote:
hmm so I'm looking these again now I have a bit of spare cash and people are asking what I want for xmas. I don't think playing with a band will probably actually happen for a fair old while and if it does a PA would be present, so would the little 35W one be good enough for home practice and plugging into said PA? The company G4M says they're voiced toward the ampeg style of toane which intrigues me :D


35w is enough for home practice, might not get far jamming and could do fine running through a PA. If you jam with someone who has a PA you should be fine there.

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Wed Nov 28, 2012 10:57 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Noice, thanks. I'm still waiting to hear back about the Ashdown combo the BKP guy is selling, trying to arrange a meet halfway between us as that map would be a better deal.


Fri Nov 30, 2012 7:30 am
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Michael Anthony Fanclub President
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Post Re: Bass map/cabs etc
Been procrastinating on this for too long but finally gonna sort it on pay day. Found an Ashdown eb 180w evo 2 for £150 2nd hand. can't decide whether to go for that or the 35w redsub budget one and save £60. Not sure whether 180w would be massively overkill at the minute considering its home use only, not sure how likely it actually will be that i play in a band..


Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:57 am
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