200 watt tube

basscooker · #1 01-23-2012, 10:30 PM

Look what i found. too bad i'm electronically inadept. not for lack of trying. but wow. didn't know marshall made a 200 watt all tube bass amp.

T-Bird · #2 01-23-2012, 10:44 PM

Hi.

Care to elaborate a bit?

Regards
Sam

Jim Carr · #3 01-23-2012, 10:46 PM

Had one. It was 84 lbs and ate tubes.

Tom_RCJ · #4 01-23-2012, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Carr

Had one. It was 84 lbs and ate tubes.

Reminds me of a Mötley Crüe groupie I once knew...

basscooker · #5 01-23-2012, 11:10 PM

i just thought they kinda topped out at 100 watts in all-tube.

so jim was there a design issue that made it burn em out? would you say it was lack of sales or amp design that gave this amp its limited run? any way just a little further down the page at the same place i turned up a schematic for a 375 watt all tube head they made too. i'm working on a pair of fearfuls and i'm shopping for examples of high powered tube amps to have one built. i think something with 100 watts is maybe going to be a little short on cleaner headroom.

Jim Carr · #6 01-23-2012, 11:21 PM

I wish I could be of more help. I had it re-tubed twice. It worked OK after that. It sound quite nice after I ditched the two 4x12 cabs, a square face and a slant face, for an Acoustic 301 1x18. The 8x12s were totally suckie fart machines for bass, as I have mentioned in other threads. The Marshall Major/301 rig got sold one very cold winter (1976) in Kalamazoo when my girlfriend and I were freezing to death.

I am sympathetic to your desire to build a nice big tube amp, but IMHO, Life is short, Art is long, and tube amps can be bought used. Why not just get a Traynor, SVT, big tube Fender, or Mesa 400 and go play?

basscooker · #7 01-23-2012, 11:39 PM

Just a little GAS as far as building one, but i'm also considering the cost of building versus buying. i know the guy, he'd cut me a break on his labor, basically parts. he'd be able to make me about anything i'd ever need for around the same price as a crackhead deal on a good used one, so why not go for the one-off hand wired one? I'm not really after this specific one, just that i'm pretty sure a 100 watt tube won't cut it with clean power, and i didn't know marshalls came in richer flavors than that.

Downunderwonder · #8 01-23-2012, 11:52 PM

Fairly modern one is VBA something, 400 I think it is, for 400w.

Downunderwonder · #9 01-23-2012, 11:56 PM

Can the crackhead build an amp that won't catch fire? I wouldn't want to be explaining a melted lump to a Fire Marshall.

basscooker · #10 01-24-2012, 12:18 AM

the crackhead will sell an amp cheap. the expert who builds amps for a living will build me an amp. was that unclear?

i had some good looks at the vintage shop nearby. kasino? a little to thuddy. gibson? sounded like somebody had their hand resting on the speaker. even tried out a couple guitar amps thru the same cab. just not feeling it.i liked the marshalls, but the whole price issue says naaaa. nothing i've played sounds like my puny ampro dual 6v6 amp. i want exactly what i've got, just 100 times louder. but i still haven't shopped svt's. i figure if i'm going to drop plus or minus a grand, i'd rather have one built for me.

JGR · #11 01-24-2012, 05:56 AM

If he knows what he is doing, then hopefully he will put a decent bias circuit in it rather than copying the original.

WingKL · #12 01-24-2012, 06:39 AM

What's the deficiency in the bias circuit of the original? Is it the lack of individual bias adjustments for each tube?

someparts · #13 01-24-2012, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom_RCJ

Reminds me of a Mötley Crüe groupie I once knew...

To the OP....You know Reeves is in your backyard right?

CDweller · #14 01-24-2012, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by someparts

To the OP....You know Reeves is in your backyard right?

This.

edbass · #15 01-24-2012, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by basscooker

the crackhead will sell an amp cheap. the expert who builds amps for a living will build me an amp. was that unclear?

i had some good looks at the vintage shop nearby. kasino? a little to thuddy. gibson? sounded like somebody had their hand resting on the speaker. even tried out a couple guitar amps thru the same cab. just not feeling it.i liked the marshalls, but the whole price issue says naaaa. nothing i've played sounds like my puny ampro dual 6v6 amp. i want exactly what i've got, just 100 times louder. but i still haven't shopped svt's. i figure if i'm going to drop plus or minus a grand, i'd rather have one built for me.

Is this builder someone local to you, or will it need to be shipped?

200 watt tube amps are generally pretty heavy and shipping can be pricey, besides I don't think you can get parts for a one-off 200 watt handbuilt amp for a grand, even if your expert who builds amps for a living doesn't charge you anything for labor or shipping.

I think your best bet would be a mass produced PCB tube amp, off the top of my head a nice new, warranted Peavey VB2 for about $900 would do the trick.
In typical Peavey fashion, IMO a whole lot of amp for the money. Probably not as much resale value as a high end amp like a Reeves, but (IMO) better retention % than some homemade one-off.

will33 · #16 01-24-2012, 12:30 PM

Look for a Peavey Classic 400. They come up affordably used once in a while. Blendable clean and OD channels. Could probably get one and have a complete re-tube for $1000. Eight 6550's, six small tubes. They sound extremely deep and powerful, plenty of clean power.

Zentner · #17 01-24-2012, 12:35 PM

Marshall has made a variety of all tube bass amps over the years:

Marshall Model 1986 ('67-'69?) - 50W
Marshall Model 1992 - 100W
Marshall Major - 200W
Marshall Model 2001 (80's) - 400W
Marshall VBA400 - 400W

As well as some super powerful guitar amps!:

Marshall Pig ('66-'67ish?) - 200W
Marshall Model 2000 ('80's)- 250W

Happy Face · #18 01-24-2012, 12:52 PM

I wonder how cheap it would be to build a replica. (I formerly used a Marshall 2001, which had eight 6550s and put out somewhere around 375 watts.)

So think about the cost of the tubes alone. Then there's the cost of those big ol' honking transformers. The cost of those two parts alone might prove prohibitive.

Could be finding a used head would be a lot cheaper.

CL400Peavey · #19 01-24-2012, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edbass

I think your best bet would be a mass produced PCB tube amp, off the top of my head a nice new, warranted Peavey VB2 for about $900 would do the trick.
In typical Peavey fashion, IMO a whole lot of amp for the money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by will33

Look for a Peavey Classic 400. They come up affordably used once in a while. Blendable clean and OD channels. Could probably get one and have a complete re-tube for $1000. Eight 6550's, six small tubes. They sound extremely deep and powerful, plenty of clean power.

I second the VB-2, They can be found new for way less that $900, and even cheaper used.

The Classic 400 is a killer amp, but not as easy to come by locally and at 100 or so pounds you dont want to ship it. It is by far the best amp I have ever played through though.

Mr. Foxen · #20 01-24-2012, 01:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happy Face

I wonder how cheap it would be to build a replica. (I formerly used a Marshall 2001, which had eight 6550s and put out somewhere around 375 watts.)

So think about the cost of the tubes alone. Then there's the cost of those big ol' honking transformers. The cost of those two parts alone might prove prohibitive.

Could be finding a used head would be a lot cheaper.

Think I know of one of these going.