Which amp for this bass tone?

[ric4682]

I'm currently in the market for a new bass amp. Something loud and fat, but tight, sounding. Right now I have a Line 6 300 watt combo...it sounds like poop and isn't loud enough . I'm playing a Rickenbacker 4003. I'm looking for a tone like David LaBruyere gets on Neon by John Mayer off the Room for Squares album. It's so....fat and growly. I'm getting close with the B-15 setting on the amp and my sansamp into it.
Here's what it sounds like:
YouTube - John Mayer - Neon
Every time I hear the kill he does at like 0:36 I get goosebumps. So what do you guys think? I'm looking for a cab and head set-up and don't want to spend much more than $600 on the head. Give me some options.

[allexcosta]

With a Ric?

[Rick Auricchio]

If that's a studio track, there are way too many variables.

We have no idea what bass and amp were used, and what studio processing was applied to the track. There's a very good chance you'd never get the same tone.

And even if you could get close, once you try this live, you have everything conspiring against you: the rest of the band will not be professionally mixed, and the room acoustics will often screw up your tone.

[TimmyP]

Not loud enough on stage, or in the room? If the latter, let the PA take care of that. IME it's a rare bass rig that sounds good in the room.

[ric4682]

Oh, I understand I'll never get the exact tone and there are a ton of studio variables. I'm just looking for a big, fat, round, growly tone similar to that one.
Thanks for the replies so far!

[steve_rolfeca]

I'm not a Ricky guy. Can you get that sort of growl out of one?

Anyway, back to the amp: There's a lot of low end EQ on that recording, yet it's still pretty tight, so you're going to want a fair amount of power in order to carry it off live without farting out. There's some dirt on it as well, which doesn't really sound like a Sansamp to me. So you're either going to need a new pedal (VT Bass?), or an amp that has decent distortion built-in. The $600 budget nixes various Ampegs, Mesa, TC Electronic RH450, etc.

If we're talking about a fairly beefy head (500 watts?) that can do thicker, darker sounds, can cop some growl, has a decent distortion, and is around the $600 bracket, I'm thinking Aguilar Tone Hammer 500.

I've never tried one, but as an alternative, the G-K MB500 is reportedly capable of a big bottom and lots of growl. If it's possible to tame the top end to get that swampy sound, then it might do nicely. It's also under the $600 mark, which would leave $$$ for a pedal...

[ric4682]

Thanks! That's the kind of reply I'm looking for. I'll have to look into tone hammer. I recently stumbled upon the Ibanez Promethean head. What do you guys think of that one?

[JimmyM]

that sounds a lot like a fender into a b-15, so you're on the right track. sounds like dead flats, too.

[vin*tone]

IIRC that's Pino playing a Fender P and I believe he's playing flats all detuned a semitone to Eb.

IMO that will have a bigger bearing than your amp choice.

[officespace2]

I'm with Jimmy on that being dead flats into a B15. Get a B15.... Then, if you don't like it, you can give it to me.

[GBBSbassist]

David LaBruyere did all the bass tracks on that album. Sounds like a jazz bass to me.

Pretty cool, here's a video of a John Mayer performance with both David LaBruyere AND Pino Palladino.

John Mayer with Pino Palladino & David Labruyere: I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You) | notreble.com

[Gaetano Paul]

cool song man.

[vin*tone]

Originally Posted by GBBSbassist

David LaBruyere did all the bass tracks on that album. Sounds like a jazz bass to me.

Pretty cool, here's a video of a John Mayer performance with both David LaBruyere AND Pino Palladino.

John Mayer with Pino Palladino & David Labruyere: I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You) | notreble.com

That makes a whole heap of sense. Those albums always sounded Jazz-bass-ish