best amp for heavy crunchy Musicman sound?

anarchipur · #1 01-04-2013, 06:12 AM

Happy New Year everyone!

I've just bought a used musicman S.U.B made in the U.S. and now I am looking for the right amp to emphasize the musicman sound. I am searching for that crunchy sound and the grownling basses. I already have a Hartke 4x10 (or 12?) Cab in my rehearsal room which I want to use or at least try with the new amp.

I often use a pick and I would like to get similar heavy bass sounds like those by Tool or Limp Bizkit (OK, they are different but I like them both)

The amps that I can test in different city shops are:
- TC Electronics,
- Ampeg SVT ,
- EBS,
- Markbass
- Glockenklang
- Aguilar
- Mesa Boogie

I am also thinking of
- Gallien Krueger MB Fusion (800 or 500Watt) or
- 700RB-II
- 1001RB-II

but I can get them only in the internet, so in order to test I have to buy and then return if not satisfied - which is much more work.

Please help me with some reviews or advice in order to narrow the set of possible solutions!

Thanks!

**CL400Peavey** · #2 01-04-2013, 06:15 AM

The best way to figure out what is going to work for you is to take your bass and cab down and play through as many amps as possible. I personally like aguilar and ampeg with my MM bass.

pringlw · #3 01-04-2013, 06:21 AM

+1 but make sure you try out the tube Amps. More likely to give you what you want than solid state.

**CL400Peavey** · #4 01-04-2013, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pringlw

+1 but make sure you try out the tube Amps. More likely to give you what you want than solid state.

Not specifically. There are good tube amps, there are good hybrid amps, there are even some good completely SS heads. The Aguilar Tone Hammer sounds way more "Tubey" than some hybrid amps, and it is completely solid state.

bassgod0dmw · #5 01-04-2013, 06:28 AM

What is your budget?

**CL400Peavey** · #6 01-04-2013, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

What is your budget?

+1

Thats also a pretty good question. Pretty hard to find a workable SVT if you only have $200 to work with.

NKUSigEp · #7 01-04-2013, 06:33 AM

100% GK 700RB-II. Maybe the 1001RB-II but I wouldn't even bother with anything else for what you're wanting. I don't mean to discount other amps and some will give you a nice crunch but the GK "hitting the rails" actually IS that sound.

The best part is they are reliable, loud as hell, and easy on the wallet.

anarchipur · #8 01-04-2013, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

What is your budget?

My budget is about 1000 bucks

Modern Growl · #9 01-04-2013, 07:03 AM

anarchipur · #10 01-04-2013, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NKUSigEp

100% GK 700RB-II. Maybe the 1001RB-II but I wouldn't even bother with anything else for what you're wanting. I don't mean to discount other amps and some will give you a nice crunch but the GK "hitting the rails" actually IS that sound.

For the price I really would prefer something like teh 700RBII but I read in a thread that the 700RBII is way too clean and sterile compared to the 1000RBII. Is it true? And what abouth the GK MB fusion sound compared to them?

4Mal · #11 01-04-2013, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anarchipur

For the price I really would prefer something like teh 700RBII but I read in a thread that the 700RBII is way too clean and sterile compared to the 1000RBII. Is it true? And what abouth the GK MB fusion sound compared to them?

I believe you have that bit of conventional wisdom twisted around. The lower powered 700RBII is generally considered as less sterile than the 1001RBII. Personally, I never felt the 1001 RBII to be sterile at all. ...liked that amp a lot.

Today I would be thinking mB500 or 800 depending on your volume needs due to the form factor and all around great tone. Good deals abound on used 1001 and 700 RB II's though and reliability is a strong suit with GK in my experience.

AdamR · #12 01-04-2013, 09:03 AM

Tool and Limp Bizkit are to real different tones arent they ? I remember LB being a much deeaper clean tone. I believe he uses Warkick basses and amps.

Tool is GK and Sans Amp.

Good growly amps would be GK for solid state, 400RB, 800RB or 700RB would be the ones to look into IMO.

Tube, Ampeg is the king of tube growl.

Hybrid amps, You could look in to Ashdown or Trace Elliot.

Balog · #13 01-04-2013, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by anarchipur

The amps that I can test in different city shops are:
- TC Electronics,
- Ampeg SVT ,
- EBS,
- Markbass
- Glockenklang
- Aguilar
- Mesa Boogie

I am also thinking of
- Gallien Krueger MB Fusion (800 or 500Watt) or
- 700RB-II
- 1001RB-II

but I can get them only in the internet, so in order to test I have to buy and then return if not satisfied - which is much more work.

Please help me with some reviews or advice in order to narrow the set of possible solutions!

Thanks!

Where in the world do you live that shops have Glockenklang but not GK?

BbbyBld · #14 01-04-2013, 09:47 AM

I use a VB-2 plus 810. When I want that type of sound with a regular "clean" amp, I use a Sansamp.

MoeGJBeener · #15 01-04-2013, 09:50 AM

I'd get a clean sounding amp and get an OD and Fuzz pedal to handle to crunch. then you can have a few different tones all in one.

anarchipur · #16 01-04-2013, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Mal

I never felt the 1001 RBII to be sterile at all. ...liked that amp a lot.

Today I would be thinking mB500 or 800 depending on your volume needs due to the form factor...

Thanks!
Is the sound of the 1001RBII and the MB fusion (500/800) same stile? I mean as I already mentioned - generally clean sound but with gnarling lows crunchy highs with the ability to naturally distort...

anarchipur · #17 01-04-2013, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balog

Where in the world do you live that shops have Glockenklang but not GK?

) I live in Munich, Germany. It is really bad that I cannot find a shop with Gallien Krueger amps here. The only possibility is thomann.de which is online.

GK would have a better business in Germany if they had a deal with some other shops...

craig.p · #18 01-04-2013, 10:20 AM

A Carvin BX250 with the drive control dimed will shake the place up pretty good in terms of dirt/crunch, without things getting all fuzzy. The BX500 might do the same, but I have no experience with those.

A high-powered option would be a G-K MB200 used as a preamp, feeding a power amp. I've played through several G-K models and I have to say the MB200 has the most (and heaviest, and most-pleasing) preamp badness of them all. You can do the preamp out to power amp trick with the BX250, too.

anarchipur · #19 01-04-2013, 10:45 AM

Thank you guys, I will really check some of the amps in the shops...

The only think I cannot really test is a comparison in the sound between the GK MB fusion (500 or 800) and GK RB1001RBii or 700RBii. If they are comparable I would go for teh MB fusion because of the size but if GK 1001 is more charackteristik I would first order thisone for a test.

So if you can help here with a sound comparison..?

mam1862 · #20 01-04-2013, 11:24 AM

I have used a LM Big Bang, Streamliner 900 and a MB Fusion with my Stingray and they all sounded great. I have sold the Fusion as it was a tough decision between it and the Big Bang.That being said when using my Stingray I tend to go with the Streamliner. I can't comment on the other amps but if you go with any of these you won't be sorry. Good luck.