Building a bass rig (Ashly SC-40 pre-amp...)

[walnutprecision]

Hi folks. I just found the TalkBass forum, so I suppose I am your latest-greatest newbee-to-the forum. This is my first post here, so... here goes.

I'm not going to brag about talent, I'm low-key... the bass is my second instrument, so be gentle, LOL. The music I plan to play with this rig is most like going to journey from electric blues (maybe some duo stuff with a guitar guy), to some classic rock, and then rebounding back again into a partial (love) for straight ahead jazz.

My bass is a 1982-ish Fender Limited Edition Walnut Precision Bass (I'll add some pics later). The body, neck and fretboard of this one is all walnut. Black PG, gold plated parts... It has a really nice wholesome almost "upright bass" sound, yet still can rock. It has active electronics, but I usually have them turned off with the on-board mini-switch. I just like the acoustic properties of this bass as-is.

I have a pair of Ashly SC-40 Instrument preamps I am taking to an electrician/tech guy in the morning. I have had both of them since 1981 & 1985 respectively. Its just time to clean them up, have the guy go through them, and put them back into action.

The same guy has a used Symetrix 501 Compressor he's only asking $75 for, so I'm going to snag that out of curiosity. Not sure I really need the compressor (ok, I already saw there was a "Do I REALLY need a compressor" thread, LOL)... but for $75, what the heck.

Now here's where ya'll can play around a bit if you have any suggestions. I am looking for a 2-space power amp, and if you have some input out there in TalkBass land, let 'er rip.

Right now, my G.A.S. binoculars are looking toward a Crown XTi 1000 amp. 2-rack-spaces, 1,000w into 8ohms, bridged mono, and... what I really like is that it only weighs 18-1/2lbs. Plus, a 3-year, no fault warranty.

2-space amp because I already own a 4-space rack...
- pre-amp
- compressor (maybe)
- 2-space power amp
(^^^ 4-spaces...)

Actually, the rack I have is the same one I bought with the first Ashly SC-40 preamp from 1980... its an Anvil rack, too... back when they didn't have so many competitors making knock-offs of their stuff. (Seems like every body and their brother's sister's cousin makes cases and rack gear today... mostly plastic goop...).

Now the fun begins...

Speaker cabinet suggestions...

OK, so the Crown amp listed above is mostly for headroom and sonic clarity, not for death-metal to dual 8x10's, etc... haha.

I'm sort of old school, so I'm thinking a single 15". I don't do slapping and popping stuff, so a tweeter isn't high on my priority list in this bass cab... (I'm open to reasons why to buy a bass cab with a tweeter, though, if you have a good explanation that makes sense...)

I've only searched out a handful of cabs right now... two that come to mind are:

- Mesa/Boogie 1x15 Powerhouse, 600w
(a local store here carries Orange, soo...)
- Orange OBC115 (1x15), 400w

Open to suggestions for a single 1x15 cab.

Probably not going to go with more than one cab for now. (ie. NOT >> 1x15 + 2x10, etc, etc...)

So, what say ye?

Any 2 rack space power amp suggestions?

Any 1x15" bass cab suggestions?

Weeeeee what fun....

Welcome to the Talk Bass forum, huh... LOL.

Thanks for reading and posting.


WP

[jnewmark]

I use the Ashly Sc-40 with a 215/tweet cab, and a 212/tweet cab with a QSC PLX 1202, bridged. The preamp sounds good with either cab, but mostly I prefer the 215 because it has JBL E140's in it, but is very heavy. I also own two Ashly's and, had them serviced recently by my tech. By far, it is my favorite bass pre, and I would go with a lightweight power amp, like a Crown Drivecore XLS 1500. If you can find the schematic on line for the Ashly, it will be a tremendous help for your tech; some of those parts are hard to find !

[Bob Lo]

+1 on the Crown Drivecore 1500.Powerful and light.

[walnutprecision]

jnewmark, thanks for the tip on the Crown XLS Drivecore 1500... I had been looking at the Crown XTi 100, which I thought was really light... but the Drivecore is lighter !

Crown XTi 1000 - 1000w bridged mono @ 8 ohms - 18.5lbs.
XTi Series

Crown XLS Drivecore 1500 - 1050w bridged mono @ 8 ohms - 8.6lbs. (!!!)
XLS Drivecore™ Series

Also, the dimensions of the Drivecore mean I won't need to buy a new rack:

Crown XTi 1000 - 19"W x 3.5"H x 12.25"D

Crown XLS Drivecore 1500 - 19"W x 3.5"H x 7.7"D
(8.12"?) (they give two depth measurements on the spec sheet...)

I was just pricing new racks yesterday at the store. Now I can put that money back in my wallet. Plus, ten pounds different is great. It all adds up, ten pounds here, ten pounds there, pretty much my old back is breaking, haha.

Thanks for the comments !!


WP

[walnutprecision]

I'm fort of new to the bass gear looky-loo, so...

...I just noticed Eden makes a 59lb., 4x10" 1000w cab the "EX410N Neo "
Eden Bass Cabinets - EX410N Neo

Technology at its finest. I haven't plugged into one yet, but 59lbs. and 1000 watts looks good on paper... I'll have to hunt the local shops and see if there is one sitting on the floor some where.

Wow, an 8lb., 1000w power amp... a 59lb. 1000w speaker cabinet... haha... what's next, how about a chambered/weight-relieved bass that only weighs like 6lbs.... haha... technology taking all the back-break out of the bottom end holder.....



WP

[anonymous101511]

Buy a better quality amp, Crest is my favorite. I would absolutely avoid the Chinese Crowns, they are mushy, dirty sounding for me. 1000 watts, my %*#, too. My old 120 watt/ channel Crest LA601 sounds far punchier and clearer. Try some out and hear for yourself. You can get older used ones for a couple hundred bucks. Those are my thoughts ;-)

[walnutprecision]

good point, vail... Crown made their reputation on bullet-proof, USA-made quality... but have since been conglomerated under the Harman handle...

My only issue with Crest might be that they are no longer the same amp company, either, having been bought out by Peavey... (note Peavey logo on home page)
Crest Audio

I've not been a fan of Peavey, ever... and I wouldn't necessarily pour into that company, which in my opinion would be enabling them to do some of the things with gear that I am opposed to... personal preference of course. Some guys love Peavey stuff, I am not one of them. I was dis-heartened when I heard Peavey bought out Crest, because I have had some really nice Crest amps in the past. I'm just not willing to line Hartley Peavey's pockets from any angle.



WP

[walnutprecision]

I was just browsing the 2011 Ampeg catalog and came across their PN (Pro Neo) line of cabinets. It seems they have a "PN-410HLF" which is a 4x10" cab with neodymium magnet speakers, which weighs in at 64lbs. and (they say) handles 850 watts. (not bad...)
Ampeg: Pro Neo Series - PN-410HLF

And they have a "PN-115HLF" consisting of a 1x15" neodymium speaker, handles 575 watts, and weighs just 59lbs.
Ampeg: Pro Neo Series - PN-115HLF

I've been out of circulation for a while, so I'm not sure where these are made or of what quality/caliber they are, but it looks good on paper.

Has anyone plugged in or purchased one of these cabinets? Any good/bad reviews, etc?


WP