Gallien Krueger Official Club, Pt 6

[KJung]

Originally Posted by scottfeldstein

Hm. Starting to wonder why I might care whether an amp does or doesn't have a tube-based preamp stage. Probably make things a lot easier just to get a VT Bass pedal and step on it when I wanted that tubey sound. Which was kind of my strategy all along with my MB500.

+1 all the way. 'Distortion and tube grind' is a very 'personal thing', and very few players that I know who dig the grind are 'happy' with the single, particular overdrive tone of any given hybrid. I guess that is why there are a ZILLION overdrive pedals, all of which sound different.

I LOVE the VT pedal in front of a reasonably neutral solid state amp like the Markbass LMIII/II, which is reasonably even, and has a nice clean 'warm' inherent tone, seems to be the favorite 'tone platform' for the VT on TB, since you can go from a sort of 'channel strip clean but warm' tone (like a tube mic preamp) with the LMII/III, and then go to a classic Ampeg sort of grind and growl with the VT. I would assume the MB500 would work well also if your 'clean tone goals' are more modern and you dig that bit of 'goosed' voicing up top and down low with the GK MB heads.

[johnpbass]

This is all great stuff guys, thanks for all the info. I'm really digging the GK tone these days, courtesy of my MB200. I'm looking for something with a bit more power so I'm trying to decide whether to go with the MB500 or MB Fusion heads.

[kleinenenten]

Personally, I don't want tubes either. I prefer the cleaner sound of a solid state amp, and if/when I want to add some dirt, there are plenty of pedals to choose from. It's easier to add dirt than take it away, so I'll always go for a pretty clean sounding amp.

[Chef]

The MBFusion, and Fusion 550 really are clean sounding amps.
Cleaner than the RB series.

[scottfeldstein]

Originally Posted by KJung

the Aguilar TH500 (with no tubes) sounds more 'hybrid like' than many hybrids!

This is a really interesting and educational discussion for me, thanks guys.

This particular comment makes me wonder. The Tone Hammer solid state overdrive circuitry is available as a standalone pedal product. The benefits of going this route seem enormous.

1. By splitting your overdrive from your power amp both are easier to swap out and upgrade

2. By putting your overdrive on your pedal board you are free to use someone else's amp--or no amp at all--and still sound the way you want to sound.

3. Not all amp-based overdrive circuitry can be invoked by a footswitch. Pedals always can. Therefore, you can switch the overdrive on and off for different songs, no problem.

It sounds like what some of you guys are saying, though, is that using the built-in overdrive circuitry on the amp has a very subtle but important effect on your tone well short of discernible breakup. I had not considered this. I suppose in that instance it might make more sense to have that built in.

[Chef]

fwiw; I didn't like the TH pedal any more than any other solid state anything, in terms of OD. I sent it right back.

[scottfeldstein]

Without getting too far off topic... my inclination is to avoid the built-in OD (tube or not) on amps, for the reasons I cited above. However... could be I'm not going to get the same quality because I'd almost certainly go tube-less on the floor. (Not ponying up for an EBS Valve Drive or a tube-based DI or anything.)

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by scottfeldstein

Without getting too far off topic... my inclination is to avoid the built-in OD (tube or not) on amps, for the reasons I cited above. However... could be I'm not going to get the same quality because I'd almost certainly go tube-less on the floor. (Not ponying up for an EBS Valve Drive or a tube-based DI or anything.)

I say it depends on what tone you're going for, and if pedal based, the pedals themselves.

Built-in OD can sound great, but like Kjung said, it's a very personal thing. I love OD, but I don't particularly like the OD that comes out of my Streamliner. It's sounds okay for certain things, but it's not my flavor at all.

If you're just looking a nice GK growl, the RB series heads are where it's at. The lower wattage models can get it a little easier, since most people don't play at the volume it takes a 1001 RB-II to get growly.

The pedals that actually have tubes in them more than likely do not actually benefit from the tubes, and some of the pedals that don't have a tube (Darkglass for example) sound very tube like. There are definitely inexpensive pedals out there that sound great as well.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by scottfeldstein

This is a really interesting and educational discussion for me, thanks guys.

This particular comment makes me wonder. The Tone Hammer solid state overdrive circuitry is available as a standalone pedal product. The benefits of going this route seem enormous.

1. By splitting your overdrive from your power amp both are easier to swap out and upgrade

2. By putting your overdrive on your pedal board you are free to use someone else's amp--or no amp at all--and still sound the way you want to sound.

3. Not all amp-based overdrive circuitry can be invoked by a footswitch. Pedals always can. Therefore, you can switch the overdrive on and off for different songs, no problem.

It sounds like what some of you guys are saying, though, is that using the built-in overdrive circuitry on the amp has a very subtle but important effect on your tone well short of discernible breakup. I had not considered this. I suppose in that instance it might make more sense to have that built in.

Per Chef's comment, no single 'overdrive' pedal is going to make all people happy. SO many different versions of 'drive', from snarling to grindy to growly to trebly buzz saw, etc., etc. Aguilar has their own take, which is more 'dark and creamy and fat' versus the brighter, upper mid grind (to my ear) of the Ampeg type thing modeled by the VT. And, everything in-between.

For those that switch back and forth between a bit of grit and/or grind (i.e., upper or lower midrange warmth/distortion), it seems the best way to go is to get a head that delivers the best clean tone you desire, and then go pedal shopping. That way, you have your basic tone set with the amp, and as you point out, can switch in and out your overdrive tone, and send it right to the board if the unit has a DI, like the upper level VT pedal or the Aguilar pedal.

IMO there. Of course, if you are a 'crank an SVT guy', well, I get that too!

[ksandvik]

Originally Posted by KJung

Per Chef's comment, no single 'overdrive' pedal is going to make all people happy. SO many different versions of 'drive', from snarling to grindy to growly to trebly buzz saw, etc., etc. Aguilar has their own take, which is more 'dark and creamy and fat' versus the brighter, upper mid grind (to my ear) of the Ampeg type thing modeled by the VT. And, everything in-between.

For those that switch back and forth between a bit of grit and/or grind (i.e., upper or lower midrange warmth/distortion), it seems the best way to go is to get a head that delivers the best clean tone you desire, and then go pedal shopping. That way, you have your basic tone set with the amp, and as you point out, can switch in and out your overdrive tone, and send it right to the board if the unit has a DI, like the upper level VT pedal or the Aguilar pedal.

IMO there. Of course, if you are a 'crank an SVT guy', well, I get that too!

I usually like pedals but there's something magical about having one cable into the amp and that's it. You get a punchy sound and you don't need to worry about all kinds of latency, noise level, signal degradations et rest. Hence I like an amp with a lot of flexibility rather than tons of pedals.

[Tunaman]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

I usually like pedals but there's something magical about having one cable into the amp and that's it. You get a punchy sound and you don't need to worry about all kinds of latency, noise level, signal degradations et rest. Hence I like an amp with a lot of flexibility rather than tons of pedals.

+1 boom

[KJung]

Originally Posted by ksandvik

I usually like pedals but there's something magical about having one cable into the amp and that's it. You get a punchy sound and you don't need to worry about all kinds of latency, noise level, signal degradations et rest. Hence I like an amp with a lot of flexibility rather than tons of pedals.

Personally, I'm with you on that. Until I got my Sonic Turbo Tuner with true bypass, I never, ever put anything between my bass and amp other than a cable

I never, ever touch a knob on stage after sound check, and get all my tonal variation from hand position and technique (although to be fair, my tone is my tone, and other moving from deeper bass to more burpy with hand position, I pretty much use the same basic tone on ever tune).

There are many, though, who like a lot of variation in their tone, and if one of those variations is full-out grind and distortion, a pedal is probably the best way to 'punch that in and out of your tone' and also send it to the board without having the stage EQ mess up the send to the board.

Lots of different ways to skin this cat though.

[Chef]

This is me, with two exceptions (tho none at the amp):
I do mess with blend
I do add some active bass at the instrument sometimes when I bias to the bridge pup.

that's about it though.

Playing a passive P-bass, neither of these would apply

Originally Posted by KJung

I never, ever touch a knob on stage after sound check, and get all my tonal variation from hand position and technique (although to be fair, my tone is my tone, and other moving from deeper bass to more burpy with hand position, I pretty much use the same basic tone on ever tune).



Lots of different ways to skin this cat though.

[scottfeldstein]

Originally Posted by KJung

For those that switch back and forth between a bit of grit and/or grind (i.e., upper or lower midrange warmth/distortion), it seems the best way to go is to get a head that delivers the best clean tone you desire, and then go pedal shopping. That way, you have your basic tone set with the amp, and as you point out, can switch in and out your overdrive tone, and send it right to the board if the unit has a DI, like the upper level VT pedal or the Aguilar pedal.

Yeah, this is what I'm talking about.

Also, I don't like to mess with the knobs on my bass, either. It makes my compressor freak out if I crank the mid knob, for example. Suddenly my signal is too hot for the input on the comp. So I try to just leave everything.

I used to be one of those keep-it-simple guys. Once, my rig consisted of a slave amp, a 31-band EQ racked above it...the end. Never even considered getting a commercial amp, let alone an effect pedal. But I'm going in a different direction now. I want to make a variety of interesting sounds.

[ChuckTrucks]

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[scottfeldstein]

What model is that? An MB112 combo?

[ChuckTrucks]

deleted

[sumgruuvz]

may i have a number please?

[TK4261]

Originally Posted by sumgruuvz

may i have a number please?

Very Cool!
Please do tell how you like the sound?
I ordered the 410 Neo yesterday and I'll be waiting for the MB800 fusion to come out to complete my rig

[sumgruuvz]

Originally Posted by TK4261

Very Cool!
Please do tell how you like the sound?
I ordered the 410 Neo yesterday and I'll be waiting for the MB800 fusion to come out to complete my rig

indeed. it's been in the ups truck and outside on my porch all day so i'll wait until tomorrow to plug it in and give her a ride. it's going to be hard. congrats on the purchase! ive played one before and loved the sound. i'll give an update in the next day or two.