Guitar through a bass rig! No, I'm not kidding

[Pdrizzle]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

Since you say you're only pushing mids and highs through the guitar side of things...if you ditch one of the guitar cabs, using four 15's for bass with pretty much any head would more than likely do the job.

If you want something with more headroom, how about grabbing a pre/power amp setup? You can get a lightweight power amp that puts out serious wattage for not a lot of money. Then just add the preamp of your choice...

+1

I've had a lot if success with a kustom 10w pre ripped out of a practice combo hardlined into a qsc 150w stereo pa power amp. Frankensteins are cool monsters.

[will33]

Originally Posted by jostraco

Here's the thing though, it already does work, I've learned how to make it work long ago, and everything already sounds awesome. I've been playing this type of setup for quite a while now. Like I said before, I basically just need more headroom than the b4r can give me, so what I'm looking for is purely opinions on amps that may sound somewhat similar to a b4r, but with more headroom; and what people think about the amps I listed.

B1,2,4 etc. aren't known for being exactly the cream of the crop in Ampeg amps, but you are messing with what, somewhere 500-1000 watts there?

Yes, there are better amps out there but no slouch do you have. I'm just trying to say work your rig. New amps are cool, and I'm not saying you don't need one, but are you sure you've exploited your current rig to its fullest? That's a lot of horsepower you have there, I don't understand how you couldn't get something big and huge out of it.

I also don't know much about Stoner/Doom or whatever, but I do know what way loud and over the top is.

[jostraco]

The tone is super huge, it's just the b4r peaks a whole lot while playing because I have it cranked. I am just looking for an amp that will provide me the sick tone, and have enough headroom to keep up with the jmp. The b4r provides the tone, just not the power

[klyph]

Wow. I gigged a B4R for years and never lacked for headroom. But I was running either 4-8 ohm or 2-4ohm cabs. What is the impedance of the 4x15? Which preset are you using? Is the Limit Defeat button pushed in? Which input are you using? Are you running this bridged?

Mine has only been replaced by a Shuttlemax 12 due to space and back constraints. I still have it, still think it's a nice sounding amp.

[jostraco]

The 4x15 is 8 ohms. The limit defeat is pushed in, and I am not running it bridged

[klyph]

I don't think this amp does much at 8ohms total unless it is bridged, but I don't have the manual in front of me to know for sure if it will do any more than 4 ohms in bridge mode. I seem to remember that it will- something like 640 watts bridged into 8 vs. 205 watts using it in "normal" mode into8 ohms. Remember, I got plenty of headroom plugging FOUR 8ohm 15inch speakers into this amp. I also wonder if it would be possible to rewire your cabinet to present a lower impedance.

[change-jug]

Botch is fvcking awesome!

OK,now that I`ve got that out of my system let me say that I think the Fender 300Pro is a pretty solid choice. I have one and the thing is great! I think the first run of them mite have had some issues but with the newer ones Fender worked out the bugs.
It`s a really versatile amp. It has a nice EQ section that can be turned on/off if you just need the simple bass/high knobs. It has a on board compressor and a overdrive channel that can be blended with your clean tone. All of this can be controlled with a foot switch. It`s heavy and big but it sounds great and it`s loud as hell. You can buy them used for $800-1000.
Hope that helps!

[bassgod0dmw]

Originally Posted by Pdrizzle

+1

I've had a lot if success with a kustom 10w pre ripped out of a practice combo hardlined into a qsc 150w stereo pa power amp

By "serious" wattage, I meant like 2000w or more.

Originally Posted by jostraco

The tone is super huge, it's just the b4r peaks a whole lot while playing because I have it cranked. I am just looking for an amp that will provide me the sick tone, and have enough headroom to keep up with the jmp. The b4r provides the tone, just not the power

Here the thing, you're pushing 6X12's with that JMP. Just for the sake of giving it a shot, next time you play, drop the 2X12 cab and only use 4X12's and 4X15's.

If you love the tone of the B4R, why not help it out by making the guitar side of things a little less dominating? That doesn't mean it's not going to sound good, it just means it'll be better matched. Besides, that's one less thing you need to lug to a gig.

If you try it and it still doesn't do it for you, then by all means, replace it. To answer your previous question about the Ampeg SVP-Pro, it's awesome. I prefer the SVP-CL to it personally. Either one are great though.

[jostraco]

Originally Posted by bassgod0dmw

To answer your previous question about the Ampeg SVP-Pro, it's awesome. I prefer the SVP-CL to it personally. Either one are great though.

can you elaborate a bit? what do you like more about the CL? how do the tones compare? i think im leaning towards maybe getting a power/pre setup after all.

[bassgod0dmw]

I just like the tone better, I'm not very good at explaining sound.

I initially thought that I'd use the drive on the SVP-Pro to get a nice a gritty sound, hinting on OD like tones. I wasn't really a fan of the sound I was getting from it. I was hoping for an SVT-II type of sound...similar to Mike Starr, Mike Inez, Rex Brown, etc. I'm not saying it isn't capable of getting that type of tone, just that I wasn't able to get it with the gear I was using.

The first time I plugged into my SVP-CL, the tone was just awesome. It doesn't get the same grit, but with the right bass, strings, and playing style I can get grit out of just about anything. It can be a little bit warmer and less noisy than the SVP-Pro.

With all that said, I play GK. The 800RB is my favorite amp, it just gives me my tone.

[klyph]

I don't know what your budget is, but even on the used market, an amp that pushes (minimum) 5-600w @ 8 ohms PER SIDE will be somewhat expensive. Why spend the money if you are only going to use half of the available power? So even going pre+power for the bass frequencies will most likely mean BRIDGING the power amp. The amp you are using right now will do that, and generate hellacious amounts of power (really- I've done it). You are currently using that amplifier at 1/4 of it's capacity. Why not try using the whole thing? I'm sure the manual is online somewhere. Mine, ser# 0000002 has hardwired speakon connectors as well as the older banana style bridging setup, but I know many of these have only knockouts for the speakon connectors. This means that a banana to 1/4 inch adapter (bought off the shelf for $25, made DIY much cheaper) will probably unlock what you need from this amp. If you also have installed speakons (like I do), all you need is a 4$ speakon connector to mod a speaker cable. I'm not sure why you are reluctant to do this if you "like the tone".

I used mine in a band with a guitarist who was using a Marshall half stack AND a fender twin simultaneously (to ah, "get his tone"). I used a modular rig- two Bag End s-15d's and two s-12d's. We rattled entire blocks and the amp didn't even get hot. I'm telling you, if you really like the preamp (as I do), there should be plenty of power on tap.

If you can rewire your cab to a 4 ohm load AND bridge the amp, I bet you'll have plenty of headroom.

[I IV V]

How about guitar through a guitar amp into a bass cab?

I used a Sunn 115 bass cab exclusively for my Telecaster through a Carvin X60 amp. Man, what a sound.

I IV V

[oinkbanana]

I'm doing something similar, tuned drop A (AEADGb) 2705" baritone guitar.
guitar and bass amp.
I use an Orange 120watt & SVT-VR 300watt

the VR has a wonderful open sound that brought the heaviness and crispness I wanted from a bass amp. totally beat out a SVT-2pro, SVT-Classic & mesa400+. the 400+ was a close contender but it had a bit of a blanket sound to it and it's natural overdrive wasn't exactly what I was looking for either. take into consideration that the comparisons were done using an Ampeg 810 cab.
I know you've said you're married to your 415 cab, but cab selection is important.
my Bergantino NV412 is recent and a huge upgrade! so much more low end and so much punchier! I have found 15" slow to react and i'd lose some of the important transient attack. 810 was good, but the bergantino is fabulous.

as loud and with as much low end I put out - it's no substitute for a bassist. a good bassist does more then just double the rhythm guitar.

[Tuned]

As a sound tech who has mixed many bass-less bands who think just running guitar through a bass amp gets bass, please get a subharmonic generator for the bass amp. Guitar through a bass amp with the bass cranked sounds like dogsh|t. The Peavey Kosmos M is $99, compact, and works great.

Split the signal before the amps and before any distortion, run the guitar amp as usual, on the bass side use a compressor and subharmonic. A tube bass rig is better suited but not necessary. DI the bass side to the PA and mic the guitar amp as usual.

[Duke21]

Originally Posted by oinkbanana

I'm doing something similar, tuned drop A (AEADGb) 2705" baritone guitar.
guitar and bass amp.
I use an Orange 120watt & SVT-VR 300watt

the VR has a wonderful open sound that brought the heaviness and crispness I wanted from a bass amp. totally beat out a SVT-2pro, SVT-Classic & mesa400+. the 400+ was a close contender but it had a bit of a blanket sound to it and it's natural overdrive wasn't exactly what I was looking for either. take into consideration that the comparisons were done using an Ampeg 810 cab.
I know you've said you're married to your 415 cab, but cab selection is important.
my Bergantino NV412 is recent and a huge upgrade! so much more low end and so much punchier! I have found 15" slow to react and i'd lose some of the important transient attack. 810 was good, but the bergantino is fabulous.

as loud and with as much low end I put out - it's no substitute for a bassist. a good bassist does more then just double the rhythm guitar.

Lucky man! Damn, this is hot gear!

[Shardik]

What about the Orange Tiny Terror Bass 500?

Check out this video, where they test it with guitar:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=aRAdg...dgzHDZ9M&gl=GB

Edit: This also comes in a 1000W version.

[mc_muench]

Dude come on over to the Stoner/DOOM thread...be with your kin

Sterner/DERM Bassits Pert 41: Merxing sperkers iz gerd


But really those Mosfet SS Ampegs like B2R, B4R, B5R can clip all day, the clip light really means nothing. If you like the tone and it gets the volume you seek but a light is blinking and you are worried, dont be.

DOOM OUT!

[Sartori]

Originally Posted by mc_muench

Dude come on over to the Stoner/DOOM thread...be with your kin

Sterner/DERM Bassits Pert 41: Merxing sperkers iz gerd


But really those Mosfet SS Ampegs like B2R, B4R, B5R can clip all day, the clip light really means nothing. If you like the tone and it gets the volume you seek but a light is blinking and you are worried, dont be.

DOOM OUT!

+1.

To the OP:
Go to that thread.

That's the thread with all the people who get what you're doing.

Also, as the former owner of an amp in that group of heads, I'd advise ignoring the clip light. Ampeg clip lights, if they're just blinking when you hit a note, don't mean "TURN DOWN!," they mean "you have reached the appropriate level of input gain."

Personally, if it were me, I would just get an SVT, rewire the 4x15 to switch between 8 and 2 ohms, and call it done.

[subbasshz]

FWIW ive seen black cobra use tube ampeg heads and 8x10s. . . .

Ive used bass gear with guitar a million times, the trick to doing it is to defeat tweeters.

[Sartori]

When I saw Dark Castle supporting Yob, the guitarist/vocalist used a guitar full stack plus the rig that Yob's bassist was using, which was some weird 2x15, an Ampeg 810, and a Sound City Bass 200 head. Sounded massive.