Had a great Ampeg experience this weekend... Shocked.

Rebop · #1 04-26-2011, 01:16 AM

This weekend I played a show in Las Vegas and the provided backline was some no-name standup bass strung with 100% gut strings into an SVT 4 pro head with an Ampeg 4x10 of some sort. Not long ago I said my "heart sinks a little every time" I have to use an Ampeg rig that's provided. After about 10-15 seconds of knob twiddling I had a great sound with everything I would want. Felt great.
Maybe I was already prepared for something good as two days prior, I was at the Guitar Center in Vegas (at the Town Square Mall I think it was called). I saw a Mini VR. Having never seen one in person, I was floored at how small and "toyish" it looked. I grabbed a few basses down and tried it out... WOW! This little thing cooks! I even cranked it up a bit and the sound just got better (gain and master at 12:00 was awesome for its size). The sound of the used MM Stingray fretless with Flats they have there was a phenomenal combo as was the little kids size bass they had there. I can't believe how naive I was about Ampeg gear.

As an aside, got to hear my first Markbass 15" combo in action. Little sucker sounded amazing, however, after talking with the bass player a little about it, says he burns out tweeters like mad. He really dials in the click for slap pretty prominently, though.

JimmyM · #2 04-26-2011, 02:24 AM

ya, i have a micro vr. sweet but fearsome little rig. ampeg's been on a roll lately. their new products over the last couple years have really been great.

Epitaph04 · #3 04-26-2011, 02:27 AM

You're just on top of these Ampeg threads eh Jimmy?

JimmyM · #4 04-26-2011, 02:34 AM

not always...i've missed a couple.

Alex1984 · #5 04-26-2011, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

not always...i've missed a couple.

You're too modest. I see you in almost all of them, even the "who does not like the SVT thread"!

::::BASSIST:::: · #6 04-26-2011, 10:08 AM

^Nothing wrong with that. Jimmy likes his ampeg. I at least read, often post, in all the fEARful threads because that's my bag.

DanNowhere · #7 04-26-2011, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebop

I was floored at how small and "toyish" it looked.

I played another gig with my Micro VR this weekend, and had yet another soundman pronounce it "cute". I recently replaced this band's bass player, and this soundman works with them pretty regularly, but was my first gig with him on sound. After soundcheck he told me how much he dug the sound, and how much easier it was to set stage levels because I wasn't louder than everything else on stage. It wasn't a cute toy anymore.

marklaforest · #8 04-26-2011, 10:50 AM

I have a great ampeg experience every time I plug one in!

SteveL54 · #9 04-26-2011, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alex1984

You're too modest. I see you in almost all of them, even the "who does not like the SVT thread"!

Nah. He just like to see his name in print. A lot.

Old Fart · #10 04-26-2011, 01:17 PM

Put down the bong.

I'm kidding. I've always loved Ampeg amps. If a guy prefers a more trebly, metallic sort of tone, then I can understand why Ampegs are not ideal for that. I prefer the deeper sort of tone, and Ampeg does the trick. Always has. I've been drooling on SVT's for forty years.

TheCush · #11 04-26-2011, 01:35 PM

I had a similar (but reversed) experience about a month ago where I provided my SVT-CL to a four band lineup fundraiser gig. Scared me but i really depend on the amp tone with my upright in that group ('billy slapping music). And I'm confident in that rig (with 410hlf) that any bass player would be happy to play through it.

I was right - I posted elsewhere that it was quite a nice experience to hear three other bassists through my rig listening as an audience member, different styles of music, different basses, etc. It totally renewed my love of Ampeg gear (my first rig back in the late 70's was an SVT). Not that I fell out of love, more like "rekindled passion".