My new rig <img/>

u84six · #1 10-07-2011, 08:31 PM

Wow! After several months of testing out tons of gear and researching on forums, I can finally say that I've found my new sound! This thing sounds BEAUTIFUL!

The testing and researching was well worth it!

I have to thank TB for helping me narrow things down and pointing me in the right direction. Between testing gear and talking to some of you, I was really able to find what I wanted.

I tried a bunch of different amps and I even went the pre/poweramp route but I didn't have much luck with that. To make a long story short, I chose the TB-1200 because it has that Fender sound I've always loved, and it's very, VERY flexible! It's a little heavy, but the 34 lbs is well worth the sound I'm getting out of it. I play pop music, and this thing has that 'studio quality' sound that I need! It's deep, warm, smooth, and fat. That's what I look for!

But the best thing about this setup is the cab! OMG! This is perfect for me! Most of my life I've played through a PA, so I really like the full range of the fEARful! I have to thank Ron Anchak for building me such a great sounding cab! He's a great guy to do business with and his work is VERY high quality! I asked him to do the Fender cloth grill and boy did he deliver! I have no idea how he got that cloth so tight. The guy is a machine!

Thanks, Ron!

I also have to give many props to greenboy for designing such an amazing cab! I'm mean, this thing isn't very big, but it sounds like a flippin' wall! The best thing about it is that I can hear my bass. There's no coloration; just nicely balanced mids, highs, and lows, with that warm Fender tone. This is exactly the kind of cab I need! Pure and true!

Anyway, big gig next week. Can't WAIT!

waleross · #2 10-07-2011, 09:14 PM

I have the TB1200 runnning a Fender 215 cab. The Tb head is a great pick IMO. Venting through the front and back is something I think is better for a rack unit. It might be a little heavy but you have pleanty of power and it is still lighter than an Ampeg Svt4pro and of course the SvT Tubas..... Never played a fEARful cab but it seems to fit well................Good luck and have fun......

u84six · #3 10-07-2011, 09:30 PM

Thank you! Yes, I really love the head. It's so versatile. I can get any sound I want. Deep warm tone, grungy tube grit, to punchy pops. It has it all! But I think a lot of that is due to the fEARful cab. It's very responsive to what you put into it. No farting, nothing. Always clean, even at very high volume.

solidmaui78 · #4 10-07-2011, 11:29 PM

What is the sound like compared to say a ampeg 1x15 or swr type?
I really want to build one of these cabs! Nice cab by the way

u84six · #5 10-07-2011, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solidmaui78

What is the sound like compared to say a ampeg 1x15 or swr type?
I really want to build one of these cabs! Nice cab by the way

To my ear, Ampeg has always been too gritty for me. I love the Ampeg sound; it's just not right for my kind of music. I play pop, so I need deep, warm bass with maybe a tad of tube overdrive. It's the sound you hear in almost every pop song on the radio. With the Fender TB-1200, I get that clean studio sound. And with the fEARful, I get nothing but the bass, the preamp, and volume. I like to hear the quality of my bass.

u84six · #6 10-08-2011, 09:35 AM

Now I need to find a rack bag that's big enough to hold the head. It has to be able to hold a unit that's 15" deep.

u84six · #7 10-08-2011, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by solidmaui78

What is the sound like compared to say a ampeg 1x15 or swr type?
I really want to build one of these cabs! Nice cab by the way

Oops. I didn't really answer your question. The cab has a nice full range. Meaning, whatever I put into it, I get out, just way louder.

There's no coloration or natural EQ like you get with other cabs. It's all bass and preamp, which is exactly what I wanted.

klejst · #8 10-08-2011, 11:06 AM

Congrats on the new rig. I used to use a TB-1200 for a little bit awhile back, it was a monster and an awesome amp!

JimiLL · #9 10-08-2011, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u84six

Now I need to find a rack bag that's big enough to hold the head. It has to be able to hold a unit that's 15" deep.

Bag??

Time to get a rack for that sucka

JimmyM · #10 10-08-2011, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by u84six

To my ear, Ampeg has always been too gritty for me. I love the Ampeg sound; it's just not right for my kind of music. I play pop, so I need deep, warm bass with maybe a tad of tube overdrive. It's the sound you hear in almost every pop song on the radio. With the Fender TB-1200, I get that clean studio sound. And with the fEARful, I get nothing but the bass, the preamp, and volume. I like to hear the quality of my bass.

I never got that "gritty" thing about the Ampegs. If someone runs an Ampeg to sound gritty, it's by choice.

OTOH, looks like a pretty happening rig you put together there.

u84six · #11 10-10-2011, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I never got that "gritty" thing about the Ampegs. If someone runs an Ampeg to sound gritty, it's by choice.

OTOH, looks like a pretty happening rig you put together there.

I think it might have to do with the sealed cabs too. The only time I hear or play through an Ampeg head is when it's connected to an Ampeg cab. There's something about those sealed cabs that give it an overdriven sound. But that's just my ears. Everyone hears things differently.

And thanks, Jimmy. I'm really happy with the choice I made. Vintage Fender tone out of a fEARful cab is something that every bass player should hear. It is quite amazing!

BurningSkies · #12 10-10-2011, 07:24 PM

Looks great!

Congratulations!

u84six · #13 10-10-2011, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Looks great!

Congratulations!

And thank you for answering some of my questions!

BurningSkies · #14 10-10-2011, 07:50 PM

Glad I could put a word in, and that you ended up happy with what you've gotten.

chadds · #15 10-10-2011, 07:54 PM

chadds · #16 10-10-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

I never got that "gritty" thing about the Ampegs. If someone runs an Ampeg to sound gritty, it's by choice.

OTOH, looks like a pretty happening rig you put together there.

The B-15/B-18s no. The SVTs do sound gritty. Not a bad thing but definitely a characteristic. I was playing when they were first introduced.

jowens004 · #17 10-10-2011, 09:59 PM

Fender has to be one of the most under rated bass amps there are. Most of their stuff is trash, but the TB600/TB1200 and the Bassman 300 Pro really are good sounding amps. A bit on the expensive side, but they are definitely professional grade. I played the TB600c combo at a jam room in Austin and It really was a nice sounding amp.

Congrats on finding something you enjoy playing. Many people search for years before they find something they are happy with.

armybass · #18 10-11-2011, 07:45 AM

congrats of the new rig and nice looking bass too!

u84six · #19 10-11-2011, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jowens004

Fender has to be one of the most under rated bass amps there are. Most of their stuff is trash, but the TB600/TB1200 and the Bassman 300 Pro really are good sounding amps. A bit on the expensive side, but they are definitely professional grade. I played the TB600c combo at a jam room in Austin and It really was a nice sounding amp.

Congrats on finding something you enjoy playing. Many people search for years before they find something they are happy with.

I agree. Finding a sound you truly love is not an easy task. It took me a lot of trips to various stores and lots of researching online (several months). The fEARful was definitely the biggest gamble I took, but I'm happy I did. As for the Fender, it was all about getting the sound I've always loved rather than going with an amp I see people talking about all the time. I just went with what I know I like. It was as simple as that.

What's amazing is the Fender and fEARful together is a surprisingly good match. Think of an old Fender Bassman, only louder with more dynamic range and no coloration. So it generally sounds like a mic'd up Bassman recorded in a studio with good equalization and a little natural compression.