old tube head, tube poweramp and killer cab that rocks

[analogrowl]

Hello everyone,

I'm the bass player of a french "black rock" band (in the sense that our music can flow from loud and slow doom metal from speed syncoped rock). It's hard to describe anyway because this ain't that classical.

Maybe that could help to give you ideas if i cite some "influences" like shellac, big black, unsane, trans am, messugah, sunn o))), melvins, jesus lizard, orange clockwork soundtrack, john carpenter music work...ok you know the field now.

We are one drummer, one guitar and one bass (i sometimes switch to some analog synth).

I'm using DIY fuzz pedals most of the time, having a crunch sound with the rusty box and a fuzz sound that growl with a moded DIY zvex wooly mamooth clone. Actually my bass is a warwick thumb bolt-on 6-string with two barts humbuckeer pickups using ghs string and using a plectrum close to the bridge.

I'm using an ampeg svt pro 3 made in us with an ampeg cab 4x10". The sound is quite already more than ok but i just need more. I need a blowing tone, especially because we are only three in the band and sometimes my guitar player goes in high making noisy stuff.

So i'm looking around and around to see which rig could help me out to blow the soundstage to hell (im not that experienced with head and cabs) and i'm wondering what could help me.

I do prefer small company our boutique stuff made in the us, i'm lurking on the monolith loudpseakers cab which looks promising and about the bass head i'd maybe look on some vintage classic tube head (like old SVT from the 70, or SUNN 300T, saw more recently the MEAT SMOKE from verellen and i'm all confusing).

Same about the cab, what would i need in order to shake the stage and put it on fire that could suit the ampeg HLF 410 cab ? 1"15 or 2"15 ? or a fridge ?

We also looked at the possibility of using a bass tube pream with a guitar (like marshall el34 100/100) poweramp but i'm not sure that would be a good choice.

I'm sorry that post is long and confused but i'm sure that some guys with experience could help me a lot. We plan to be on stage in 2012 and we really focuss on having a "big sound" that's blowing.

Thanks for your time and peace.

[Mr. Foxen]

Do you think a big lift is a bonus, or a downside? Modern cabs like Barefaced can make a lot out of a relatively low powered valve head and be an easy lift. for amp I have to say Matamp, big broad clean valve sound, that takes pedals really well, and retains definition. The also take detuning well at high power, lots of older stuff doesn't (which is where you get that clanky sound in metal as they have to cut through high instead of low).

Basically, don't be taken in by the fancy oldschool built cabs offering tons of various speakers, because you can do better, if you want something to look nice on stage, get a prettier singer, or put coloured beads in your doom-beard.

The guitar poweramp thing isn't a great plan, they don't do lows, something like the Mesa Strategy will sort you though.

I like running a bass and guitar rig at the same time, eq out the bass from the guitar side and mid scoop the bass side, means I fill in a lot of the rhythm guitar type area, and keep solid bottom end.

[analogrowl]

Originally Posted by Mr. Foxen

Do you think a big lift is a bonus, or a downside? Modern cabs like Barefaced can make a lot out of a relatively low powered valve head and be an easy lift. for amp I have to say Matamp, big broad clean valve sound, that takes pedals really well, and retains definition. The also take detuning well at high power, lots of older stuff doesn't (which is where you get that clanky sound in metal as they have to cut through high instead of low).

Basically, don't be taken in by the fancy oldschool built cabs offering tons of various speakers, because you can do better, if you want something to look nice on stage, get a prettier singer, or put coloured beads in your doom-beard.

The guitar poweramp thing isn't a great plan, they don't do lows, something like the Mesa Strategy will sort you though.

I like running a bass and guitar rig at the same time, eq out the bass from the guitar side and mid scoop the bass side, means I fill in a lot of the rhythm guitar type area, and keep solid bottom end.

Yeah i do agree about the weight problem especially that the guitarist has some back troubles. However we don't have any plan to look pretty on stage, we don't have a singer, our music is just instrumental, that's also a reason why it need to be such intense and blowing, but i get your idea and find it funny .

About the guitar and bass rig that was quite the idea, i didn't expressed myself well, sorry for that. So one bass preamp, with one pass poweramp and one guitar poweramp and matching cab with some eq tweaking could do the tricks ?

[Mr. Foxen]

Better off using a full guitar head, tends to be a lot cheaper than separates, as you want that to be set up for guitar tone, and not push lows into a guitar cabinet. Basically, make up a bass rig set up for lows (Barefaced Dubster, Aguilar GS cabs as examples of good for lows, lacking in highs sorta cabs) and a guitar rig. Basically, if you aim for sorta bass rig of the dub/reggae sorta guys, where top doesn't matter, and get your highs from the guitar side, you can cover a broad range and make a really big sound. Here is my setup, although I've changed the bass part to a more powerful but near identical looking bass head:

[analogrowl]

omfg the dubster looks ****ing nasty

[Mr. Foxen]

That isn't a Dubster in my pic, it is the Super 15, bit more useful standalone. But a Dubster in vintage styling looks about the same.

[analogrowl]

I was saying that after looked at the barefaced website. Thanks for the tip on those cab didn't knew taht ones and quite impressed by the specs

[alexorn]

MEAT SMOKEEE!

[sammyfallen]

another Killer rig option would be the old Acoustic 370 + 301 rig. I am not a fan of modern solid state gear but love the classics. I've yet to play a rig with more oomph than the Acoustic 371.