Post your stereo bass rigs!

[marantz10]

Definition of stereo rig: running two channels out of your bass (be it a Rickenbacker or any stereo bass) to achieve a difference in tone.

My rig is as follows:

Basses:

Rickenbacker 4003 (with vintage cap tone knob pulled out 100% of the time)
Fender Jazz Bass wired for stereo (with 70's spacing between pickups)

Post pickup rig:

Bridge channel:
Line 6 XDS-95 Wireless ->
Boss Bass Chorus (for select songs) ->
Boss Stereo volume pedal ->
Ampeg SVP Preamp with distorted highs and mids ->
Rackmount mixer

Neck channel:
Line 6 XDS-95 Wireless ->
Boss Stereo volume pedal (mentioned above) ->
Behringer BDI21 preamp with a tad bit of boosted bass with absolutely no distortion ->
Rackmount mixer

After both channels have been fed to the mixer, there is a blended signal then sent via DI to the house system and an identical signal sent to my Crown XTI2000 poweramp mono-bridge which then powers my Ampeg SVT-810E

Overall, the overall size of this stereo rig is comparable to a normal mono rig, just a little extra wiring and an extra preamp. Naturally, this rig sounds like gold to my ears.

===

With that said, post your stereo bass rigs! (and even pictures!)

[mikeddd]

Don't want to be nitpicky, but what you're doing is biamping, not stereo. Stereo would imply discreet right and left channels. Billly Sheehan runs the same way you do, but uses different cabs for the low/clean and high/dirty split. Sorry...had to say something.

[BassmanPaul]

A STEREO rig will have each pickup on the bass fed to a two channel pre-amp each channel feeding a power amp channel driving separate speaker cabinets.

[marantz10]

Originally Posted by mikeddd

Don't want to be nitpicky, but what you're doing is biamping, not stereo. Stereo would imply discreet right and left channels. Billly Sheehan runs the same way you do, but uses different cabs for the low/clean and high/dirty split. Sorry...had to say something.

From what I've read, biamping is running two separate amps from a split signal. I'm running one amp and applying effects in a stereo-sense to individual pickups before mixing the signals together.

Originally Posted by BassmanPaul

A STEREO rig will have each pickup on the bass fed to a two channel pre-amp each channel feeding a power amp channel driving separate speaker cabinets.

Yes, in the most authentic case. My rig may not meet that exact definition, but I would toss my rig under a "stereo-like" since in the end it's all mixed together to a mono-PA system or mixed together into one channel in a recording.

[marantz10]

I was looking for other people to post their rigs that have a stereo split from the bass and see what they were doing with effects and amps.

[DBCrocky]

I would consider a mono bass into stereo effects into two amps and cabs a stereo bass rig...but I guess you can take the term "stereo bass rig" two ways:

1) A bass rig that is stereo

2) A rig for a stereo bass

[Bob C]

True, the OP's rig isn't stereo by definition (even though it is by HIS definition).

It's not biamp either. It's 2 in and 1 out.

[mikeddd]

Though he is running a final mixed output (1 speaker cab) he IS running each pickup into a separate preamp channel. But the final output is technically not biamp, I guess, due to not having discrete output paths for each channel, i.e. 2 cabs. So it's a semi-biamp setup. The original signal is biamped then "mixed down" into a single output. Ergo semi-biamp. I just invented that phrase, BTW.

[IntrepidCellist]

In this thread:

A bunch of hairsplitters

[marantz10]

Originally Posted by IntrepidCellist

In this thread:

A bunch of hairsplitters

Yes, completely agreed. I'd rather see other people's rigs being posted than trying to classify my rig as ______ vs. _______

I'm running stereo effects via the individual pickups and I'd rather leave it as "questionably stereo" and move on.

[jungleheat]

It's not even "questionably" stereo. It's a split signal rig, and nothing more, using a "stereo" bass, which is a misnomer, because Ric O Sound is not really "stereo", but rather a way to split the signal in a way more in line with biamping (which it doesn't sound like it's really that either, since you apparently mix both signals to mono into one cab anyway).

Which is not to say it's not a cool setup, I'm sure it sounds pretty good.

Anyway, I don't have a stereo rig right now, but I do eventually want one. Possibly a biamped/stereo rig with 3 cabs, 2 for left and right mids and highs (2 2x10s), and then one for the lows (probably a 2x15 or 1x18). That way I can run stereo effects on the high end (stereo phaser sounds amazing on bass, for instance), and get a nice full sound out of the low end.

[Bob C]

"Biamping" typically refers to the use of a crossover to allow splitting the signal into low and high paths.

By the way, marantz10, I didn't know you could use both inputs and still bridge output.

[christw]

Well, I'll throw in...

Bass into 1001RB-II clean into GB 610 XB2 and also into JTM-60 with bass cut and in mild to deep OD. Similar idea as you and Sheehan except without the stereo output from the bass. For me it was just clean lows and distorted highs unless I used my Ric.

[marantz10]

Originally Posted by jungleheat

It's not even "questionably" stereo. It's a split signal rig, and nothing more, using a "stereo" bass, which is a misnomer, because Ric O Sound is not really "stereo", but rather a way to split the signal in a way more in line with biamping (which it doesn't sound like it's really that either, since you apparently mix both signals to mono into one cab anyway).

Which is not to say it's not a cool setup, I'm sure it sounds pretty good.

Anyway, I don't have a stereo rig right now, but I do eventually want one. Possibly a biamped/stereo rig with 3 cabs, 2 for left and right mids and highs (2 2x10s), and then one for the lows (probably a 2x15 or 1x18). That way I can run stereo effects on the high end (stereo phaser sounds amazing on bass, for instance), and get a nice full sound out of the low end.

The Ric O Sound device is simply a Y-cable that allows you to plug two mono guitar cables into the stereo jack on the Rickenbacker. Rickenbacker simply sold this $100+ device as a way to rip people off. I use a stereo 1/4" to two mono 1/4" splitter from Guitar Center that cost probably 10 bucks. Point being is Rickenbackers are true stereo--nothing else is clouding the view on that.

Originally Posted by Bob C

"Biamping" typically refers to the use of a crossover to allow splitting the signal into low and high paths.

By the way, marantz10, I didn't know you could use both inputs and still bridge output.

That power amp has so many features it's ridiculous. I was reading thru the manual and it basically said that the bridge-mono mode was setup to "mono sum" the two input channels together first.

Which if anybody wants to really get specific about this "he's not really stereo" nonsense:

I could easily turn off the bridge-mono mode. Hook up channel one's output to the upper 4x10 of my cabinet and hook up the lower 4x10 of my cabinet to channel 2's output of my power amp and voila! ... stereo all the way. I'm a cable away from being able to do that. Would I want to? NO. Because I'd have all bass frequencies going to a single 4x10 instead of going to the whole 8x10.

[sickest beast]

booya

[Jeff Scott]

To the OP: Do you have a 10B?

[marantz10]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

To the OP: Do you have a 10B?

Do you meant the GT-10B by Boss? Nope, although I see how it has parallel effects channels that can be blended. There are a few pedals that have distortion that can be blended although I've never been a fan because I wanted true tube distortion from my SVP preamp.

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by marantz10

Do you meant the GT-10B by Boss? Nope...

No, I mean a Marantz 10B.

http://www.classic-audio.com/marantz/0010b.html

[marantz10]

Originally Posted by Jeff Scott

No, I mean a Marantz 10B.

Legendary Audio Classics: Marantz Model 10b Tuner

Nah

Forgive me TB'ers who don't care to see off-topic stuff, but I do own:

Marantz SR7500 (modern surround sound receiver)
Marantz 2230 (vintage receiver)
Marantz DV7600 (high end DVD player)

Now back on topic

[ulynch]

Originally Posted by mikeddd

Don't want to be nitpicky, but what you're doing is biamping, not stereo. Stereo would imply discreet right and left channels. Billly Sheehan runs the same way you do, but uses different cabs for the low/clean and high/dirty split. Sorry...had to say something.

Setting aside the semantic issues, I'm interested in seeing pics and reading details of split-signal rigs, be they left-right, crossed over, one or two amps, one or two cabs, line splitter at the front and a mixer at the tail, whatever! It's fascinating how many solutions people find to get "that sound". I want to get clued in to the variations, just so I know what's possible.

Thanks!