"Underground" bass amps.
 

I have recently come to find that there are quite a few amp manufacturers such as Electric Amps and Wizard Amps (Electric Wizard anyone?) that you really wouldn't find if you just shopped at GC and the like.

What are some other amp manufacturers that aren't well known/advertised? Brands that you have to look for to find. I'm going to be investing a significant amount of money into a head setup and I'm not the type of person to just head to GC and grab an Ampeg. I like having gear that not a lot of people have... unique tone AND I think it just looks cool.

I like good amps that sound good. I don't like bad amps that sound bad. I could care less what the name plate says, or where it came from.

Dunwich... http://dunwichamps.com/

Not sure how "unknown" Reeves is, but those are killer as well.

Class A Electronics are/were the people who made electric amps. Dozens of small outfits like that. Dunwich are the one in the US I recommend since I've seen his work and it is top notch, there are a lot of bodgers going for thethe 'boutique' market.

I've owned dozens of high end amps and I now only gig/rehearse with a Jule Monique preamp into a cheap poweramp.

Best sounding amp I have ever played, period.

VERY obscure outside of Talkbass, but lots of info on Monique here.

Chances of seeing another bassist playing one in your area (or any area!) would be super rare. I know lots of local bass players, and none of them have a clue what a Monique is.

Also, they look super cool.

I will echo this. :)

Probably not anymore, but Walter Woods was definitely underground a long time ago.

Underground amp.:D

http://www.brunoamps.com/underground30.html

I meant his amps, not HIM! :hiding:

Hi.

I have very little experience about the sons work outside the guitar amp our guitarist sometimes uses, but more about his dads work from the 70's.
Unfortunately the vintage one I have has been neglected for years (by me :() and is in a dire need of re-capping.
One of these days... ;).

http://www.monsteramps.fi/site/?lan=3

Regards
Sam

I tried to be different for years. I tried so hard to make some pretty obscure stuff sound like an svt. I bought an svt and realized why everyone uses them.

Having said that, I gig with my streamliner 900. Not unusual here on tb, but in the real world most of the engineers I work weekly with have never seen one before and LOVE it. They kill and I suspect you might be the only one around with one.

I don't see Sarno Music Solutions getting much attention here. His Classic Tube Pre with a good power amp is a great sounding rig in the tradition of the Alembic pres. He's a great guy to work with because he understands good tone (he's not only a gigging musician but an excellent mastering engineer) and can come up with great mods to his designs to achieve your tonal goals.

http://www.sarnomusicsolutions.com

Not sure if this qualifies. However, even though most have heard of Matamps, it's rare to actually see one live. How about Earth Sound Research amps? My old one was pretty much a Fender clone and had that cool tuck and roll covering.

My guitar player in high school had an Earth Sound amp. It was huge, heavy and sounded pretty nice.

Alessandro.

Good one !!

http://www.jaguaramplification.com/amps.html

The Model 200 for Bass, at the bottom, is really under the radar, and deserves more attention; very much on par with Reeves, etc.

From the gutshot on the website, wiring looks to be about Marshall standard, pretty far behind Reeves I've seen.

Care to elaborate on what the differences in wiring between this "Marshall standard" wiring and that of a Reeves
may be?

Thanks.

At $3k for a head I can see why they're underground. :)