Clarus vs. Noisy bands

Balaclava Lewis · #1 02-28-2006, 06:25 AM

Hello friends,
Ive browsed many of the related threads but cant locate any that help me directly. So ill start a new one. hope you don't mind.

Im fairly new to the upright, just a few months old and have my eye on an AI Clarus. Problem is, the double bass only acounts for maybe 1/2 of my playing. Elsewhere i play electric bass in a seven piece, fairly punky very noisy band with an incredibly aggressive drummer. Question is, would the Clarus be up for this task? Im a poor student still trying to scrape together the cash for my own DB, so if this little box could succeed on both fronts it would save me a pretty penny.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

much and many thanks.

reedo35 · #2 02-28-2006, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balaclava Lewis

Im a poor student still trying to scrape together the cash for my own DB, so if this little box could succeed on both fronts it would save me a pretty penny.

At $699, you may find a more suitable Amp in a used GK or similar Amp. The clarus is a high-fi little box, and, IMO the sound is NOT designed for a thrash band.

christ andronis · #3 02-28-2006, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reedo35

At $699, you may find a more suitable Amp in a used GK or similar Amp. The clarus is a high-fi little box, and, IMO the sound is NOT designed for a thrash band.

+1

...nice little head...but not up to the volume needed for thrash...

Balaclava Lewis · #4 02-28-2006, 11:08 AM

Alright,
Thanks very much, thats all i need to know. Any other suggestions gladly received. thanks again.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #5 02-28-2006, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FALAFEL SINCLAIR

Im fairly new to the upright, just a few months old and have my eye on an AI Clarus. Problem is, the double bass only acounts for maybe 1/2 of my playing. Elsewhere i play electric bass in a seven piece, fairly punky very noisy band with an incredibly aggressive drummer.

That's a pretty tall order, but you might want to look at the Focus SA power amp. It's 800 watts @ 4 Ohms, and you could drive it with a pre that could produce the "grunge" tone if you wanted. Back when I used to double, I used to carry a small three space rack with an iAmp 800 (2 spaces) and a Sansamp RBI in the top space. For DB, I'd run straight into the iAmp, but for BG, the Sansamp could dial in a lot of different types of electric bass tones...and when you turned the "drive" off, it was a pretty decent DB pre as well. Not only that, but the pedal version sounds good as well. The SA and a little versatile pedal pre like that would make a killer and potent little rig with the right speakers.

Edit: Brain fart.

hdiddy · #6 02-28-2006, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

That's a pretty tall order, but you might want to look at the Focus SA power amp. It's 800 watts @ 4 Ohms, and you could drive it with a pre that could produce the "grunge" tone if you wanted.

MISS FITZGEARHEAD is also referring to the new series III Focus SA. I've got a series II Focus SA (600 Watts @ 4 Ohms) and it's plenty o' power. About the same size, and I bought it off of TB used for just around $800 - less money than a series III. I just run a Fishman Preamp in front of the SA. Works great. Actually, I'll probably avoid using the preamp for DB cuz the sound is really good going straight into the SA for me.

If you look around on TB you can find good deals on the series II Focus SA as well. I saw a couple on the plank-spankers side for about the same amount recently.

Balaclava Lewis · #7 02-28-2006, 02:12 PM

hmm...interesting. I have a lovely little Sansamp Bass Driver DI that has brought much needed new life to my electric tones, is this the sort of thing that might be up for the job?

Thanks again fellows.

sfmiller55 · #8 02-28-2006, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balaclava Lewis

hmm...interesting. I have a lovely little Sansamp Bass Driver DI that has brought much needed new life to my electric tones, is this the sort of thing that might be up for the job?

Yeah, the Sansamp would work to give you some tubey grit through the Focus, which is a great amp for upright but by itself is too clean and flat for your loud-music gig.

Assuming that most of your upright gigs are low-volume, another approach would be to take the $800 or so you'd spend for a used Focus and instead buy a used Clarus (abt $400) and use the remainder to buy another used amp that's designed for electric bass in loud rock settings (Ampeg, G-K, SWR, whatever suits your ears). If you can't swing that much money all at once, buy the other amp now and save up for the Clarus. You can run the upright through the other amp (with the Sansamp or small outboard preamp for impedence matching) in the meantime. Won't sound as good as the Clarus, but serviceable.

That's what I'd do, personally, rather than try to make a Focus sound like an SVT. Plus it gives you a backup amp in case one has to go in the shop.

hdiddy · #9 02-28-2006, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balaclava Lewis

hmm...interesting. I have a lovely little Sansamp Bass Driver DI that has brought much needed new life to my electric tones, is this the sort of thing that might be up for the job?

Yep, if I'm not mistaken, there are several TBDB'ers who use a Sansamp Bass Driver with their SA. I just happen to use the Fishman cuz I don't double and I think it's better suited for that purpose. Definitely worth investigating.

bluegreenturtle · #10 02-28-2006, 03:38 PM

Hmmm, I remember the days when I would have wet myself to have a 400 watt amp...now it's not loud enough...

Phil Smith · #11 02-28-2006, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balaclava Lewis

Hello friends,
Ive browsed many of the related threads but cant locate any that help me directly. So ill start a new one. hope you don't mind.

Im fairly new to the upright, just a few months old and have my eye on an AI Clarus. Problem is, the double bass only acounts for maybe 1/2 of my playing. Elsewhere i play electric bass in a seven piece, fairly punky very noisy band with an incredibly aggressive drummer. Question is, would the Clarus be up for this task? Im a poor student still trying to scrape together the cash for my own DB, so if this little box could succeed on both fronts it would save me a pretty penny.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

much and many thanks.

I would say it depends on the type and number of cabs that you're using. I've gigged with a rock band using a Clarus and two WM10 cabinets, hardly efficient cabs and had no problem being heard on electric. Two efficient cabs i.e. two 10's, two 12's, two 2x10's, two 15's, two 2x12's will get you heard even with a Clarus.

Balaclava Lewis · #12 03-13-2006, 06:07 AM

Hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread.
I took the advice and avoided the AI Clarus, but just now i have my eye on a decent offer on an EA iamp350. Any ideas if this may be the solution to my predicament?

again, many thanks. What would i do without this place?

Phil Smith · #13 03-13-2006, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balaclava Lewis

Hope no one minds me resurrecting this thread.
I took the advice and avoided the AI Clarus, but just now i have my eye on a decent offer on an EA iamp350. Any ideas if this may be the solution to my predicament?

again, many thanks. What would i do without this place?

Any amp and an efficient cab with at least 2 speakers or 2 single speaker cabs.