tubes and the upright???

farmerdude · #1 07-12-2001, 01:42 PM

I have tried a few amps and preamps with tubes and have not had any luck so far with any of them for the upright bass. I have tried...ADA mb-1 pre amp (muddy), Hartke 3500 (below average in full solid state mode, muddy on tube pre amp side), Mesa Boogie all tube Bass Buster (no usable tone) and finally...David Eden WT 400 w/all tube preamp (no usable tone) While I'm not necessarily looking for a tube amp for upright, I am curious if any of you have had the same problem. It seems that no matter what solid state amp they throw at me I can get a pretty good sound with my K&K bass max and foot pedal eq. Not so with the tubes.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #2 08-06-2001, 08:32 AM

I don't ever need to carry that much gear to my gigs (jazz), but my SWR Baby Blue II amp has a tube preamp section that I like very much...at this point I only use it when I have to double on BG, but it handles both applications well.

With tubes it's always a question of coloration, and what kind of coloration you want. With DB, it seems that most folks don't want any coloration at all (in the ideal sense), and solid state seems to be an easier way to achieve that.

JAS · #3 08-06-2001, 11:46 AM

I recently bought a Roland DB-500 bass amplifier. I was looking for something that was pretty portable and something that i could use with both my fender bass and my string bass. This amplifier sounds great. It is digital so despite its size you can be as loud as you need to be in most situations. It has a nob where you can chose from solid state, tube, or tube drive. Because of the digital technology, this amp has the ability to create sounds that both a tube amp and a solid state amp can make. Even with my underwood pickup, which usually sounds very trebly and electric, this amp makes a very natural sound. It is a great amplifier. This amplifier sounds exactly like my bass being played totally acoustic - only i can be as loud as i need to be. The tube setting sounds great in some rooms and in others the solid state sounds better. It cost me $600 new.

Deman669 · #4 09-16-2001, 08:06 PM

If anyone's interested, I'm selling my DB-500 ...upgrading to a bigger rig. email @
sconners@Albertson.edu

I'll let it go for a great price...