|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Recommended By
|
Average Price
|
Average Rating
|
|
100% of reviewers
|
$1,194.56
|
9.6
|
|
|
|
|
|
Description:
|
Used to be the Sunn 300t
The Bassman 300 PRO captures the ALL TUBE vibe and mixes it up with modern features. Six 6550 power tubes deliver a world tour ready 300 watts (into 2, 4, or 8 Ohms) guaranteed to move some serious air!
Pre-amp Specs:
• Two 12AX7 preamp tubes
• Two channels (clean and dirty with Blend)
• 10-band graphic EQ with On/Off switch
• Low and High frequency boost switches
• Mid-Notch switch (great for slap-style playing)
• Line Out switch (for selecting pre or post EQ)
• Two band Compressor with EQ balance and Gain trim
• FX Loop
• Power Amp Pass-Through output jack (for chaining multiple units together)
• Balanced XLR and 1/4” output jacks (post EQ & Effects Loop)
• Tuner Out jack with Mute switch
• Three-Function footswitch
|
|
|
|
Author
|
|
Ron K
Registered User
Registered: September 2005
|
|
Review Date: Tue January 24, 2006
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
BIG sound
|
|
Cons:
|
weight, but it's worth it
|
|
I had a eden wt400, sold it. Had a hartke 5500, sold it.This is the head I have been searching for. It is a MONSTER! You had better have a good cab to go with it. I use an eden 410 xlt and have never had it past 3. Save yourself some time,money and hassle. ENJOY
|
|
|
|
Son of Bovril
Registered User
Registered: February 2005
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Posts: 3509
|
|
Review Date: Tue February 7, 2006
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
This thing is a monster! It has the tone that you are looking for in it somewhere... give it some time to play with, it has lots of little tweeks!
|
|
Cons:
|
It weighs, and is quite deep, so can't be used easily with cabs that slope away at the top...
|
|
This thing goes obscenely loud - I didn't realize what they meant about tube power, but whoa man, it's easily as loud as a 1500 watt poweramp
Like the other guy said, you better get a good cab, because this thing will destroy lesser cabs with ease if you push the gain. stays realatively clean until you push it way loud. if you want more dirt, get an SVT.
The compression is very subtle and musical. the dirty channel is just that, and the parametric eq is very powerfull.
U can also use the compressor gain trim to add a little extra clean tone when needed instead of pushing the gain and causing more grit.
This amp has it all in one package. It's not cheap, and like I said, it weighs, so be prepared to hurt, but if tone comes first for you, then this is your ride 
------------------------------
NewtownKNifeGang .com
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
Review Date: Fri September 1, 2006
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,100.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Sounds fantastic, especially with the right tubes
|
|
Cons:
|
Heavy, Cheap original power tubes
|
|
The amp came originally equipped with
6 - Sovtek/GrooveTube/Fender 6550 WE power tubes
2 - Sovtek/GrooveTube 12AX7-WC pre amp tubes
1 - Sovtek/GrooveTube 12AX7-WC drive/phase inverter tubes
1 - GrooveTube/Fender/Chinese 12AT7 drive/phase inverter tubes
Funny to see GrooveTube and Fender stamping their logo on Sovtek or OEM chinese tubes. Looks pretty stupide to mee. Maybe I should have my own name stamped on them also...that would look cool...
Power tubes
Even if I liked very much the original sound, i thought it was becomming week and a bit sluggish.
At thetubestore.com they clame that the Sovtek 6550 is in fact a bit slugish but it's compression factor makes it excellent for Guitar amp. But I also noticed on the same site that other affordable tubes like Svetlana or SED are far more civilyzed tubes in the sense that they are more stable and better sounding.
So I decided to get a set of Svetlana 6550C tubes for my amp.
WOW, now I know what they mean when they talk about the old SVT sound. Clean, crisp, deep and powerfull. The biggest difference is in deffinition.
The difference is stunning, more bottom, buch more bottom in fact. But the big difference, is the deffinition of the sound. I let it burned in on iddle mode for 4 hours, adjusting the bias every hour.
In fact I came to realize that my old power tube were maybe no longer good anymore. Means to me that Sovtek tubes have a very short life, because I did gig twice and rehearse maybe 20 times in less than a year, and the tubes were finished.
Anyway, the new Svetlana's just shine. First of all it seems like the gain is slightly higher. Someone said that the SVT was the Cadilac or all Bass Amp. Well let me tell you that the Fender 300 feels like a Cadilac with the right tubes. The Svetlana are marely $8.00 more expansive (a pair) than the sovtek, but the difference is sound quality is stunning.
I felt like it was easier to express myself, the little details of my playing (and the little flaws) are far more proheminent. So it's far less effort to put something into it.
If you're after the 70's SVT sound, get these tubes. Now I'm sure the SED, Electro Harmonix and Tung Soil sound even better.
In one word, don't waste more time, get rid of the Sovtek Power tubes and get anything else (as long it's not RUBY or anything else made in china). Sovtek make great preamp tubes though.
Drive Tubes
When I switched power tubes I thought to replace the 12AT7 drive as well. I got some GrooveTube/Chinese tubes instead. I didn't like them in this application, too much gain and the sound was even too fat. Can you believe it...too fat. Seriously, this is just a question of taste. I will give it another shot, because I might actually like this extra fat sound, but meanwhile I ordered some Fender 12AT7. What a surprise to realize that the new Fender 12AT7 are actually Electro Harmonix tubes. I will try them. If the gain is still too high, I might replace it with Electro Harmonix 12AY7 which have slightly lower gain.
We have to consider that I did not burned in the new preamp tube, which I should have. Next time I will play a few hours before evaluating a new tube.
I didn't try switching the Sovtek 12AX7-WC in the drive/phase shifter section yet.
Preamp tubes
This one comes with Sovtek 12AX7-WC. Those work great. However I also tried Sovtek 12AX7LPS (long plate). Those are not recommanded in this kind of application because they are sensitive to vibration, but I wanted to see hou it would work in with the amp. It doesn't make much difference with the clean channel, but the distortion channel was very interesting. The distortion was much cleaner and silkier. More like a good Marshall guitard distortion. Not necessarely my cup of tea, but it might become eventually. It's still interesting to do some testing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anonymous
|
|
Review Date: Tue September 5, 2006
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Update on my previous tube review
|
|
Cons:
|
Nonw
|
|
After testing again Groove Tubes 12AT7 vs Fender/Electro Harmonix 12AT7, I realized the Groove Tubes sounds better. It just needed a few hours of operation to settle properly. The sound is as fat as it could be, but it's not slugish or blurred. In fact it sounds big and very high end. Along with the new Svetlana 6550C, I now have the best sound I ever had from this amp. And once again, I will try other tubes like SED or Tung-Sol which I assume will perform even better.
Actually, I thought the Groove Tubes 12AT7 was a chinise tube because that's what it says in the users guide. But I realized that tho original Fender one as well as the new Groove Tubes are in fact NOS JAN Philips 12AT7WC / ECC81.
One little detail though, I removed all tubes holders because the springs are badly ringing, and I put some tube dampers rubber bands around all of them. That seems to improve definition a lot as well as dramatically reduce microphonic effect. I can do that because my amp is sitting in a studio and goes out only 3 or 4 times a year.
Well I hope this will help Fender Bassman 300, SUNN 300T or SVT users. By the way, watch for the new SVT-VR, which is supposed to be a real 70's reissue. I've tried it and I was VERY impressed by it. Yes it's slightly better than the Bassman 300 but it's also much more expensive. With the right selection of tube, it might sound just as good. You know the Bassman 300 (formally SUNN 300T) has been designed by the same engineer as the 70's SVT.
|
|
|
|
|
rodl2005
Registered User
Registered: June 2005
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Posts: 10542
|
|
Review Date: Mon September 18, 2006
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $2,500.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
TONE, VOLUME, tonal options!!!!
|
|
Cons:
|
weight-but U know it's gonna be heavy
|
|
 LOVE this BABY!!!! I won't list the options , tubes etc except to say that mine came with 6 svetlana 6550 power tubes- haven't looked at the pre/driver tubes yet!
The 2 channels & being able to blend the 2 is FAN-bl@@dy-TASTIC!!!!!! The tonal options & EQ on this beast are great & too many to list. I bought this after having tube amps all my life, then trying some s.s. amps & hybrids-ended up buying Ampeg(tone) B2R, then SVT3PRO, but found I was missing the ALL TUBE tone & the Fender was BY FAR the most versatile & best $$$ too!!!!! Thought about SVT-CL/VR = too $$$!! Marshall VBA400 = good but not as versatile!
The vocalists I work with ALL noted that when I had my S.S. power amps, that the volume of the bass was too loud-even tho the ppl in the audience didn't think so! When I went back to ALL TUBE they ALL said that while the stage volume seemed to be lower(or less annoying to them) while the audience said it was louder & more punchy & warmer & fatter & nicer & better.........................
A great amp, one of the BEST kept secrets in the bass amp world!!!!!!!!
BTW I was helped in my purchase of this by "son of bovril" & his glowing reports of this amp, as I live in an area where I had to order B4 trying, but boy was I HAPPY Thanx again Bov.
------------------------------
BONZA#32,Ampeg#34,EBMM#106,P-bass#581,Alleva-Coppolo, Rickenbacker Club #450, Bergantino#32, BIG cabs club#16, Black'n Maple #459
|
|
|
|
|
scotch
I play bass so others don't have to!
Registered: November 2006
Location: Nashville, TN USA
Posts: 5011
|
|
Review Date: Sat January 6, 2007
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Tone, Features, Power
|
|
Cons:
|
Weight, No cooling fan
|
|
***I am a Fender endorser and I did recieve this amp free of charge*** with that said here are my honest comments on this amp:
I am a big fan of the classic 70's blue line Svt's. I was amazed, when I played through the Fender 300, how similiar the tone & power were to the SVT - but with all these extra features!
There are two channels available, with the 2nd grittier channel able to be blended with the first. With the footswitch, it makes it really easy to go from creamy tube tone to grindy preamp overdrive in a flash. The split high/low frequency compressors are subtle, yet very useable. Best of all, the 300's power section is massive! I still have no idea how people use more than one - 300 watt tube amp live.
There is plenty of EQ available with the graphic, but I find that the simple High & Low shelving does the trick most of the time.
The Fender 300 isn't light! I travel with mine in a substantial road case w/ wheels - but it's a real headache for the backline tech! I've toured extensively with the amp (in a tour bus w/ trailer situation) for the last 3-4 years and it has held up well w/ one exception. A power tube actually burnt out at one point, so I simply replaced the tube, re-biased & kept on truckin'. It turned out that the bad tube had actually scorched some other hidden components that failed about a year later. After a good tech went over the amp, I installed a fan on the rear grille; which I STRONGLY recommend to anyone who owns one. Since the modification, the amp runs much cooler & the power tubes are lasting a lot longer. (I am still amazed at how long the amp kept running after the initial damage!)
If you love classic SVT tone & are interested in the extras', then the Fender 300 is a great candidate for your rig. Just be sure to install a fan & use a cabinet or cabinet's that can handle this beast!
------------------------------
http://www.justinoscarcary.com/
Sixpence None The Richer, member since 1998
My Artist page at D'Addario.com
Crazy Aces! '60's psycho-surf-rock instrumentals
|
|
|
|
|
thedude77md
Registered User
Registered: February 2007
Location: Bel Air, MD 21014
Posts: 966
|
|
Review Date: Sun March 25, 2007
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,250.00
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Tone, tone, tone! Tons of it.
|
|
Cons:
|
Weight!!! No speakon outs
|
|
This is the best head I have ever played through, bar none. Another reviewer said it best- its like an SVT with extras. They are all useful though the compressor did take me a while to get used to.
The best thing about this monster of an amp is the blendable channels. My god this thing can go from dirty roar to a warm clean.
I've played about 30 gigs or so with this head and I've never had a problem. Its had beer spilled all over it, been bumped around a bit.... nothing major but its a tank!!!
There are a couple of downsides, primarily being the weight. Its somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 lbs... too bad I don't have a roadie! Also, the knobs aren't so easy to see and the eq is a b*tch to tweak on a dark stage.
Those are my only qualms keeping me from rating this amp a 10. I love it and would take it over an SVT any day.
|
|
|
|
|
bassermaniac
Registered User
Registered: June 2007
Posts: 189
|
|
Review Date: Sat September 22, 2007
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $2,100.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Tone,Power,Warm sound,Good looking
|
|
Cons:
|
Weight,too deep,no speakon outputs
|
|
First of all i have to say that i trusted previous reviews on this product and it is just like this.
This amp should be one of the best ever made!
Amazing sound and plenty of volume that can ruin any cab you have!!I have an SVT-215 and every time i push the volume at 3 (out of 10) it is begging for mercy.So you better combine it with an SVT-810 or two of them!It is that powerful.
Another positive is the fact that you can change the sound any time you want.The EQ is fantastic...
You can't get a bad sound out of this amp.Just give it some time to warm it's tubes and it will blow you away.
Before i bought it, i tested the SVT-4 pro and it was nothing compared to the 300 pro.
Give it a try and you'll see what this monster is capable for.
Last but not least is the classic good looking and the excellent quality it has.Very good construction.
As regards the SVT-CL/VR i haven't tried them so any comparison would be wrong.The only thing i know is that 300 pro is an excellent amp despite it's weight, it's price(2100 euros) it's huge size and the fact that doesn't have speakon ouputs.
Well, overall an amazing amp.
|
|
|
|
|
TripleXL
Registered User
Registered: August 2008
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Posts: 10
|
|
Review Date: Sun August 24, 2008
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Superb Tone, simple controls, 2 channel blending
|
|
Cons:
|
weight and size
|
|
The amp was about 2 years old when I bought it but it had apparently been gigged only rarely and had been stored and transported in a flight case so it could have easily have been passed off as new. New price for this in NZ is around NZ$3300 so to get mine for $2500 with the flight case was a good buy.
I've only ever used solid state amps in the past and the tone from this just blows them all into the weeds. The great thing is that controlling it can be as simple or as complicated as you like - at the easy end, stay on channel 1 and you have a simple bass and treble control. From there it's over to you if you want to tweak things by engaging the EQ, on-board compressor or start blending the second channel. Some of this takes a bit of getting used to, but it's worth it - I just love the ability to add just a hint of the dirt from channel two, but then revert back to a lovely clean sound again at the press of the footswitch.
I bought a new cab to use with this amp - an SWR Henry 8x8- it's a killer combination and it's has transformed my sound. Stuff that used to sound muffled is was cleaner and punchier.
There is a downside - as everyone else has commented this amp is a heavy beast - about 80lbs (closer to 90 in the flight case) so it's a two man carry to take it any distance, but the inconvenience is a small price to pay for the killer sound. As I swap basses on stage it would be nice if the tuner/mute button could be footswitchable and speakon outputs would also be good but these are all minor.
|
|
|
|
|
nicfargo
Registered User
Registered: May 2008
Location: Lincoln, NE
Posts: 545
|
|
Review Date: Wed November 25, 2009
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Tonal Capabilties, Modern Features, All-tube
|
|
Cons:
|
No Speakon jack, heavy (to be expected)
|
|
I got this amp in a trade along with a Squier VM Precision Bass TB. I traded an Ampeg SVT 4Pro with roadcase and Furman for it.
This amp is amazing. The tonal capabilities are pretty much infinite. The compression takes a little getting used to, but once you learn how it works (there's a lot of tonal shaping options) it's pretty sweet.
The thing is loud...I mean really loud. I thought my SVT 4Pro was loud...nope, I was wrong. This thing blow that away. It also doesn't have to get as dirty of a sound to get loud like my 4Pro did.
It's heavy, but that's expected. I'm running this through an SVT810...it will pretty much eat that cab up if I let it...so make sure you have the cabs to let this thing go wild. I think I could add another 810 and it would still want more.
The only problem I had was finding a fuse when one of mine blew in the power tube section. It's a real small fuse, and no one around my area had one (ACE Hardware, Radio Shack, Auto Parts Store). Even my music store didn't have any  I finally found one at a random electronics store (think contractor) that is now out of business.
|
|
|
|
|
Thumpking
Registered User
Registered: September 2010
Posts: 144
|
|
Review Date: Mon December 6, 2010
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Tone for days Baby! Nice EQ, compressor is good
|
|
Cons:
|
Weight, but expected. Too wide for most current cabs. Fits perfect on the Fender Pro or Ampeg 8x10 at 26"
|
|
I played a 1980 MTI error Ampeg 300W SVT for years. Although I adored the tone of it, at 96lbs and $400-500.00 to retube, I parted with it. I bought a 1980 Bassman, and have a GK 1000RB-II for a backup. I needed a serious head for bigger shows. I did a lot of research on these amps and it came down to this one and the Traynor YBA200-2. I had read the Traynor was on the trebley side and did not have the headroom when pushed, so I went with this one.
Wow, it is like flashing back to my SVT, but lighter and nowhere near the noise. It is sooooo quiet! It came with Groove Tube 6550's, which will be swapped out in the near future, but still sounds great. Evn at low volume, it maintains lows for days, which most amps will not do. I am still tweaking it and learning the in's and out's, but so far, it will rattle the enamal off of your teeth while maintaining clear tone. I would rather have too much power than not enough, and my 78 Bassman works in small situations.
I am glad I got this amp. Yeah, it is heavy, but if you need headroom and love tube tone, 75lbs is worth it.
|
|
|
|
|
Thumpking
Registered User
Registered: September 2010
Posts: 144
|
|
Review Date: Thu December 23, 2010
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Headroom for days. Great flexability with tone. Nice features, bit just eye candy
|
|
Cons:
|
Weight, or course. Flexable handles on sides, whcih makes carrying a bit awkward
|
|
I bought this head used from GC in Birmingham AL. The condition is pretty much flawless. I had sold my 1981 MTI era SVT 300 (with great sadness), and was looking to replace it with a lighter, more modern head with less tubes with the same amount of power. I looked at the Orange AD-200B, The Ashdown 427, and the newer SVT CL and Heritage. I have a 78 Fender Bassman 100 and I had read good things about this head. I was worried that it would not have the same classic tube grind of the Ampeg.
Luckily, I was WRONG.
This amp can do SVT and more. It takes some time to get the controls working to get there, but once you play with it, there is not much this head cannot do. Effects loop, (which I may never use), tuner out, XLR direct out, 10 band graphic EQ with high, low, and mid shift boost switches, high and low parametric, and compressor. It has 2 channels that you can use separately, or mix together with the footswitch or by button on the face.
Normally, I would look at a built in compressor and laugh it off. In this case, it adds to the tone without sacrificing attack or tone. I have used DBX and Joe Meek compression on my SS heads, but never really felt the need to with tube bass heads. (The signal is compressed a bit with the valves). But this one actually has value. It has a low and high control, and a mix and gain.
Now the weight. This is a concern of any bassist who uses their amps to gig with, and it is legitimate. This amp weighs 75lbs, compared to my 96lb Ampeg, so it is already 20 lbs lighter. It also has 10 tubes instead of 13, so less $$ when it comes to retube time. I may put some Svetlana tubes in it instead of the Groove tubes, but that will be down the line.
So far I love it. I am playing through an Ampeg 810 and will probably go with the Fender 2x15. I play grove rock and the old vintage sound is what I love.
UPDATE: I bought an older Genz Benz 215B cabinet to replace the Ampeg 810e cabinet I was using. HOLY MOLY! I was told this amp cries for a 2x15 cabinet and that could not have been more right! This sound is better than my old 1981 Ampeg SVT 300W hard and 810e cabinet, and I thought nothing could get any better than that. If you have this head, or thinking about buying it, make sure you have a 2x15 bainet for it. (Maybe 2 1x15's as well).
|
|
|
|
|
silvertripper
Registered User
Registered: March 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 561
|
|
Review Date: Mon April 25, 2011
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
Pros:
|
Compressor, EQ, Endless Tone Possibilities,
|
|
Cons:
|
80lbs but thats the price you pay for tone, Im good with it.
|
|
(First of all... the die hard Ampegers wont like this comment but this head will crush a SVT in power, tone, and features.... any day of the week!)
Coming from Solid State amps for the past 15 years never thought I would go All Tube. I ran a GK1001RB... or a hybrid SVT3PRO (tube pre)... in front I have a Sansamp. My tone was really nice but I found myself searching for that warm milky smooth tone I always had in my mind that I could never achieve with solid state. Not to say I had a bad tone it was quite to opposite I had a great tone, but just lacked that warm flavor.
So after trying out dozens of amps over the course of 2 months I nearly settled with a Mesa M9. Then I made up my mind I wasnt going to settle for anything less than the "Perfect" tone... IMO of course. After reading reviews and comments on the Bassman 300 Pro I made the leap of faith and ordered one in.... never played it in my life. It came in last week and I must say it is Heaven in a Box. This is by far the best amp Ive played through compared to Ampeg Cassic, Mesa 400+, M9, GK, GB, MB, and many others. I am blown away. I run the head through a SVT810E cab, using a Fender MIA Jazz, and a Valenti VMJ4.
Tone: The tone possibilities are to die for. I can dial in the Ampeg SVT tone, as well as the Mesa M9 tone, I can lean it out to a GK 1001RB tone as well... I can also throw in the 2nd channel and have all out over drive. I can go from Rock, to Jazz, to Funk, and anyting else I can imagine.
Price: I purchased mine used and for the price I could have any other Tube Head out there, the price was right in line with the other popular all tubers like the Ampeg Classic, and the Mesa 400+.
Features: The are 2 Channels a clean and a dirty with a blend to the clean channel and footswitchable. There is a Bass and Treble dial. Graphic EQ that is Foot switchable. Compressor with a Low and High dial to compress either the lows or the highs respectfully, tone, and compressor gain. All this is footswitchable. There are too many features to list. 8-4-2 ohm switch. Simple to self bias on your own and instructions in the manual.
Overall I am extremely pleased with this head. It is so clean, warm, it blossoms on the lows, and the highs can be glassy if you want them to be. I can run 2 810 cabs if I want to demolish a small village, or I can run a small 210 cab if I wanted to. This is more than likely the last head I will own. If something ever happens to this head, I'll buy another just like it. I highly recommend this head to anyone with a wide range of music influences.. Rock, Jazz, Funk, R&B, anything sounds good with this head.
------------------------------
SPECTOR® Club #300
AMPEG® Club #788
Valenti VMJ4 #097
Dont be a cow... blaze your own path!
|
|
|
|
|
stajki
Registered User
Registered: March 2012
|
|
Review Date: Mon March 26, 2012
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $1,000.00
| Rating: 10
|
|
this is my first amp and its gonna be a last, i think that there is nothig to compare with it.
the only thing that i dont like is the size...
|
|
|
|
|
the Arsonaut
Registered User
Registered: August 2012
Posts: 325
|
|
Review Date: Mon August 27, 2012
|
Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 9
|
|
Pros:
|
Tubes. Bias control on back, not inside chassis. Good 1-2ch pres/blend
|
|
Cons:
|
lo/hi EQ are set @ 40hz/6khz...1/4" spkr outs only...lil things
|
|
After a few years, it would be easy to tear this amp down...the lo/hi EQ tone setting, ditto lo/hi compression (400hz is the SET crossover). Some would even say compression on a tube amp...why?
Graphic EQ, is good, unless you'd prefer a parametric style mid. Graphic EQ makes me feel like I'm using safety scissors.
Contour buttons: the Deep is reasonable, the Bright is not pissy, and mid scoop is for guitarists...but it's here, too.
The channel 1 tube pre is a good start. Channel 2 tube pre, with gain & volume is better. AND there's a blend for 1&2? That's excellent.
One input, with a buffer switch. If you're fine with that, then you're gonna love it.
The box/chassis has an odd feel to it. Boxy. a lil awkward picking it up by myself, and I am not a not a lil boy, or fatass (my mom says, I'm husky!). The ideal chassis design should feel, at most, like you are craddling a supermodel.
At 75lbs, the weight is not a Con, when you saddle this up to other 300w tube amps (which are not using toroidal transformers) It's 15-25lb LESS than the others.
If you're bitching that it's heavier than a mark bass, then go sit on a mark bass already.
Effects loop is nice, though, might have been good to have it on the front plate, as a lot of models are doing. Pre/post DI is a noticeable difference, onstage and in the studio. True story.
Output could have used a Neutrik NLJ2 style (combo speakon/1/4"phono) to accomodate both kinds of bass player (old/new).
8/4/2 ohm switch is good. Internal switching could have worked, too.
How does it sound?
Damn good, whether you're running 18s, or a box full of 10s, you can dial in a good working sound. This amp is dynamic enough to get a good tone with any cab I've thrown at it, or seen in action. SVTs can sound a lil flat, or nebulous, in comparison, when laying them on 2x15s, or 18 & 10s.
You can dial this amp down, keeping that squishy, tube compression...with the onboard compression in its stead.
Dial in the Compressor gain, for an extra stage of 'clean' gain.
Overall:
There are some funky factors that Fender could have added to this series at any time. They could have toned down the profile of the box, itself.
Added a 2nd input, or the speakon-1/4" jacks.
3 or 4 (or 5) band EQ (maybe parametric mids) in lieu of the graphic eq.
I mean, it's the same interface as the solidstate Fender 1200s.
And yet, the out of the box sound is very good.
It's not all encompassing...If you wanted SVT sound, get an SVT. If you want Fat tube sound, this does it very well, and can get an approximation of later day SVT sound, to boot.
------------------------------
a man a plan a bass an amp
...no seriously, you're going to get hurt
|
|
|
|
|
|
Page: 1 · 2 |
 |
Powered by: Reviewpost vB3 Enhanced
Copyright 2010 All Enthusiast, Inc.
|
TalkBass Forums
