Reeves Tube Bass Amp Field Test

Well, I have a few gigs under my belt with the Reeves bass amp prototype and as promised in this previous post;
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352029&highlight=reeves
I am posting my observations.

I used a Sunn 215S cabinet loaded with Electrovoice EVM15L’s and passive basses (Fender MIA Jazz w/ S1 switching and a Ric 4003), mostly to get a comparison to the tube amp setup I usually run (Sunn 200S or 2000S) for a baseline for comparison that I’m very familiar with.
The first thing I notice is the difference that was obvious in initial testing; this Reeves is strong, real strong. My 2000S’s are powerful amps, but this Reeves is in a different class. As I said initially, it feels like it has an extra pair of KT88’s in it. I think Reeves is going to market it as the Reeves Custom 225, but I believe 225 watts is still conservative. The headroom is astounding. One of the gigs I used it for was an outside venue, I was sure that it would be a great test of the amp’s reserve power. Even with no PA assist (and many scowls from my bandmates), to get it to break up I had to roll back the master volume to 10 o’clock before any significant grind was apparent. By comparison at similar SPL’s a healthy Sunn 2000S is getting very “Pappalardi”. Cool, but very old school raging bass tone. The Reeves at the same SPL levels, but with the master wide open, is still clean Hiwattish, very clear and tight bottom with more than ample of headroom in reserve. I would say to emulate the overdrive response characteristics and overall SPL of a cranked up 2000S, the Reeves master volume would be at 9 or 10 o’clock, less than half of its potential. In my book, that’s a strong amp!
I think though, the best feature of the Reeves is its controllability at practically any level. With most big vintage tube amps, to find the “sweet spot” you need to open them up, get them cooking a little bit, to utilize the warmth or grind characteristics that is likely the reason to choose an all tube amp in the first place. With the Reeves, by using the master volume, preamp volume(s) and presence controls you can dial in just about anything you want at any level, showing a versatility usually not found in a vintage point to point hand wired circuit.
Another notable characteristic is the Reeves’s touch sensitivity to input attack, something that is usually found on high end boutique guitar amps. This is an attribute the Reeves shares with the Sunns, and one of the reasons I became so enamored of the big Sunn amps initially. With a passive bass, normal finger style can be clean and rich, but when you lean into it or pop strings the amp will snarl back in response. The harder you hit it, the more growl it serves up, without turning up the input volume or the volume on the bass. Kind of cool and something solid state amps don’t seem to do so much.
The Reeves prototype is pretty much in its final configuration, and as a concession to the 21st century has a DI as well as a 15db input pad switch for active basses, but I used neither. My goal was to wring it out “old school” to get a feel for the overall tone, balance and power of the amp. I don’t know if it’s for everyone, but it certainly fits for me.
I don’t know when the production models will be released, or the final price point, but I do know the production chassis and cabinets are in house at Reeves, so it won’t be long.

It's pretty heavy. Huge tube headroom generally equals huge "iron". Also the Reeves uses heavier gauge steel for the chassis than the current Hiwatt amps. They take their build quality very seriously, pretty much overkill on all structural, component and wiring features. I've been carting it around as a naked chassis, kind of a pain, literally!
Maybe 60 lbs or so, give or take.
But... as another concession to this century, unlike the unwieldy DR201 Hiwatt that it's modeled after, the production Reeves will be in a 24" wide box. Much easier to cart around than the bulkier DR201, and it also "fits" on most modern bass speaker cabinets better.

I'll be spending some quality time at home this weekend with the new Reeves, my plan is to use a 1 X D140F cab and really put the preamp stage through it's paces with the master volume way down. I have great expectations for my 4003 with the bridge p/u throught the bright channel and the neck p/u through the normal channel or vise versa, kinda psuedo stereo. I haven't really had the chance to play with it in a "non gig" setting.
I'll post the results.
Also Reeves has dropped the price to $2299, but only as an intro price to get them out in circulation. That almost a grand less than the best deal I've found on a new Hiwatt DR201 (I love my vintage gear but I've had my share of old tube amp failures/repair costs, I like warranties!), and I like the Reeves features and bigger headroom so I guess it's time for me to get out the check book, I don't figure they will get any less expensive as the word gets out!