I may have posted awhile back about my trials and tribulations of finding a portable rig for the Rush tribute band I play with.
I have always been an Ampeg tube guy - I own a '67 B-15N, and a B-25B with matching 2x15. I first tried the B-15R, but it was (ahem) not very good. Then I made the B-25B with the 2x15 my rig for awhile, but as you can probably tell, it was a tad bit underpowered (the B-25B is only about 60 watts; try that over a drummer who is emulating Neil Peart!) and HEAVY to schlep. Not optimal.
Being a 15" speaker and tube guy, I got the Mesa Walkabout Scout 1x15" combo last summer and it's been my live rig since. It has the power, but I'm always fiddling with it - I just can't get that immediate sound like I can from my Ampegs.
So I have been on the amp quest again, but I don't want to break the bank. I want to keep the Mesa 1x15", as it's a good and lightweight 15". If the Walkabout head works out still, great.
I was considering trying out one of the Bergantino IP112s, but I know a 12" just quite isn't my sound. (I had an Ampeg SB-12 back in the day) I e-mailed them, and they wouldn't even make a one off 115, so I scrapped that idea totally. Nice amp, nice weight, a bit costly, and it does sound good - just not quite my sound.
Well, fast forward to last week. I ordered the Yamaha BBT500H from Musicians Friend, thinking it may work as the reviews I read were decent. Plus at$399, it's not a bad risk and if it didn't work, I could send it back. On its own, no it didn't quite work as it was too sterile, but I could get a more immediate sound. Then I had a somewhat brilliant idea - why not use the B-25B as a preamp, and then the Yammy as a power amp and have it set to flat?
I tried it and boom - there was my sound, just amplified louder. I'm going to give it a go the next two rehearsals, but if all works well, the Walkabout head is going to be sold.
I have always been an Ampeg tube guy - I own a '67 B-15N, and a B-25B with matching 2x15. I first tried the B-15R, but it was (ahem) not very good. Then I made the B-25B with the 2x15 my rig for awhile, but as you can probably tell, it was a tad bit underpowered (the B-25B is only about 60 watts; try that over a drummer who is emulating Neil Peart!) and HEAVY to schlep. Not optimal.
Being a 15" speaker and tube guy, I got the Mesa Walkabout Scout 1x15" combo last summer and it's been my live rig since. It has the power, but I'm always fiddling with it - I just can't get that immediate sound like I can from my Ampegs.
So I have been on the amp quest again, but I don't want to break the bank. I want to keep the Mesa 1x15", as it's a good and lightweight 15". If the Walkabout head works out still, great.
I was considering trying out one of the Bergantino IP112s, but I know a 12" just quite isn't my sound. (I had an Ampeg SB-12 back in the day) I e-mailed them, and they wouldn't even make a one off 115, so I scrapped that idea totally. Nice amp, nice weight, a bit costly, and it does sound good - just not quite my sound.
Well, fast forward to last week. I ordered the Yamaha BBT500H from Musicians Friend, thinking it may work as the reviews I read were decent. Plus at$399, it's not a bad risk and if it didn't work, I could send it back. On its own, no it didn't quite work as it was too sterile, but I could get a more immediate sound. Then I had a somewhat brilliant idea - why not use the B-25B as a preamp, and then the Yammy as a power amp and have it set to flat?
I tried it and boom - there was my sound, just amplified louder. I'm going to give it a go the next two rehearsals, but if all works well, the Walkabout head is going to be sold.
