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Creating old school sound from new light gear

T

tubster

Feb 5, 2003
471
46
77
Southwest Spain
#1
I want to put a new amp rig together but to get an "old school sound". No clicking, poppin', slappin' requirements at all!

The catch is I want to use new, light, amp and cabs. IS this doable? If so, how?

I am using G&L L 1000 and P bass playing old RnB and Classic Rock. As for history, fave setups over the years - Orange 120 and simms watts 2x12, Dynacord 15" combo, Marshall 50 and Fane 1x15" -round with plenty of bottom.

Thanks a lot for your ideas.
 
#4
I have a buddy who plays a G&L bass. He uses an Eden head (I forget the model, but it's pretty small and he carries is in an Eden padded bag - no road case required) and a Bagend 15 coax speaker cab, and gets a really nice, round tone that I would call old school. And the whole rig is small, relatively light, and compact.
 
#5
passive KSD jazz with flats using both pickups into eden wt-xxx set flat except 2 clicks back on the treble knob and one click up at 160hz into wizzy mline = ultracool old school and neither heavy nor large.

the regular wizzy is a featherweight and oozes oldschool charm, but imo lacked a little too much in the bottom. maybe i didnt play enough with it (loaner). I have a suspicion that one of each would be perfect.
 
#7
+1 to the above comments.... the Mesa Walkabout is very tubey/old school sounding, and very small and light.

That into a Wizzy or a Schroeder 1212L (both are 4ohm standard) would get very warm and old school sounding IMO.
 
#8
How light are you talking about? The best 60's/70's sound I got was from a ThunderFunk(15 lbs)and Bag End 15(44 lbs). A Bergantino EX112 works real well also with the ThunderFunk. A Wizzy may give you sound you want, but maybe not the volume. My experience with them is they give out pretty quick.
 
#9
Ale said:
The Markbass little mark has a Vintage loudspeaker filter , that combiend with an old P makes a killer vintage tone.
Click to expand...


+1

also i have heard the Berg 112s described as old school, but i havnt tried them myself

i also think that the EA gear sounds like a good bet for your tonal descriptions, i used to get lessons from a guy who loved that Jamerson tone and used an iamp800 and a pair of NL-210s and was very close to nailing that "modern-old skool" tone


Dave
 
#14
KJung said:
+1 to the above comments.... the Mesa Walkabout is very tubey/old school sounding, and very small and light.

That into a Wizzy or a Schroeder 1212L (both are 4ohm standard) would get very warm and old school sounding IMO.
Click to expand...

+2

I used to gig with a Walkabout and a Schroeder 1212R. I would turn down the tweeter on the cab, run the gain on the amp at about 2:00, and play a P w/ flats when I wanted what I consider an "old school" tone. It did a pretty good job and was a small and relatively light rig. It didn't quite have the tone that I've heard from old 15" cabs, but it was quite "thumpy". The Walkabout would add a bit of grindy mild distortion to your tone when your had the gain knob passed 2:00. That really helped make things get warm and fuzzy, and what I consider "old school".

I was happy with that rig untill I joined a much larger band and needed more power. I switched to a GK1001RB head, which is much louder and sounds quite different than the Walkabout.

I've never played through a 1212L, but if it sounds anything like the 1212R it would be a good choice to pair with the Walkabout.
 
#17
Wow - thanks so many ideas in double quick time.

Surprised at the general consensus:

1. Walkabout/ Scout (loud enough and 4 ohm?)
2. Bag -End 15 (want to try!!!!)
3. Little Mark (tried this and liked it but not their cab)
4. Eden (have an 800 but too big and does not get the tone IMO)
5. EA Whizzy (not tried but had a Cxl 112 which did not do it)
6. Ampeg Combos (can you add an extension?)
7. Bergs - great but spendy

Forgot to mention - would like it modular if possible. I am gonna try and audition all the suggestions. Thanks alot

BTW - all the old stuff I used was in the UK - hence weirdo Simms Watt and Fanes!

Great suggestions
 

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