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A Good problem, i think

P

pseudo7

May 6, 2007
60
0
#1
So i bought a 4-string flea bass (i won't go tooo much into it but - nice!​)

I am using it with a peavey 115 tnt amp, this is a combo and is 150watts.
It has some random speaker prootection on it turning off and on, perversly has no effect on sound or limiting.

Anyway sinse i start playing it loud with friends it isn't as loud anymore with a flea bass. and once i get passed half way volume the tone starts turning bad. Headroom - do i need more, will that make it sound better.

I'm know i'm gonna have to gget a new bass but i would like to know whats is wrong with mine so i can better justify it to myself.

I have a feeling that the unit cannot handle the amount of bass coming from it, the amp seems like a stupid unit for bassists who are 16 and don't want a small 50 watt amp.


Has anybody else found that one of there amps got worse the better the bass or am i just mad?
 
#3
Most likely what is happening is that your new bass being active must have an higher output. (the signal coming from the bass is stronger) and that result in overdriving your preamp at a lower volume than your old bass.

You know it is kind of weird to play a 2000$ bass into a cheap peavey TNT. Your bass sound will always be as good as your amplifier. So in your situation I think that you could buy a 10000$ bass and it would still sound soso. From my experience playing a ''cheaper'' bass through a very good amplifier will always sound better than playing a high money bass through a cheap amp.

Look at all these bass players, myself included who play fenders worth a grand or less through good amps. yet we still get an awesome sound :D
 
#4
Good suggestion about checking your battery.

But you wouldn't be the first person to suddenly notice the need of more
upgrading after buying one new Item, or because of playing with a loud band.

For now, you might try lowering your bass knob settings (and boosting mids) on
your bass and/or amp, when playing with a loud band.
 
#5
What everyone else said: check the battery in your active bass' preamp to make sure its fresh (a weak battery can lead to a dismal farty tone or just zero output altogether) and if your amp doesn't have an active input or a -db pad for active basses, turn down the EQ on your bass. Boost the mids on your amp, because the mids are what give you presence in the mix.

A hot active bass is often too much for a smallish practice-oriented amp to handle.

You don't need a new bass. Your bass is awesome. It's more bass than a lot of us have. You DO however need a new amp. A bigger amp with more headroom. Preferably a head and a cabinet so you can expand your rig as you grow. Remember, bass needs more power to reproduce low frequencies effectively. That's why a guitar player can be really loud with a 100 watt amp, but 100 watts is a practice amp for bass. Typically, the bassist should have 4 times the power of the guitarist to be heard. More if you have a loud drummer.

A cheap SX will sound great through a Mesa/Boogie stack but a boutique Fodera will probably not sound so great through a Crate practice amp.
 
#6
Hey... don't knock the peavey gear too much. My tnt 130 can kick it pretty good. Saw one played at a gig (might have been a 115) and it was cutting fine.

These things are a clear step above something like a crate practice amp. (I've had a bx80) Peavey is just giving you a real deal honest rating on the watts, IMO

I'm even toying with the idea of unloading my eden combo and making do with the TNT...

I agree with pulling out some of the low bass, since that's what works the amp the hardest, and your sound isn't necessarily there.
 
#7
Battery: When i first got the bass i got the last one in stock from musicians friend and when i got back to england i plugged it in and nothing happen, it came with a dead battery (for the preamp - the pickup battery was fine).

amp: my amp has a dB padding thing and it is on, i have tried ajusting bass and mids on the amp to not much avail it still goes red and stops amplifying at halfway. A new amp is definately need but i go to uni soon so can't jusify buying one to use for 2 months.

Choice of bass: I would have bought a stingray or fender jazz as this new bass is my second (i take the theory of buy the best because i know i'll buy it at a later date and so this way i save money). I live in england and bought it from usa on a good exchange rate so it cost the same as buying a stingray here.


Thanks alot guys the rule of thumb: have 4x power of guitar etc. Particulally helpful.
 
#10
This thread is getting more into the electronics section of things, but the preamp in my old Flea bass was designed to run at either 9v or 18v and came wired for 9v. I imagine that this one has a similar unit, if not the same one.

In any case, I'm going to agree with the overdriven preamp stage theory. But while nobody here can accurately diagnose your issue without being there, an easy test would be to take the new $2000 bass over to the nearest purveyor of bass guitar amplification and spending an afternoon playing through all of the stuff. You'd know right away if it's the amp's fault or the bass's fault.
 
#11
i wish i could but unlike america, shops with nice amps aren't all that common especially where i live in england.

Seriously flea basses don't have active pickups?
I thought all soapbar style pickups were active?


sorry for the talk about pickups - after this no more on pickups
 

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