• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

all-tube amp for practice recommendations?

kcducttaper

kcducttaper

Jul 1, 2019
415
450
#1
I just run IEM's these days, so my amps are almost always exclusively for practice anymore. That said, I've had my share of different amps over the years and often find myself (surprisingly) favoring those either with tubes (Markbass Vintage D2) or those that emulate tube saturation (Aguilar Tone Hammer, Eden Nemesis). It's actually a bit surprising because for years I just didn't find any 'logical' and 'technical' explanation that actually made sense to me, but after playing for quite a number of years now, that seems to be the direction I'm drifting. Note that that doesn't mean I simply like everything with a tube. I had a Markbass Tube 800 that I almost but didn't quite get along with (wrong EQ points and the "tube" was so tiny it hardly didn't even count). I also had a Mesa WD800 that just had some lack of "thick with sparkle juice" combination that I just couldn't find in there. However, the amps and pedals (Markbass Compressore, Markbass Vintage Preamp, Sushibox Slammpegg) I find myself using the most are often either tube or "tube-adjacent" (or darkglass).

Anywhose, if I were to lean into the deep end of a full tube practice amp, which one would y'all recommend and why? I don't know a whole lot about all-tube amps, but if it matters, I play 5-strings (usually Schecter Stilettos, but also an Ibanez SR with Nordstrand Big Splits and Aguilar OBP-3 preamp) and I do like to give a decent bump in my tone around 2.5kHz while either leaving flat or rolling off the low mids to reduce mud. I like a 'limitless' deep sound while also having good clarity and 'sparkle' - BUT also without having too much string/fret noise. Difficult combo to chase, I know.

Ashdown CTM 15/30 or Little Bastard 30 strikes my fancy (although I've never owned or played an Ashdown before). What are they like?

Ampeg has the Portaflex 20/50 heads. I've owned an Ampeg combo once (BA115, I think?) and wasn't impressed with the tone (although my SVT 410HLF was fantastic!). I don't believe I've played just an Ampeg head through a cab of my choosing.

My cabs are currently a Markbass 151hr (1x15 w/tweeter) and a Markbass 102hf (2x10 w/tweeter - both 8 ohm), so I've got plenty of speaker to push BUT sending 15, 20, 30, or 50 watts through that to get full tube saturation would be way too loud for a practice rig, I would imagine, soooo, perhaps I'd also need a load box?

Curious what y'all think about an all-tube basically practice amp!
 
#2
I have been using the Fender ACB50 on gigs and it’s a really nice piece of gear.
50 watt 15” tube combo.
DC038810-0963-47BC-A141-54D5DEA1D6DC.webp
 
  • Like
Reactions: MHensleyJr, Pdaddy1978, Nebadon2000 and 3 others
#4
Personally, I find tube amps to be more fulfilling sound-wise at lower volume than solid-state. I see the bass as a three part instrument- bass, amp, speaker, and each part is contributing to the final sound adding in its own flavor like adding spices when making pumpkin pie.

I unfortunately can't recommend a specific amp as I haven't tried any of the current production gear besides the V4B and SVT (most of my amps are from when the dinosaurs roamed the earth lol). With a typical bass cab, I would find 30 watts sufficient, maybe overkill, depending on the cab. For example a 1 watt amp through a 105 db efficient horn (not commercially produced due to excessive size), a 10 watt amp through a 95db 1x10 bass cab, or a 100 watt amp through a 85db modern hifi speaker. All these combinations would produce the same volume level (not factoring in power compression on the inefficient 85db speaker). We can see the wildly different power requirements for each type of speaker to get the same volume.

I know there have been made some small 5 watt guitar heads that may be worth looking into.

As far as the attenuators I've heard some of them on guitar. At minimal attenuation they don't sound too bad, but at high levels of attenuation it starts to change how the speaker interacts with the amp, changing how it sounds.

One nice thing about using low power tube amps is the ability to use most speakers without blowing them up, and low buy-in price on some. For example, I've had some luck with a less obvious cab choice, 1960's,70's era acoustic suspension speakers. They're typically less sensitive than regular bass cabs but better suited tonewise compared to modern hifi speakers. In the pics below is a half watt amp (late night. Use) and an 8" two way cab and a 12" with a horn mid and a hf horn.

I say get a small tube amp and try a variety of cabs and see what sounds good to you. The cabs you already have will work fine or go on an adventure and find something unique!
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20260106_120423796.webp
    IMG_20260106_120423796.webp
    156.6 KB · Views: 1
  • 8320273-c7b3f142604b3fe5164c8908bda108f2.webp
    8320273-c7b3f142604b3fe5164c8908bda108f2.webp
    14.2 KB · Views: 1
  • Like
Reactions: SteveFromBerlin and gtirard
#7
I have the Ashdown Little Bastard, which is my main practice amp for home use. I can recomend it; however, there are 2 versions; one can get into dirt, the other one stays fairly clean. I have the clean version. It is rather loud for a 30 Watt amp (cab I use is a Barefaced Big Baby 2)

I also have a PF20 kicking around, which is also a good choice for bedroom playing. It is 20 Watts though and it is a more quiet amp.

And paging @Wasnex ; he has a plethora of low watt tubeamps, and he is far more eloquent than me on the subject.
 
#8
kcducttaper said:
Ashdown CTM 15/30 or Little Bastard 30 strikes my fancy (although I've never owned or played an Ashdown before). What are they like?
Click to expand...

Expensive. If you have the dough, knock yourself out. I've used one that was in a rehearsal space and it sounded OK but wasn’t mind blowing.

For a number oif years I owned a Traynor BassMate combo (15-20watts from two EL84s, 1-15”), they still show up used now and then…saw one just yesterday. Sellers these days want “vintage” prices so expect to back $500 or more. I used it for home practice, rehearsals and gigs in small rooms.

bassmate.webp


If you're into DIY, you can look at low power guitar amps and use that with any bass cab you like. I’ve done this with a couple of 5 watters in the past and I never felt I was lacking low end. For practicing I don’t need to shake the room, eh?
 
  • Heart
  • Like
Reactions: jtg and murphy
#9
If your Markbass cabs have some Kevlar drivers, I would go with an Ampeg PF 20T. To me, that would "balance" the sound as the Kevlar drivers are usually edgy/fast and the little Ampeg would "round off" the edges making it sweet sounding.

The Ampeg PF 20T is always pleasing to the ears no matter the cab and room IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pdaddy1978
#11
Low watts but capable of deep, clean bass is not the easiest feat to accomplish.

I personally tried the following:

Hughes & Kettner Bass Master. Looking like a small'ish class-D head, this thing is from the 80s and has about 5W output. It sounds decent and when you can find one, these usually are around €250.

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18: It's a guitar head, so the EQ is useless, you want to feed it with a preamp pedal - but then it's glorious. It does a great clean tube amp sound and the oversized transformers help it stay clean even when hit with a low B.

Reußenzehn The Studio Bass Amp Deluxe. I did not like the sound, it was too much focused on the upper mids. Great amp for playing blues with a P bass, but not much else. Looks cool, though.

Ampeg PF-20T: I loved the sound, but it could not stay clean with a low B and the bass knob turned up a bit. Warm and pillowy, but very little headroom.
Ampeg PF-50T: This one has enough juice to stay clean, but the EQ is different to the 20T, and it sounds more like a typical ampeg.

The one I never got my hands on is the SWR Interstellar Overdrive - that one's also capable of putting out 5W into a speaker.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Maxi Funkl and gtirard
#12
Kustom Defender for me, 5 watts, just volume, no tone. I put in an Au7 for max clean but still, only get so loud and not lots of bass. I

f you run an eq (Broughton Mastering Eq) or pedalboard into it, I can hear nicely for practice without ruining the rest of the houses peace…
 
#14
Talking about pairing ampeg through a cab of your choice: I play a stingray 5 and a passive jazz 5 through a B15 clone head (the Trinity Trip Top kit) into fairly modern full range cabinets (2 BFM Jack10 cabs with switchable tweeters). I find I get plenty of low end (lots of OC2 playing) and can sound pretty hifi through that setup. I previously played a class D head (Carvin BX500) through those cabs, and, to my perception, I have more of the deep lows after moving to a head with heavy transformers.
 
#15
el murdoque said:
Hughes & Kettner Bass Master. Looking like a small'ish class-D head, this thing is from the 80s and has about 5W output. It sounds decent and when you can find one, these usually are around €250.
Click to expand...

I owned one for years, just sold it here at TB recently for $200. Highly recommended if you can find one. It can do double duty as a tube preamp in front of any solid state amp.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mario Ed
#17
Bisounourse said:
I have the Ashdown Little Bastard, which is my main practice amp for home use. I can recomend it; however, there are 2 versions; one can get into dirt, the other one stays fairly clean. I have the clean version. It is rather loud for a 30 Watt amp (cab I use is a Barefaced Big Baby 2)

I also have a PF20 kicking around, which is also a good choice for bedroom playing. It is 20 Watts though and it is a more quiet amp.

And paging @Wasnex ; he has a plethora of low watt tubeamps, and he is far more eloquent than me on the subject.
Click to expand...


Those are good solid recommendations. I don't have experience with the PF20T but I own a PF50T. The consensus seems to that the PF20T is more like a B15 and the PF50T is more like a V4B.

Ashdowns seems to make little changes over various generations of model. The original LB30s are more midrangy and the preamp has less headroom and drive easily. I have a second LB30 that was from the UK custom shop. The circuit board is stamped Mk2 and it has a choke in the power supply filter, rather than just a resistor. The Mk2 is more 80s HiFi. Big low and and more mid scooped. The output section has about the same power as the Mk1, but the preamp stays clean.

When the CTM30 was introduced, it was said to be the LB30 repackage, to avoid some nastiness with the James Dean estate. I haven't played a CTM30 but they also appear to have Mk1 and Mk2 variants.

How to tell the difference...I can't say this is 100% correct since there may be even more than two circuit variations of these two models. AFAIK the Mk1 will place the tone controls in the order of (left to right) Mid, Bass, Treble. With the Mk2 the order is Bass, Mid, Treble. Poking around in my two LB30 suggest there is a change in tone control circuit. Both circuits use the same component, but values are different and change one connection point. The Mk1 circuit is basically a Fender tone stack with some added bells and whistles. As far as I can tell, the Mk2 relocates one connection in a way that seems to make it operate more like a Hiwatt tone stack, but not exactly.

I also have a CTM30 Little Stubby. This preamp has some good updates. I like the head case format of the older LB30s and CTM30s, but functionally I think the Little Stubby has the most intuitive tone controls. It's voiced pretty similar to my Mk1 LB30. Little Stubby has leaner lows and seems to make slightly less power. The updated preamp has both gain and a master. It also has a rotary control labeled Feedback that I believe changes the upper cutoff of the bass control. I really like the feedback control as it allows you to fine tune the mid scoop to taste. The Mk1 has switch that does basically the same thing. The control, labeled Mid Shift, toggles between two presets rather than giving you very precise control.

The mid switch on the Mk2 doesn't impact the tone the same as the mid shift on the Mk1. In the Mk2 it changes the mid range voicing rather than how the bass control works. Also in one position, the Mid rotary make noticeable changes. In the other position the Mid rotary doesn't make much of an audible change.
 
#18
el murdoque said:
Low watts but capable of deep, clean bass is not the easiest feat to accomplish.

I personally tried the following:

Hughes & Kettner Bass Master. Looking like a small'ish class-D head, this thing is from the 80s and has about 5W output. It sounds decent and when you can find one, these usually are around €250.

Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 18: It's a guitar head, so the EQ is useless, you want to feed it with a preamp pedal - but then it's glorious. It does a great clean tube amp sound and the oversized transformers help it stay clean even when hit with a low B.

Reußenzehn The Studio Bass Amp Deluxe. I did not like the sound, it was too much focused on the upper mids. Great amp for playing blues with a P bass, but not much else. Looks cool, though.

Ampeg PF-20T: I loved the sound, but it could not stay clean with a low B and the bass knob turned up a bit. Warm and pillowy, but very little headroom.
Ampeg PF-50T: This one has enough juice to stay clean, but the EQ is different to the 20T, and it sounds more like a typical ampeg.

The one I never got my hands on is the SWR Interstellar Overdrive - that one's also capable of putting out 5W into a speaker.
Click to expand...
1787333361124.webp

I have one of these and they are wonderful! They have a 6 watt output from a tube, warm and sweet with adequate EQ controls. the best part is that they are also designed to be a preamp for a larger amp. The only problem is that they aren’t in production any longer
 
#19
brianrost said:
Expensive. If you have the dough, knock yourself out. I've used one that was in a rehearsal space and it sounded OK but wasn’t mind blowing.
Click to expand...
The newer LB30 2N is stupid expensive IMHO.

For a while you could find decent deals on the older LB30 and CTM30, as well as CTM30 Little Stuffy. Prices seem to have rebounded a bit.

I bought all of my previously loved...When a deal pops up, pounce.

Whether an amps sounds good or bad comes down to personal taste and what you want. I think these amps sound great, but they all have different personalities. I like variety so it's good to have all three. Someone else might think one sounds good and the other sounds bad.
 
#20
el murdoque said:
Low watts but capable of deep, clean bass is not the easiest feat to accomplish.
Click to expand...
That's my take too, especially with active basses. I have found 100 watts to be the sweet spot for my use cases, but half that would probably suffice for me if I were willing to use a bigger/more sensitive cab than my current very hi-fi ish 112.

And as usual, I roll my own and therefore am fairly useless as far as recommending commercial products. :cool:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back