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Double Bass amp for a double bass

neddyrow

neddyrow

www.simmerinstew.com
Apr 21, 2011
2,309
3,136
Cortland, NY
#1
I have recently switched from an electric upright to a wilhelm eberle bass with an underwood pickup. I currently own a fender bxr 100 15" amp and am looking at couple different tube amps to add a little more character. I really like the fender bassman 20 with 1x15" in it as well as the bassman combo with 4x10". I could use some outside input. Should I try one of these amps, keep the one I have, or try something different completely?
 
#5
Bassmickeyd said:
I always say first the bass, then the pickup then the amp. ...... Remember, the more you spend the more you get.
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Meh, maybe with a bass but I've heard Steve Gilmore with an Underwood through an ancient GK MB150 sounding like the voice of god. I'd think a preamp to match the output of the piezo pickup to the input of your amp would be the next logical (and least expensive) thing to add. Invalid Link Removed built by talkbass regular fdeck is a great unit for not a lot of money. Invalid Link Removed stocks a few different ones too. The [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] is supposed to work well too.

A tube amp with character may or may not be something that works for you with the double bass. The most popular amps are more or less flat response that (in theory) don't color the sound of the bass much. I'd try to make what you have work for now. In six months you will have made much better friends with your bass and the sound you are able to get will have changed a whole lot. This will hugely effect what you think about amps.
 
#7
There are probably 10 million threads on this subject here. Do some research. You should try out anything you are interested in. Fender amps aren't generally used for double bass by pro players, but that doesn't mean they can't work. Lugging a big, heavy amp around isn't loved by double bass players either, unless you need the big sound.
 
#8
jeff arddun said:
Meh, maybe with a bass but I've heard Steve Gilmore with an Underwood through an ancient GK MB150 sounding like the voice of god. I'd think a preamp to match the output of the piezo pickup to the input of your amp would be the next logical (and least expensive) thing to add.
Click to expand...

You're right that Steve does have an incredible sound, mostly due to the fact that he's an impeccable player. My guess is that Steve's amp is a 200MB not the MB 150 cause he's had it since the first ones came out. The 200MB pre amp had a different voicing than the MBS and MBE. The new MB200 sounds a lot like it. I think you get a pretty close to that sound with a MB200 and the MBX cabinet. Not Steve's sound mind you since that comes from his hands, brain, and genius.

jeff arddun said:
A tube amp with character may or may not be something that works for you with the double bass. The most popular amps are more or less flat response that (in theory) don't color the sound of the bass much. I'd try to make what you have work for now. In six months you will have made much better friends with your bass and the sound you are able to get will have changed a whole lot. This will hugely effect what you think about amps.
Click to expand...

Good Words

Ric
 
#9
I own both an MB150S and the MB200 which is velcroed to an MBX cabinet, connected with a short 1/4" to 1/4" cable. It is a better sounding combo than the 150 and weighs at least 8lbs less. At $525 retail it's also quite a bit cheaper so I would recommend it to anyone not playing stupid loud gigs, although it packs a punch for sure.

But +1 to Eric. Do a search here and you will see more than enough information which you can apply to your needs. Remember that most of the quality of sound comes from you and the bass. Don't go crazy searching for an amp to give it to you if you don't have that part together.
 
#10
Bassmickeyd said:
I always say first the bass, then the pickup then the amp. ...... Remember, the more you spend the more you get.
Click to expand...

I completely agree with the first sentence and disagree with the second. My GK pleases me much more than the Focus 2R which at the time retailed for $1k more. Although the AI is a two channel amp with more bells and whistles, I think the GK sounds better.
 
#15
Nagrom said:
What kind of car would you need for that?
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Something Big!

3d7afbf9ab6447bbb336.jpg
 
#18
I play bluegrass and oldie tymie fiddle music with the band I'll be playing the bass with. So now I see no need for fancy tube amps. I play blues and country jamgrass with the other band I play with and drool over the other guys i play with fender tube amps. They just sound sooo sweet and was looking for an excuse to get one too.
 
#19
Bassmickeyd said:
I always say first the bass, then the pickup then the amp. ...... Remember, the more you spend the more you get.
Click to expand...

I play a 1989 Glaesel Georg Hermann student bass with a Fishman BP100 piezo pickup through a Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum Bass preamp into an SWR WorkingPro 12.

Total investment: $800
Tone quality: EXCELLENT
Wall of sound: IMMENSE

So I respectfully disagree with your latter remark.

:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#20
neddyrow said:
I play bluegrass and oldie tymie fiddle music with the band I'll be playing the bass with. So now I see no need for fancy tube amps. I play blues and country jamgrass with the other band I play with and drool over the other guys i play with fender tube amps. They just sound sooo sweet and was looking for an excuse to get one too.
Click to expand...

That's cool. I have played through an old Fender on occasion(Dual Showman I think) that sounded pretty good but it added a lot of coloration that changed the sound of my bass more than I like. To each his own.
 

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