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Like the tone of a Reverend Mercalli 4 or 5 ? If you like it it's a question of pickup ... you may try one or look for a Maruskzyk Jake bass with a couple of Haeussel humbucking pickups ...
Preamp all the way. I always found when I needed to add some new depth and dimension to my tone, a preamp was the best way to do that. It sounds like you've exhausted all other avenues. Except trying a good preamp. Pups could do it too, but I feel a preamp would give you more options. And there a ton of great options out there right now. But I would def take a look into something like that. I know I had a decent rig for years that I felt was made good to great from a preamp pedal. really bumped what I felt was somewhat bland tones into good tones territory with the stomp of a switch.
You could always try a bass boost pedal like an EHX The Mole. You'll either love it hate it though but they're cheap so no worries . Some people think it's too much boost .
- A bass that produces deep, rich tone. A proper P-bass or a Ric v63 produce this through ANY amp and/or cab. I sold all my Warwicks because they can't do this. Shortly also selling the Zon Sonuses for the same reason.
- Room acoustics that do not turn your low end (40-80hz) into boomy crap. There are some great topics right on TB about this subject. A 2x12 stack like the one you have should really be able to do it all.
Good call.
OP should absolutely make sure it isn't the room before changing his rig. If he hasn't already. Both the spot the amp is in and where he's standing in relation to it.
I told this story in another thread, but my guitar player kept saying he couldn't hear me well in our practice space. I thought it was his ears, because I was loud and mid-heavy to my own.
Then we figured out the corner he was in was a bass trap. I stood over there one day and couldn't hear the difference between any of the lowest 5 notes on my bass.
Room acoustics are weird.
Maybe you're just standing too close to your amp and speakers, those low lows, don't usually "sound out" until over 20 ft away from the speaker.
Back in the 70s, I added two 18" speakers to my rig to fatten it up. Next to the speakers it was minimal, standing 40ft away, the lows obliterated everything else.
Back in the 70s, I added two 18" speakers to my rig to fatten it up. Next to the speakers it was minimal, standing 40ft away, the lows obliterated everything else.
The thing that limits the deep bass on most rigs is the speakers. Most bass speakers are designed to a certain size, not to work optimally at 41Hz. I'd be looking at cabs, but making sure you try before you buy. I can't give you specifics of what to buy, as I made my own (a degree in Acoustical Physics means I pretty much have to make my own cabinets).
This could have something to do with it too for sure.
Actually......in the store the GK by itself and also with the extra cab turned was THE nicest sounding amp in there ( for my tastes) in that range.. Sweet 'n' Low but mids if you need 'em.
There were better amps and cabs in there too. For way way more money.
I do tend to play about 5ft from the speakers and off to the side.
I have taken my shorties into stores and played them through different rigs. I don't think it's the fact they're shorties because in the store they sound as good or better as any bass in there.
Of course, gear always sounds wonderful in the store.
I'm possibly in the "bass trap' as described by Iz4005. Going to move the speakers out and farther away as a start.
I've owned longscales and brought home and tried lots of others including Fender-P's.
They don't sound significantly different than what I have when played at home in the room I play in.
They all produce good lows allright. But it's as if there is a little something missing somehow.
I've tried 15 inch combos. No better than 12's for me.
So I think you and a couple of other posters might be onto something as far as room size, distance from bass etc etc etc .
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I now use a GK with one 12" speaker, and turn it toward the wall on club gigs without a bass line to the PA, and although I'm not looking for vomitorium lows, it works just fine for my needs.
That's directionality, not lows taking distance to develop.
The TB cliche is that if lows take distance to "sound out" then headphones wouldn't work.
When you stand too close to your amp it's usually an issue with there being a lot of volume hitting the backs of your knees, and none hitting your ears.
One of my guitar players showed up at our weekly gig super excited about his new 50W tube head (no master volume) and 4x12 cab. The bar was full when we started playing. Half way through the first song it was empty. Except for the pissed off owner who came damn close to firing us. That cab was so directional that in the long, narrow room we were playing in it was peeling the paint off of the bar stools. Literally sent people running from the place for fear of permanent hearing damage. But on stage it was barely louder than the 30W 1x12 combo amp he had used the week before.
Bass cabs can be the same way, particularly those terrible folded 18's that were trendy in the 70's.
It's not a simple issue if 2x12 vs 4x10 vs 1x15 - orbrand of the speaker(s). Speakers are mounted in cabs. And the design of the speaker cab has a lot to do with the sound. How it's loaded, the port design, whether or not it uses a crossover, how phase is addressed, etc. all have a bearing on what you ultimately hear.
Good speaker cab designs take all that into consideration. Companies like Greenboy and Bareface base their entire business on getting details like that exactly right.
So it might be that a 2x12 is fine for what you're looking for. Just not the 2x12 you currently have.
Good speaker cab designs take all that into consideration. Companies like Greenboy and Bareface base their entire business on getting details like that exactly right.
So it might be that a 2x12 is fine for what you're looking for. Just not the 2x12 you currently have.
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Personally, strings being the least expensive, I would start there. I myself would probably go with flats or tape wound. If that didn't cut it for me, next would would be pick ups. I've used Seymour Duncan with great success. Have not used the EMG Geezers. but they get a tremendous amount of love here on TB. If unsuccessful still, maybe look into a pre-amp for your bass, or a pedal type.
I'm just quoting this to repeat it.
Not all 2X12 cabs are going to sound the same.
A cab with 10's isn't always going to sound "punchier"
A cab with 15's isn't always going to sound bassier.
A cab with 12's isn't going to be the best of 10's and 15's combined.
The sound produced comes form the design of the cabinet as a whole.
Here is what I have used that has produced a deep, rich bass tone:
G&L LB-100 (Alder body, Maple neck, rosewood fretboard) with a Lollar overwound Precision pickup and Rotosound Swing 66 strings. (Sometimes I used D'Addario XL nickel strings)
Mesa Walkabout amp head.
SWR Goliath Jr 2x10 cab.
Everyone will have their own list of equipment of how they reached their desired tone.
My experience is to try out different equipment until you find the tone you are seeking.
If you have the opportunity, check out different amp/cab combinations.
G&L LB-100 (Alder body, Maple neck, rosewood fretboard) with a Lollar overwound Precision pickup and Rotosound Swing 66 strings. (Sometimes I used D'Addario XL nickel strings)
Mesa Walkabout amp head.
SWR Goliath Jr 2x10 cab.
Everyone will have their own list of equipment of how they reached their desired tone.
My experience is to try out different equipment until you find the tone you are seeking.
If you have the opportunity, check out different amp/cab combinations.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Buy a small powered sub and put your amp on top of that and run a line out into the sub
Invalid Link Removed
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
I was going to buy a GK head ... but when I got to the music store and compared it to the Ampeg ... the Ampeg had more low end.
