Ampeg dream will become true but I am scared.

[desert_rain]

Good luck with taking care of the hernia. Whatever you decide to do, I hope that you're able to enjoy it. Do you know what you plan to do for a cab (or cabs)? Cab pairing can make a big difference -- some cabs pair with some heads better than others. With tube heads and their generally lower damping factors you might notice some cabs behaving differently than you might expect with a solid-state head.

I will go music stores with head and I wil try 4x10s one bye one. I know nothing about damping factors How does it effect the tone?

 

[Sauron_]

Sad face because I went to road for SVT that is my dream. On the other hand, I tested prodigy and I was impressed. It is small and light(I have inguinal hernia that developed after start this thread) as you say. I will go dealer for adding prodigy to my arsenal tomorrow.

Ps: sorry for my english, It is not my native lang.

Good luck with the hernia. I was in the market for the SVT CL and Heritage cab but despite the fact I'm a strong guy, I just don't see myself moving around a 71kg rig...

 

[Russell L]

You are right. rarely something is goin bad at stage but when its happen and player is not prepared to this, too bad for player's ( also band)reputation. This is why I will try keep my markbass combo. Maybe I will trade it with good ss head.

A 121H extension cab might give you all you need, and get the grit with a pedal. It ain't Ampeg, but you're halfway there already by having the combo.

Just a suggestion, I'm running before ya'll start throwing stuff. LOL.

 

[bassinflorida]

If your gui****s have 100w half or full stacks a V4B can't keep up. "Metal" tends to imply "stoopid loud". An SVT is great if you are a youngish gym rat and have the transport for it. I get close enough with an Aguilar TH-350 into two 1x12 cabs - single trip carry for me .

RoadRanger I am curious about your TH settings. Do you constantly get the TH grit sound? How do you have your am adjusted if you please?

 

[chris_b]

Hi everyone. I am so confused for these days because I can not decide my next amp and cabin combination. I always admire ampeg tube amps svts are my dream

I'd suggest that the decision for your next rig should be built on more than dreams and wishes.

Get out and try some of this stuff and see what actually works for you in the real world. I've been through this cycle and some of the stuff I expected to sound great from reading reviews, didn't.

IMO a valve amp (V4?) through a Barefaced Four10 or even Six10 will give you a massive sound in a smaller package.

 

[Russell L]

Or even a Barefaced Super Twin or Big Twin, or two. Dunno if the ohms work for a V4B or not, though.

 

[RoadRanger]

RoadRanger I am curious about your TH settings. Do you constantly get the TH grit sound? How do you have your am adjusted if you please?

Yah, I pretty much always have some grit on, active bass w/flats - with the gain and drive at noon and all tone controls flat. In a boomy room I'll back off the bass - on some songs I might back down on the bass's volume control. Cab tweeters never on. Of course maybe sounds like too much grit/midrange solo but sits and cuts well in a band.

 

[Salicete]

SVT, 8x10...period.

 

[MarkA]

I will go music stores with head and I wil try 4x10s one bye one. I know nothing about damping factors How does it effect the tone?

There are several discussions of damping factor on this site and elsewhere, if you want to spend some time surfing, searching, and reading. I am far from an expert on the subject, but my understanding is this:

• Damping factor relates to an amplifier's ability to control (start and stop quickly) the movement of a speaker and is expressed as a ratio. The higher the damping factor, the "tighter" the control of the amp over the speaker system. 500:1 would, in most cases, be considered quite high. 5:1 would, in most cases, be considered quite low, but you can find examples of each -- and everywhere in between -- in musical instrument and hi-fi amplification.
• Generally speaking, tube amps have a lower damping factor than solid-state amps, but this can vary widely.
• Damping factor can come into play more around a speaker's resonant frequency. Say this is 50 Hz for a given speaker (will vary with the speaker); an amp with a lower damping factor will let the speaker move more freely at and around 50 Hz, which will give you a natural "free bass" boost in that area -- depending on the system and the circumstances, this might or might not be entirely a good thing.

There is more to it than that -- damping factor is affected by everything in the system, including your speaker cables (shorter runs are generally better than longer), and the interactions between amplifier and speaker can be complex and vary with frequency -- but, in the end, you are playing a musical instrument, not a ratio or a series of equations. Ratios and equations have their value, but even the experts here don't know enough of them to account for everything that goes into making a system musically viable or not -- and this is before adding the subjective element of the player.

Generally speaking, I'd be wary of pairing a big, loose-feeling, ported cab with heavy woofers (high inertia -- harder to start and stop) with a tube amp. There is a reason that sealed cabs (in which the air acts as a spring and helps to control woofer movement) are popular with many players of tube amps. There are, however, plenty of ported and plenty of sealed designs which work well with tube amps. If you play it, you will know.

I hope that helps some -- and I hope that my damping factor comment wasn't too distracting. If you can play together the amp and cab that you are considering, that is best. What you feel and what your ears tell you, then, is much more important than anything I type here. I was thinking more in terms of buying a random cab that you haven't played to go with a tube amp -- or buying a cab that you might have liked with a random solid-state head.

There is more that could be said, but that's all I've got for now.

Good luck!

 

[Raulplaysbass]

I vote for SVT + 810 for metal.

Go for your dream rig now that you have the support and $ to do it. Especially an SVT! IF, you decide down the road that it is not working out for you downsize your cab to either 4x10, 2x12, 1x15. But I suggest every bass player own a SVT. IMHO It really is the standard by which all others are to be judged.

 

[Russell L]

I vote for SVT + 810 for metal.

Go for your dream rig now that you have the support and $ to do it. Especially an SVT! IF, you decide down the road that it is not working out for you downsize your cab to either 4x10, 2x12, 1x15. But I suggest every bass player own a SVT. IMHO It really is the standard by which all others are to be judged.

But not in EVERYBODY'S opinion.

 

[Raulplaysbass]

Correct! That's why I typed "IMHO".

 

[chris_b]

If I've read this right, the OP doesn't gig regularly, plays medium and small stages and has small stature so needs a light cab and wants to play loud Metal and Rock.

I still think the BF Four10 is a good idea, but one of the Barefaced 212's also sounds like a good bet to me. Small-ish, powerful, loud and excellent with a tube amp.

 

[bassinflorida]

Yah, I pretty much always have some grit on, active bass w/flats - with the gain and drive at noon and all tone controls flat. In a boomy room I'll back off the bass - on some songs I might back down on the bass's volume control. Cab tweeters never on. Of course maybe sounds like too much grit/midrange solo but sits and cuts well in a band.

Sounds typical I suppose. I guess you are using efficient cabs to squeeze the juice out of the th350.

 

[desert_rain]

There are several discussions of damping factor on this site and elsewhere, if you want to spend some time surfing, searching, and reading. I am far from an expert on the subject, but my understanding is this:

• Damping factor relates to an amplifier's ability to control (start and stop quickly) the movement of a speaker and is expressed as a ratio. The higher the damping factor, the "tighter" the control of the amp over the speaker system. 500:1 would, in most cases, be considered quite high. 5:1 would, in most cases, be considered quite low, but you can find examples of each -- and everywhere in between -- in musical instrument and hi-fi amplification.
• Generally speaking, tube amps have a lower damping factor than solid-state amps, but this can vary widely.
• Damping factor can come into play more around a speaker's resonant frequency. Say this is 50 Hz for a given speaker (will vary with the speaker); an amp with a lower damping factor will let the speaker move more freely at and around 50 Hz, which will give you a natural "free bass" boost in that area -- depending on the system and the circumstances, this might or might not be entirely a good thing.

There is more to it than that -- damping factor is affected by everything in the system, including your speaker cables (shorter runs are generally better than longer), and the interactions between amplifier and speaker can be complex and vary with frequency -- but, in the end, you are playing a musical instrument, not a ratio or a series of equations. Ratios and equations have their value, but even the experts here don't know enough of them to account for everything that goes into making a system musically viable or not -- and this is before adding the subjective element of the player.

Generally speaking, I'd be wary of pairing a big, loose-feeling, ported cab with heavy woofers (high inertia -- harder to start and stop) with a tube amp. There is a reason that sealed cabs (in which the air acts as a spring and helps to control woofer movement) are popular with many players of tube amps. There are, however, plenty of ported and plenty of sealed designs which work well with tube amps. If you play it, you will know.

I hope that helps some -- and I hope that my damping factor comment wasn't too distracting. If you can play together the amp and cab that you are considering, that is best. What you feel and what your ears tell you, then, is much more important than anything I type here. I was thinking more in terms of buying a random cab that you haven't played to go with a tube amp -- or buying a cab that you might have liked with a random solid-state head.

There is more that could be said, but that's all I've got for now.

Good luck!

Awesome explanation! I read wiki about "damping factor" yesterday according to your suggestion but I didn't understand, your explanation is quite practical than theorical wiki explanation. So I understand that I should try sealed cabs first.

 

[JimmyM]

Awesome explanation! I read wiki about "damping factor" yesterday according to your suggestion but I didn't understand, your explanation is quite practical than theorical wiki explanation. So I understand that I should try sealed cabs first.

It's something that makes a whole lot more difference on paper than it does in real life. Sealed, ported...whatever. I've used both and continue to use both with tube amps. Look for a cab that sounds good.

 

[Pbassmanca]

Sad face because I went to road for SVT that is my dream. On the other hand, I tested prodigy and I was impressed. It is small and light(I have inguinal hernia that developed after start this thread) as you say. I will go dealer for adding prodigy to my arsenal tomorrow.

Ps: sorry for my english, It is not my native lang.

Awesome man! No apologies necessary for the English, I can't even speak any other languages!

 

[Pbassmanca]

Awesome explanation! I read wiki about "damping factor" yesterday according to your suggestion but I didn't understand, your explanation is quite practical than theorical wiki explanation. So I understand that I should try sealed cabs first.

I think you said you're in Europe right? Another vote for Barefaced cabs. They are made in England and the 810 cab comes in at 79 lbs! (36 kg) They also have a one month trial policy where you can return it if you don't like it. That cab with the Prodigy would absolutely slay. Might be easy on the hernia and hard on the ears (In a good way)!

 

[shoot-r]

If your gui****s have 100w half or full stacks a V4B can't keep up. .

Truer words have "never" been spoken!


Back in the day, in a heavy oriented classic rock group, I TRIED to keep up with a V4B and a 810SVT cabinet while both guitarist ran 50 watt Marshalls into 412 cabinets, keys into Leslie and JBL cabinets....that 100 watts never even came close for me.

 

[desert_rain]

My head journey ended with this beauty Mesa Prodigy:



Yesterday I tested Mesa again in store with Bergantino 4x10(not neo) and V4-B with 6x10 svt cab(in different store). I really like Mesa. And go with Mesa.Thanks to everyone!

Cab choosing process has already begun.. I like bergantino 4x10 but I dont have enough budget.