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AMPEG HELP!

T

ToneFreak11

Apr 7, 2011
100
1
Porto, Portugal
#1
What up, my fellow bass players?
Here I am, after weeks of no Talkbass. It's been quite a while. Actually, it's been to much. Now, this has to be a quick decision, so please help me out!
So, yesterday, I needed an amp for a gig (my Roland Cube 30 just can't do it) so I went to my friend's store and asked if I could borrow an amp. I was already thinking about buying a new amp, so I told him about one of my possibilities: the Ampeg BA300. He told me right away that it was bad, too noisy, and poorly constructed, as did many other people, but I took it anyway. While I was at the store, I compared it to a GK 700RB-II with a GK 410 and I thought they were both good. However, on the gig, the amp just sucked. BUT, so did the guitar and drums, because the room was just lame! So, at home, I tried it, and loved it again!
I'm trying to get the Joe Principe tone, so I really want to get the Sansamp BDDI, as I think it plays a really big role in it. But does it really? I don't know. Meanwhile, I need to decide between the GK or the Ampeg. They're very different amps, but I loved them both, so I'm really stuck in here, and I have to days before returning the amp. So here are my chances:

- Get nothing and use the Cube 30 (LAME) and sometimes a GK 400RB I usually borrow from a friend;

- Get the BDDI and use it on the Cube to make it sound good and on the 400RB to make it sound even better;

- Get (NOW) the Ampeg for 600€ (800$);

- Get (ONLY AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME) the GK head and cab for 900€ (1200$).

I want a tone with great treble and hi-mid quality and clarity but enough bass. You can check out Joe Principe on YouTube, he's from Rise Against. Now, to my questions:

- Which amp sounds closer to Principe's tone: the BA300 or the 700RB-II? The RB has hi and low mid, opposed to the single mid control on the BA, contour and presence, while the BA has ultra hi and low;

- If the GK sounds closer to his tone, what about the RB vs the BA with the BDDI? It will add a presence and drive control to the Ampeg, which I think will help out a lot, especially the drive;

- Will the BDDI and the CUBE sound good enough?

- On the BDDI, if I have the Blend at max, will I hear 100% Sansamp and 0% amp (either Cube, RB or BA)?

- Will the BA be good enough for other genres like jazz, funk or country?

I use an American Standard 2011 P-Bass with a rosewood fretboard, Basslines SPB-3 pups (Joe's pups) and 9-month old Fender strings (the ones that come with the bass).

Thanks a lot guys!

Lucas
 
#2
Funny, I was just listening to Rise Against. Try some Roto 66 on the bass. That will help with the high end brightness but I'm not going to be of much use for any other advice right now. I'm in a zombie state... :help:
 
#3
Tough decision, but in the end, I always say that gear is just a means to get what you're trying to do out to the crowd, and you could gig with any of it and get a good sound as long as it has the guns to do what you need. Might try tilting the BA300 up toward your head if you're having trouble hearing it on a gig. The highs and mids will blow past your ears when it's flat on the ground, sounding boomy to you but overly bright to the crowd. Tilt it and everyone hears it the same, even you.

Also, you can play any amp in any genre. Doesn't matter what it is. I use Ampegs for everything I do no matter what it is and it works great. Someone else will tell you the same thing about GK. Both Ampeg and GK have endorsers who play all kinds of music. It's just a matter of getting the rig that speaks most to you, and that's where you have to go with what you like, not what we like.
 
#4
JimmyM said:
Tough decision, but in the end, I always say that gear is just a means to get what you're trying to do out to the crowd, and you could gig with any of it and get a good sound as long as it has the guns to do what you need. Might try tilting the BA300 up toward your head if you're having trouble hearing it on a gig. The highs and mids will blow past your ears when it's flat on the ground, sounding boomy to you but overly bright to the crowd. Tilt it and everyone hears it the same, even you.

Also, you can play any amp in any genre. Doesn't matter what it is. I use Ampegs for everything I do no matter what it is and it works great. Someone else will tell you the same thing about GK. Both Ampeg and GK have endorsers who play all kinds of music. It's just a matter of getting the rig that speaks most to you, and that's where you have to go with what you like, not what we like.
Click to expand...

But which one sounds closer to Joe's tone? And what about the BDDI? I have two days, I don't have time to try everything!
 
#5
Having listened to some of his stuff, I think you could get that tone on pretty much anything. It sounds like Precision with rounds, pick, and amp with some distortion on it. I don't know how the BA300 does with making its own distortion, but you could plug a BDDI into it and get similar, I would think. Or you could go GK as well.
 
#7
JimmyM said:
Also, you can play any amp in any genre. Doesn't matter what it is. I use Ampegs for everything I do no matter what it is and it works great. Someone else will tell you the same thing about GK. Both Ampeg and GK have endorsers who play all kinds of music. It's just a matter of getting the rig that speaks most to you, and that's where you have to go with what you like, not what we like.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty solid piece of advice from Jimmy. Most of my gigging has been done on an old SS Peavey Century Bass 200 that recently died. I've had a lot more expensive and tubey amps but that one happened to suit the acts I've been gigging with recently.

ToneFreak11 said:
But which one sounds closer to Joe's tone? And what about the BDDI? I have two days, I don't have time to try everything!
Click to expand...

Try messing with the EQ on both amps extensively. You might be surprised what you come up with. That mid selector really lets you get some different tones out of the Ampegs.

Frankly, I wouldn't really prefer one of those rigs over the other. The BDDI (or similar) will do wonders for the overdrive. The Cube probably won't have enough juice to cut it unless you have PA support.
 
#8
JimmyM said:
Having listened to some of his stuff, I think you could get that tone on pretty much anything. It sounds like Precision with rounds, pick, and amp with some distortion on it. I don't know how the BA300 does with distortion, but you could plug a BDDI into it and get similar, I would think.
Click to expand...

So, because of the distortion, will the Sansamp be essential? Does it play a role that big in that tone? Actually I think it does... But what about you?
 
#9
I wouldn't call it essential but certainly very helpful in achieving that sort of tone on a budget. I tend to play with what one of my guitarist calls a very dirty tone for a bassist. Originally I was using a Bass VT pedal. Now that I've upgraded and take bass a bit more seriously I tend to use a low to moderate amount of tube preamp overdrive.
 
#10
christw said:
I wouldn't call it essential but certainly very helpful in achieving that sort of tone on a budget. I tend to play with what one of my guitarist calls a very dirty tone for a bassist. Originally I was using a Bass VT pedal. Now that I've upgraded and take bass a bit more seriously I tend to use a low to moderate amount of tube preamp overdrive.
Click to expand...

So Ampeg with Sansamp or GK, considering I can barely afford the GK, and I have to wait some time to get that money? And what about the Cube with the BDDI?
 
#11
I couldn't get by with the Bass Cube 30 in any live scenario I can imagine shy of having a great PA supporting me. I'd get eaten alive even in the quieter acts.

I'd try the Ampeg with the Sansamp and see what you think. Try running the Sansamp into the slave input/power amp in on the Ampeg to bypass it's onboard preamp while you're at it. I really like GK RB heads with Ampeg cabinets personally but I'd never tell you to go broke over buying an amp. Last time I did that, I had some **** go down and had to sell my brand new rig and all of my cabs.

Any chance you can buy used? That would save you quite a bit of money.
 
#12
christw said:
I couldn't get by with the Bass Cube 30 in any live scenario I can imagine shy of having a great PA supporting me. I'd get eaten alive even in the quieter acts.

I'd try the Ampeg with the Sansamp and see what you think. Try running the Sansamp into the slave input/power amp in on the Ampeg to bypass it's onboard preamp while you're at it. I really like GK RB heads with Ampeg cabinets personally but I'd never tell you to go broke over buying an amp. Last time I did that, I had some **** go down and had to sell my brand new rig and all of my cabs.

Any chance you can buy used? That would save you quite a bit of money.
Click to expand...

Not really, Portugal has never been a good place to buy music instruments and gear, and there are very few bassists around. I don't really like it here. Someday, I'd love to move to LA. Now that's the thing...
Back on topic, what about 400RB+BDDI vs BA300+BDDI?
 
#20
ToneFreak11 said:
What about the GK MB combos vs the Ampeg BA? Come on guys, help me out!
Click to expand...
Matter of taste. I've played a couple MB combos and they sound cool but I like the Ampeg combos better. Never saw any famous bass players use the GK combos live, but I have seen Juan Alderete using a BA300 with Big Sir live. Might be some stuff with Youtube on it. And I just did a small upright gig on the BA108 if that helps ;)
 

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