ANOTHER NEWB QUESTION WITH NO RIGHT ANSWER

[HolmeBass]

Yeah, I agree with this idea too, and the suggestion of amp. It's more money but the GK has the headroom needed to get loud enough for a band situation, plus can be turned down enough for bedroom practice. I will note however that I cannot use either the contour or the vintage settings on my Rumble100 in apartment and keep the bass from penetrating walls and floors. I do better by turning down the low bass in the EQ and then adjusting volume on whichever bass I am using so it is just loud enough to be properly heard in the bedroom. If my wife can hear it or feel it in the adjacent room, it is too loud. Also, I try to only play during middle of the day, most people in adjacent apartments aren't home.

Or, you could just crank it up and move every 6 months, which is how long it takes to evict someone here in L.A.?

Yeah if it has to super quiet the contour/loudness control won’t work.

Have you tried headphones? Some people hate them. But honestly, it can be worth getting used to them. In most recording situations I have been in my amp has been in an isolation room and I had to use headphones while recording.

 

[KenSmithFan]

Not what you want to hear, but I'd can the whole "tube amp" idea. Solid State can get you 90% of the way there (at least) cheaper and lighter.

When I bought an amp about 20 years ago, I went to the music store and played through almost every bass amp they had. It took a while, but I wound up with an amp that served me well for quite a few years. My tastes changed, and I got a different amp. Frankly, for my current amp, I bought an Ampeg PF800. It does everything I need, it's inexpensive, rock solid and weighs 15 lbs. These ideas of finding the "perfect" amp fade pretty quickly at a gig when you realize that your bedroom tone sucks live.

By the time the soundman gets done mangling it, you'll be lucky if it sounds like a bass.

 

[BassicJazzy]

Yeah if it has to super quiet the contour/loudness control won’t work.

Have you tried headphones? Some people hate them. But honestly, it can be worth getting used to them. In most recording situations I have been in my amp has been in an isolation room and I had to use headphones while recording.

Hate playing through headphones. If I played guitar, I think that's the only way I would play, in apartment setting. For bass, I need to feel a bit of the bass. No joy in it otherwise.

For example, you will never see Robert Fripp playing guitar with King Crimson without headphones on. He says he cannot hear himself on the monitor, and he wants to hear the entire blend as he plays.

I assume the situation you are talking about you were getting a blended signal which included other players/tracks, perhaps with emphasis on your bass line? I could live with that, of course.

 

[mikewalker]

I used to gig with a V4B (cranked) into a 6-10.
My secret weapon for getting the same kind of tone is a Carvin BX-series amp (with the switchable 'tube character' tube disabled!).
They dont make those BX- amps anymore but they do still make "the preamp"

BX1 Bass Preamp

The Carvin BX1 Bass Preamp offers classic, natural bass tone with unprecedented tonal control and extended headroom.

carvinaudio.com

Set the input gain on 7, and that JFET front end sounds like a cranked V4B, not 'fuzzy" at all, but "tubey".
I have the little "BX250" combo and it's as nice to play thru 'quietly' as my BX-500 into a stack.
Bonus is that it has the best DI output of any amp I've ever tried...

 

[mikewalker]

...

My dream 'tone' is an Ampeg V4B, likely a reissue via my local L&M in Canada. ....

BTW, if yer in L&M get them to set you up a Traynor YBA-100 rig next to a V4B rig, so that you can A/B them.
Use the Hartke cabs if they have em handy!
Chances are you will go home with the YBA-100...

 

[HolmeBass]

Hate playing through headphones. If I played guitar, I think that's the only way I would play, in apartment setting. For bass, I need to feel a bit of the bass. No joy in it otherwise.

For example, you will never see Robert Fripp playing guitar with King Crimson without headphones on. He says he cannot hear himself on the monitor, and he wants to hear the entire blend as he plays.

I assume the situation you are talking about you were getting a blended signal which included other players/tracks, perhaps with emphasis on your bass line? I could live with that, of course.

Yes, exactly that.

 

[Lucky Chuck]

Hey all, I'm back again with another newb question that doesn't have a right answer but might point me in the right direction for my first 'big boy' amp purchase as a bass player. Origin story- former guitar player, always lived in an apartment, didn't understand watts and tubes, bought many amplifiers based on youtube videos with ungodly amounts of power that didn't translate to anything reasonably usable as far as tone, realized 5 watts is still 'effin loud...gets older, wisens up, falls in love with bass, still loves tubes and youtube but won't get fooled again, still lies to himself about not getting fooled again..

So I'm currently a home player, but wants an amp I can get a decent tone with at home for practice and general mental health, but is fully usable in a band setting, which is my ultimate goal. I'm still a fan of tubes, have a solid pedalboard and understand signal chain, but appreciate the reliability and portability that solid state have to offer.

Thanks for sticking with me so far. My question, and where I'd like some guidance from the experience this site provides, is this.

My dream 'tone' is an Ampeg V4B, likely a reissue via my local L&M in Canada. Probably with an accompanying 212. I know in an apartment this would level the foundation of the building, but at a low volume does it sound like an Ampeg? I have a pedalboard including an SGT-DI for some grit etc..but I know this amp would work for any band or venue I'll ever play in.

My other line of thinking is the SVT 3-PRO. Bit of tube, bit of solid state, maybe of bit of reality? Again, I'd like some tube warmth at a low volume but the ability to use the same rig with an everyday type bar band. I don't have unlimited funds so I'd like to invest in a set up which would give me the best of both worlds (pedalboard to fill in gaps). If there's a 'best cab' for an SVT 3 I'd love to hear it. I've read many posts about the SVT 3 being underpowered, but I can't see a reality I'd find myself in where it wouldn't have enough guts for me.

I currently have a Venture V3 SVT-210AV but just picked up the SGT-DI for the pedalboard and quiet home practice so will be selling the V3 to help fund the big boy amp. Amp sounds great, no regrets, but I want something different.

Sorry for the long post but I want to give the most accurate details because I know there are people on here that have had all the stuff and can probably relate in some way to where I'm at in this journey....

I used to gig with my B15-N (back when I had a young man's back) and it sounded pretty good both on the job and at home. Of course, they're kinda hard to find now...

 

[Pep]

Hey all, I'm back again with another newb question that doesn't have a right answer but might point me in the right direction for my first 'big boy' amp purchase as a bass player. Origin story- former guitar player, always lived in an apartment, didn't understand watts and tubes, bought many amplifiers based on youtube videos with ungodly amounts of power that didn't translate to anything reasonably usable as far as tone, realized 5 watts is still 'effin loud...gets older, wisens up, falls in love with bass, still loves tubes and youtube but won't get fooled again, still lies to himself about not getting fooled again..

So I'm currently a home player, but wants an amp I can get a decent tone with at home for practice and general mental health, but is fully usable in a band setting, which is my ultimate goal. I'm still a fan of tubes, have a solid pedalboard and understand signal chain, but appreciate the reliability and portability that solid state have to offer.

Thanks for sticking with me so far. My question, and where I'd like some guidance from the experience this site provides, is this.

My dream 'tone' is an Ampeg V4B, likely a reissue via my local L&M in Canada. Probably with an accompanying 212. I know in an apartment this would level the foundation of the building, but at a low volume does it sound like an Ampeg? I have a pedalboard including an SGT-DI for some grit etc..but I know this amp would work for any band or venue I'll ever play in.

My other line of thinking is the SVT 3-PRO. Bit of tube, bit of solid state, maybe of bit of reality? Again, I'd like some tube warmth at a low volume but the ability to use the same rig with an everyday type bar band. I don't have unlimited funds so I'd like to invest in a set up which would give me the best of both worlds (pedalboard to fill in gaps). If there's a 'best cab' for an SVT 3 I'd love to hear it. I've read many posts about the SVT 3 being underpowered, but I can't see a reality I'd find myself in where it wouldn't have enough guts for me.

I currently have a Venture V3 SVT-210AV but just picked up the SGT-DI for the pedalboard and quiet home practice so will be selling the V3 to help fund the big boy amp. Amp sounds great, no regrets, but I want something different.

Sorry for the long post but I want to give the most accurate details because I know there are people on here that have had all the stuff and can probably relate in some way to where I'm at in this journey....

Just buy a Mesa D800+or a WD800 and you’ll have all you need first many years.

 

[bherman]

Just buy a Mesa D800+or a WD800 and you’ll have all you need first many years.

Agree with this - I'm back to a D800+ after some years trying other stuff, and wish that I'd never left. Its a fantastic amp. I played it on a blues/rock gig this past weekend and was really fantastic.

 

[53Rockets]

Just buy a Mesa D800+or a WD800 and you’ll have all you need first many years.

I'm looking into these Mesa's. Lots of capabilities it seems...

 

[keyofnight]

Okay, so, I'm in a similar situation. I think I can trace my whole saga to different TB posts. lol.

So, I had a Blackface Fender Pro Reverb that was in my closet when I was a kid. My brother tried to hook a drum machine up to it and tripped the house breaker. Our mom banned it henceforth. I eventually had it fixed up, and the sound was glorious through a 2x10 bass cab. It really got me fascinated with low-wattage amps. I got rid of it for personal reasons, and decided to buy a 50-100w tube amp with the proceeds. After a few bad experiences trying vintage amps, I went with the PF-50t w/ PF-115HE, mostly to make myself happy, but also to get away from the drama I was having with vintage amps and to finally try an Ampeg. I'm glad I did, because my partner and I just had a kid, and I can't really turn up like I used to.

I have a friend that wants to jam some RATM with me, though, and I can't help but worry about playing out or gigging. But honestly, I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm going to trust my ability to make my amp sound loud / cut through in smaller sessions. If I need a bigger amp, I'll get a V4B reissue with an SVT-212AV. TBH, I probably should've done that in the first place, but I love the post-transformer DI for recording.

 

[KenSmithFan]

Okay, so, I'm in a similar situation. I think I can trace my whole saga to different TB posts. lol.

So, I had a Blackface Fender Pro Reverb that was in my closet when I was a kid. My brother tried to hook a drum machine up to it and tripped the house breaker. Our mom banned it henceforth. I eventually had it fixed up, and the sound was glorious through a 2x10 bass cab. It really got me fascinated with low-wattage amps. I got rid of it for personal reasons, and decided to buy a 50-100w tube amp with the proceeds. After a few bad experiences trying vintage amps, I went with the PF-50t w/ PF-115HE, mostly to make myself happy, but also to get away from the drama I was having with vintage amps and to finally try an Ampeg. I'm glad I did, because my partner and I just had a kid, and I can't really turn up like I used to.

I have a friend that wants to jam some RATM with me, though, and I can't help but worry about playing out or gigging. But honestly, I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm going to trust my ability to make my amp sound loud / cut through in smaller sessions. If I need a bigger amp, I'll get a V4B reissue with an SVT-212AV. TBH, I probably should've done that in the first place, but I love the post-transformer DI for recording.

I play guitar in a band and 99.9% of the time the bass player's small rig is just fine, but last weekend it was a little light so we ran it through the PA at low volume. We usually just put the vocals and keys through the PA, but running the bass through at low volume gave it just enough boost that it sounded great, but didn't tax the speakers or muddy the overall sound.

 

[keyofnight]

I play guitar in a band and 99.9% of the time the bass player's small rig is just fine, but last weekend it was a little light so we ran it through the PA at low volume. We usually just put the vocals and keys through the PA, but running the bass through at low volume gave it just enough boost that it sounded great, but didn't tax the speakers or muddy the overall sound.

That's heartening. Thanks for sharing. What rig does the bassist use?

 

[53Rockets]

Okay, so, I'm in a similar situation. I think I can trace my whole saga to different TB posts. lol.

So, I had a Blackface Fender Pro Reverb that was in my closet when I was a kid. My brother tried to hook a drum machine up to it and tripped the house breaker. Our mom banned it henceforth. I eventually had it fixed up, and the sound was glorious through a 2x10 bass cab. It really got me fascinated with low-wattage amps. I got rid of it for personal reasons, and decided to buy a 50-100w tube amp with the proceeds. After a few bad experiences trying vintage amps, I went with the PF-50t w/ PF-115HE, mostly to make myself happy, but also to get away from the drama I was having with vintage amps and to finally try an Ampeg. I'm glad I did, because my partner and I just had a kid, and I can't really turn up like I used to.

I have a friend that wants to jam some RATM with me, though, and I can't help but worry about playing out or gigging. But honestly, I'm not gonna worry about it. I'm going to trust my ability to make my amp sound loud / cut through in smaller sessions. If I need a bigger amp, I'll get a V4B reissue with an SVT-212AV. TBH, I probably should've done that in the first place, but I love the post-transformer DI for recording.

So, since I'm interested in both amps, if you had got the V4B rig before the PF-50t rig, would you have been able to use that at home, or would you still have ended up buying the PF-50t for home use? I'd love to get a V4B and 212 and for both and call it a day, but I don't know if that's way too much amp for home use. Clearly not to be turned up at all, but a good clean tone at a low volume that can be manipulated with a pedal or 2. I have the SGT-DI for any recording situation.

 

[keyofnight]

So, since I'm interested in both amps, if you had got the V4B rig before the PF-50t rig, would you have been able to use that at home, or would you still have ended up buying the PF-50t for home use? I'd love to get a V4B and 212 and for both and call it a day, but I don't know if that's way too much amp for home use. Clearly not to be turned up at all, but a good clean tone at a low volume that can be manipulated with a pedal or 2. I have the SGT-DI for any recording situation.

If I didn't have a kid, yeah, V4B would've been fine for home use. I've used 100-300w amps at home quite a bit.

But with a kid? I feel like the PF-50t is already too loud. She just turned 1yo, though, so she should be able to handle the amp on 1 now.

 

[KenSmithFan]

That's heartening. Thanks for sharing. What rig does the bassist use?

A Phil Jones Bass C4 Compact cabinet, can’t remember what head. It was weird because we’ve played there before with no issues. We aren’t a loud band, maybe we were playing louder than usual.