Double Bass Best Amp for Jazz (Upright)

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

What ever happened to Uncle Toad? Is he still around? He was a manic poster around here for years...

He’s active on FarceBook.

 

[Ric Vice]

An amp is an amp is an amp is…………. It’s the last link in the signal chain so I just want one that doesn’t alter my sound too much.

Well yes and no Some amps have more refined EQ than others. Whether that makes a huge difference in the 20th row of an auditorium or not is debatable.

 

[Greg Clinkingbeard]

Well yes and no Some amps have more refined EQ than others. Whether that makes a huge difference in the 20th row of an auditorium or not is debatable.

I don’t disagree at all and although I haven’t used everything available, I’ve played through a lot of amplifiers. My point is that the tone doesn’t start at the amplifier, but in the mind of the player. I (and I suspect a lot of people) wasted a lot of money on amps which would give me the sound that I wanted, but I wasn’t getting the tone out of the bass acoustically. Once that is done the amp matters less.
If you want to sound good to the 20th row a mic on the bass might be the best solution and the amp is only a stage monitor. Yes?
There are a lot of considerations and I don’t necessarily think the best amp in an MBOL sense is really the best choice in a lot of situations.

 

[Jason Sypher]

I don’t disagree at all and although I haven’t used everything available, I’ve played through a lot of amplifiers. My point is that the tone doesn’t start at the amplifier, but in the mind of the player. I (and I suspect a lot of people) wasted a lot of money on amps which would give me the sound that I wanted, but I wasn’t getting the tone out of the bass acoustically. Once that is done the amp matters less.
If you want to sound good to the 20th row a mic on the bass might be the best solution and the amp is only a stage monitor. Yes?
There are a lot of considerations and I don’t necessarily think the best amp in an MBOL sense is really the best choice in a lot of situations.

I’ve also learned to make peace with the audience having much better sound than I do onstage. I’ll survive a mediocre bass amp sound onstage knowing that the audience is getting a great sound FOH. I also totally agree with the statement that the better you have your acoustic sound together, and be able to tweak it with your hands and technique on the fly, the less the amp will be an issue.

 

[Jefenator]

In my travels I have found that:

• The less you have to turn the amp up, the better it sounds overall. (If you think you need a bigger amp, what you might really need is less ham-fisted bandmates.)
• With every piezo pickup & amp combination I've ever tried, it always seems to be tangibly more musical with a good buffer preamp inserted.

As far as amp tech goes, I am almost perfectly split between high tech hi-fi and old-school tube. The way the Bergantino B|Amp with a profiled cab renders upper mids & highs is something to behold.

OTOH I also feel that tube amps inject a certain musicality (a natural feeling compression & subtle distortion) that lends itself quite well to DB sometimes. (Augments the gut string vibe.)

Neither of those setups were intended for DB but that's what I've settled on.

Small combo amps are compelling, but even before it died, my G/K MB150 was seeing very limited stage use. My heads & cabs were just that much more full-sounding. I wouldn't be opposed to getting another combo eventually but I would probably hold out for something full-range.

 

[Marty Forrer]

For jazz I use my Acoustic Image Clarus head into a 1x10 or 2x10 cab, depending on the size of the venue.

 

[crd]

Am I the only person who likes there amplified sound? I love it and I love being able to match volume with drums when they really go hard. I bring a Nadine to go FOH and use my amp as a stage monitor for me and the group. The only thing I don't like is equipment is super expensive but other than that, it's so much fun. I always practice acoustic and then when I show up to the gig I get to be as loud as I want.

 

[Marty Forrer]

Am I the only person who likes there amplified sound? I love it and I love being able to match volume with drums when they really go hard. I bring a Nadine to go FOH and use my amp as a stage monitor for me and the group. The only thing I don't like is equipment is super expensive but other than that, it's so much fun. I always practice acoustic and then when I show up to the gig I get to be as loud as I want.

I'm with you. I prefer my amplified sound to my acoustic sound. I've spent 30 years trying out nearly every combination I can think of (and spending a small fortune). I'm running Eurosonics > Krivo mag (I also have a Vic piezo on my bass but prefer the sound of the Krivo) > GK MBF500 ( has 3 preamp tubes) > GK 2x10 cab. I use this setup regardless of whether I'm playing in my jazz standards group or my 50s rock n roll group. I'm finally happy.

 

[LM Bass]

I went with my Remic only on a gig last Sunday -Jazz quintet with a very senstive drummer, led by one of my favourite singers. There was a full PA system, and even though I didn't hear myself in the mains or monitors at all, everyone seemed to adjust as we went. I gotta say I loved the schlep

 

[jjcarswell]

I really like my Euphonic Audio Doubler II thru a 1x12" Schroeder. I have the Realist w/Docking station on both of my basses. Unfortunately, EA closed....not sure what the availability on the used market is for EA...

 

[Jefenator]

This worked well last week with my full size 5-string. That bass has been tricky to amplify well; this pairing seems to split the difference between the mushy tube amp and the scientifically flat Bergantino.

I think of the Quilter head as being a poor man's Walter Woods.

Acme cabs are really something else. The deal is, they're small and dense with a rock solid bottom end, but they're also very power hungry. That used to be more awkward when solid state power was expensive and heavy; class D makes it super potent & practical.

 

[Ben Rose]

This worked well last week with my full size 5-string. That bass has been tricky to amplify well; this pairing seems to split the difference between the mushy tube amp and the scientifically flat Bergantino.

I think of the Quilter head as being a poor man's Walter Woods.

What are you using as a pickup into that rig?

 

[Jefenator]

What are you using as a pickup into that rig?

Realist Lifeline. (May go back to Underwood.)

 

[hari442442442]

Hi there you lot. I’m looking for the instruction manual for my very old EA double one and I can’t find it anywhere. I also cannot find it online at all. Can anyone help?

 

[Ric Vice]

This worked well last week with my full size 5-string. That bass has been tricky to amplify well; this pairing seems to split the difference between the mushy tube amp and the scientifically flat Bergantino.

I think of the Quilter head as being a poor man's Walter Woods.

I've owned several Walter Woods amps. They are very nice amplifiers, but the the advantage of having the Quilter is that it's easily repaired.

Acme cabs are really something else. The deal is, they're small and dense with a rock solid bottom end, but they're also very power hungry. That used to be more awkward when solid state power was expensive and heavy; class D makes it super potent & practical.

That was the issue with the Acme Low B1's and B2's (the same was true of the Euphonic Audio VL speakers) IME it took an inordinate amount of amplifier power to

drive them. They are great DB Speakers His later cabinets the Low B Flatwound and Full Range improved on that.

 

[Frank Miller]

Hi there you lot. I’m looking for the instruction manual for my very old EA double one and I can’t find it anywhere. I also cannot find it online at all. Can anyone help?

Here you are:

 

[rickwolff]

I LOVE my 'Genzlihur' Acoustic Pro

Gollihur Music

Two channels with separate EQ (with SWEEPABLE MIDS) and phantom power (12v) on Both channels.

This allows me to mix a mic and a pickup. The mic carries the load when the volume is reasonable, if the volume pickus up the pickup starts to get mixed in.

I love the sound. It's only 30 pounds which isn't bad for schlepping - although I sometimes put it on my two-wheel cart if I have any distance.

Here is a sound sample:

 

[Ketbass]

I usually use my AI Coda 560AA combo, but had to send it back for repairs to a grounding issue. Subsequently, I used the rehearsal studios old beater Fender 1x12 something. Not sure what it was but I ran my recently acquired Ischell X-Jack C3 through it and it sounded amazing. No preamp in front at all. No idea why but don’t care. It’s one less thing I’m dragging to rehearsal!

I have been running a Rev Solo off the bridge and now I combine the two through the 2 channel AI on gigs and can really dial a great sound in the rooms we’re playing.

 

[kerrycares]

GR BASS CARBON FIBER 12” combo

 

[BobDeRosa]

I usually use my AI Coda 560AA combo, but had to send it back for repairs to a grounding issue. Subsequently, I used the rehearsal studios old beater Fender 1x12 something. Not sure what it was but I ran my recently acquired Ischell X-Jack C3 through it and it sounded amazing. No preamp in front at all. No idea why but don’t care. It’s one less thing I’m dragging to rehearsal!

I have been running a Rev Solo off the bridge and now I combine the two through the 2 channel AI on gigs and can really dial a great sound in the rooms we’re playing.

Not sure which old Fender 1 x 12 beater you were using, but I have said many times on TB that I believe the Fender Rumble v3 series is about the best overall value on the market today. My Rumble 100 and 40 have served me really well while preserving both my back and my bank account. The one thing everyone needs to know about Rumbles is that they sometimes live up to their name in boominess. But that issue is easily solved by turning Gain and Bass way down (even to zero) and "decoupling" the amp from the floor by putting it on a chair or a stand. I play a Fishman Full Circle and rarely even use a preamp.