My ply bass is fitted with a Full Circle pickup. I've tried both the tried-and-tested GK MB150 combo and a Fishman preamp into an Aguilar TH500 with a Schroeder 1x12 cab. The Aguilar is more transparent to my ear, and has a lot more headroom.
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Double Bass Best amp for jazz?
- Thread starter A Stringfellow
- Start date
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
It's not a particularly good sounding amp in the practice room but I don't get paid to play gigs in the practice room.
Earl
Supporting Member
My ancient GK 200MB sounds better than most newer amps I have tried and after retiring it for a while I have gone back to using it for certain gigs. In combination with a Yamahiko pickup and an Fdek it gets the job done.
- Dec 13, 1999
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- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
That's a funny looking bass in your profile photo.
That may be true in Rhode Island, it's not true everywhere. The vast majority of audio and video files I have posted here have been of trio, quartet and quintet gigs done with no amplifier. There are a couple of videos where I used a mic on the bass, but even those (the Club Bonafide stuff) it's not a hot mix into the house. Check out online vids and recordings of players like Dennis Irwin, Neal Miner, Jamale Deshon. John Webber etc. and you can hear what folks who play without an amp all the time sound like.
Like Scott alludes, it's garbage in/garbage out. Work on using those things at the beginning of the sound chain, your arms and hands (and ears). As Dennis Irwin said, playing in tune is the best amplifier.
Earl
Supporting Member
I saw Dennis use an amp and pickup on many gigs and many others unamped, so he did what was called for. Neal uses a mic in larger places as well. I prefer to play unamped but find that at times I need to use one.
- Dec 13, 1999
- 11,736
- 8,941
- 70
- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
And we all do, but the default of using an amp for any and all situations (like the "smaller clubs and quieter settings") is better (in my opinion) addressed by trying to develop a bigger and better acoustic sound than searching for different amplification.
If anyone doesn't know Earl Sauls, he's a wonderful player and you can check out a lot of his music on youtube.
Earl
Supporting Member
Hey, thanks for the kind words Ed! And yes, I agree completely about developing an acoustic sound first of course.
I'd have to go with Acoustic Image, everywhere I've played one it's always been the best sound with the least effort
Sorry Steve, I don't own one, i've just played them in clubs/on concerts either in NYC or on the road. Birdland has one and all I can tell you is it's a combo and it's the nearest thing I've found to plug and play. I own a the standard issue GK, which is pretty cool
Good point here. To get a really good "acoustic" sound out of any pickup/amplification system, you need to have the gain of the amp down far enough that you really get a good pull on the strings to get the volume level you want. My sound goes to crap when I have too much gain and I end up sort of tickling the strings instead of leaning in and getting lots of string motion. Then I smarten up, lower the gain, and get my sound back with string motion.
I’m not a no-amp masochist, but sometimes the bass being inaudible is a GOOD thing. I find that playing without an amp forces the other musicians to re-calibrate their volume levels. Of course YMMV, but if i’m playing in a piano trio- my default position is no amp. If i’m playing louder blues- sure I plug in the tele bass if it calls for it.
Playing no-amp means your bass HAS to be setup nice though I reckon. I like guts on G and D, and a bit of a high action but still easy to play.
I have a fullcircle too. My go-to bass mic is the Sennheiser 906 or the shure 57. I’ve tried everything- DPA4099s, big condensers, small condensers, funny triangle pickups etc and I come back to those two.
Half my bass gigs are on tuba at the moment- there’s nothing like dominating the room with a Conn 20j!
I don’t do fancy jazzclub gigs in NYC, i do cafés, weddings, cocktail bars, hipster-beer barns etc in New Zealand.
Big thanks Jmlee !
This is a very important point that is so often neglected. This is exactly one of the most important things you can do if you want an "authentic jazz sound". Keep the gain low (and master of course): there is a sweet spot where you are almost not sure if the amp is on . In this position you can pull a big sound and make vibrate the strings in the "right" way. I play on metal strings and use a pickup but this works still better on gut strings and a mic . When i say "authentic jazz sound" i mean the classic sound coming from the traditon, full and percussive (think Wilbur Ware, Mingus, Peter Washington ....). In this way the bass sounds acoustic but : you can be heard, still have a good balance with the others members of the band (especially the drummer), the musicians are forced to listen, the band can keep the traditional sound and volume of mainstream jazz. I know that many think different but i believe in a certain sound, a certain balance that has made what jazz is today. When you listen to a musician playing you know if he is coming from that sound or not .
I've been quite happy with a Lifeline straight into a Phil Jones suitcase compact combo.
I prefer the minimalist approach.
I prefer the minimalist approach.
I use the same, lifeline into a phil jones suitcase, sometimes add a lr baggs pre in the chain, love the suitcase, just wish it was 10 lbs lighter
In my experience you can’t go wrong with Acoustic Image and Euphonic Audio amps and MAS speakers. Amps mentioned such as Polytone, Fender and GK will get the job done but aren't in the same league, IMO.
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I have owned and used most of the items discussed, have played through ai stuff but never owned any, but I keep coming back to the Fender Rumble 200 combo that I bought off a keyboard player friend (he used it with a Rhoades). I wouldn't rule these out for jazz. The 200 is way bigger than an ai or gk 150 combo, and I use a jbl eon610 for duo jazz gigs for background music, but the rumble is very versatile, and not too expensive!
