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Best Bass preamp?

#24
For a versatile rock sound, I'd recommend an Aguilar DB659 or a Trace Elliot V-Type.

Personally, I love the Demeter HBP-1 (I used to own a VTBP-201S), but it only does clean.

Tech 21 RPM is pretty nice.

Yamaha PB-1 is a great preamp for the money.

If I could own any preamps I wanted, I'd try out a Glockenklang Bass Art Classic, a Phil Jones P-1, and a Mike Pope MP1.
 
#28
Nev375 said:
+1 to this. I've been quite happy with the Kern for nearly a decade.

I'm kinda wanting to move to a micro rig in my old age as I'm getting tired of lugging rack gear. But the tone I get from the Kern makes it difficult to even think about selling it off.
Click to expand...

I ended up with chadds' Kern once he started cheating on it with Monique. ;)

For the past 5 years or so I've been using a LMII, and thought it might be a challenge since the Kern weighs about 3x as much as the LMII...but what I did was rack it with an uber powerful, uber light Peavey IPR3000, in a three space rack. It's under 20 pounds and 3Kw worth of power. As a guy who's played many tube amps over the years, I have to say I'm amazed at how to me its nearly indiscernible from a 'all tube' rig. Its stunning.
 
#30
Demeter HBP-1

My soundman said

"you're not any louder than last night but I can feel it in my chest, like at a NASCAR race.

The night before I was using my SWR 750X.

The Demeter and a Crown power amp and WOW! Not to mention Eden speakers, custom basses, great cables and etc.

You get the picture!
 
#33
BurningSkies said:
If you're looking at the Demeter, then definitely consider the Kern IP-777.
Click to expand...

I have a Demeter VTBP-201s pre now, and played a Kern for a while. They didn't seem much alike to me. The Kern had that big bottom end which reminded me more of the Alembic F-1X.

A few of my favorite pre's:

The Demeter VTBP-201s is very fast, very clean, and has a pretty narrow range of tone control adjustment. Wonderful tone, no overdrive to speak of.

The Mike Pope MPP-1 is even faster, with fabulous, almost three dimensional clarity. This preamp really sounds "just like your bass" (but better, somehow). Very effective tone controls at well-chosen frequencies. Absolutely NO distortion or overdrive.

The Aguilar DB 659 (discontinued) is a wonderful "rock preamp." It has lots of punch and grunt, and it sounds wonderful "on eleven."

The Aguilar DB 680 (discontinued) is a magical tube pre, capable of producing a lush pillowy sound, but also capable of producing a clean, fast sound or even gritty tube distortion too. The two bands of full-parametric eq are great for sculpting sound!

There are several great pre's out there. Have fun with your search!

- Greg
 
#34
BurningSkies said:
For the past 5 years or so I've been using a LMII, and thought it might be a challenge since the Kern weighs about 3x as much as the LMII...but what I did was rack it with an uber powerful, uber light Peavey IPR3000, in a three space rack. It's under 20 pounds and 3Kw worth of power. As a guy who's played many tube amps over the years, I have to say I'm amazed at how to me its nearly indiscernible from a 'all tube' rig. Its stunning.
Click to expand...

+1! I've been using my IPR-3000 with the Mike Pope pre, and also with an Aggie DB 659. The amp is amazing at less than 8 lbs, and it doesn't sound "digital" to me at all. And I can literally lift the rack case with one finger! Amazing!

Greg
 
#35
If you're not against a pedal-format preamp, I've been absolutely in love with the Tronographic Rusty Box. If you're after something that's a bit "rock" voiced, and has the ability to overdrive incredibly well, I'd give this a look. I'd never use it on a jazz gig, but I've been using it all the time for rock, funk, and a couple of one-off blues and country gigs with great success. Additionally, it's the key component in my studio for the "colored" side of bass tracks, which get mixed against a "neutral" side, which is a pre-everything DI of just the bass. Works incredibly well for this roll as well.

No built-in DI, so either bring a separate DI box, or a good mic for your bass cab.
 
#39
It would be helpful if people would write the brand and the name of products, instead of just model numbers.

"My GP12SMX is good to me"
"I picked up a DB680 and it rocks"
"look no further than HBP-1"
"my favorite: UA 6176"

Some of us don't know what you are talking about, so it doesn't help us learn about preamps if you only put a model #. But thank you everyone else who included more information. Sorry I don't know a lot about gear, obviously, that's why I'm here!
 
#40
Several years ago, bass icon Dave Pomeroy was the bassist for a good friend's studio sessions in Nashville. His bass tone was smooth and clean. He was using an Ampeg SVT IIP as a DI for the sessions. So now, that is what I am using. - not just for country. Works well in my home studio as a DI and with my other amp heads for a more Ampeg like tone, although with the extensive eq control available it is definitely not a one trick pony.
 
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