Best Class D Bass Amps???

[Jeff Scott]

If you get the Tonehammer you'd better like distortion. I sent mine back the same day. It sounds a lot like an overdriven tube amp. Clean sounds it does not do. I hated it.

When desired, I can get overdrive/distortion from mine, but I get great cleans, too, using it in various rock/pop/jazz fusion/prog-rock bands since I got the Aguilar over 5 years ago. Choice of speaker cabinets is key to getting what one wants from any amp, along with instruments and playing styles/technique.

For cleanest tones crank the Master control with the Gain control FCCW than add as need for volume level required. Keep the Drive control down unless added overdrive is desired. The latter control can also be used to provide a bit of a more vintag-y sound as it gently rolls off the frequency extremes the more the Drive control is turned up. With the Gain control FCCW the Drive control does not add distortion, just the frequency extremes reductions. Once the Gain control come into play along with the Drive control then varying amounts of overdrive can be achieved.

 

[Up the dose]

I have been using a Streamliner 900 for almost three years. It has seen hundreds of gigs, travelled thousands of miles and performs like a champ. It never fails to deliver a warm wonderful tone that makes a me feel like Duck Dunn whenever I play.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Quilter Bass Block 800. Been gigging mine for around a dozen gigs and I remain blown away by it. I'm not looking for distortion or overdrive or coloration in my amp. My basses sound great. The Quilter allows them to sound even better. Massive headroom in a sub 4 lb. package with intuitively simple controls. I've tried almost everything mentioned in this thread except the Darkglass and Mesa D800+. Again, my basses don't need any "help" from the amp.

The kicker with the BB800 was that it made basses I previously didn't care for sound great too. It's the real deal.

 

[Al Kraft]

When desired, I can get overdrive/distortion from mine, but I get great cleans, too, using it in various rock/pop/jazz fusion/prog-rock bands since I got the Aguilar over 5 years ago. Choice of speaker cabinets is key to getting what one wants from any amp, along with instruments and playing styles/technique.

For cleanest tones crank the Master control with the Gain control FCCW than add as need for volume level required. Keep the Drive control down unless added overdrive is desired. The latter control can also be used to provide a bit of a more vintag-y sound as it gently rolls off the frequency extremes the more the Drive control is turned up. With the Gain control FCCW the Drive control does not add distortion, just the frequency extremes reductions. Once the Gain control come into play along with the Drive control then varying amounts of overdrive can be achieved.

The trick with this amp is that the controls are labeled with familiar words, but they don't work exactly the way you may be used to. Once you beak the code, this is a sweet piece of gear. As said earlier it pretty much anchors the opposite end of the tonal/voicing spectrum from the GK MB offerings. The D-800 covers a lot of the territory in-between and has very simple, musical controls/EQ for dialing in the sound you want.

 

[Whippet]

Does that switch give taste to someone who has none?

I had no taste, till I used this. Now I am Jaco on my Steinberger!

 

[Munjibunga]

It sounds like you want a Bergantino B|Amp.
It's state of the art as far as class D goes today.

I don't know if it qualifies as "simply designed." However, it can be used as simply as any other Class D amp - an input gain knob, a master volume, and four bands of EQ. You don't need to even think about the extensive feature set behind the screen. I would agree that it's the best out there (for me).

 

[jeff62]

Love my Terror Bass - can do clean (I have the 1000 so there headroom in spades) and that cool Orange dirty. But there's a lot of goodness out there. Try them and pick.

 

[foothilla]

If you get the Tonehammer you'd better like distortion. I sent mine back the same day. It sounds a lot like an overdriven tube amp. Clean sounds it does not do. I hated it.

I also had a GK MB800. The tonal opposite of the TH. Very bright, very clean, sounds very GK, meaning a big dip in the mids. It's a great amp if you like that sound. Can be very punchy, but I find the midrange lacking just because of the baked-in GK sound. Reliable and very small.

My main amp is currently a Mesa Subway D800. Loved it when I got it, now I like it a whole lot, but don't love it after having it for a few months. I wish it were brighter. Having said that, it's a monster of an amp and worth every penny. It'll drive anything down to 2 ohms, and the controls are relatively simple. The thing that's a little different is the contour knob - on paper it's something of a mid dip, but sonically it does more than that. It adds richness to the sound. It's a great sounding amp. If you like this kind of sound - warm and punchy - you can't go wrong.

If I had it to do now, I'd buy the Mesa Subway D800+. I think the bright switch is needed. But then, the D800+'s controls look like more than you want.

I have a couple of other Class D's on the lower end you might like (I do): Fender Rumble 500. Dead simple, has a lot of grunt, just sounds good. Been reliable for me. I also have a Rumble 500 combo and the same comments, Love it.

A surprisingly good sounding Class D is the Acoustic B1000HD. With a graphic EQ, it's not what you want, but I mention it because I love the sound of it. I've only just gotten it so can't speak to the reliability.

And there's MarkBass, but you probably know about them.

Good luck!

Then the Tonehammer is out for me. I fool around with distortion for home entertainment value, but for gigs I only play clean. If you can't get good clean tones out of the Tonehammer, then it's definitely not for me.

Funny you say that about the Mesa not having enough brightness, because from the demos I heard online, it sounded too bright to me. I was kind of dropping it way down on my list, because judging from the online demos I didn't think it would have enough warmth. But, being one of the only suggestions that I can actually find locally to test, I am going to go play it tomorrow.

How is the Markbass? Was kinda surprised no one here has endorsed that yet. I've never had any of their stuff, but it seems to consistently get reviewed well.

 

[foothilla]

Mesa Subway is the amp you seek. Simple, no frills design. Made in the USA, and the best warranty out there.

You can stop looking now.

Going to go play one tomorrow at the Hollywood Mesa shop.

 

[Cuzzie]

If you want real simplicity and/or already have a pre-amp (although it will take the bass straight) then get the Jule M700 amplifier

It just has a volume knob.

If you want you can add a Monique preamp to it or get the Tardis which is both in one unit

 

[foothilla]

It never fails to deliver a warm wonderful tone that makes a me feel like Duck Dunn whenever I play.

That definitely appeals to me!!! If it can make me feel like Duck Dunn, I might have to buy a dozen of them.

 

[foothilla]

Quilter Bass Block 800. Been gigging mine for around a dozen gears and I remain blown away by it. I'm not looking for distortion or overdrive or coloration in my amp. My basses sound great. The Quilter allows them to sound even better. Massive headroom in a sub 4 lb. package with intuitively simple controls. I've tried almost everything mentioned in this thread except the Darkglass and Mesa D800+. Again, my basses don't need any "help" from the amp.

The kicker with the BB800 was that it made basses I previously didn't care for sound great too. It's the real deal.

The Quilter was one of the first ones to grab my interest. I love the simplicity of it, and my buddy has a Quilter guitar amp that sounds FANTASTIC for jazz (and I've never been one for solid state guitar tones). The tiny size and extreme light weight made me question if it would have enough headroom (I never rely on any company's wattage claims).

What kind of cab(s) do you run with it?

 

[AaronVonRock]

I have an Orange Terror Bass 500 and love it. Super loud, super dark, and very easy to dial in a good tone.

Like you, I prefer a simple design. I am not a fan of a lot of knobs and buttons.

 

[foothilla]

You really need to find a way to try these amps with your own gear (bass, cabinets, etc.). I can get clean tones up to pretty loud volume levels with my Tone Hammer 500.

Sadly, I live in a massive city (Los Angeles), and of the amps that initially peaked my interest, I could only find the Mesa locally. But, now you guys have given me a bunch of others to look into, so I will check around tomorrow for some more stuff to test.

 

[LHbassist]

Like many of you guys, I own a lot of amps, and speaker cabinets. I have a wonderful and uber-rare Pearce B-2P bi-amp. I seldom use it, for a number of reasons. I love it. But at my supposed retirement age, I need small, light, powerful, and -THE MOST IMPORTANT thing for me- because I own a number of 4 ohm cabinets.. is an amp that can operate all night, every night at two ohms. I have a Genz-Benz Shuttle 9.0. I must choose my cabinets carefully with that amp, I've blown a few speakers with it, using 4 ohm cabs, or two 8 ohm cabs rated less than the amps output and pushing them too hard. That amp, is one of the most amazing amps ever made for bass. FOUR pounds, 900 watts at 4 ohms, and a SIMPLE to use front panel, that makes dialing tones on the fly easy. It is rated at 450 watts at 8 ohms, plenty of power to use with most of the current crop of light, high power neo driver cabs.
Here is what amazed me. After playing through a rig I was not expecting much out of, at a local blues jam, and being blown away, I bought a nice, mint Carvin BX500 head from a fellow TB'er. I think I paid $250.00 for it. A bargain! It's rated at 500 watts at either four or TWO ohms. So, I can use my two BRX 10.2 cabs with it. Even though it is rated at about half the total RMS power of the Shuttle 9.0, I'm not want for any volume at all. It is a little larger, and weighs a couple of pounds more... no big deal. There are people that speak less than glowingly of Carvin products. Not me. I'm a total convert. I liked the 500 so much, I bought a BX1500. That amp, is just killer with two cabs. The front panel on the 500, and the 1500, has parametric eq, and a graphic EQ, for VERY quick tonal changes. I do not care much for the overly sensitive compressor in either amp, but it is switchable. How much do I like these amps? My Shuttle 9.0 is my backup now.

 

[Whippet]

What will all the Fender-philes have to say about this?!?!?!? Can the Taste switch be had in a compact version to add to almost amy rig desired, independent of having to use a TEC Puma amp?

I have a Fender sticker on my Steiny and my Modulus. It's officially a Fender!! So all the Fender-philes love me to death!!! LOL

The taste switch.... well that's a very special gadget. You have to cool and understanding. As long as you qualify, it's applicable to every thing. Including a toaster oven!!! (you know that dial, more burn, less burn. LOL)

 

[Jazz Ad]

I don't know if it qualifies as "simply designed."

It clearly doesn't but op changed his criteria since I answered.

 

[Brad Johnson]

The Quilter was one of the first ones to grab my interest. I love the simplicity of it, and my buddy has a Quilter guitar amp that sounds FANTASTIC for jazz (and I've never been one for solid state guitar tones). The tiny size and extreme light weight made me question if it would have enough headroom (I never rely on any company's wattage claims).

What kind of cab(s) do you run with it?

That's one of the coolest things about this head, how well it's worked with different cabs so far. At Jivesound I initially tried it with an Industrial Strength Industries (ISI) Bass O Matic Coaxial Bass Cabinet ( a 10 + coax 8). That was the initial surprise. I'm very familiar with this particular cab and it sounded better than I remembered. I didn't want to stop playing. Great.

Next stop was Atomic Music and for grins I connected it to an old ADA 1-15 cab that another guy had just run a Low End jazz 5 through. Not bad, nothing notable with the other amp. Put the BB800 on it and the bass and cab sounded amazing. Much more punch, extremely solid lows, transparent highs. From an old school 1-15. Tried a Mike Lull 5, similar results... much better than when I had tried it with other rigs there. Played a lot of cheaper basses and they sounded better too.

Brought it home and ran it through my little 3-way Low Down Sound 1-8 cab. I usually run a Mike Pope Mitre Box preamp into a 400w SWR Amplite and it sounds very good. The BB800 was a leap forward replacing that amplification. It just sounded bigger, clearer and more powerful.

Took it to church the next day and used it with a 2-12 Glasstone/BBC Lil G. Noticeably harder hitting sound, really controlled the speakers well which made me play more aggressively. I normally use a Bugera Veyron Mosfet, Kustom KXB500 or Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0.

I've since used it with my company's (Boom Bass Cabinets) Tank 1012 and Tank 1212 cabinet and demoed it with a Tank 1215 at a presentation with an events design firm yesterday. The trend continued. It made our cabs sound better. Despite the fact that I was completely satisfied with my current amp. I used it at Bethesda Blues & Jazz, a great medium sized local venue and both soundmen loved it. Then the next night I did an emergency sub Jazz gig (a friend double-booked so I helped him out) and it killed. Big warm sound with one of my Brubaker sixes for the traditional set, then switched to the Fodera Emperor 5 for some contemporary Jazz and it laid out a tremendous foundation, never sounding like it was working hard.

I'm sold on this head. It's even got a cute little bag that I can fit a speakon and power cord in with a little effort. The "simple" tone controls (just two knobs out of a total of only four) are elegant and powerful... I've had no issue dialing in whatever I wanted, though everything flat sounds great for the way I play. I know this may come off like I'm saying the BB800 is magic but so far I can't argue with the results I'm getting.

There is a complete disconnect between the size and weight and what you hear. I recommend not looking at it when you play until you get used to it

 

[RedVee]

What will all the Fender-philes have to say about this?!?!?!? Can the Taste switch be had in a compact version to add to almost amy rig desired, independent of having to use a TEC Puma amp?

We need a taste pedal

 

[Doug Parent]

I went back and edited my original post. I should have been a little more clear about my preferences. I like very simple design. I don't like stuff that is loaded with excessive bells and whistles (LED displays, digital settings, 10+ knobs, etc., etc.). I also don't want it to have any tubes in it anywhere (played Eden WT heads for years and had plenty of issues with the tube preamp sections).

I want really simple design. So far, the ones that have caught my interest the most are the Orange Terror Bass head, the Quilter Bass Block 800, the Mesa D-800 Subway, and the EBS Reidmar. What I like about these four heads is their simplicity (although the EBS is more complex than the other three). Unfortunately, the only one I can find to try out locally is the Mesa, and I haven't been overly impressed with the sound of the Mesa in the online demonstrations that I could find (on the demos it sounds very bright, brittle, hifi, and anti-vintage). So, I would appreciate feedback from anyone that has any experience with any of those 4. And I would also appreciate suggestions for other D class amps that are similarly simple in design.

Don't believe the online demo. The Mesa D800 or 800+ can get vintage warm and roll off the treble for smooth tone in a New York second. The 800+ will get more hi-fi if you need it. The Mesa has a "shape" that is really friendly and punchy as all get out. I'm sure the others are great but different flavors. You want a chameleon? The Berg B/Amp is the call. Don't want the LED screen? (WHY?) Then try the Mesa. Put it on the stage plug it into your 810 and rock that head it's a winner.