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Best Rig You've EVER played through
- Thread starter BoomerChild
- Start date
Current setup is slammin!
MESA Powerhouse 2x10 and 1x15 or SWR Goliath (Eden) 4x10
Thunderfunk 550 or
Power/Preamp Rack
Carver/Claire Bros. CBA 1000 600+ watts per side @ 8 ohms
BBE MaxT preamp...
Both are clean Super clean and sound great flat
The 2x10 and TF 550 are great for clubs and small stages.
MESA Powerhouse 2x10 and 1x15 or SWR Goliath (Eden) 4x10
Thunderfunk 550 or
Power/Preamp Rack
Carver/Claire Bros. CBA 1000 600+ watts per side @ 8 ohms
BBE MaxT preamp...
Both are clean Super clean and sound great flat
The 2x10 and TF 550 are great for clubs and small stages.
I still have fantasies about this rig...
This was about 1986 or 87(?), when Trace Elliot first hit the US, or at least my corner of the US. A large store (which has since closed down) about 50 miles from my home got in a large shipment of Trace, and I went to check it out. I got there early on a Saturday, and the store was actually empty except for me. I asked about Trace, and the sales guy took me over to the main setup - He smirked and said "Wait till you hear this". This was the Mk V Trace gear, btw. They had setup the flagship head, 500 watts, 11 band eq, ultraviolet light and all, into two 4*10 cabs and two 1*15 cabs. Salesman handed me an Alembic Spoiler, plugged me in, and set the amp flat.
I think I heard the voice of God. I know my guts rattled and my pants legs flapped in the breeze.
I have yet to hear its equal, but I'm glad I don't have to cart around four huge cabinets.
This was about 1986 or 87(?), when Trace Elliot first hit the US, or at least my corner of the US. A large store (which has since closed down) about 50 miles from my home got in a large shipment of Trace, and I went to check it out. I got there early on a Saturday, and the store was actually empty except for me. I asked about Trace, and the sales guy took me over to the main setup - He smirked and said "Wait till you hear this". This was the Mk V Trace gear, btw. They had setup the flagship head, 500 watts, 11 band eq, ultraviolet light and all, into two 4*10 cabs and two 1*15 cabs. Salesman handed me an Alembic Spoiler, plugged me in, and set the amp flat.
I think I heard the voice of God. I know my guts rattled and my pants legs flapped in the breeze.
I have yet to hear its equal, but I'm glad I don't have to cart around four huge cabinets.
Well, that depends on the gain structure of the preamp. Lots of them won't overdrive the SVT's input, but some certainly will. I use active basses with mine and don't have any issues when I use the bright (i.e. padded) input. I've found some basses that do hit the front end pretty hard (G&L for instance) but they overdrive the inputs of all kinds of amps.
Yeah, it was fairly ridiculous. One of the perks of working at a major touring production company. It was an eye opener because the 650 will actually reproduce the fundamental frequency of the low B with some accuracy. Very authoritative.
Though, I can't say I liked it any more than my SVT/NV610 rig. It was just awesome in a different way. I really enjoy the colourations and snarly midrange I get out of the SVT and it suits the music I play.
For a soul revue in the late 70's I had access to an SVT rig that flapped my pant legs in pleasurable ways.
At an event organized by a soundman we knew, I brought a WT550 and three Eden 112XLTs, and had PA support through part of festival-size PA. What's interesting is he preferred the tone of my Dark Star'd Guild SFII through the Eden rig and rolled back the PA.
Now I'm happy with a portable rig that gets rave reviews wherever I play...an Eden WTX260 into 2 D112XLTs. Seriously, this rig gets more comments from musicians and audience members than anything I've used in 40 years.
At an event organized by a soundman we knew, I brought a WT550 and three Eden 112XLTs, and had PA support through part of festival-size PA. What's interesting is he preferred the tone of my Dark Star'd Guild SFII through the Eden rig and rolled back the PA.
Now I'm happy with a portable rig that gets rave reviews wherever I play...an Eden WTX260 into 2 D112XLTs. Seriously, this rig gets more comments from musicians and audience members than anything I've used in 40 years.
It's funny how you can own a hundred amps, speakers & goodies but.... at the end of the day it's just so simple.
I love the GK 400RB & Bag End 15's.
NIICE!
I always chime in with the 400RB love...
Based on this alone, I have NO reason to consider the Hellborg rig.
I want an amp that sounds like an amp!
If you want to talk about fantasy cars... it's like comparing an attractive luxury car which rides like a cloud and has an insanely comfortable interior to a roaring sports car which hugs the asphalt on every turn and goes from zero to sixty in the blink of an eye. I'll leave it to you to figure out which car the Hellborg would be.
With all of that being said, the best-sounding rig I've used to date is the one I own, actually (Gallien-Krueger Fusion 550 and matching Neo 410). A close second would be a Mesa-Boogie M-Pulse 600 with a matching Powerhouse 410 (although I've been itching to get my hands on a Carbine to try out). I like my color, heft, midrange growl, and dirt.
It's probably best not to take my word,especially when it comes to describing tone.What might sound bright to you,might sound harsh to me.
Now one thing I know we can agree on,without any shadow of a doubt,is that your GK rig sounds fantastic.Even with a crappy cable,in a crowded music shop & all the distractions that go along with that.
Cheers.
Best rig I've ever played through is my current setup.
Perhaps I have modest expectations.
Link Removed
Perhaps I have modest expectations.
Link Removed
i currently have rigs that i ABSOLUTELY LOVE... each has a certain somthing to it that makes it a dream.. but they each have their place.. i would HATE to EVER have to choose which one to let go
1) an Ashdown ABM EVO II RC (UK MADE) on top of an ABM 210 and ABM 115 for very lively vintage/dub/rock
2) a Fender Bassman 300PRO on top of a Fender Bassman 610 PRO.. GOOD LORD!! DOOMY DOOM DOOM!! with radiating tone!!
1) an Ashdown ABM EVO II RC (UK MADE) on top of an ABM 210 and ABM 115 for very lively vintage/dub/rock
2) a Fender Bassman 300PRO on top of a Fender Bassman 610 PRO.. GOOD LORD!! DOOMY DOOM DOOM!! with radiating tone!!
Love this setup I've had for a couple years. My 6-string Cirrus is set at about level (Bass Mids & Treble), and 3/4 volume or less so the 18 volt pre-amp in the bass doesn't overdrive. Signal goes to an SKB pedalboard with Boss Flanger, Boss Distortion & Boss Tuner. These are on separate outs from my Radial Bassbone which gets the bass directly. Signal with or w/o effects then goes out of the Bassbone to my rig. First to a Berringer EQ (removes booms & clanks) then to my BBE Max pre-amp. I use the compressor and maximizer in the BBE-amp to further lock in the sound. Then the signal goes to one side of a Crown CE-1000 power amp (we use the other side to drive our monitors) (450w@4ohms) and from there to an old Ampeg SVT 4x10 HLF (400w@4ohms). I usually drive Radial Bassbone pretty hard, and about half on the BBE preamp, using the pre-amp master volume for the final setting. All cables are Monster cables.
The vintage SVT with coffin cab still wins IMO.
The caveat is that it sounded best when run in the "sweet spot"... just at the point of clipping. Volume at that point was pretty darn loud. The sweet spot couldn't be achieved at small gigs and lower volume rehearsals. The amp still sounded great under those conditions.... just not as great.
These days my favorite rig is my current SansAmp/Bergantino gig rig. Doesn't quite have the SVT mojo, but sounds killer at low and high volume.
A. The big one... An Eden D410XLT and a D212XLT (both 4 ohms), driven by an Eden WT-600 or a pair of WT-400. It was perfect on those big stages outdoors.
B. The little one- A pair of E/A VL-208's stacked up behind the PA cabinets and aimed towards the drummer and me. Plenty of sound on stage for the band, but nothing going out off the stage so the sound guy wasn't fighting my stage sound.
C. The fun one- My old Music Man HD-130 driving a MM 212 RH cabinet. I recall it as being portable, powerful, and very pleasing to the ear. I wonder sometimes if it really was, or is it just nostalgia?
D. My only elaborate rig- A Peavey Pro-Bass 1000 preamp, a pair of the original Guild/Hartke 4x10, and a folded horn (W-box) with a 15" EV. We'd put the folded horn box out front under the PA cabinets, and the two 4x10's would be on stage. The big bottom from the 15" didn't muddy up the stage sound, and the punch of the 10's gave a great drive to the band. But that was a LOT of stuff to haul around, especially up stairs.
jte
B. The little one- A pair of E/A VL-208's stacked up behind the PA cabinets and aimed towards the drummer and me. Plenty of sound on stage for the band, but nothing going out off the stage so the sound guy wasn't fighting my stage sound.
C. The fun one- My old Music Man HD-130 driving a MM 212 RH cabinet. I recall it as being portable, powerful, and very pleasing to the ear. I wonder sometimes if it really was, or is it just nostalgia?
D. My only elaborate rig- A Peavey Pro-Bass 1000 preamp, a pair of the original Guild/Hartke 4x10, and a folded horn (W-box) with a 15" EV. We'd put the folded horn box out front under the PA cabinets, and the two 4x10's would be on stage. The big bottom from the 15" didn't muddy up the stage sound, and the punch of the 10's gave a great drive to the band. But that was a LOT of stuff to haul around, especially up stairs.
jte
mesa d-180 and roadready 115 is the best i've ever owned. guys i hadn't seen in 15-20 years have come up and asked about that amp. if i still had it. sadly, i do not. 
Mine actually. I don't think it qualifies as a full "rig" yet but its sounded better than everything I've played through so far.
check it out in my sig
check it out in my sig
There are two so far, which I have:
Ampeg SVT-CL thru SVT-810E; the benchmark.
Fender Supertwin head thru an older Traynor 810; I went and searched these out specifically after jamming with a guitarist who had this setup in his basement. The Supertwin is a well kept secret; great tube tone and power.
Ampeg SVT-CL thru SVT-810E; the benchmark.
Fender Supertwin head thru an older Traynor 810; I went and searched these out specifically after jamming with a guitarist who had this setup in his basement. The Supertwin is a well kept secret; great tube tone and power.
Not my rig, but a friend's... A Hiwatt DR103 and Marshall half or full stack cabinets.
2nd place would be the same guy's Ric 4001 stereoed out to 2 AC30's..
Old school is where it's at for me...
2nd place would be the same guy's Ric 4001 stereoed out to 2 AC30's..
Old school is where it's at for me...
The best sounding rig I have EVER played through or heard was a 1989 Trace Elliot AH400SMX 4x10 + 1x15 Cabinet and a 82 Fender Precision Special with actives. Holy crap that amp sounded good. It convinced me to buy my own Trace Rig which was the second best amp Ive ever played through. AH350SMX + 2x10 + 1x15 cabint + F.P.S.
As for the best guitar amp........hands down it would have to be my brothers set up....seen below.
As for the best guitar amp........hands down it would have to be my brothers set up....seen below.
Gig-wise it was a Line 6 150-Watt 1x12" combo... In a Guitar Center, I really liked the sound of the SVT-4 Pro with an SVT610HLF. I haven't really gigged any great amps.
