I know this is a common practice for many guitarists, often using a cleaner boost like a tube screamer to push the front of an amp, but I’m curious if any bass players apply this to something like an SVT or a Traynor YBA.
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I use the Wren & Cuff 25 Drive to boost the pre on my Mesa Boogie Buster 200.
I can get the tube overdrive without turning up the pre and balancing the master volume to taste. Works well for me.
I can get the tube overdrive without turning up the pre and balancing the master volume to taste. Works well for me.
Absolutely
The Mesa strategy has a boost built in and I use it all the time
I had a custom Verellen made with a boost and use it to push the amp harder.
The Mesa strategy has a boost built in and I use it all the time
I had a custom Verellen made with a boost and use it to push the amp harder.
How else can you get SVT drive within your home? Run a TCE Spark or a Timmy into it is the closest I can do without my wife beating me senseless.
Micro amp was actually going to be my suggestion haha. It's clean as clean can be! That said, this little wonder is DEFINITELY capable of outright dirt!
Another thing I have seen put to good use tube-wise: Eden Glowplug. Check it.
That's partly what I use my fuzz pedal for. I run the volume knob really high on the Du-95 with the fuzz set about halfway (it's a custom, so this is about 9:00 on a normal Big Muff style fuzz pedal's distortion control) so that a lot of the extra drive is actually coming from the amp.
For a dirt pedal, it's considered clean-ish in the guitar world. Lots of guitarists use them essentially as boost pedals.
Nice rig. I'm looking to boost my Buster! myself. Do you have any clips of what you're doing? And do you have the 1x15 or the 2x10? I've got the 1x15 and a Lace Aluma-P in the weird old pointy MIJ bass I have in my profile image.
Running Boost into a tube amp like an SVT,SuperBassman 300 ot Traynor YBA 200 or 300 only pusheds the Pre so you are not getting the Power tube breakup that sounds so good. Pre Saturation just sounds buzzy IMHO
Any suggestions on how to push the power tubes other than cranking the master and blowing up the building?
That will still not push the power tubes. The only way to get the power tube breakup is to push them hard and that can get very loud unless you use a power soak/Brake to suck up the extra power . And if you use the wrong one by ,by amp. The best way to get power tube breakup is with a low 15 to 30 watt Head Like the Ashdown Little Bastard or the current 30 watt head . Or the Fender 100 watt tube head had a 30/100 watt switch that will let you get there.
I used to run my bass into an EH LPB-1 then into my Traynor BassMate (maybe 20 watts) to get more volume at bar gigs.
I've got a JHS Little Black Amp Box that works on a guitar combo I have (which, as far as I can tell, has a series effects loop, because the box works as it should), but I hesitate to use it with my Mesa Buster! 200 as it has a parallel effects loop. EDIT: I realized I should note that this wouldn't push the power section (quite the contrary).
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I tend to want all my different sounds close to unity gain, or at least perceived unity gain, so boosting the front end isn't the thing for me. But it's a good way to get tube OD at a reasonable volume if turning up your gain all the way isn't giving you the desired results. It's a little hard on the V1 preamp tube, but they're cheap.
if you like the tone of your amp and the character of it's od just pick up a diamond compressor junior to push it
that's what i do now with my mesa d180 and the results are incredible giving me a more even, thicker, and warmer tone
that's what i do now with my mesa d180 and the results are incredible giving me a more even, thicker, and warmer tone
