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British vs. American

British or US amps?

  • British - Marshall, Ashdown, Orange etc...

    Votes: 123 36.9%

  • US - Peavey, Mesa/Boogie, Fender etc...

    Votes: 210 63.1%
  • Total voters
    333
#61
Both here too.

Modern SS Ashdown &/or vintage 'Axis'* valve heads into Epifani+Flyte cabs. Gives all I need & more, which is nice.

However... for sheer Plug 'n' Play instant awesomeness, I've yet to find something that beats an old Fender Bassman 4 x 10 combo.

We need a 'Both' option on the Poll.


*Allegedly some kind of Simms-Watt clone, built in Bournemouth in the late 60s, currently valved with NOS War Department 6L6's - fantastic piece of kit.
 
#67
Can't forget these guys for the Brit team:

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I've still got a VS-Bassamp with the EL front panel:

HH_VS1b-1-1.png


(ok, that's a photo of someone else's guitar head, but the bass one is pretty much the same)
 
#69
Cant do it, I use a lot of vintage american speakers and mostly british all tube amps but then I have American pre amps and I do want to own a fender 400PS (very rare in europe) and an ampeg V4B again and another BLUE Line SVT in good order would come in very handy too. Even though I look after a few of them and can borrow almost when I like, its not like there really mine.
:bassist:
 
#73
Aren't Trace and Ashdown both made in the states now?
Well Trace is at least a US company now.
As far as Canadian, you guys left out Garnet.
And for US companies there was also Earth, Kustom and a few others that I haven't seen mentioned.
As far as classic bass amps go, Fender Bassman, GK 400RB, Mesa Bass 400, and Ampeg SVT.
 
#78
I use an American pre and a German pre into a Danish amp in an American cabinet.
That being said. The Brits have made serious contribution to bass amp history. I'd call it a tie.
Where historically the US has two dominant models from one company. (You know what and from whom!)
It has so many mediocre pieces actually produced. Early Tube Sunn is the runner up in the US from a sound and quality perspective. Though it's my fave.
The Brits have given us WEM, Marshall, Orange, Trace and the ultimate to me....Hiwatt. Trace is like Sunn. Used so much yet quiet in it's presence. Ashdown grew out of Trace I know.
My tome here is about overall contribution not market share today. Period by period the story changes when SWR and Eden ruled. Again by performance and actual use by bassists.
Fender never seemed to get with our needs in a meaningful way. When they did get current the market didn't grab it soon enough and they'd discontinue it.
I still love a '69 Marshall SuperBass 100 through one or two 4x12 100w cabs.
I really love '70 Sunn 2000s head with two 2x15 cabs.
A true beauty was a Hiwatt head on an American 2x15 cab. Cross the pond pollination.
 

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