Hi! I’m new here and super excited to be joined to this community of bassists! Okay, so has anyone ever experienced two different amp heads or combos having a different sonic response according to how you strike the strings? For example, when comparing the Fender rumble combo 100 to the Blackstar unity 120 ( I bought the Fender Rumble 100…won the battle of comparison) I noticed the Fender Rumble responded much better to my style of playing where I was able to get three distinct finger style tones…classic thumping, punchy/middy/tight aggressive rock vibes and that glassy mid scooped tone. But! The Blackstar Unity 120 did not have that punchy/middy/tight tone that I was able to achieve from the Fender Rumble while digging into the strings a bit more. It was as if the Fender Rumble had a better sonic response to how a bassist might “attack” the strings. Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Side note, both amp were set to 12 o clock in there settings using the same bass. I would love know your thoughts!
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Dynamic Amp Attack Response
- Thread starter PNC
- Start date
Yes; in fact most models of amps have their own unique personality. However, I find that speakers often make more of a difference than the amp. Also, there can be a notable interaction between the amp and cab. Some combinations may produce an unexpected gestalt, while others under perform.
That poor Blackstar was just sitting there with all its knobs thinking, "why won't they turn me so I sound better". That's what the knobs are for!!! Who said you had to keep them at 12?
O.P.,
(I think), what your describing is that your ears prefer amps and cabinets that have a feeling of a fast transient. Where the notes seem to just "jump out" of the cabinet.
I definitely fall into that category also!
What has worked for my ears over the years for that fast transient feeling is G.K. amps. Their voicing is known for clean, clear and that feeling of fast.
But I agree with Wasnex, it's mostly about the cabinet and drivers you choose to use.
Sealed cabs will "usually" feel faster than ported cabs, but you'll lose some lowend extension by using sealed. To find the right combinations you'll have to experiment and compare different manufacturers combos/heads/cabinets, find what works for you and your way of hearing things.
The pic is the combination that has ended up working for me.
Fast response, yet with a full, balanced lowend.
(SansAmp BDDI > GK Fusion MB800 head > Bergantino (ported) cabinet.)
(I think), what your describing is that your ears prefer amps and cabinets that have a feeling of a fast transient. Where the notes seem to just "jump out" of the cabinet.
I definitely fall into that category also!
What has worked for my ears over the years for that fast transient feeling is G.K. amps. Their voicing is known for clean, clear and that feeling of fast.
But I agree with Wasnex, it's mostly about the cabinet and drivers you choose to use.
Sealed cabs will "usually" feel faster than ported cabs, but you'll lose some lowend extension by using sealed. To find the right combinations you'll have to experiment and compare different manufacturers combos/heads/cabinets, find what works for you and your way of hearing things.
The pic is the combination that has ended up working for me.
Fast response, yet with a full, balanced lowend.
(SansAmp BDDI > GK Fusion MB800 head > Bergantino (ported) cabinet.)
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Plug your bass into a 5 watt tube amp then into an 800 watt solid state monster and you'll definitely feel a difference in response.
Awe, I see! Thank you! Fender did a good job on the v3 rumble then with the cab/amp setup! To my ears, the tone so nice, natural and warm.
I definitely played around with the knobs indeed. It was a tough decision but in the end the rumble had the sound that spoke to me a little more.
What you're referring is the attack time which is related to how fast an amp can respond to the the fast transients, and that's a real thing.
Transient response differs a lot depending on the amp type, and as others have said, the speaker cabinet size / porting and type of driver, impedance etc all factor into it.
Generally speaking - tubes compress and "bloom" for a rounder sound; solid state has faster transient attack with a clearer, more hi-fi sound.
That said, nowadays, it's possible to get tube-y sounds with solid state, and there are hybrid amps with tube preamps and solid-state power sections.
Philip Conrad has a good video comparing solid-state to tube bass amps here:
Generally speaking - tubes compress and "bloom" for a rounder sound; solid state has faster transient attack with a clearer, more hi-fi sound.
That said, nowadays, it's possible to get tube-y sounds with solid state, and there are hybrid amps with tube preamps and solid-state power sections.
Philip Conrad has a good video comparing solid-state to tube bass amps here:
