Experiencing gear Pon farr. Need perspective.

The first thing I would say is, "be patient". Don't make any quick rash decisions. Do your research. TalkBass is one of the best tools for researching gear.

I understand where you are. I have a great job and can afford good gear. BUT, I don't just randomly purchase gear to try out. In the last ten years, I still have all of the equipment I have purchased because I did extensive research, talked to owners and tried out the equipment when available.

I recently made a pretty significant purchase and am putting together a rack rig, first time for me. But I wanted something different. I am totally happy with my current rig but I want to try something different and would like different options too.

It will consist of a Jule Monique pre amp and a Crest power amp.

I would highly recommend you check out the Monique super thread. The Monique is a hand-built tube pre amp, and it is a work of art. Many owners have posted sound clips on the threads. The sound clips have been very impressive and in talking with various owners, it sounds like the Monique is a tone monster but very clean and full.

Good luck with your search.

 

Monique.

 

Keep an eye out for the next Talkbass Pacific Northwet (sic) GTG, which will be in the Gorge later this summer, near Hood River. There are always some interesting pieces to try out at these, and tons of very experienced players to talk shop with. When I post the date in the GTG forum (hopefully next week) be sure to check in and tell us what specific pieces you are interested in hearing.

Oh...and welcome to Talkbass.

 

BTW - Understock is Sunday 8/18. Official invites go out this week... May be looking for a sound engineer... Needless to say I have the gear...

 

Big plus one on Monique.

Another option which is seldom mentioned is a Palmer PDI series speaker emulator (unless you're in the Geddy fanboy zone). It is hard to describe what it adds to your sound, so slather might as well be the term for it. You can use the Palmer with line level or speaker level signal. The 03 is mono and includes a load box. The 05 is stereo with no load box.

 

I'll have my MB-Fusion and fEarful 12.6 rig at the GTG out here. Personally my rack rig days are done. I just find more presence or something in an integrated head. The MBF is the best Gk yet to my ear. The front end seems to lay the hi mids and hi's back enough to tame the Gk aggressiveness to a more manageable level. No question it's a Gk, it is a more polite GK. Sort of like it's TAT's say 'Mom' and apple pie as opposed to 'Don't mess with me' or roses as opposed to cobra snakes...

 

I was gonna say the same thing. So close, but something missing... and the rest of the details in your post all scream "Monique" to me.

My only remaining GAS is for more models of the same type of cab I already have. Though I am still curious about JGR's preamps. And now, the unattainable Insanity Amplification Brownout 1000, lol.

Bummer I won't be able to make that GTG. Just too far with my schedule. So I won't see the Brownout, if it makes it there. And my Monique won't be there, of course.

 

Where are you at? Didn't realize you have a Monique.

Besides all the other great suggestions, I've heard really good things about Conrad Sundholm's tube bass preamp. His new guitar amps are absolutely smokin'. I'll see if he has one we could get out here for the GTG.

 

fascinating captain.

 

I'm in Salem, commmuting south for work, and north for band stuff. (Three ATM.) Got the Monique a few months ago, late March I think it was.

 

BDPG pedal, always on, might get you there for relative pocket change.

 

FWIW, there is a rackmount version, and that's exactly how I treat mine... like any other piece of rack gear. It's in a 5U rack with either a Peavey IPR 3000 or (usually) a Carvin BX1500. That rack is my practice, rehearsal, and gigging amp. Goes everywhere I play.

It is on the expensive side, no doubt. But that whole rack actually cost me less than a lot of nice heads go for (new, at least).

 

I just came here to express my appreciation for the Star Trek reference. That is all. Carry on.

 

I love old Ampeg Preamps. For about five years now I use an Ampeg SVP Pro together with a Poweramp, built in China. It's the house brand of Thomann, a big music-retailer here in Germany. The Poweramp is called T-amp, TA 1400 MK-X, a stereo-poweramp with 2 x 550 watt @ 8 Ohm and 2 x 700 Watt @ 4 Ohm.

The poweramp is top notch, I tried out several Peavey, Crown and other poweramps, no other amp does a better job. So I am really happy with that rack. There is one thing, it is not a lightweight poweramp, so I have an overall weight of about 44 lbs.

But the sound makes me forget the schlepp. Oh, I am used to heavy weights, using a GenzBenz GBE 1200 in my other band, and an old Peavey TMax in my third one.

The Ampeg SVP Pro is the real deal for hard rock music. I can get a clear tone or overdrive the sound by hitting the preamp hard, but the sound always says "Ampeg". This is alright for this band, because we do the real hard stuff. Together with two Tecamp L 810''-cabs (in full setting) I get an unreal ammount of power, and a sound that comes near to an Ampeg SVT II Pro. At the end I think that noone could tell if it is a SVT II Pro or my SVP Pro with the poweramp by hearing the two amps.

So if you like Ampeg sound, you are right by using an Ampeg pre. No matter, what brand of poweramp you use.

Ciao

Uwe

 

ST III ftw! 80s Kirstie alley is pon Farr material for sure. 😄

 

I was thinkin' more 1960's Uhura, or killing Kirk, but hey... I guess that works too.

Gimme some credit for reccommending a pre with a pretty female name, eh?