I use a Zoom B3 and create patches for all my basses. Jazz, PJ, Rickenbacker, MM5 and Thunderbird Classic Pro. Easy. I run that through a TC RH450 and 2 RS212 cabs. I had a Hartke LH1000 before the RH450 and still had to make changes for individual basses.
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Frustrated
- Thread starter songwriter21
- Start date
Or LH-1000 if you need to get seriously loud. I like mine, although I've never had to turn it up to seriously loud.
Interestingly, my "backup and acoustic/coffeeshop" is a GK MB500Fusion.
I run Presence and Contour off and all the EQ and Gain at noon. Then Master is just Volume, and I'm done.
I've only ever used one "channel" although I've played with bumping up the gain (and down on the Master) on 'B' just as a test.
It could also be handy when I'm doubling with the EUB, with the same Gain but higher Master, 'cause I think it's a little quieter out of the pre.
So for me, practically, the GK and the Hartke are 'the same' - I never move the EQ and Volume is just Volume.
There's plenty of EQ in the Roscoes' 3-band Bartolini pre's, and I have pedals if I need drive or more EQ.
Can't help you with cab choice, tho. Lots of suggestions up there for cabs that get a lot of love.
I have 2 - a GK 4x12 Neo for "big & loud" and a Hartke 1x12 Neo for practice & acoustic support.
As the OP shows GK sponsorship, I'm thinking there must be a GK solution...
I used to have a David Eden amp. It sounded fantastic, however, it took my quite a long time to be happy with my tone when I got on stage. Nothing was wrong with it, I am just slow. I'd tweak and tweak and finally like my tone by the end of the show. I recently bought and Aguilar Tone Hammer 500. I love it. I really feel confident getting on stage and getting a good sound quickly with it. Don't know if it would work for you, of course, but I love mine.
Schroder cab is about as "voiced" as they come. Sure that's not what you're fighting with?
I don't understand the question. Knobs are there to turn.
You want a "flat" amp with nothing but a volume knob?
Millions of those out there. They're called power amps. Get an inexpensive mic pre to drive it (no eq).
Or just adjust your GK to its "flat" setting, then leave those knobs alone.
I don't understand the question. Knobs are there to turn.
You want a "flat" amp with nothing but a volume knob?
Millions of those out there. They're called power amps. Get an inexpensive mic pre to drive it (no eq).
Or just adjust your GK to its "flat" setting, then leave those knobs alone.
That GK endorsement is obviously well placed.
Hey Bob, give me an endorsement and I won't say I'm "sick and tired" of your industry standard gear on a public forum because I can't be bothered turning half a dozen knobs. Whaddya say?
Hey Bob, give me an endorsement and I won't say I'm "sick and tired" of your industry standard gear on a public forum because I can't be bothered turning half a dozen knobs. Whaddya say?
Get a 2 channel tonebone. Set your optimal tone flat on channel 1 (bypass?) for the bass / and the amp eq you already like, and channel 2 eq the signal before you send it to the amp so it sounds the way you like without touching the amp's settings. Kinda defeats the purpose of having different basses that sound different and all that, if you only have one "ideal" for a tone you like, but it's a helluva lot cheaper to do what I'm suggesting than to throwing mega money at otherwise non issues.
Oh, and take 2 chill pills.
Oh, and take 2 chill pills.
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Agreed with it being simple, but it will not be nearly as growly or textured as say a GK or Mesa tone. I owned one for about six months, its pretty much neutral, colorless bass.
- Jun 6, 2012
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Yeah, I have that sponsorship becsuse I do love the sound. Just going to work with it more, since I have been using it for so long. Last night was just frustrating from not having ample time to dial in what I needed.
I have an old Akai programmable 7 band 6 channel EQ (7 frequencies, 6 ins and 6 outs). You can have a bunch of MIDI presets. So you could have presets for each bass (or multiples for each bass, for clean/dirty, finger/slap, etc...) or even just run each bass on a different channel and then mix or switch them into the amp front end (or just put it in the loop). Set every preset up beforehand, and then you just switch through them as necessary at the gig. It's also got a neat function (probably not applicable for you but good for live sound stuff) where you can control all 6 channels at once. It's pretty neat and it cost me like $35. I got it to use with a 4 channel guitar preamp where each channel has its own loop, in addition to 2 master loops.
You know, I'm actually interested in this question--sometimes I wish my amp had several presets, because I have so many basses that I have time to forget what I used for the settings last time I played it through a particular amp.
Something with presets, or maybe a bunch of compact preamps with good tone control and a clean signal path (say radial) one for each bass?
Or maybe make notes on a 3x5 card, laminate it, and stash it with the amp? Hey that's not a bad idea. I might have to try that.
(Also, I endorse the Tonebone pedal suggestion if you want to switch between basses at a gig.)
Something with presets, or maybe a bunch of compact preamps with good tone control and a clean signal path (say radial) one for each bass?
Or maybe make notes on a 3x5 card, laminate it, and stash it with the amp? Hey that's not a bad idea. I might have to try that.
(Also, I endorse the Tonebone pedal suggestion if you want to switch between basses at a gig.)
Ya know in 47 years I have had 5 basses. One I traded off, one was stolen and of the remaining three I usually only play one of them. 80% of the tone I want comes from how I use my hands.
Get a Source Audio EQ pedal. There are 4 different settings and you can use it as a volume boost or to cut some volume on 4 different basses. They're usually about $100 used.
I had exactly one for the first 20 years I played, really only went to others when I switched to 5 string. I still have it, since 1969. But there are so many choices out there now compared to when I started, I can see the temptation to always be checking out other tools. I'm in the process of putting together a new gigging amp, my first one since 1987, I'm seeing things have changed a little bit since then
Jim
SirMjac28
Patiently Waiting For The Next British Invasion
This is why I love my V4B so much it's a blank canvas with everything flat it works with all my basses passive and active before I bought the V4B I had a pedalboard with 19 pedals and I was constantly adjusting my sound so I know exactly what the OP is talking about after awhile you spend more time turning knobs than plucking strings.
Get a two channel head where each bass can have it's own volume and eq settings. I think Fender is making a new one.
