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Double Bass Genz, EA, Acoustic Image and ???

Nate74

Nate74

Mar 3, 2007
789
78
DFW
#1
Besides these three manufacturers, are any of the other new "tiny heads" (in a normal person's price range) worth a look for UB?

Going to run my Wizzy 10.

You can't pick up a Bass magazine without seeing somebody elses new 3lb amp. TC, Fender, Ibanez, etc. Any of them clean enough for UB?
 
#3
fdeck said:
I have an EA micro 300 and GK MB200. Both are fine amps. The GK has an electric bass oriented voicing that has to be dialed out for DB use IMHO.
Click to expand...

Cool. Thanks. Yeah, as the tag line says, the Micro 300 is on my target list.

What areas of EQ do you end up working with to "dial out" for DB?

Interesting you mention the GK. I actually picked up a GK MB112 when they first came out to use at a little coffee house blues jam I was working on EB. It was great for that, but it sounds pretty boxy on DB. I've always assumed the boxy sound was the cabinet, not the amp. Maybe I'll check out the MB200 at a local shop, if I can find one that is.
 
#4
Nate74 said:
Besides these three manufacturers, are any of the other new "tiny heads" (in a normal person's price range) worth a look for UB?

Going to run my Wizzy 10.

You can't pick up a Bass magazine without seeing somebody elses new 3lb amp. TC, Fender, Ibanez, etc. Any of them clean enough for UB?
Click to expand...

Check out a Kustom KXB 500... a real sleeper IMO. And the price is ridiculous for what you get.
 
#6
Nate74 said:
Besides these three manufacturers, are any of the other new "tiny heads" (in a normal person's price range) worth a look for UB?

Going to run my Wizzy 10.

You can't pick up a Bass magazine without seeing somebody elses new 3lb amp. TC, Fender, Ibanez, etc. Any of them clean enough for UB?
Click to expand...

Phil Jones has the D600 new dual channel head, but it's more expensive, and IMHO underpowered for what it costs compared to Acoustic Image. The EA doubler is possibly the best two channel amp with more bang for the buck. I do like the sound of the Genz Benz though. Nice amp, very portable.

Ric
 
#10
Nate74 said:
Kustom? Like the folks who used to do "tuck'n'roll" upholstered gear? I'll have to learn more. Thanks for the heads-up!
Click to expand...

Yes, that Kustom. Completely surprised me too. Full featured, 5 lb., transparent front end, Bang & Olufsen Icepower, five year warranty. I gig with one of these and my AI Clarus 4 series 2 along with a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0. Definitely worth checking out.
 
#11
Nate, check out the GB shuttle series. I have the 3.0 8T combo and I can't tell you how happy I have been with the amp. I run a realist with Fdeck HPF and have nothing but good results. I have also run the amp (no cab) directly to FOH for theater/musical gigs and that has worked out really well. I don't play out much with EB, but the amp has worked great for that as well.

IMO it would be a great match for the Wizzy 10.
 
#12
+1 I have the exact same set up though lately I like to run my Upton Rev Solo II directly into the Shuttle w/out the HPF, I prefer the tone w/out the pre


Matt Ides said:
Nate, check out the GB shuttle series. I have the 3.0 8T combo and I can't tell you how happy I have been with the amp. I run a realist with Fdeck HPF and have nothing but good results. I have also run the amp (no cab) directly to FOH for theater/musical gigs and that has worked out really well. I don't play out much with EB, but the amp has worked great for that as well.

IMO it would be a great match for the Wizzy 10.
Click to expand...
 
#13
Does the Shuttle have the input impedance to support plugging straight into it? I'm no expert on impedance matching but I thought usually you needed some sort of preamp with a piezzo pickup...?

I should also come clean on the fact that I have a Shuttle 6.0 that I use with a NeoX 112. It's a great rig and while the 6.0 is way more power than I need with the Wizzy 10, the thought has occurred to me to grab a 3.0 for use with the Wizzy. I was sort of wanting something else just for the contrast though and was curious who else might be worth a look.

'Gain, thanks all for your input.
 
#15
Nate74 said:
Cool. Thanks. Yeah, as the tag line says, the Micro 300 is on my target list.

What areas of EQ do you end up working with to "dial out" for DB?

Interesting you mention the GK. I actually picked up a GK MB112 when they first came out to use at a little coffee house blues jam I was working on EB. It was great for that, but it sounds pretty boxy on DB. I've always assumed the boxy sound was the cabinet, not the amp. Maybe I'll check out the MB200 at a local shop, if I can find one that is.
Click to expand...

This will get the MB200 flat to within 0.5 dB:

Contour = Off
Bass = 10:00
Lo Mid = 2:00
Hi Mid = 1:00
Treble = 10:00

I worked this out using a real time analyzer. While I don't think that flat response is the be-all and end-all, I find it to be a useful starting point when trying to get a workable tone with mainstream speakers.
 
#16
fdeck said:
This will get the MB200 flat to within 0.5 dB:

Contour = Off
Bass = 10:00
Lo Mid = 2:00
Hi Mid = 1:00
Treble = 10:00

I worked this out using a real time analyzer. While I don't think that flat response is the be-all and end-all, I find it to be a useful starting point when trying to get a workable tone with mainstream speakers.
Click to expand...

This is brilliant information that most of us don't have the equipment (or ears) to do on our own. Thank you fdeck!!!

@lowEndRick - Yeah, I'm probably being silly looking beyond the Shuttle 6.0. As for preamps, I found a Pro Platinum Bass at a pawnshop and have been pretty happy with it. I borrowed our acoustic guitarists ToneBone Pre-Z and while there were a couple features I liked on it, it didn't give me as much control as the Fishman.
 
#18
Nate74 said:
Does the Shuttle have the input impedance to support plugging straight into it? I'm no expert on impedance matching but I thought usually you needed some sort of preamp with a piezzo pickup...?

.....I should also come clean on the fact that I have a Shuttle 6.0 that I use with a NeoX 112.

'Gain, thanks all for your input.
Click to expand...

Nate,
Genz Benz Engineer "Aged Horse" here on Talkbass unequivocally states that, with a Genz Benz Amp, you shouldn't need a device like the HPF Buffer Pre Amp. He recommends that you "try it out" sans buffer pre, before you buy one. Personally, I have found that amps, other than my Walter Woods MI-400-8 or Woods Electroacoustic Ultra, benefit from the HPF. I have played through Shuttle 3.0's and 6.0's at Webster University, and I always preferred the sound that came from the HPF vs going straight into the amp. With the HPF you have the additional use of a phase switch, high pass filter, and volume control. I have all three versions of FDecks little gems.

Ric
 
#19
Ric Vice said:
Nate,
Genz Benz Engineer "Aged Horse" here on Talkbass unequivocally states that, with a Genz Benz Amp, you shouldn't need a device like the HPF Buffer Pre Amp. He recommends that you "try it out" sans buffer pre, before you buy one. Personally, I have found that amps, other than my Walter Woods MI-400-8 or Woods Electroacoustic Ultra, benefit from the HPF. I have played through Shuttle 3.0's and 6.0's at Webster University, and I always preferred the sound that came from the HPF vs going straight into the amp. With the HPF you have the additional use of a phase switch, high pass filter, and volume control. I have all three versions of FDecks little gems.

Ric
Click to expand...

Yes, as a 3.0 Shuttle and HPF owner/user I agree. The Fdeck HPF is a quick fix for a boomy room and so much more.
 

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