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Giving up "modern" rig for old fliptop.

#41
@braydensharrar: When in January, and how often do you make it up to SF?

If you're up in SF in the New Year, swing by. There'll be 3 setups in the rehearsal studio: VT-Bass into SS bass amp, Bass Pod Pro into SS PA amp, and SVT-CL. Might be interesting to experiment with various options along the accuracy/flexibility/weight/cost spectrum.
 
#44
chiplexic said:
I agree you need to get here and scope out your day to day situation first. As far as hauling stuff to class and everything that goes with it. Tiny parking spots, streets, stairways...etc. Add to that frozen snow banks, ice patches. Again welcome:) [/url]
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There are some streets that will not melt all winter (parts of Hemingway for example) b/c the sun just doesn't hit the street b/c of the buildings blocking it.
 
#45
this is really a hard one. The B15 is a great sounding amp... I loved mine for years but I think modern tech. has come a long way. Maybe your current set up won't give to you (tho I think if you really try) you can get close enough. Try your head with a single 15 or 12 and see what you get. In a city like Boston (and many others) portability has got to be a factor as well.
 
#46
I acquired a vintage '63 B-15N mainly just to have as a collectible and for use at home, and will never regret my purchase. When you play through it, you can tell it's the grand daddy of all bass amps and sounds just like all those classic recordings. Mine sounds so good in fact that I've even used it as a back up/second head with my rock cover band live rig and it kept right up. Just because its old and relatively low wattage - don't underestimate this amps capabilty!
 
#47
I was lucky enough to once play a B-18 (yes that's right...an 18, not a 12 or a 15...) and it was immediately one of the experiences that I was glad to have had.

If you can get your hands on one of those I'd have to say that it's worth your time.

I wonder who's doing the fliptop thing now since there seems to be a small market for great reliable boutique tube gear.

Maybe that's an avenue to walk down.
 
#48
I would absolutely get the Fliptop. With a well designed tube amp like this, you dig into the strings and can send some extra bite to the tubes to get a nice overdrive, really feel the dynamics naturally, etc.

An amp like this will force you to play more like a "musician", and will allow you to stop thinking more like a sound man (ie. using your own dynamics to "dial" in your sound, as opposed to turning a bunch of knobs every time you want to change something).
 
#50
I have a B15N head mated to a very very nice Vintage Blue reproduction of a B12 fliptop cabinet. It has a Weber speaker as recommended by the good folks at Weber.
Sounds FANTASTIC....its extremely easy to find a good tone with every bass I've tried.
the only problem would be finding a decent B15N head.
Other alternative is to find a small tube amp with a Baxandall type tone stack voiced for bass. Thats really what the B15 series amps were.
Jess Oliver designed them, and a little websurfing and googling will get you lots of sites with info on them and parts.
To the best of my knowledge nobody builds a reasonably priced tube amp in this range.
 
#51
dlmarquez said:
Jess Oliver designed them, and a little websurfing and googling will get you lots of sites with info on them and parts.
To the best of my knowledge nobody builds a reasonably priced tube amp in this range.
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The schematics are out there. Dropping one channel and changing the PSU to solid-state would give a pretty simple and small build. Not sure to what extent you could shrink/simplify the output stage but if you could get "close enough" with a smaller OT feeding a dummy load you could build a nice portable pre-amp for not too scary $$$.
 
#52
JimmyM said:
Well it may not take your head off but a finer sounding amp has never been made IMHO. OK, maybe the original SVT, but that's it. However, you do have to take into consideration what you plan to do with it...I gig with mine a lot, but my bands aren't what you would call rock and roll loud. We're more of a medium volume. So you do need to take that into consideration. I don't think I could have my only amp be the B-15.

So what I might do if I were you is split the difference between the B-15 and SVT and look for a V4B and a vintage sounding 115 cab. It'll probably be cheaper, and it'll get a lot louder. That's my take on it as a longtime B-15 gigger. Now if all you plan to do is practice at your dorm and do small-medium jazz jams, then go for the Fliptop.
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+1! I own both a B-15 and a V4 that I use with a single Orange 115. I use the B-15 for exactly the same purpose - practicing in my condo. IMO it's almost too loud for that since I have hardwood floors, so the SB-12 might be even better (and cheaper).

I had a similar dilemma a while back in terms of a changing playing style and preference. I eschewed my modern rig for vintage tube amps several years ago and haven't looked back since :)
 
#53
dannster said:
You might also consider a pedal like the Invalid Link Removed or the Invalid Link Removed.
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In spite of your reluctance to use pedals, the SFT and VT do an admirable job of emulating the B 15. You'll save money by buying a $170 pedal and keeping your Epi rig.

Now, if I was going to Berk... I'd take a Mesa Walkabout... the ultimate cab friendly rig (with tubes). :hyper:
 
#54
braydensharrar said:
I mentioned in my op that having both isn't an option. I am moving to Boston(city living/expenses) and starting school at Berklee(tuition/books), so funds in the near future will go to that. Plus I won't have a need for both as I will have access to various gig-capable amps. However, from what I have seen at Berklee so far bass wise and amp wise, access to a Fliptop is unlikely. Plus I want my own:)

I love my Epifani stuff, it's just becoming less consistent with my sound and style of playing.
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I got to this post, and decided to chime in, so sorry if this has been said already and whatnot, I'll probably go back and read the pages in between after I post, which significantly raises my chances of looking stupid, but whatever.

The amps in all the big studios are fender bassman 100s. The late 90's solid-state 1x15/tweeter amps, not the 70's tube amps. They have other amps you can use, but those are the ones provided in the main studios which is why I always brought my B15. And they have a huge selection of mics and such if you plan on recording with one, but they also have some real good, high quality DIs which may be just as useful for you since you can go back and tweak the sound as you see fit and get a nice tube-ish tone that way. (my drummer was an ME major, we spent a lot of time in the studios on various projects).

I would never talk you out of a B-15N, I'm on my second now. Great amps. As far as apartment playing, depending on where you're going to live, a B-15N may even be too loud. I never got to play mine at my old place, but that's mostly because I'm fairly considerate. Actually the first week I had it, the guy above me had shoulder surgery so I was giving it a little test run when I got a loud knock on my door and opened it up to a groggy dude looking really pissed off. My neighbors weren't really concerned with noise, but then again I'm only a hobbyist, they were in it for the long haul. I lived in the apartments on boylston/charlesgate, so I lived with a lot of berklee kids. There were people who used the basement as a practice space. We had a pianist down the hall who practiced constantly (and it showed, very talented) and a violin player above us who woke my roommate up at 8am sharp every day. Saturdays included. I bring all this up because it may be more useful to get something you can run with headphones, for the sake of your roommates/neighbors sanity.
 
#55
duuuuuuuuuude

I live in Boston!

I own two 60s B15Ns!

Send me a pm when you get here and you can check it out for yourself before making the switch.

FWIW, I gig smaller and medium sized venues around town with the B15 very regularly. Not so much for the upright though. At least not without a preamp with some EQ.
 
#56
adbass said:
duuuuuuuuuude

I live in Boston!

I own two 60s B15Ns!

Send me a pm when you get here and you can check it out for yourself before making the switch.

FWIW, I gig smaller and medium sized venues around town with the B15 very regularly. Not so much for the upright though. At least not without a preamp with some EQ.
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Hey man, I would really appreciate that!
I will definitely do that if possible.

I do think I'll hold onto my current rig until I get to Boston. My upright needs work, so I have that to worry about for now. It's just so hard to not fall in love with THE Motown bass sound. My favorite electric sound.
 
#60
Sorry was that something about 15s sounding "slow" and not suiting solid state amps a couple of pages ago? (I know it sounds naff but it's clear enough to prove a point :p)

I'd love to be in a situation where a B-15 would be appropriate though, seems like you are so get one already. If I had money to waste I'd get one in a second just to see how badly it'd fare for volume in my post-hardcore band if anything else. If volumes an issue I imagine an extension akin to the one Jimmy has helps out rather alot with that.
 

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