GK, MESA, Bergantino, Barefaced - choosing

[crocawombawoof]

Yeah, TT800 on the boogie (400+ inspired) channel + a Mesa subway 115 (you'll probably get addicted and want a second, I did! lol) and ideally 210 on top too and you're in business

Disclaimer: I haven't tried the WD800 so it may get you there as well, but have tried the others at bass central in Orlando when I was in the area (funnily enough, while playing a Spector, it was whichever model that has the slimmer neck they're making now - Wimbish?) and owned the D800+ before the TT

Hadn't considered the TT until now. I'll have to listen to some vids (although they never really seems to truly represent what it sounds like live. I have eyed the 215 subway also. My current cab is a 2x15 and I do enjoy the air it can move, but I am not young as I used to be, so I am also looking at the weight factor.

 

[paskisti]

I would select an amp and a cab that sounds good for basic tone, and add dirt pedal for hair. This way you have good foundation from an amp, cab and bass, and can have cheap pedal swap for different tastes. Even the Enter Sandman is theoretically all Spector and Ampeg, it uses dirt from guitar amp mixed to clean bass sound (+ some studio tricks). I'm not sure which amp Alice in Chains used for bass, but a lot of sound is coming from Spector bass (if Dirt album is their typical sound).

 

[crocawombawoof]

GK. I have the Legacy 800 2x12 combo and it’s a beast.

When I first started obsessing about a new rig, the GK Legacy with the 212 Neo was what I was pretty sure I wanted. Then I went down the rabbit hole and started second guessing myself!

 

[crocawombawoof]

I own 4 Berg cabs. All fantastic. Also have a GK NEO212. Really really good.

So would you say the Bergs produced an "uncolored" sound in comparison to your GK neo?

 

[Jugghaid]

So would you say the Bergs produced an "uncolored" sound in comparison to your GK neo?

My berg cabs are not really uncolored IMO. I have an NV610 and NV212. They are great sealed cabs that project like crazy. I mostly use them with tube heads and they are a perfect match for that. Not light though. But worth it.

The AE112 cabs i have (2) are probably more neutral. However, they have their own voicing as well. Tons of low end available for a 112. I use a pair of them for my lightweight rig with a Darkglass Exponent 500. Rear ported so proximity to a wall will affect the tone.

The GK NEO 212 is an excellent lightweight cab. Has a very good range. Very balanced and about 50 lbs. Works well with all types of amps.

Personally, I think most cabs have their own "color". The amp is where most transparency lies.

 

[Hertz]

I have been considering a new cabinet as well and the GK Neo is high on my list. I have used GK 400 and 800 RB heads for over 20 years. Mostly metal genres though I think GK can be used in any genre you decide to play. FWIW I used mainly Ampeg cabinets (8x10) and Bag End though my experience with neo speakers was limited to in store trials I think they sound really good with more sensitivity than a traditional ceramic magnet. Faster attack and perhaps less power is required to project a clear and punchy tone.

 

[Thegreatzambini]

I know this type of topic has been brought up ad nauseam on TB, but here goes anyway. Looking for opinions on modern amp/cabs from various manufacturers. The “Spector Haz Lab” tone is what I would like to nail. I have a Spector NS-2A (Kramer era made in Korea) upgraded with active EMG P/J and it has the Korean HAZ Lab preamp. I would like to acquire an amp/cab that compliments the Spector.

The usual suspect example tones I am shooting for:
Alice in Chains – Man in the Box
Metallica – Enter Sandman
Queensryche – Jet City Woman

This demo from Ian Allison sums the tone up pretty well:

This sounds pretty cool to me as well:

So here are the amps and cabs I am considering:

Amps:
Gallien-Krueger Legacy 800
Mesa Subway D-800+, WD-800
Bergantino Forte D

Cabs:
Gallien-Krueger Neo 212
Mesa Subway 212, or 115
Bergantino NXT 212
Barefaced Three10

I know I would probably be perfectly happy with any of these, or combination of these, as I don’t have that sophisticated of an ear, but I can’t try any of these out before buying. So that is why I am here. I have been pouring over the GK, Mesa, Berg, Barefaced threads and seem to change my mind several times a day on which direction to go.

A few thoughts:
- The GK seems to be the best value and might give me the “nasty” tone I am looking for.
- The Mesa stuff looks awesome and gets an awful lot of love here. Not sure if it is too “polite” or is it flexible enough to cover what I am shooting for.
- Berg, again looks top shelf, but not sure if it is too high fidelity for what I am looking for.
- Barefaced cabs – I am really interested in the Three10 cab (3 ceramic magnet drivers) and wonder if it is all it is cracked up to be. I like the look of matching amp heads and cabs, but I could see putting any one of the above- mentioned heads on top of the BF cab.

I appreciate all of you TB bassists that can provide me any wisdom from your personal experiences with this equipment, and any recommendations (including any mix and match recommendations). Cheers!

“I know this type of topic has been brought up ad nauseam on TB, but here goes anyway.”

So you think your post is the special one above all the other ones that should make this topic be revisited

 

[Thumpin6string]

I think you may be missing another head choice. The Genzler MG800 can get the GK tone with the drive channel as well as a lot of others with the clean channel. As for cabs, I'm an Epifani guy.

 

[crocawombawoof]

“I know this type of topic has been brought up ad nauseam on TB, but here goes anyway.”

So you think your post is the special one above all the other ones that should make this topic be revisited

yet here you are

 

[alexclaber]

Just popping up to say that the Three10 isn't the obvious choice from our range vs those cabs. Mods, please delete if I'm not allowed to say anything according to the CUP, but I'm writing this because I think this is allowed!

 

[2thAche]

I found GK to be the most "uncolored" of heads I've compared. I also like uncolored cabs. The upside is that if you shape your sound with your bass, EQ and pedals you'll get exactly what you dial in. The downside is if you need an amp/cab to color your sound rather than bass, EQ and pedals, you may feel like it's not working for you if you can't find the right sound from bass/ pedals/ EQ.

I don't want the head/cab to color my sound personally, because I don't use just one sound. If you are after one single sound and that's all you'll use, it makes more sense to find the head/cab that gives that sound.

 

[paul traynor]

Have a Bergantino B amplifier can get some great tones from it and has lots of EQ settings to play around with for settings
Also Bergantino cabs are amazing sounds wise especially two 12 cabinet HDN

 

[BaltBass5]

I play Spector Euros exclusively....Some of my favorite bassists are Mike Starr, Eddie Jackson, Rachel Bolan. My primary rig in the Mesa Subway D800+ with the Subway 212 cabinet. You will NOT be disappointed with that rig and your Spector!

 

[paul traynor]

Rick and Bergantino

 

[shoot-r]

Great lineup of amps and cabs to choose from.

I can only tell you what has worked for me brand wise from your list for use in a gigging, 5 pcs., with loud drummer, country/rock group.

I've auditioned many of the amps on your list, some of the cabinets.

In a amp, I was looking for clear, clean (you can always add a dirt pedal if needed), with a punch that slams with a feel of a fast transient and has enough power on tap to hold it's composure at high volume when needed. Next, it needed to be a easy to dial in head. Final considerations, weight, size, price.

In the cab, also clear, clean, punch with a fast transient and also could maintain it's composure at higher levels when needed. Next, weight, and more importantly to me, dimensions. (Any cabinet over 16" in depth is a no go for me, over 16" and the cab is unneccesarily hard to transport.) Finally, price.

Since price was a factor for me I researched heads and cabs and made a decision on a handful of combinations that would work for my ears.
Then I started watching the T.B. Classifieds till what I'd decided upon popped up.

Picture is my gigging set-up. SansAmp BDDI V2, GK MB Fusion 800 head, Bergantino CN212 cabinet. All were bought used, in great to mint condition from fellow TB'ers from the Classifieds at great prices.

 

[5StringPocket]

Great lineup of amps and cabs to choose from.

I can only tell you what has worked for me brand wise from your list for use in a gigging, 5 pcs., with loud drummer, country/rock group.

I've auditioned many of the amps on your list, some of the cabinets.

In a amp, I was looking for clear, clean (you can always add a dirt pedal if needed), with a punch that slams with a feel of a fast transient and has enough power on tap to hold it's composure at high volume when needed. Next, it needed to be a easy to dial in head. Final considerations, weight, size, price.

In the cab, also clear, clean, punch with a fast transient and also could maintain it's composure at higher levels when needed. Next, weight, and more importantly to me, dimensions. (Any cabinet over 16" in depth is a no go for me, over 16" and the cab is unneccesarily hard to transport.) Finally, price.

Since price was a factor for me I researched heads and cabs and made a decision on a handful of combinations that would work for my ears.
Then I started watching the T.B. Classifieds till what I'd decided upon popped up.

Picture is my gigging set-up. SansAmp BDDI V2, GK MB Fusion 800 head, Bergantino CN212 cabinet. All were bought used, in great to mint condition from fellow TB'ers from the Classifieds at great prices.

View attachment 5366720

Smart shopper!

 

[Bill Murray]

These are all viable options. GK being the most affordable and probably easiest to get. Some people swear by them and I was a supporter for a couple of years but both my cabs experienced QC issues so I’ve stayed away (this was 12 years ago though).

I owned a Barefaced for a minute as well, but I found it to be too neutral (which I anticipated loving) turns out I enjoy a bit more baked in tone.

I’ve been using Mesa for about 4 years now and I’ll never go another route. The build quality is top tier, the weight to volume ratio is amazing, they hold their value really well, and the customer support is great. I’ve used it in folk, jazz, rock, reggae, and death metal settings (both live and recordings) and it excelled in every situation.

I only played through a Berg once and I was impressed but don’t have much to say outside of that, they have a great reputation and also the weight to volume ratio is excellent.

good luck!

 

[MentalBass]

All of the brands you're considering make fantastic gear. With the current trend / practice of lightweight gear, modeling software and too many impulse responses to count, my vote would be to go with the Bergantino Forte.

HOWEVER,

The recorded tones you've posted are almost certainly not simple signal paths. The AIC and Metallica tones, in particular, are typically achieved with a combination of a Spector NS-2 with PJ pickups and a HAZ 9V preamp, and a miked Ampeg SVT (or SVT II), into an Ampeg 8x10. There may or may not be a SansAmp in front of the Ampeg as well. D

I don't have lightweight gear. But I do have a Spector with a HAZ 9V preamp, PJ pickups, and a SansAmp VT Bass Deluxe (the one with the speaker sim button). Regardless of my amp's and my cabs' natural voicing, when I switch on the SansAmp, EQ it to classic SVT tone, and switch on the speaker sim... PRESTO - instant AIC tone. And I'm not talking about a "reasonable facsimile" - I mean indistinguishable to my ears from the recorded tone.

So in a nutshell, I think you won't go wrong with any of the options that you've listed, as long as you either have an IR you can load onto the head, or you put a SansAmp in front.

 

[crocawombawoof]

Just popping up to say that the Three10 isn't the obvious choice from our range vs those cabs. Mods, please delete if I'm not allowed to say anything according to the CUP, but I'm writing this because I think this is allowed!

Thanks for chiming in Alex. This is helpful. Going with only input from fellow bassists here and videos as a means to demo sounds, I thought I preferred the sound of the Three10 over the SuperTwin. Maybe I don't know the difference between colored and uncolored sound.

As was stated by @Jugghaid previously, "....most cabs have their own "color". The amp is where most transparency lies." I think this statement may be hitting on the reality of my "tone quest." Each piece in the chain adds (or takes away) "something" to the sound. This may explain why I have never liked effects. Always preferred bass straight to the amp and amp straight to the box.

 

[agedhorse]

Amps have color (and texture) too, and in some cases more color than cabinets (depending on the amp or cabinet).