Yep, most of the time not all brands fall into deals like that. This was one of the times Mesa did!
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High End Bass Amps- What do you like?
- Thread starter jojobean39
- Start date
Heard the 200w head in Vegas a long time ago....nice sound indeed.
Hey @jojobean39, if you like Eden gear like I do, you need to check out DNA amps and cabs. DNA is the company that David Nordschow started (David Nordschow Amplification) after he sold Eden in 2008 and left them in 2009. He's the guy who designed all your Eden gear and his new stuff is nothing short of amazing. He came out with some cabs first in 2010 and then added a 1350-watt class D amp (DNA-1350) and a few years later came out with his DNA-800 amp, which is his most popular amp. He uses DNA for the amps and DNS for the speaker models (A for amps, and S for speakers).
I was hoping he would come out with a 212 cab but he didn't and has no plans on doing so. His DNS-112 though is an amazing little cab and a fair number of his Endorsed group uses two of them. I couldn't afford to get two cabs when I bought my first DNA cab so I got the DNS-410. It has some otherworldly capabilities. It handles 1400-watts rms (both mechanically and thermally), is a very sensitive cab so it doesn't take much to get it to gig volumes, and its maximum SPL is 137db. It is LOUD cab with a very tight and clear bottom end.
It is by far the clearest and most articulate cab I have ever played through. By comparison to previous cabs I've used, playing through a DNS cab is like pulling a movers blanket off the front of my old cabs. There is that much difference in clarity. They are the next step beyond the XST cabs he designed for Eden.
I drive that cab with my Eden WT500/800 (upgraded from 500 to 800-watts bridged) that I bought directly from David in 2010. It's the amp that lived on his cabinet test bench where he designed the Eden cabs. Obviously, it's a great sounding amp. With 800-watts available. Indoors I can never turn the master past 9:30. When I play in outdoor festivals I can run it up to 10 o'clock, but if I sneak it up close to 10:30, I get told to turn down. So I figured this was my be-all, end-all cabs and I'd never need to buy another. But that was not the case.
My 410 would scare owners of small venues when I would roll it in and often they would insist I play through some small backline amps that rarely sounded good. So last year I went back and bought the DNS-210. It will handle 700-watts rms and has a max SPL of 134db. And it doesn't scare owners at first glance because they are used to seeing 112's and 210's. It has the same sound qualities as my 410 and now I use it for all of my indoor venues and reserve my DNS410 for outdoors and festivals.
Now these amps and cabs are not cheap. My DNS-210 has a street price between $849 and $969. They do show up used from time to time though and Reverb is often where they show up. Prices used tend to be around $600 though I did see one at $499 once. The street price on the DNS-410 is $1,049. When I bought mine in 2015 it was $999. Eden's new cabs are actually more expensive than DNA's now because Eden cabs are being made in the Marshall cabinet shop in the UK using speakers made in the US.
On the amps, the DNA-800 though is priced right alongside every other top-flight manufacturer's 800-watt class D amp at $799. If you want the big boy, the DNA1350, that one runs around $1449 to $1499. The DNA-1350 has all the whistles and bells including both a normal effects loop and a side-chain effects loop alongside 1350 watts rms of power into 4 ohms - all in a 7-lb package. The DNA-800 just has the normal effects loop, but both of them have an onboard compressor with adjustable threshold and ratio controls. The DNA-800 puts out 800-watts rms of power into 4 ohms weighing in at just 4.8-lbs.
So I highly recommend you check the DNA amps and cabs out. They are still a very boutique type company with a small operation but the stuff they're putting out is amazing. I know I never sounded so good.
By the way, I've never used both cabs at once. At this gig all my 410 did was hold up my 210. Wasn't sure if the 210 would cover this "almost large" club, so I brought it along and stacked the 210 on top of it. That way, if I needed to use the 410 instead, it would just take a couple of seconds to unplug the 210 and plug in the 410. The 210 easily handled this venue.
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"My DNS-210 has a street price between $849 and $969".
Honestly that's not bad for a top shelf 210 cab. Lot's of mass produced 112's are going for 650 to 800.
Like many in this thread, I'm really into Bergantino. It's been fun during the pandemic ordering and auditioning gear, and the winner between 3 heads and 3 cabinets was all bergantino. In the end I've narrowed it down to either 3 or 4 NXT112s driven by a Forté HP. Sublime.
I've gone through a lot of gear over the years. Most of the high end stuff across 35 years of playing. My first amp was a GK and I've gone through Trace Elliott, EA, Genz-Benz, Eden, Peavey, Crate, Fender, Aguilar, Ampeg, Phil Jones and more I'm probably forgetting. The new rig is better by a wide margin. I'm really loving it. This weekend I'll be deciding between keeping 3 or 4 of the NXT112s.
BTW - I like a pair of NXT112s better than the NXT212, which surprised me, but I'm thrilled because I'm old and they're easier to move.
I've gone through a lot of gear over the years. Most of the high end stuff across 35 years of playing. My first amp was a GK and I've gone through Trace Elliott, EA, Genz-Benz, Eden, Peavey, Crate, Fender, Aguilar, Ampeg, Phil Jones and more I'm probably forgetting. The new rig is better by a wide margin. I'm really loving it. This weekend I'll be deciding between keeping 3 or 4 of the NXT112s.
BTW - I like a pair of NXT112s better than the NXT212, which surprised me, but I'm thrilled because I'm old and they're easier to move.
A pair of 112's will almost always sound better than a 212 because the cabs act as horizontal baffles (separating the woofers), which is expensive.
Genz Benz, Genzler, Mesa Subway, GK Legacy/Fusion, Markbass, Ampeg SVT, Eden World Tour, Quilter, Aguilar, Orange Terror, Ashdown ABM etc. are basic great amps for Top Club/small festival/auditorium consistent working Bass Players. High End? No IMO but all I would ever need.
High End; Jimmy's Tube suggestion is a good starting place, some of the above mentioned companies have examples and there are a bunch of others solid state and tube.
High End; Jimmy's Tube suggestion is a good starting place, some of the above mentioned companies have examples and there are a bunch of others solid state and tube.
That's cool and all but, my
I guess I was young once
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That's cool and all but, my View attachment 3971882. That's a lot of stuff to carry.
I guess I was young once
im 51 with lupus. I can load this by myself in 2 trips. The cabs are 29 pounds. I can carry one in each hand. My bass is 6.5 pounds, the head is 7 pounds. And I have a backpack gig bag that carries the bass and amp.
2 cabs is adequate for any indoor gig. 4 of them is for outdoor gigs with no foh support. So mostly I'll be only lugging 2 cabs to a gig and carrying it all in one trip.
He did (agedhorse) helped me... I also like my Berg CN212 and the GK MB Fusion 500 as well.
Oh, I have a problem.
There is no doubt about that. Like I said, I've owned high(ish) end amps and low end amps. Victor Wooten could take a bowed neck Squier and a Crate 8" and sound better than me on anything. But, I do enjoy the gear. It's an addiction of sorts, but it's better than heroin, right? It's funny, because with guitars, I've always felt the amp is more important than the guitar itself. I feel the opposite with bass.
Again, I'm very happy with my Edens. They're not quality, for sure. I just would like to explore elsewhere. I've gotten so many good ideas.
Bergs are probably the only ones I'll get to try. But Glockenklang gets in my head. What a cool name.
I've got a list now.
That's nice looking stuff. Certainly has the Eden look.
I don't really need new cabs. I have an Eden 4-10 and an SWR 4-10 too. Both are great. I usually have one of the Eden heads hooked up through the Eden cab.
And I do realize the average church goer won't recognize any difference. But there is something about getting that new piece of gear that inspires something extra. I don't have kids or a drug problem. I've gotta spend my money somewhere.
Vanderkley is pretty rare in the US, but my Spartan is a killer high end bass amp. Simple design (2x 800w/4ohm each side), top-notch build quality, with minimal features...just great bass tone!
...here with my Bergantino NV412 (ceramic/sealed) cab.
...here with my Bergantino NV412 (ceramic/sealed) cab.
