• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

I don't think I like my new head

B

Bass_masta16

Jul 9, 2008
1,084
3
32
Wellington, Ontario, Canada
#1
About 2-3 months ago, I bought my first head/cab (Hartke LH1000/Ampeg SVT-410HE), and after this time, I have come to realize I don't like my head, it's something about it, I can get an awesome clean tone out of it, but I feel it's just not doing its job. I really wish it had an EQ, instead of just the bass/treble/mid knobs, and I wish it had a gain knob.


See, I'm only 15, so getting a new head for me isn't like it is for you guys. It's going to take some convincing for Mom (laugh all you want) to let me get a new one, because she doesn't understand much about this stuff.


So my question is.. What's a good head for me to get that has an EQ (all the little slidy things are what I'm talking about), has a Gain control, sounds good, and is around $700-750ish CAD.

I was looking at the Ampeg SVT-450H and the Ampeg B2RE. (What you recommend me doesn't have to be Ampeg, it can be whatever)

Thanks,
Josh
 
#2
Uh, that's a rig any 15 year old would kill for. Additionally, those "treble, mid, bass" knobs are indeed an EQ (one of the most friendly, forgiving EQ's you'll ever find on an amp). It's my opinion you don't even appreciate what you have, so you shouldn't bug your mom to dump more money into another rig.

Also, I have the LH500 and it's a fantastic amp and the EQ is so good it simply sounds great all around those dials, which is a lot more than you can say for many amps.
 
#5
fireincairo said:
If you want a great overdriven/dirty tone with your LH1000, get a bad monkey and be done with it. Kids who can't afford their own gear have no business tone chasing, anyhow.
Click to expand...

Don't come into his thread and hate on him.

Its not your money.

If he doesn't like his head, he doesn't like it.

Just because someone thinks an LH1000 sucks doesn't mean that they don't appreciate their gear.

I mean, its a valid opinion. As all opinions about bass gear are valid.

I mean, we have SX lovers on TB, lol see? Valid opinions.

It actually sounds like you are just PO'd that someone doesn't like the more expensive version of your amp.
 
#7
Hi Josh,
I have owned the SVT-450H and it is a great bang for the buck! The Equalizer makes it pretty versatile. I owned a SVT-410HLF at that time and I found I could get a sound very similar to Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilot). Even though it is not a tube amp, it emulates the tube sound suprisingly well.
The problem is that because our $ has tanked, all the prices went up. If you shop a bit, you might find one that had been purchased by the store when the Can $ was on par with the US $ and get a great deal. Good luck!!
 
#8
P-BassPat said:
Hi Josh,
I have owned the SVT-450H and it is a great bang for the buck! The Equalizer makes it pretty versatile. I owned a SVT-410HLF at that time and I found I could get a sound very similar to Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilot). Even though it is not a tube amp, it emulates the tube sound suprisingly well.
The problem is that because our $ has tanked, all the prices went up. If you shop a bit, you might find one that had been purchased by the store when the Can $ was on par with the US $ and get a great deal. Good luck!!
Click to expand...

I would also watch out buying Ampeg stuff, as the future of Ampeg is not so predictable. The company that owns Ampeg is failing and that might mean that warranty and repair etc. might not be an option anymore if your gear happens to dysfunction.

Also, have you ever heard of a Sansamp Tech 21 VT pedal? I hear it gives a pretty legit tube sound.

Also, I recommend selling your head on TB and grabbing another one in the classifieds.

Its not worth buying new TBH. The only good thing about buying new is warranty. By doing this, you will cut back on $$losses from being unsatisfied with your tone
 
#9
If you like the volume of the LH then you are going to miss it with the 450 and B2RE (which are technically the same thing), if you want a graphic EQ then get a EQ pedal.
 
#10
TLW said:
Don't come into his thread and hate on him.

Its not your money.

If he doesn't like his head, he doesn't like it.

Just because someone thinks an LH1000 sucks doesn't mean that they don't appreciate their gear.

I mean, its a valid opinion. As all opinions about bass gear are valid.

I mean, we have SX lovers on TB, lol see? Valid opinions.

It actually sounds like you are just PO'd that someone doesn't like the more expensive version of your amp.
Click to expand...

What we have here looks to be a a classic troll-job. At worst, he's a troll trying to stir up nonsense. At best, he's an ungrateful kid who wants advice in order to manipulate his mother into dumping $700 more into a rig that cost over a grand to begin with. Either way, I'm betting his mother shuts him down no matter what scatter-shot advice he gets from here attempting to figure out what kind of tone he supposedly wants. Moms are good like that, being sensible and all... :p
 
#11
fireincairo said:
What we have here looks to be a a classic troll-job. At worst, he's a troll trying to stir up nonsense. At best, he's an ungrateful kid who wants advice in order to manipulate his mother into dumping $700 more into a rig that cost over a grand to begin with. Either way, I'm betting his mother shuts him down no matter what scatter-shot advice he gets from here attempting to figure out what kind of tone he supposedly wants. Moms are good like that, being sensible and all... :p
Click to expand...

I totally agree that he may be an ungrateful kid, but in the end, its his mom's decision and not ours.

The best we can do is give him GOOD advice so that he does not make the same mistake again. ;)
 
#12
He is just a kid, there is no need to be so harsh on him.
I was just like that about a year ago, he will learn that he will have to pay for his own stuff but calling him a troll and ungrateful is not going to help him one bit.
 
#14
Well, he hasn't even explained what he wants yet. He's talking about features, but does he even understand the tones he wants? That LH amp is very versatile with a bad monkey in front of it, if he's looking for overdriven tones. The EQ is awesome on that amp, too. As most know, graphic EQ's can sound quite terrible when not manipulated properly.
 
#16
You have every right not to like your current rig regardless of your age & I cared just as much about my sound (if not more) when I was 15 as I do now. Your amp does have a real EQ & if it had been designed with a multi band graphic, it probably wouldn't sound a whole lot different. You have a rig that's loud and clear - not much else is going to be expected of you @ age 15. Also keep in mind that your 'sound' is going to be different in every venue you play and at different locations of every room. The sound you hear standing in front of your amp in your house is NOT the same sound the crowd is going to hear- 95% of them will basically hear your bass in the mix & beyond that not give a hoot.
If you absolutely don't like your head, sorry but I don't like it either. I tried one a few months ago after hearing rave reviews & found it loud & clear but dry & sterile to my ears. I tried the Markbass LMII the same day & thought it was the best bass sound I ever heard & I don't think anything touches it anywhere near it's $600 price. I played the new LMIII @ NAMM in January and it has some improvements that are worth waiting for - you may want to hold on to the LH1000 for a while until the LMIII comes out. If you like distortion, sorry I can't help you with that - I've spent my whole life trying to keep any distortion from any source out of my sound.There is also a LMIII 800 watter coming out, but I think it's digital power section will change the tone. Be careful when you purchase at your age becuase buying and selling constantly won't be possible - make sure something really wows you before you hit the go button.
All this is IMO and IME - I'm in a bit of a crappy mood 2nite so I really don't want to hear it if I ruffled any feathers, expecially after reading some of the posts to this young player that is just looking for advise from us.
:spit:
Good Luck from Las Vegas.
 
#18
Stumbo said:
Sounds like you have a really great amp.
I suggest you add a tube effects unit like "Blue Tube".
Something like that will most likely get the sound you want.

Here's a link to an old TB thread that describes it.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=70913
Click to expand...

+1 on the idea; i am not familiar with the effect.

i don't know anything other than the fact that your mom is a factor. i will assume that you don't have a ton of money to dump into a new head.

according to your profile, Geezer/JPJ are some of your faves. When that is paired with the fact that you harke it too clean, i would guess that you are probably a fan of slightly dirty, tube clipping bass tones. I doubt that you will find that in your price range (they are out of my current range).

I suggest giving a pedal like a sans amp bass driver DI, sans amp VT bass, or the pedal mentioned by Stumbo a try. Both sans amps have eq's (though not a graphic/slider style) and the ability to dirty up your sound (approximating a tube amp's clipping). They are both useful to have. Instead of getting a new head which you might get a more favorable sound from, you will have two sounds at your feet... clean and kinda dirty.

If they don't meet you EQ needs, you can always grab a graphic eq pedal and have 4 tone combos (clean, clean w/ dirty pedal, dirty pedal, dirty pedal w/ eq).

If you still don't like the head, you'll still have broader sound pallet with a new head down the road.

ultimately, it's probably easier to get eventually get your mom to buy (save up for) a pedal from craigslist, ebay, guitar center, etc. than to say "mom, i dislike this expensive purchase you made for me enough to trade it in for something else." i am not judging... i am trying to empathize.

check'em here: http://www.tech21nyc.com/
 
#19
Yo Josh, the amp setup sounds fine... what bass you playing? That has a lot to do with it... a new set of roundwound strings with brighten up your tone.

I agree with TLW, the Sansamp VT will get you a 'tube' sound straight out of the box; I have a Sansamp and it stays on all the time. There are other pedals that will move your sound in the direction you want... but I'd also suggest searching in Talkbass for ''Hartke LH1000 settings" in the SEARCH box, you may find some suggestions about how to best run that head.

Good luck
 
#20
So, did any of you people that were against me on this ever stop and think that maybe I wasn't forcing my Mom to "dump" money on me, and maybe it was my own money I was spending? No, I didn't think so. The reason she probably won't let me get another head is because, like I said before, she doesn't know a lot about this stuff and doesn't understand why I would need something different.


Thanks to those who posted a response that was helpful.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back