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I hate all amplifiers

#21
Lots of good responses so far! The Origin Effects unit has a cab sim applied the DI output, so assuming you’ve heard the DI out and you like what you hear, you should be covered for FOH tone.

Regarding your tone on stage, +1 to finding a clean amp with a flexible EQ and pairing it with FR cabs. Other folks have already suggested great options for each. You should then be able to tweak the amp EQ to the room/stage as needed, then trust the SuperVintage DI output to deliver the tone you know and love to FOH.
 
#24
gtirard said:
Most of the time that happens if you set a scooped sound at practice level: it sounds great (flattering) at low volume when you play solo, but it is buried in a band mix and the bass frequencies can become boomy at loud volume, especially if the room accoustics is bad.

Solutions:
- Avoid scooped sounds,
- Use High Pass Filter to remove useless boomy frequencies
Click to expand...
I'll be damned if I haven't tried that already in all its ways, shapes or forms. :crying:

Funny thing is: whenever I do achieve a sound that breaks through the wall of sound, it's the obvious full-on Jaco sound (which I don't even like enough to devote myself to as an always-on sound), and I get comments like "you needs more lows, and please sound less nasal", and I feel like I'm back to square one.

You just can't win.
 
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#28
I've played through all of the amps you listed and enjoyed them all but would describe them similarly. I know this may be out of your price range, as in too inexpensive, but I just picked up a TC BQ500 and love it. Similar volume to other 500 watt amps I've tried. Fat, warm yet clear sound, focused yet with some openness. Doesn't sound cheap at all. I hesitated on this one because the price is so low but have been surprised at how good it sounds. It's clean but warmer than GK, doesn't have baked in grit like the Mesa Walkabout, and doesn't have the always on thickness of the Aguilar.
 
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#32
Savoury Salmon said:
I’ve been playing bass for 15 years now, and I can’t say I’ve loved an amplifier. I have no complaints about my bass, strings, tuner, compressor and other effects, but amplifiers? I dislike them all.

My first amplifier was an Eden World Tour. It worked for the time, the late 90s and early 00s, but I’d sooner wear a bucket hat and oversized jeans with a chained wallet before going back to that hi-fi ton of brick.

The GK 700RB-II sounded like a sterilized scalpel falling on the tiled floor of an operation room. It stripped away all that made basses sound different from one another and made them sound all similarly clean. Loud. And growly when pushed.

The Mesa WD-800 seemed to have everything. Build quality, warranty, HPF, tube, etc. But it had that sort of gritty baked-in tone I disliked and couldn’t get rid of.

I’ve played through an Aguilar Tone Hammer 700, but I hate the drive circuit. I know you can turn it off, but I can’t get my bass loud enough without turning in some of the gain.

I’ve hated every SVTs and SVT preamp pedals I’ve played through. But I recently needed a preamp DI and after comparing the two Origin Effects BassRigs, I went home with the Super Vintage, certain it would’ve been the 64 Black Panel.

Output and blend at 6 o’clock, drive at 8, bass and mid (800) at 2, treble at noon and the switch in the ultra hi position, it’s the best tone I’ve ever had.

So, now what? Should I try playing that setup through a power amplifier or will the pedal not drive it?

Should I get the new GK and hope the pedal over-colours the GK?

I heard the Aguilar AG700 was like a clean Tone Hammer. Maybe I’d like it, and, if not, maybe the SV can over-colour it?

Any other suggestions? Help!

(I’m not trying to be a pessimist here. Thousands of people love their Mesa, GK and Aguilar. There’s nothing wrong with any of them. They’re just not for me.)
Click to expand...
Oh dear.

Bass guitars are amplified instruments. And, what that means is that the instrument is not just limited to the instrument by itself. Rather, the instrument is actually the entire signal chain, from your brain and fingers to the listener’s ear. There are indeed many parts of the various signal chains we play through; which leads to many variables. There is unfortunately no step list for getting everything together to realize your goals, other than trial and error.

Other than the SVT, which I can’t tell if you are referring to the real thing or not, I would generally agree with your impressions; and I personally never used any of those particular amps on a gig. 30 minutes with the WT-400 in the shop when it came out was more than enough for me. FWIW.

The new Mesa amps are all VERY different, with purpose designed character. If the WD-800 didn’t float your boat, I would recommend trying at least the D800+ and the TT800. They are VERY different. I’m personally set with Demeter amps, and unlikely to stop using those. But, there are way more choices than you have listed. All amps are not created the same. Experience is king (meaning trial and error). Internet information is just a start to the journey. Try to enjoy the journey.
 
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#33
Savoury Salmon said:
I’ve been playing bass for 15 years now, and I can’t say I’ve loved an amplifier. I have no complaints about my bass, strings, tuner, compressor and other effects, but amplifiers? I dislike them all.

My first amplifier was an Eden World Tour. It worked for the time, the late 90s and early 00s, but I’d sooner wear a bucket hat and oversized jeans with a chained wallet before going back to that hi-fi ton of brick.

The GK 700RB-II sounded like a sterilized scalpel falling on the tiled floor of an operation room. It stripped away all that made basses sound different from one another and made them sound all similarly clean. Loud. And growly when pushed.

The Mesa WD-800 seemed to have everything. Build quality, warranty, HPF, tube, etc. But it had that sort of gritty baked-in tone I disliked and couldn’t get rid of.

I’ve played through an Aguilar Tone Hammer 700, but I hate the drive circuit. I know you can turn it off, but I can’t get my bass loud enough without turning in some of the gain.

I’ve hated every SVTs and SVT preamp pedals I’ve played through. But I recently needed a preamp DI and after comparing the two Origin Effects BassRigs, I went home with the Super Vintage, certain it would’ve been the 64 Black Panel.

Output and blend at 6 o’clock, drive at 8, bass and mid (800) at 2, treble at noon and the switch in the ultra hi position, it’s the best tone I’ve ever had.

So, now what? Should I try playing that setup through a power amplifier or will the pedal not drive it?

Should I get the new GK and hope the pedal over-colours the GK?

I heard the Aguilar AG700 was like a clean Tone Hammer. Maybe I’d like it, and, if not, maybe the SV can over-colour it?

Any other suggestions? Help!

(I’m not trying to be a pessimist here. Thousands of people love their Mesa, GK and Aguilar. There’s nothing wrong with any of them. They’re just not for me.)
Click to expand...


Mesa D800+. It doesn't have that baked in tone of the WD-800 and the 'voice' control lets you dial in pretty much whatever sound you want. Like you the WD-800 was not my flavor but the D800+ is perfection. Plus I came from a GK RB1001. Compared to that, the D800+ is extra thick and juicy!
 
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#34
The TH is actually very versatile. The Drive circuit is very misunderstood, more a hpf/lpf tone shaper but does interact with the gain to create an OD. With the Gain off and the Drive at 11:00 I get a really warm yet clean tone.

Cabs are more important than amps IMHO, try a higher quality cab, I use Bergs and love them.
 
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#35
I love all my rigs. They work for both electric and upright. I agree with getting some kind of hpf first. Quality cab. I have a fondness for 8" speakers and use a Revsound 48VT and have an MAS 28 and 18. I also love Acoustic Image amp heads for their clean tone. I also own a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0 that has a tube preamp to give a little crunch.

Lots of variables to test out it would seem. But I agree that you should try turning some knobs first. Also, Please let us know what cab you are using. That could be your problem.
 
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#37
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Markbass Ninja 102 500 Richard Bona Signature 500W 2x10’ speakers
 
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#38
You’ve talked a lot about what you don’t like. Let’s take the opposite approach, what do you like? If you share a few things, even just vague descriptors like “slam” or “grunt” or “sparkle”, that will give the gear geniuses here something to work with. No one cares what you don’t like, it doesn’t matter to any of us. Tell us what you want to sound like, what you do like, and there are many here that can suggest various ways to get there. If there isn’t a single recorded bass tone you can point to that you do enjoy…then maybe you just shouldn’t play bass. Find an instrument that does please you. Life is too short to be unhappy.
 
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