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Jad Freer Sisma Mega Thread.
- Thread starter gtirard
- Start date
Sisma in action with a Venere 110 cab
I didn't know Logan Kane until I've seen Jad Freer's Instagram post. Quite impressive…
I didn't know Logan Kane until I've seen Jad Freer's Instagram post. Quite impressive…
Hi
a short review after spending few weeks with my Jad Freer Volta.
The Volta is still amazing. It is so basic. It is only me and the bass. Every Sound you dial in sounds awesome.
Sometimes I do not know what I should do because the only thing you can do is play bass
. Other amps make me twist the knobs every time and I am not playing bass.
With my Superbassman I always were looking for a good sound and twisted the knobs. When you used the overdrive channel you do not want to go back to the vintage channel - so for me the two channels of the superbassman was not necessary, because one channel sounds better than the other and I didn't want switch between bad and better. I turned the knobs every time to dial in a good sound.
With the Volta I do not care that much about settings because it always sounds awesome. So it is only me and the bass.
I am really impressed how different it sound with other basses. My first Ampeg CL always has the same sound and it doesn't matter if there was a J or a P bass. But the one sound was always good. The Heritage CL was different, but the character was the same.
Hiwatt and Ampeg B15 were very sensitive about different instruments, playing style and dynamic.
I often switch during a song between fingers, plectrum and thumb. On both amps you could hear the difference which I liked, but I always had to change my eq for each instrument or playingstyle.
On the Volta you can hear the difference between the playing style and instrument without the need to set up the eq new. I really like it.
I think the Sisma and Capo is awesome too, but I do not have experience yet.
I am still playing with my Fender 410 and because of @Andrea Lo and @carsonchilders I will order the Minvera 212 soon (or today )
a short review after spending few weeks with my Jad Freer Volta.
The Volta is still amazing. It is so basic. It is only me and the bass. Every Sound you dial in sounds awesome.
Sometimes I do not know what I should do because the only thing you can do is play bass
. Other amps make me twist the knobs every time and I am not playing bass.With my Superbassman I always were looking for a good sound and twisted the knobs. When you used the overdrive channel you do not want to go back to the vintage channel - so for me the two channels of the superbassman was not necessary, because one channel sounds better than the other and I didn't want switch between bad and better. I turned the knobs every time to dial in a good sound.
With the Volta I do not care that much about settings because it always sounds awesome. So it is only me and the bass.
I am really impressed how different it sound with other basses. My first Ampeg CL always has the same sound and it doesn't matter if there was a J or a P bass. But the one sound was always good. The Heritage CL was different, but the character was the same.
Hiwatt and Ampeg B15 were very sensitive about different instruments, playing style and dynamic.
I often switch during a song between fingers, plectrum and thumb. On both amps you could hear the difference which I liked, but I always had to change my eq for each instrument or playingstyle.
On the Volta you can hear the difference between the playing style and instrument without the need to set up the eq new. I really like it.
I think the Sisma and Capo is awesome too, but I do not have experience yet.
I am still playing with my Fender 410 and because of @Andrea Lo and @carsonchilders I will order the Minvera 212 soon (or today
)
carsonchilders
Carson Childers
Very cool! I hope to experience the Volta one day myselfHi
a short review after spending few weeks with my Jad Freer Volta.
The Volta is still amazing. It is so basic. It is only me and the bass. Every Sound you dial in sounds awesome.
Sometimes I do not know what I should do because the only thing you can do is play bass
With my Superbassman I always were looking for a good sound and twisted the knobs. When you used the overdrive channel you do not want to go back to the vintage channel - so for me the two channels of the superbassman was not necessary, because one channel sounds better than the other and I didn't want switch between bad and better. I turned the knobs every time to dial in a good sound.
With the Volta I do not care that much about settings because it always sounds awesome. So it is only me and the bass.
I am really impressed how different it sound with other basses. My first Ampeg CL always has the same sound and it doesn't matter if there was a J or a P bass. But the one sound was always good. The Heritage CL was different, but the character was the same.
Hiwatt and Ampeg B15 were very sensitive about different instruments, playing style and dynamic.
I often switch during a song between fingers, plectrum and thumb. On both amps you could hear the difference which I liked, but I always had to change my eq for each instrument or playingstyle.
On the Volta you can hear the difference between the playing style and instrument without the need to set up the eq new. I really like it.
I think the Sisma and Capo is awesome too, but I do not have experience yet.
I am still playing with my Fender 410 and because of @Andrea Lo and @carsonchilders I will order the Minvera 212 soon (or today
I hope you enjoy the 212, I think it's stellar
Have you looked at the Bergantino HG410X?Hi
a short review after spending few weeks with my Jad Freer Volta.
The Volta is still amazing. It is so basic. It is only me and the bass. Every Sound you dial in sounds awesome.
Sometimes I do not know what I should do because the only thing you can do is play bass
With my Superbassman I always were looking for a good sound and twisted the knobs. When you used the overdrive channel you do not want to go back to the vintage channel - so for me the two channels of the superbassman was not necessary, because one channel sounds better than the other and I didn't want switch between bad and better. I turned the knobs every time to dial in a good sound.
With the Volta I do not care that much about settings because it always sounds awesome. So it is only me and the bass.
I am really impressed how different it sound with other basses. My first Ampeg CL always has the same sound and it doesn't matter if there was a J or a P bass. But the one sound was always good. The Heritage CL was different, but the character was the same.
Hiwatt and Ampeg B15 were very sensitive about different instruments, playing style and dynamic.
I often switch during a song between fingers, plectrum and thumb. On both amps you could hear the difference which I liked, but I always had to change my eq for each instrument or playingstyle.
On the Volta you can hear the difference between the playing style and instrument without the need to set up the eq new. I really like it.
I think the Sisma and Capo is awesome too, but I do not have experience yet.
I am still playing with my Fender 410 and because of @Andrea Lo and @carsonchilders I will order the Minvera 212 soon (or today
Bergantino HG410X
Yes, that is the one. I had used it last and sent it on to him. I checked back with him and he said he kept it and was then interested in the cabs after playing through one at NAMM…Is there still a sample Sisma in the states that was going around? Is that the same one that Sean Hurley supposedly kept?
Yes, but I never tried a Bergantino cab. They are very rare in Europe. There is only one store (300-400 miles away) which has Bergantino.
I recently bought the Sisma, despite already being more than happy with my Mesa WD-800. I had the opportunity to play the Sisma at the Guitar Shop NYC and it smoked. So when I had the chance to get one with a return policy, I took the opportunity to sit with it. I am going to sell my Mesa now.
The main reason:
The Sisma actually sounds and feels like an SVT or other powerful all tube head. The attack, fundamental, and thump of the note are so strong and cut more than the WD-800, though there is nothing wrong with the latter. It is a great amp and never thought I would part with it. The WD-800's power amp damping knob tries to emulate this feel of all tube amps but doesn't do what the Sisma dies in this very specific regard. My drummer said I was splitting hairs, so you might only experience this difference as a bass player. Interestingly, you can plug directly into the Sisma's power amp through the effects return and get a very clean sound that, to me, lacks the same thump, a tone much more similar to the WD-800.
I like the bass and treble on the Sisma better than on the WD-800 as well. The bass is a fuller sound that I usually get from an active onboard preamp than on an amp eq, if this makes sense. The treble is also sweeter and I regularly use it. On the WD-800, I never used the treble.
The Sisma is way more vintage-sounding than the WD-800, but it is a very full-range and rich vintage tone. It reminds me of the 78' SVT I used to own.
Because of the above characteristics, my pedals also sound very different in ways that are not "better" just different, especially my Brown Dog pedal produces a fuzzier, richer distortion than before. My MXR octave has a bass heavier sound generally speaking. More thud and thump.
Small note:
My Sisma has done excellently at loud volumes with the Ampeg 4x10 cabinet but with my Barefaced 1x10 it does not sound as good as my Ampeg PF20, an all tube 20-watt amp.
Conclusions:
If you can splurge on the Sisma, then definitely splurge to get that SVT-like tone. If you can't, then you can be more than happy with the WD-800 which is still a great amp that has always served me well.
If you want a very hi-fi, balanced, very detailed sound, I would go with the WD-800. But if you want a sweeter, thumpier, tubey sound, then go for the Sisma.
Hope this helps!
The main reason:
The Sisma actually sounds and feels like an SVT or other powerful all tube head. The attack, fundamental, and thump of the note are so strong and cut more than the WD-800, though there is nothing wrong with the latter. It is a great amp and never thought I would part with it. The WD-800's power amp damping knob tries to emulate this feel of all tube amps but doesn't do what the Sisma dies in this very specific regard. My drummer said I was splitting hairs, so you might only experience this difference as a bass player. Interestingly, you can plug directly into the Sisma's power amp through the effects return and get a very clean sound that, to me, lacks the same thump, a tone much more similar to the WD-800.
I like the bass and treble on the Sisma better than on the WD-800 as well. The bass is a fuller sound that I usually get from an active onboard preamp than on an amp eq, if this makes sense. The treble is also sweeter and I regularly use it. On the WD-800, I never used the treble.
The Sisma is way more vintage-sounding than the WD-800, but it is a very full-range and rich vintage tone. It reminds me of the 78' SVT I used to own.
Because of the above characteristics, my pedals also sound very different in ways that are not "better" just different, especially my Brown Dog pedal produces a fuzzier, richer distortion than before. My MXR octave has a bass heavier sound generally speaking. More thud and thump.
Small note:
My Sisma has done excellently at loud volumes with the Ampeg 4x10 cabinet but with my Barefaced 1x10 it does not sound as good as my Ampeg PF20, an all tube 20-watt amp.
Conclusions:
If you can splurge on the Sisma, then definitely splurge to get that SVT-like tone. If you can't, then you can be more than happy with the WD-800 which is still a great amp that has always served me well.
If you want a very hi-fi, balanced, very detailed sound, I would go with the WD-800. But if you want a sweeter, thumpier, tubey sound, then go for the Sisma.
Hope this helps!
Last edited:
That helps! Thanks! Can you talk more about Sisma and the Barefaced 12? I have a SuperTwin and was curious how it would sound. I use an Aguilar db751 but most of the time outside it’s a th500.
FWIW I have Sisma and a Super Compact (half of a Super Twin) and I think it rocks - one of the best rig I ever played. I don't think Sisma has any inherent SVT color like @acolwe says, maybe the SVT tone comes from his Ampeg cab more than the amp. But I fully agree with @acolwe about the "tube feel" of Sisma. It's a matter of taste and personal preference really, I'm glad my rig doesn't sound too much like a SVT. I also have a Barefaced One10 which is more colored, but I prefer Sisma with my Super Compact.
For me, they work really well together, because Sisma gives me the warmth and the character, and the SC just amplifies that with depth and precision. Together, they really give me that punch in the stomach, without ever being muddy. I can't even think about how glorious it must be with a Super Twin.
Edit: by the way, I'm seing photos of Sisma rigs everywhere recently on social media (and not only Jad Freer socials), it's so nice to see so many bassists using it!
Sorry, it's actually a Barefaced 1x10. It sounds good, but somehow it sounds too "woofy" to me. The PF20 doesn't have this woofiness. It's probably super subjective and maybe I could EQ it better. But for sure the PF20 sounded better to me through the same cab. My only thought is that this woofiness comes from such a powerful amp pushing the small speaker hard, even at low volumes. Don't read into this too much, though.
Cool, we agree - for some reason the One10 is not the best matching cab for Sisma. I don't think that it's because the One10 prefers low wattage amps, because my One10 sounds great with the Quilter Bass Block (450W @8 Ω). I think it's more because the coloration of the One10 is not ideal with Sisma's own character. Barefaced 12 inch cabs being more neutral, they pair very well with Sisma's character. IMHO.
Are you guys trying to get me to spend like $4k on a new amp and cab?!
This is what we in Australia have to deal with constantly. I wanted to buy a Bergantino 2x10 cabinet. At $2300 I declined. Mesa, Genzler, Aguilar stuff and the like are all very expensive.
The ability to plug into the return and just get a clean class G amp is one of the neat qualities of the Sisma. I have 2 of them that I run in stereo and it is a great option to either have the “tube” tone or the “clean” tone from the exact same amp just depending on where you want to plug in. If you run the Capo in front of the return input it also sounds awesome.
