Congratulations on taking the plunge! I'm digging mine more than ever. I decided to try a vintage tube in the V1 position and snagged a 1965 Tung Sol 6188/6SU7. As good as it sounded originally, it got better!
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Kevin Shaw Amps
- Thread starter Mike Arnopol
- Start date
Congratulations on taking the plunge! I'm digging mine more than ever. I decided to try a vintage tube in the V1 position and snagged a 1965 Tung Sol 6188/6SU7. As good as it sounded originally, it got better!
She's here! I had Kevin do the cabinet too..... 115, no horn, with a Beta 15. Good gawd, the rig sounds just like a heavy weight version of my b15. I played through a Ampeg 810 at Kevin's, and it sounded beautiful! I can't wait to get it plugged into my Heritage 810. Anyway......
Congratulations, brother! Kevin builds righteous gear to last a lifetime.
Kevin's work is down right impeccable! I was really kind of worried about the cabinet, but wow!.... It nails the tone I'm after. For giggles, I plugged in my gk 400rb, and I was amazed. Vintage vibe, without breaking a sweat. Kevin's son plays, and he was loving how the cabinet sounds. We gig on Friday, so we'll report back with how the rig does!
Okay..... Some Monday musings after getting a bunch of jam time this weekend...
One thing posted earlier was that the B150 feels like about the same power as a 500 watt solid state head. I'm not so sure about that. My gk 700rbII slams..... So maybe not a fair comparison. However, it really doesn't feel quite as powerful as my aggy th500 either. I'd say it has a hair more clean volume than my recently recapped gk400rb (first series). Not a bad thing, because a gk400rb into an 810 is killer, and more than enough volume for my needs..... In fact, anytime I've "needed" the 810 there has always been foh support. Anyway, the B150 sounds fantastic through the Heritage 810, and will make your eye balls rattle in the sockets when cranked!
The 115 has really opened up, and sounds great. Vintage vibe, and it has a tight almost sealed thing going on.
I plugged my b15 into the 115, and I don't think I could tell the difference between it and the B150 once volume matched and blindfolded (B150 with mid switch on 6). Note to self..... May be time to get a beta 15 to put into my b15, and retire the original.
Anyway, I'm mega stoked to have this rig. Kevin has done a great job on the B150. I think it will easily prove to be well worth the money.
One thing posted earlier was that the B150 feels like about the same power as a 500 watt solid state head. I'm not so sure about that. My gk 700rbII slams..... So maybe not a fair comparison. However, it really doesn't feel quite as powerful as my aggy th500 either. I'd say it has a hair more clean volume than my recently recapped gk400rb (first series). Not a bad thing, because a gk400rb into an 810 is killer, and more than enough volume for my needs..... In fact, anytime I've "needed" the 810 there has always been foh support. Anyway, the B150 sounds fantastic through the Heritage 810, and will make your eye balls rattle in the sockets when cranked!
The 115 has really opened up, and sounds great. Vintage vibe, and it has a tight almost sealed thing going on.
I plugged my b15 into the 115, and I don't think I could tell the difference between it and the B150 once volume matched and blindfolded (B150 with mid switch on 6). Note to self..... May be time to get a beta 15 to put into my b15, and retire the original.
Anyway, I'm mega stoked to have this rig. Kevin has done a great job on the B150. I think it will easily prove to be well worth the money.
Okay, it's after 3:00 a.m. and I just got home, but I told @JimmyM that I'd let him know when I played my first gig with an all-tube head and it's just happened, so here I am.
Shaw B-150 into my 18Sound loaded MAS 112 (for those who don't know, that cab is about the size of a 2x12 but more beastly than any conventional 2x12 I've played -- I've pushed it pretty hard with my Genz Benz GBE 1200 more than once and it never broke a sweat with that head).
Some observations:
That's all for now!
Shaw B-150 into my 18Sound loaded MAS 112 (for those who don't know, that cab is about the size of a 2x12 but more beastly than any conventional 2x12 I've played -- I've pushed it pretty hard with my Genz Benz GBE 1200 more than once and it never broke a sweat with that head).
Some observations:
- I played the first half of the gig with a nice, class AB, solid state head. It sounded good. When I switched to the Shaw, though, it was bigger and richer -- not necessarily louder, but it filled the room up in a different way. More 3D, more detailed -- more clear, though the envelope of the note was rounder. It sounded really friggin' good, sat in the mix beautifully, and filled up all the spaces it needed to fill up. People -- musicians on stage and musicians I knew in the audience -- noticed a positive difference.
- Feel was different than the SS head -- felt a bit softer than I wanted for about a minute, until I adapted and changed my touch at the instrument -- then it felt responsive, articulate... I think a little easier to play than the SS head. Slap and fingerstyle were both great. Chords spoke clearly.
- This was a loud gig and got louder by the end of the night (that said, the sound in the house was still surprisingly decent despite that -- PA wasn't super loud and I think my MAS 112 had something to do with it, too -- when I've played that cab at that club before I've noticed that it cleans up the stage mix a lot -- much less woof and boom than the house cab(s), more clear low end with better pitch definition. I was glad that I went to the trouble of bringing it.
- Even with the moderately efficient version of the 112 I've got, the Shaw stayed clean up to higher volumes than I anticipated. (I usually run with the "Pull shift" -- boosts gain -- engaged, but found that it stayed cleaner without, at these higher volumes.) I was able to be very present in the mix -- as present as I wanted to be -- for the first three-quarters of the gig and stay clean.
- Toward the end of the gig we had some "special guests" and things got stupid-loud -- louder than I've experienced in a good while -- I had the volume set at 8.5-9/10 by then, with my passive P/J, and things were starting to break up on hard hits -- could get a full-on overdriven growl on chords strummed hard. Still sounded good and notes were still clearly delineated despite the compression and distortion starting to happen on big peaks, and I started using my touch -- digging in to take advantage of that when I wanted to. Through a more efficient cab (like my 210 Flex Mod), I think it would be plenty for all but the loudest stuff I've played.
- A friend came by with a '79 Pbass and sat in on several tunes (we decided that the P-bass + tube amp thing had to happen). He dug it in a big way and it sounded great with his P-bass -- again, surprisingly clearly delineated-but-big-and-round notes, despite having some hair on them.
- Even with the moderately efficient version of the 112 I've got, the Shaw stayed clean up to higher volumes than I anticipated. (I usually run with the "Pull shift" -- boosts gain -- engaged, but found that it stayed cleaner without, at these higher volumes.) I was able to be very present in the mix -- as present as I wanted to be -- for the first three-quarters of the gig and stay clean.
- The thing about tube amps not being high-passed and extending really low -- yep, I saw that in action tonight. Never noticed it practicing at home, but that amp, pushed, made the woofer in my MAS 112 move to an extent that I'm not sure I'd seen before. Makes me wonder about using my FDeck in front of the amp.
- A bit more static than I'm used to with better SS heads (though less than some), but way less than I've heard through many tube amps. Only really noticed it on occasion in between tunes. This head might benefit from some new power tubes and a re-bias, so I'll withhold judgement on just what's "normal" for now.
- The D.I. built into the amp (an option you can order) worked very well.
That's all for now!
What were your settings?
I was worried about it being only 150 watts when I was contemplating buying mine. But really, you're playing stupid loud at the point it runs out of room. Luckily for me, we run all but the smallest of rooms with foh, and we're just a 3pc. In fact, I haven't even had the volume above 5, and that's without the shift engaged. The balanced out sounds better than really good..... It sounds incredible! The mids on the Shaw are a thing of beauty. I'm addicted to the 6th position.... It sounds and feels just like my b15.
Edit.... I don't notice any static or hiss.... In fact, I was surprised at how quiet it is.... But then again, the cabs I use with mine don't have horns.
I was worried about it being only 150 watts when I was contemplating buying mine. But really, you're playing stupid loud at the point it runs out of room. Luckily for me, we run all but the smallest of rooms with foh, and we're just a 3pc. In fact, I haven't even had the volume above 5, and that's without the shift engaged. The balanced out sounds better than really good..... It sounds incredible! The mids on the Shaw are a thing of beauty. I'm addicted to the 6th position.... It sounds and feels just like my b15.
Edit.... I don't notice any static or hiss.... In fact, I was surprised at how quiet it is.... But then again, the cabs I use with mine don't have horns.
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Sounds like a fun gig, @MarkA! Thanks for posting your observations. I don't run without the Fdeck in front of mine. I've never noticed any static either...
I don't run without the Fdeck in front of mine. I've never noticed any static either...Settings varied, but I kept the midrange in the 3rd or 4th position -- think I gravitated to 4th by the end of the night. Bass maybe around 7, though I tried it between 5 and 8. Treble I tried both pushed in (around 7, maybe a little higher) and with the "pull bright" engaged (maybe around 4, then). The Treble control strikes me as pretty widely voiced (and the voicing varies with the midrange selector switch position), with the "Bright" starting up higher, so you can get pretty different mid-upper mid-treble profiles between those controls.
Even with the super-deep lows the amp was putting out, it got louder with that cab than my former Markbass F500 did (the cab is 8 Ohms). The F500 barely tickled that woofer, though, whereas the Shaw was giving it a workout by the end. I think I started with the volume around 6, maybe a bit higher, but at the end of the night the volume was pushing 9. I said something about it after the gig. I did run the amp pretty close to "knobs at noon" for awhile.
"Stupid loud" varies with context, but we were louder than we needed to be. The amp was louder than I expected it to be but I think my GBE 1200 would go significantly louder, particularly while staying clean.
As for the buzz/hum, I bought the amp used so the tubes have some miles on them and FedEx gave it a bit of a rough ride (I did have it check out by an area tech)... Kevin Shaw suggested trying a new set. I've been told that tube amps are noisier than SS amps -- and the examples I've heard -- those I've noticed, anyway! -- would seem to bear that at least partially out. This is my first tube amp, though, so I'm not sure what to expect generally in terms of noise or of the effect that different/new tubes can have on the noise. No one remarked on it on the gig, but I was aware of it, a bit, between tunes. Sound man did not have a problem with the DI feed and he's told me before when he had.
Sounds like a fun gig, @MarkA! Thanks for posting your observations.
I might have to give that a shot. I'm reluctant to put anything in the signal path that I don't have to -- don't want to mess up the nice interaction my passive bass has with the front end of the amp -- but I might have to try that next time I want to play a loud gig with it. I don't think I'd use it for low volume stuff (though it could certainly be useful for taming a boomy room, in addition to conserving amp/cab headroom).
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We played a really small room last night. In fact, it's so small, I ran my b15 the last time we played there. FOH for vocals only. The Shaw's tone was killing! I used the 115 that Kevin built for me (he hates doing bass cabs, but his workmanship is crazy good, and the cab sounds great). The volume knob was just a hair under 3, but there was still that satisfying hairy grunt going on. Bass and treble were both at 5, mid voicing on 6, and neither the pull shift or bright were used. I played my Fender CS '59 Pbass, strung with Sadowsky Blue Label Flats. I love mids, and my rig delivers in spades.
I know we see a lot of posts where folks say "the audience can't hear the difference" when we're talking about our gear. But non musician folks that frequent our weekly blues jam, where I run a Gk 400RB (killer amp in its own right), told me they love the tone of my Shaw rig, and wondered why I don't use it at the blues jam..... When the crowd notices the difference, that is saying something!
I know we see a lot of posts where folks say "the audience can't hear the difference" when we're talking about our gear. But non musician folks that frequent our weekly blues jam, where I run a Gk 400RB (killer amp in its own right), told me they love the tone of my Shaw rig, and wondered why I don't use it at the blues jam..... When the crowd notices the difference, that is saying something!
Better than really nice! Mine is becoming integral to my sound. It is about as important to my sound as my pbass. I can't say that about any other amp I have played. It's taken the joy I have in playing up another notch!
So worth every penny! The balanced out is incredible too! I don't even think about mic'ing it, because the out sounds so unbelievably good.
@MarkA - I wish you could plug your favorite bass to into this and hear and feel how good the Shaw is with the new configuration:
It surrounds you with big, clear, juicy, controlled but bouncy full-spectrum response from a whisper to a roar. Mike's cabinets are in a league of their own - amazing.
It surrounds you with big, clear, juicy, controlled but bouncy full-spectrum response from a whisper to a roar. Mike's cabinets are in a league of their own - amazing.
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I can only imagine! I don't doubt that it's extraordinary.@MarkA - I wish you could plug your favorite bass to hear and feel how good the Shaw is with the new configuration:
View attachment 2832389
It surrounds you with big, clear, juicy, controlled but bouncy full-spectrum response from a whisper to a roar. Mike's cabinets bring new meaning to punch. They can follow and reproduce the envelope of your signal like nothing else. They can hit so hard, you can give yourself a body massage if you're close to the cab and lighting it up.
I don't have a lot of experience with tube amps (and my first experience playing one live, years ago, was not a good one), but the Shaw through Mike's cabs has taught me a new appreciation for them. The control over the deep low end isn't something I've encountered in a traditionally ported cab (the amp has something to do with this, too) and lends itself well to tube-power -- makes it a more viable option, in my opinion, for those who might previously have viewed tube power sections as too slow/squishy. I've taken the Shaw out with the MAS 112, but I'll have to man up and take it out with the Flex one of these days.
The Shaw is a beautiful sounding amp and Kevin Shaw is great to deal with.
I've never noticed the extended lows with a.any of the tube amps I've had either.
I have noticed the terrific 3D type sound tho
I also don't think that tube amps are noisier than other types. Ime... a properly functioning tube amp is as close to silent as I've heard or not
I have noticed the terrific 3D type sound tho
I also don't think that tube amps are noisier than other types. Ime... a properly functioning tube amp is as close to silent as I've heard or not
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So, I glanced back a bit in this thread -- I'd forgotten the long-winded posts I made just a little way up. I mentioned a buzz I was getting. If I haven't said so already, it looks like the buzz was due to one of the KT88s being noisy. The tubes are in pairs and Kevin Shaw said the amp can run on two (making sure you leave one on each side! Also, an 8 Ohm load will run off the 4 Ohm tap, then.). I tried that and tried the tubes in all possible combinations/positions and isolated it to the one tube. Amp is quiet without it, buzzy with it (though still less noisy than many properly functioning guitar amps I've heard). I'm running it at half power with just the pair right now (Kevin mentioned that his son actually prefers it that way) but will likely go back to a quartet when next I want to take it somewhere loud.
I'm wondering if I just need two matched pairs of tubes or a whole matched quartet to run the amp properly. It will of course need to be re-biased...
I'm wondering if I just need two matched pairs of tubes or a whole matched quartet to run the amp properly. It will of course need to be re-biased...
