Marshall Super bass 100w

[bennymalta]

Hey guys, I'm about to buy the marshall super bass 100watt mk1 (for bass guitar obv.). Now i never tried this amp out and its not possible for me to try it in the near future, so I just wanted to see whether you guys have any experience with these amps... I mean im confident about the tone but I'm really worried that it wownt deliver when it comes down to the low end. Im confident on buying say...an SVT Cl or an Ad 200 ....but i just want something more authentically vintage sounding. Does this amp deliver those low freq? its gonna be rigged into a 4x10 svt hlf...

thanks

 

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Having played through numerous 100W tube amps with different cab setups including a JMP1959 with 412 and 215 JCM800 cabs over a few decades, I'd say that the low end You're most probably hoping for just isn't there.

BUT, the vintage bass tone IMHO isn't about the super deep low end, it's about very defined low mids and strong mids. To me anyway .

Definitely try before You buy.
I simply love the tone, You may not.

Regards
Sam

 

[nysbob]

I love the old marshall sound, but I don't think it's a good match for an HLF cab...not much is, quite honestly, those cabs are super boomy.

Think sealed 4x12 or 2x15.

 

[bennymalta]

what do you mean by boomy?

 

[nysbob]

what do you mean by boomy?

I mean a whole lot of 80-200hz. I'll admit to not having gigged one...just tried them out a few times, but that was my impression.

Not knowing what sort of music you play or at what level, it's a little difficult...maybe you'll love it.

 

[MoeTown1986]

what do you mean by boomy?

i've gigged with one and now matter what i did it was boomy and low mid nasaly. i agree, get a sealed cab. or just not an HFL

 

[godofthunder59]

I have had numerous 100w super bass heads over the years paired with a good 2x15 cab it will have plenty of low end. I always ran 2x15 and 4x12s sounded killer.

 

[RFord04]

I'm not sure I'd personally ever call the HLF nasaly... lots of lows and low mids is basically the opposite of nasaly, but they definitely do have a ton of low end. A lot of folks around here don't like the HLF with a tube amp because it's ported and gets really muddy. I tend to agree, though my experience with a Marshall tube bass amp leads me to believe that it might not be as bad with that head, as the superbass I tried had very little low end on tap. If you're looking for low end that you feel in your chest, you might want to look for a setup somewhere between the head and cab you are looking at... maybe a different head with more low end and a different cab with a little less low-low end.

 

[Seans]

Never had a low end problem with my Mk11 and 4x12 100w, but those early Greenbacks are very good speakers, sound wise and perhaps not efficiently wise though. Seems the amps are best paired with 12s or 15s not 10s.

 

[Bassmec]

Well for some time in the latter 1/4 of the last century, of the last millennia. There was a group of persons clad in purple that did worship
at the cabinet clad altar of the Marshall bass head.
Invalid Link Removed
I was one of those poor souls that did provide the requisite flare flapping action with a Selmer Goliath 18" when the original 50 watt goodmans audium 90 blew up and was replaced by a just invented Celestion 100 watt 18" driver to add the flapp to the 4X12"which was equipped with black back 55hz fs Marshall Celestion bass drivers.
But all you need today it seems, is a lap top or an Ipad running Garage
Band amp sim, and a pair of in ears.
I remember the days before They! even downsized the amount of fabrics necessary to make fashionable trousers and made shoes that novelly added very little to your height. (No doubt to avoid encroachment on bat populations navigation)
Now we apprentice rock stars all have to drive the embarrasing vehicular equivalent of an isetta bubble car, instead of a sleek Jaguar V 12 or suffer complaint from the new global political blitz krieg of the green supremacist party.
PS Go over Big With Marshall was our watchword, slogan and creed until Rock and Roll was finally defeated and slain at the battle of SMPS by green mediocrity and their now ubigitous stealth amplifiers.

 

[iiipopes]

Now we apprentice rock stars all have to drive the embarrasing vehicular equivalent of an isetta bubble car, instead of a sleek Jaguar V 12 or suffer complaint from the new global political blitz krieg of the green supremacist party.

I don't know. I play a mean guitar and bass. When I was in the UK, I always ate at the steak bar, and I do love to drive in my Jaguar - 1967 E type convertible. It's green and supreme. BRG, that is. With black leather.

 

[godofthunder59]

As for lows I let FOH take care of that. But I never lacked on stage.

 

[oddgrowth]

Not sure what you mean by the MK I, cos there was only the the straight "JMP" superbass and the "JCM" MK II superbass.

Anyway I had both. It took awhile to find the right cab for the Mk II. I bought a sealed marshall 2x15 cab, and a sealed 2x10/1x15 cab, both 30"x30" (standard marshall cab size) & extra deep. Neither sounded quite right. Nothing truly worked until I found a 4x12 marshall 1935 bass cab (that happened to come w/another MKII head). It was issued w/bass speakers, but mine had been replaced w/celestion gt12 75's. It lasted about a year before I blew out 1 of 'em.

It will not produce superduper lows, like said above the super bass is about very defined low mids and strong mids. That's why some guitarists love them. I played mine in a punk/thrash type band and it blended perfectly w/the marshall guitar amps it was paired w/.

I ended up selling the JMP and keeping the JCM. The JMP was especially badass when jumping the channels, but there was really no control over the tone - it was basically all or nuthin. I just preferred the tone and control I had with the JCM, it has specific bass controls for "slope" and "mid sweep".

It's kinda hard to say what will work for you not knowing what style of music your playing, but I'd say the 4x10 isn't a very good idea in any case.

 

[bennymalta]

thanks a lot guys for the feedback, I play in a psychedelia - vintage rock/blues band, we havent quite found our sound yet thought.

 

[rodl2005]

Should sound great for that type of music.
I agree that the 410HLF isn't the "best"cab for it tho, tuned too low imo.
A good 610 (Nv610) is great with it. I had a mkii a while back. Definately not big in the huge lows area, but that ain't what they excell in.

 

[Bossco]

You don't offer what bass you're playing. That matters.
Personally I could never get a reasonably good loud tone from a Marshall 100. In the 70's it was backline standard, but took stacks to get volume & still I thought tone lacking. The other alternative usually then was a Sunn 215 which I'd choose. IIRC best ever was a Hiwatt DR201 through two 215 cabs. Anyway, I still have a Hiwatt DR112 with matching SE4122 cab that works great with a Ricky 4003 (great psychedelia bass btw ;-), but not all that loud. It needs a 2nd cab or a 215.

Whatever you do, dump that 410 idea!

 

[BassmanPaul]

For most of us, in todays world, a 100W amp is little more than a practice amp. If you're looking for clean bass tones you won't find it in a 100W amp. I know a lot of players actually like the distortion these amps give but I thought the point should be made.

 

[godofthunder59]

I am currently playing through a Hiwatt DR201 and a Hiwatt 2150(2x15) and a Hiwatt 4x12 Great set up!

You don't offer what bass you're playing. That matters.
Personally I could never get a reasonably good loud tone from a Marshall 100. In the 70's it was backline standard, but took stacks to get volume & still I thought tone lacking. The other alternative usually then was a Sunn 215 which I'd choose. IIRC best ever was a Hiwatt DR201 through two 215 cabs. Anyway, I still have a Hiwatt DR112 with matching SE4122 cab that works great with a Ricky 4003 (great psychedelia bass btw ;-), but not all that loud. It needs a 2nd cab or a 215.

Whatever you do, dump that 410 idea!

 

[Zentner]

That hiwatt rig is absolutely glorious.

 

[oinkbanana]

that hiwatt rig needs to be stacked for total glory.