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Marshall VBA 400

Stu

Stu

Apr 23, 2000
161
2
England ( UK ) Newcastle Rocks
www.blues-rock.biz
#1
I have this Marshall beast with two 4x12 VBC cabs. I love it and love the tone and grunt that I can get, playing Cream. Hendrix Zeppelin etc. It suits me, but I was wondering if anyone else who has this amp / set up has been able to turn the volume above number 3 ? It shakes walls and rattles windows at anything much above that.. but I love it. I know it sounds like an over the top set up but I've waited many years to have an amp like this.

Also the rest of the band, drums & lead know not to mess with me, upset me or even complain about me ! Ha ! :hyper:

Stay Cool guys


Stu
 
#3
wm1724 said:
Could you post a soundclip of it? I've been very interested in hearing one but no music store seems to carry one to try. BTW: How much does it weigh?
Click to expand...


I own a vba 400, if you want to hear it go to Invalid Link Removed click sounds and listen to a short mp3 . I am using a spector rex pro series through a Tech 21 bass compactor into the vba 400 which drives a 1x15 mesa boogie . Get out the tin helmet! :bassist:
 
#8
Stu said:
Greetings to The Ox !
Hey brother love your tone on the Pinball Wizard clip ! I set the gain on my amp to about 2 o'clock and then it just starts to get edgy, the sustain is enourmous for feedback I have to go a little louder and of course if I knock up the gain a bit more i can have your tone too ! and If i use a pec... Oh My God ! Ha Ha I love my amp
Click to expand...

Hehe your amp seems more like a stadium amp though, i'm just messin around at home for now. Thanks for the info, though.
 
#9
The 0x said:
Hehe your amp seems more like a stadium amp though, i'm just messin around at home for now. Thanks for the info, though.
Click to expand...


WICKED GROWL !! From your sound clips and a fine interpretation of the tracks .
I keep the gain on my vba400 at 5 and depending on how hard i play i can get some deep grunts and a lot of attack from the amp without any overdrive aids. :)
 
#13
Aloha from Hawaii...

Wow! I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread. I have a VBA400 on order, but I'm waiting on my guy, Dan, of Dan's Guitars, to make the "minimum" dollar amout to his Marshall distributor so I won't have to pay incoming freight charges. As "SubForum" states, this beast weighs-in at about 32 kg, which is around 78 pounds to us Yanks, so saving on shipping charges to Honolulu is definitely called for here.

"wm1724" is right... I can say for sure no music store on my island of Oahu has a VBA400 in stock, and I am disappointed, as I was unable access the link that "SubForum" offered in order to get an audio sample. Oh well, I remain anxious to receive my long-awaited amplifier (it's been a month thus far...). I'm relying on the reputation of the brand, as well as the numerous positive comments I've picked-up on right here in TB.

Currently I'm playing a Fender Stu Hamm Urge-II. My amp is another rather fine Brit head: Ashdown ABM500 Evo-II. I have the rackmount version, and I'm also blowing this through a Bergantino NV215. I plan on pairing up Bergantino's NV610 with my NV215, and plugging both cabinets into the back of the VBA400. Since these Bergies are both 4 Ohm, I'll be working that Marshall head at 2 Ohm, which I imagine would be someting like driving a Mercedes CL65 at full-throttle down the Autobahn... maybe I'm stretching it a bit here... but I'm thinking I'll be the baddest thumper on my island! I'm fairly confident that I'll at least be the only bassist on Oahu with a VBA400 and Bergantino speaker cabinets.

I truly appreciate some of you guys sharing your settings in your posts. I'm really anxious to get my hands on my VBA400 so I can start "experimenting." Now to make some of you guys real jealous: For my daytime job I'm a wholesale distributor, and I have a 10,000 sq.ft. warehouse where me and the band hold our practice sessions. I should be able to find out what this Marshall beast can do beyond "3"... :smug:
 
#14
Keeaumoku said:
Aloha from Hawaii...

Wow! I'm glad I stumbled onto this thread. I have a VBA400 on order, but I'm waiting on my guy, Dan, of Dan's Guitars, to make the "minimum" dollar amout to his Marshall distributor so I won't have to pay incoming freight charges. As "SubForum" states, this beast weighs-in at about 32 kg, which is around 78 pounds to us Yanks, so saving on shipping charges to Honolulu is definitely called for here.

"wm1724" is right... I can say for sure no music store on my island of Oahu has a VBA400 in stock, and I am disappointed, as I was unable access the link that "SubForum" offered in order to get an audio sample. Oh well, I remain anxious to receive my long-awaited amplifier (it's been a month thus far...). I'm relying on the reputation of the brand, as well as the numerous positive comments I've picked-up on right here in TB.

Currently I'm playing a Fender Stu Hamm Urge-II. My amp is another rather fine Brit head: Ashdown ABM500 Evo-II. I have the rackmount version, and I'm also blowing this through a Bergantino NV215. I plan on pairing up Bergantino's NV610 with my NV215, and plugging both cabinets into the back of the VBA400. Since these Bergies are both 4 Ohm, I'll be working that Marshall head at 2 Ohm, which I imagine would be someting like driving a Mercedes CL65 at full-throttle down the Autobahn... maybe I'm stretching it a bit here... but I'm thinking I'll be the baddest thumper on my island! I'm fairly confident that I'll at least be the only bassist on Oahu with a VBA400 and Bergantino speaker cabinets.

I truly appreciate some of you guys sharing your settings in your posts. I'm really anxious to get my hands on my VBA400 so I can start "experimenting." Now to make some of you guys real jealous: For my daytime job I'm a wholesale distributor, and I have a 10,000 sq.ft. warehouse where me and the band hold our practice sessions. I should be able to find out what this Marshall beast can do beyond "3"... :smug:
Click to expand...

You'd better take it all the way to 11...
 
#19
sub forum said:
yes i went direct into the desk from the amps DI and put a mike on the outer rim of the speaker then layered it up in the mix
Click to expand...
i have a question about doing the above - is it necessary to delay/speed-up (wateva its called) the signal coming from the mike when you play live? will it make much difference? i'm sure it'll sound heaps more thicker if i go direct and miked, but at wat cost?
 
#20
resol said:
i have a question about doing the above - is it necessary to delay/speed-up (wateva its called) the signal coming from the mike when you play live? will it make much difference? i'm sure it'll sound heaps more thicker if i go direct and miked, but at wat cost?
Click to expand...

I only D I when i play live and use my amp as a backline monitor so i can crank it up .The signal goes straight through th PA via a post D I button on the front of the amp so when i run my compressor through the effects loop i still get the same signal with the compression. In the studio i just use two tracks one with the D I and the other with the mike then mix them. I dont do it live because i got all the volume i need to get the bass out there
 

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