i find the old vintage tube amps a bit feature lacking and since i'll probably end up breaking the bank on a new one i'd like to know what you guys think is a good modern tube amp that's packed full of features because i just can't justify the high costs based on tone alone...
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
modern tube amps ??!!
- Thread starter wolfmaster19
- Start date
What kinda wattage you looking at? Thats a big determining Factor.
I'd imagine the Laney Nexus has a pretty hefty EQ.
I'd imagine the Laney Nexus has a pretty hefty EQ.
I'm confused. Why eliminate all vintage options? The beauty of certain vintage tube bass amps is that you don't need a feature packed preamp to find an excellent tube sound.
This thread has a nice list of what some people are using...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/50w-100w-valve-owners-thread-733582/
This thread has a nice list of what some people are using...
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f15/50w-100w-valve-owners-thread-733582/
Peavey VB - 3 is a pretty modern all tube amp with a lot of modern tone shaping features. Its louder than hell...oh and it costs about $1,800.00
they're really not that high to get an old low power tube amp. a v4 or v4b goes for about $500-600. 100w...not too shabby. any tube amp good for bass will cost you that much new.
I recently picked up an Ampeg V4B here for under $400 shipped. A trip to the tech for caps and a new quad of power tubes and I've got a killer 100 watt tube monster with a clean bill of health for about $550. Two weeks later a V4 showed up on local Craigslist for $300. Couldn't NOT buy it so now it's in the shop. Good vintage gear is out there. There's an Ampeg B25b on Ebay right now for well under $300.
Without much to go on I figured I would throw this out there. Certainly not cheaper bought new than "vintage tube amps" but it does have a lot of features. I own the Sunn badged version which is the same amp. Me? I run mine flat into channel 1 without compression, EQ or anything else. But I guess it's there if you need it. Also makes a kickass guitar amp on the second channel.
Simple PTP/turret design with a standard tone-stack works for me any day.
EDIT: Yeah, I was actually referring to turretboards too...not true PTP, I know....
EDIT: Yeah, I was actually referring to turretboards too...not true PTP, I know....
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
PTP is a nightmare to fix, turrets for the win.
What sort of extreme tone shaping do you want? It generally doesn't come with low power valve heads. The 2 band bandaxall (treble/bass) tone circuit on proper Oranges and Matamp (and on Ampeg, but with a separate mid control) actually gives more flex than the 3 band mid cut only Fender style circuit, so depends if you mean tonal range, or lots of knobs. If it is lots of knobs, might be best grabbing a preamp, and a valve power amp, the Peavey Maxx preamp is great, and there are a ton of valve power amps, but all the ones I've used are big high power jobs, so can't guide you there.
What sort of extreme tone shaping do you want? It generally doesn't come with low power valve heads. The 2 band bandaxall (treble/bass) tone circuit on proper Oranges and Matamp (and on Ampeg, but with a separate mid control) actually gives more flex than the 3 band mid cut only Fender style circuit, so depends if you mean tonal range, or lots of knobs. If it is lots of knobs, might be best grabbing a preamp, and a valve power amp, the Peavey Maxx preamp is great, and there are a ton of valve power amps, but all the ones I've used are big high power jobs, so can't guide you there.
Are you sure, only 60 watts? There aren't that many modern bass selections for that low of wattage in the tube department.
Hi.
^+10000
Plus the fact that I can't name any PTP bass amp that's readily available outside DIY.
OTOH, nowadays PTP stands for anything "not PCB".
If ~60W is all You think you need, most of the modern 100ish W cheapo tube amps for guitar can be succesfully used on bass with two tubes pulled. Behringer by any name is as good/bad as any.
Regards
Sam
^+10000
Plus the fact that I can't name any PTP bass amp that's readily available outside DIY.
OTOH, nowadays PTP stands for anything "not PCB".
If ~60W is all You think you need, most of the modern 100ish W cheapo tube amps for guitar can be succesfully used on bass with two tubes pulled. Behringer by any name is as good/bad as any.
Regards
Sam
- May 9, 2008
- 4,081
- 1,236
- Disclosures
- Proprietor Springvale Studios
Almost all later tube amps have a send and return socket.
Perhaps you could find a stand alone extreme eq and stick it in circuit there.
This is a very powerful all tube eq you can just intersperse:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
You see just bunging in the odd added feature in a quality bit of tube gear might end up a bit more expensive than a full featured digital dsp based "turbo sonic retro booster" with
built in maxxbass as on the modern transistor counterparts.
I can generally get exactly what I need with a conventional tube amp with decent enough cabs, just maybe one added band of parametric eq to scoop up the midrange if you don't use an active bass with loads of built in eq anyway:
Invalid Link Removed
Thats enough!, all I would need from there would be an old hiwatt slave amp with no built in eq at all.
Mr. Foxen
Commercial User
The old Sunns sort of are, in that the tube bases have component legs stuck to them. Not see anything modern though, except some shouting about being PTP whilst showing guts on turrets.
