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My Amp Problem - Green Player Needs Help! Please!

L

LikeLukin

Guest
Apr 9, 2012
10
0
#1
Hi Guys,
I’ve been playing bass guitar for about 5 years now, and I really need some help deciding on a decent amp rig for me.
First off, I play in a modern rock band, the drummer plays fairly loud, and both guitarists play fairly loud. We only play small club gigs. Portability is extremely important. The only bass I own is a 4-string American Standard P-Bass.

I purchased an SVT-CL, and an Ampeg 410HE to run it through about 5 years ago. After realizing that the amp and cab were a mismatch (4 ohm head, 8 ohm cab) and that a 410 is way too big to be carrying around as much as I was, I downsized my cab to an Aguilar DB210. I know, it’s ridiculous to be running an SVT through a 210 cab.
This setup really doesn’t give me the sound I am looking for, the only way I can describe it is that it lacks balls, not in terms of volume, but in terms of tone. I assume this is because of the small cabinet I am using. I also hate lugging around that behemoth SVT, so it has to go.

Here’s the problem: I really don’t know what to get. I was thinking about trading my SVT-CL towards a new V4B reissue, but I am assuming that I still won’t have that “oomph” I am looking for if I run it through the DB210. Maybe if I also scraped the $$$ together to get the Ampeg 212 that seems to go hand in hand with the V4B?
My friend suggested a Mark Bass combo, but I am partial to tube amps for some unknown reason.

I also need to achieve three specific tones: 1) Poppy clean (sometimes with chorus) like the Smiths, New Order, etc. 2) Dirty moderate overdrive and 3) Fuzz. I play through an overdrive stompbox for my overdriven sound, and a Big Muff for the fuzz. So, I need an amp that will accommodate this approach well.

To hear the tones I need, you can check out a few tracks my band has recorded at sonnytripp.bandcamp.com. The first track there called “Disco 3000” will give you an idea of the clean tone I need, “Farewell Lyubov” is a good fuzz example and “Radio” is a good example of the overdrive tone.

Anyway, I would love to hear some suggestions, and I appreciate any you guys can give me. Thanks in advance!

:bassist:
 
#3
RickenBoogie said:
Hate to say it, but what you need is a bigger cab, or a pair of smaller ones. I think the new V4B paired with the matching 2x12 should suffice, but good hefty bass tone is almost all about the air moving bigger cabs.
Click to expand...

+1

More is more. No replacement for displacement.

To the OP. I would check out those markbass combo's. They dont do anything for me personally (couldnt give me one), but you may like them.
 
#5
What you need is a hand-truck to move that gear, and either a pair of cabs, or one larger one. Too bad you ditched the Ampeg cab, as it was a good match for that head. We could enumerate a list of others, but let's start with the cab you have.

Exactly what model is the cab you have, and how many ohms is it rated? If it is 4 ohms, it will be a problem to add a second cabinet with most heads, even with the one you have.

You seem to feel that a tube head is the only way to go. Is that so?
 
#6
Jim Carr said:
What you need is a hand-truck to move that gear, and either a pair of cabs, or one larger one. Too bad you ditched the Ampeg cab, as it was a good match for that head. We could enumerate a list of others, but let's start with the cab you have.

Exactly what model is the cab you have, and how many ohms is it rated? If it is 4 ohms, it will be a problem to add a second cabinet with most heads, even with the one you have.

You seem to feel that a tube head is the only way to go. Is that so?
Click to expand...

The cab I have is 4 ohms. I could get a second 4 ohm cab and hook them up in parallel as the SVT has a 2 ohm switch. I debated this, but although this would likely sound a whole lot better, it would just add to my portability problem.

I just purchased a Traynor Small Block 200H for portability convenience and low price about 10 minutes ago. I think I am just going to use this with my 210 for rehearsing, and smaller gigs. Hopefully it doesn't sound too bad. Going to keep the SVT and someday get a good cabinet for it... In the meantime I will increase the frequency of my arm and back workouts in prep for that day.
 
#9
If you're looking for portability and "balls," then a Mesa Walkabout with the extension cab would surely do the trick... they are very expensive though...
 
#12
guy n. cognito said:
I'm lost, why do you think you can't run your head through an 8 ohm cab?
Click to expand...
Because it's an SVT-CL and the output transformer is rated to accept 4 and 2 ohm loads and not 8.

However, Bill Hughes, the SVT's co-inventor, said on here a couple weeks ago that an 8 ohm load with an SVT is fine. And personal experience seems to bear that out, as I've done it quite a few times and never had a problem. To me it sounds too tight and not tube-ampy enough when you do that, but if Bill says it can be done safely, it can be done safely.

Anyway, though...LikeLukin, these days, the cab I'd look at for an 810e alternative would, indeed, be the 212av. Don't expect to be cranking the SVT head all the way up to 11, but it'll get a good head of steam. The new V4B is awesome, too, but with an SVT-CL already, I think the V4B would be optional at this time unless cranking power tube distortion is important to you. However, these guys' words about needing more speaker to get really loud is sound.
 
#13
LikeLukin said:
The cab I have is 4 ohms. I could get a second 4 ohm cab and hook them up in parallel as the SVT has a 2 ohm switch. I debated this, but although this would likely sound a whole lot better, it would just add to my portability problem.

I just purchased a Traynor Small Block 200H for portability convenience and low price about 10 minutes ago. I think I am just going to use this with my 210 for rehearsing, and smaller gigs. Hopefully it doesn't sound too bad. Going to keep the SVT and someday get a good cabinet for it... In the meantime I will increase the frequency of my arm and back workouts in prep for that day.
Click to expand...
I suggest you put your cab on a stand to get it up to ear level. You'll hear it a lot better at rehearsal. Adding another 2x10 and stacking them vertically is the way to go for gigging to get better dispersion, less distortion and better to hear it with on stage.
 

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