My ThunderFunk

[Brad Johnson]

DOVER

I was in Dover Saturday trying out amps at B&B Music!! How far is Gaithersburg from Dover?

About two hours.

It was kind of a strange setting. I played in the hotel lounge instead of the casino and because it was NASCAR weekend they were only allowing hotel guests in the hotel. Plus it was raining and most of the people looked pissed.

Oh well, I got paid

 

[Munjibunga]

Finally got one of these, the TFB420. Bought it used at Atomic Music. As a longtime Amplified Music Products BH-420 user (make that fanatic) I've been curious about them since they were first talked about.

Bottom line, this is the real deal. As hard as I found it to be to imagine something that actually improved on my AMPs, I hear the improvements. They're subtle but they're there. I would've been impressed if it just sounded as good as my BH-420s.

Lawdy, lawdy. Imagine how bitchen it'd sound if you were using a Tara Labs power cable.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Lawdy, lawdy. Imagine how bitchen it'd sound if you were using a Tara Labs power cable.

Notice how I stayed far, far away from that thread?

 

[rok51]

Very interesting amp. My main bitch, as it would affect me, is the fact that the XLR direct out is post eq and the pre-eq out is unbalanced. Cannot understand the thinking behind that. A simple switch would have made it a contender.

Kim

 

[Brad Johnson]

Very interesting amp. My main bitch, as it would affect me, is the fact that the XLR direct out is post eq and the pre-eq out is unbalanced. Cannot understand the thinking behind that. A simple switch would have made it a contender.

Kim

Just curious as to how this would effect you?

 

[Mel Monihan]

I think this is one of the truely great amps ever made and now redesigned.I hear that Dave Funk is now offering a 7 day trial period on the amp.I would highly recommend giving one a try to anyone who has been on the fence up until now.

 

[vanselus]

I recently received a TFunk for Basstasters.com and it will be on the site shortly.

Let me say... very impressed with this amp! Brad ISN'T crazy... I know, go figure.

 

[Mel Monihan]

Hey, I hear Dave's giving a 7 day trial period now for the guys who can't get their hands on one to try out.Pretty cool.

 

[John D Harris]

I recently received a TFunk for Basstasters.com and it will be on the site shortly.

Let me say... very impressed with this amp! Brad ISN'T crazy... I know, go figure.

Todd, after you’ve had a chance to play with the TF awhile (maybe even gig with if – permissions allowing), I would be interested in you comparing it to the iAmp-800 (tonally speaking – I know the iAmp has more power).

 

[vanselus]

Todd, after you’ve had a chance to play with the TF awhile (maybe even gig with if – permissions allowing), I would be interested in you comparing it to the iAmp-800 (tonally speaking – I know the iAmp has more power).

I've been playing the Thunderfunk quite a bit at home already, so i'll give you my initial impressions.

Next to the iAMP, the TF sounds punchier, with more present mids, and a definite high-mid SNAP to the sound. Very growly, harmonics ring well. When switching back and forth, it's very apparent how smooth the iAMP is, and really brings out the forward nature of the TF. The FT is nowhere near as bassy as the iAMP (when flat).

From the iAMP, notes seem to have a rounded character, still flat and focused and incredibly tight. Using the TF, the notes have a sharper more direct character, but don't think that this means the TF has no thickness - it retains that sharp character all the way down to the low B (and I presume beyond).

I would think fans of Eden amps would LOVE this one - same with SWR. Sounds a lot like those to me, but kicked up a notch. The TF also feels amazingly solid - I don't think it will ever break.

That's all off the top of my head, so sorry if it's a little disjointed. If you have any specific questions, please ask away!

 

[tombowlus]

I've been playing the Thunderfunk quite a bit at home already, so i'll give you my initial impressions.

Next to the iAMP, the TF sounds punchier, with more present mids, and a definite high-mid SNAP to the sound. Very growly, harmonics ring well. When switching back and forth, it's very apparent how smooth the iAMP is, and really brings out the forward nature of the TF. The FT is nowhere near as bassy as the iAMP (when flat).

From the iAMP, notes seem to have a rounded character, still flat and focused and incredibly tight. Using the TF, the notes have a sharper more direct character, but don't think that this means the TF has no thickness - it retains that sharp character all the way down to the low B (and I presume beyond).

I would think fans of Eden amps would LOVE this one - same with SWR. Sounds a lot like those to me, but kicked up a notch. The TF also feels amazingly solid - I don't think it will ever break.

That's all off the top of my head, so sorry if it's a little disjointed. If you have any specific questions, please ask away!

Vanselus, you've pretty much captured my experience comparing the TF to the iAMP 800. Just a few more notes to add. I would say that taken as a whole, they are each equally flexible as far as EQ goes, though the TF gets the nod for ease of use, but the iAMP probably gets the nod on ultimate tweakability. I could dial in "my tone" more quickly on the TF, but the iAMP seemed more chameleon-like, and could really nail a huge variety of usable tones. The TF does have its own voice, that's for sure. It happens to be a pretty happening voice, though. The iAMP is, as you might expect, more uncolored. This is definitely a personal preference thing. One thing that I will say for the iAMP 800, though, is that you DO notice the extra headroom.

The iAMP 500/800 is an interesting and worthy comparison to the TF. The M-Pulse line of heads would be another interesting contestant in an A/B/C shootout (Van, did you ever get the Walkabout up on Basstasters?). All three represent exceptional products that any bass player should be proud to use.

Later, Tom.

 

[vanselus]

Thanks for the addition - you're right on!

That reminded me, the TF is definitely in the colored style of amps, while the iAMP is more in the uncolored direction. The character of each bass came through more clearly with the iAMP, while the TF retained good qualities and added to them.

 

[Thunderfunk]

Thanks for the addition - you're right on!

That reminded me, the TF is definitely in the colored style of amps, while the iAMP is more in the uncolored direction. The character of each bass came through more clearly with the iAMP, while the TF retained good qualities and added to them.

I totally agree with you. Although I've never heard the iAmp in person, from the Basstasters webpage, what I heard was an amp that sounded like an EBS. Very Hi-Fi and uncolored. I can build the Thunderfunk TFB420 that way, but decided not to. It would work well except with a "soft" (characterless?) bass like a Hofner. And, I like the gutty growl my amp has now. I've toyed with the idea of putting a switch in to change between the two styles, but thought that might be a bit too much. It's not that hard to do though, although it would take a redesign of a board in the amp. Maybe I should just do it? But then when people ask what my amp sounds like, I'd have to ask, "What position do you have the tone switch in?" It might be just too confusing.

The only other comment I'll make is I listened to most of the samples on Basstasters, and the other amp I was really impressed with was the READ Purity. Sounds very well done.

Dave Funk

 

[Brad Johnson]

I recently received a TFunk for Basstasters.com and it will be on the site shortly.

Let me say... very impressed with this amp! Brad ISN'T crazy... I know, go figure.

Very good assessments of this amp IMO.

I had some fun yesterday afternoon at Kevin Brubaker's shop. I mentioned I had the TF out in the car and he was curious as to how it sounded... I had let him use my AMP BH-420 for an extended period of time and he really liked it.

Decided to do an a/b with his gear.

The cabs:
Eden D410XLT
Bag End S15
2 Nahas 1-12 (front port)

The amplification:
Eden navigator preamp into a QSC PLX 3002
My ThunderFunk.

Initially everything set flat on each rig.

The bass: Brubaker NBS-1 4 string.

The difference in the sheer physicality of the sound was obvious from the start. The Eden/QSC rig sounded good until it was followed by the TF, which just sounded "bigger", in a hair-parting kind of way. It just had a tremendous edge in punch. Tried tweaking the Nav to achieve a similar sound but never really got there. Maybe with time a close approximation could be found. The key is that the TF sounds like it sounds right from the start.

The QSC is an excellent amp IMO, I don't think it could've "fixed" what the Nav was doing.

Kevin's main rig is an interesting combination, the S15 and the D410XLT. With the TF's master Volume at 5 (12 o'clock) and the Gain at 4 (11 o'clock) the pair were surprisingly loud. Even surprised me and I've been using it for a while. The gain/limit led rarely came on yet it was cranking. He asked me to let him borrow the TF.

Went to my gig afterwards, using the Nahas' again, this time with my Brubaker fretless 5. As usual the TF just made it sound bigger. I play fingerstyle and slap on it and the combination of articulation AND punch is world class. Working the low B string is so much fun, not the slightest hint of stress at volume, just a big, open but very controllable sound.

Had my first problem with the TF last night. After the first hour I heard a short, loud, crackling sound as I was playing. First thing I thought was that maybe we had overdone it at Kevin's... he ran it pretty loud, much louder than I would (but the amp actually stayed cool to the touch... I always check). I had a spare AMP with me so I wasn't worried about getting through the gig but I didn't relish the thought of having to get the TF fixed.

Long story short... good old Monster cable. I swapped out my input cable and problem solved.

 

[GRoberts]

I totally agree with you. Although I've never heard the iAmp in person, from the Basstasters webpage, what I heard was an amp that sounded like an EBS. Very Hi-Fi and uncolored. I can build the Thunderfunk TFB420 that way, but decided not to. It would work well except with a "soft" (characterless?) bass like a Hofner. And, I like the gutty growl my amp has now. I've toyed with the idea of putting a switch in to change between the two styles, but thought that might be a bit too much. It's not that hard to do though, although it would take a redesign of a board in the amp. Maybe I should just do it? But then when people ask what my amp sounds like, I'd have to ask, "What position do you have the tone switch in?" It might be just too confusing.

The only other comment I'll make is I listened to most of the samples on Basstasters, and the other amp I was really impressed with was the READ Purity. Sounds very well done.

Dave Funk

Interesting. I just listened to the READ Purity on Basstasters and it sounded nasal, Mid-rangey and thin to my ears. Perhaps accurate to the tone of bass, but it did not win me over.

The EA is one of my faves and judging from everything I am reading about the Thunderfunk, it is likely to be quite impressive as well.

 

[rok51]

Brad Johnson

Quote:



Originally Posted by rok51

Very interesting amp. My main bitch, as it would affect me, is the fact that the XLR direct out is post eq and the pre-eq out is unbalanced. Cannot understand the thinking behind that. A simple switch would have made it a contender.

Kim



Just curious as to how this would effect you?

06-07-2004 07:51 PM

Well...First off, I like flexibility. Dave's not givin' it to me. I like to use my eq to set my stage sound. I trust the sound companies that I work with to get a good FOH sound. I like to give them a neutral signal to work with. All of my other amps/preamps have the option of sending pre/post eq to the console. Not having the OPTION is a deal breaker for me.
Got cash. would buy the unit now if I felt it would serve MY needs.

kim

 

[Brad Johnson]

Brad Johnson

Quote:



Originally Posted by rok51

Very interesting amp. My main bitch, as it would affect me, is the fact that the XLR direct out is post eq and the pre-eq out is unbalanced. Cannot understand the thinking behind that. A simple switch would have made it a contender.

Kim



Just curious as to how this would effect you?

06-07-2004 07:51 PM

Well...First off, I like flexibility. Dave's not givin' it to me. I like to use my eq to set my stage sound. I trust the sound companies that I work with to get a good FOH sound. I like to give them a neutral signal to work with. All of my other amps/preamps have the option of sending pre/post eq to the console. Not having the OPTION is a deal breaker for me.
Got cash. would buy the unit now if I felt it would serve MY needs.

kim

No offense, I just don't get it. You get a tone on stage that you like and you don't want to send that to the FOH? This isn't a criticism, it's actual curiousity. I've never looked at leaving my tone to others as a "benefit".

And if you really like to bypass the EQ, why not just use a direct box?



BTW do you think it's as simple as merely putting a switch in the signal chain?

 

[AJ Love]

I've got the funds to get a good amp for around $1000 (preferably slightly less, but whatever...). Narrowed down my choices to the Thunderfunk or the Ashdown ABM500 but I have my mind open for other suggestions

currently have an 8 ohm Epifani T-210 as a cab, and within time I plan to add another Epi, either a 112 or a 115

my main band is a Reggae band. I am playing a Fender P Bass. as with any Reggae sound I am going after the big huge deep BASS tone

 

[Fuzzbass]

No offense, I just don't get it. You get a tone on stage that you like and you don't want to send that to the FOH? This isn't a criticism, it's actual curiousity. I've never looked at leaving my tone to others as a "benefit".

I don't understand why this issue is a deal-breaker but I do see the point. Namely, that the tone coming out of the amp might sound good through the bass speakers, but not through the PA. Even if speakers aren't a factor: a tone that sounds good onstage might not be best for the FOH mix. Also, I've always preferred pre-EQ DI so I could have the freedom to tweak onstage without interfering with the FOH mix.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

No offense, I just don't get it. You get a tone on stage that you like and you don't want to send that to the FOH? This isn't a criticism, it's actual curiousity. I've never looked at leaving my tone to others as a "benefit".

And if you really like to bypass the EQ, why not just use a direct box?



BTW do you think it's as simple as merely putting a switch in the signal chain?

Maybe I can shed a little light here. I agree 100% about using a DI if you want the uncolored bass sound to get to the FOH. I always bring along a DI for that very reason.

But I know where rok51 is coming from with not wanting to send a post-EQ signal to the house. I've often found that if you use your amp EQ at all (and of course not everyone does), the adjustments required to get a sound you like onstage are not necessarily the same adjustments that yield a good sound for the FOH (depending on the nature and size of the system, the venue, the mix, bla bla). So rather than have the FOH engineer undo something you did, or redo something you undid, it's often simpler and more effective to just send an un-EQ'd signal. At least, that's been my experience.

From what I've seen, it shouldn't be a huge design problem to insert a pre-EQ/post-EQ switch. Quite a few modern amps have them. I'm sure more is involved than soldering two wires, but it ain't rocket science either.

All that said, I'm with you in being a tad mystified. Personally, I can well understand wanting a pre-EQ send (I used to bug Carvin about that years ago before they added that feature), but I wouldn't let the absence of a pre-EQ send be a dealbreaker for me if I really liked an amp. Not when a perfectly good solution (i.e., using a DI) is so easily and relatively cheaply available.

rok51, if you're reading, this isn't meant as a slam or a flame, I'd just hate to see you rule out something that might be great for you when there's a pretty easy workaround.