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Official AIMS Amps Thread
- Thread starter SpankyPants
- Start date
Welcome to the club. I see you are bridging both channels, which channel are you plugging your bass through? What tubes ( pre/power ) you rolling?
By the by, a coworker of mine used to teach guitar lessons in the store that these were developed/constructed here in Phoenix.
Its filled with 2 Sovtek 6550's, 3 EHX 12AX7's and a nos GE 12AT7. I love this sound and have virtually zero breakup which I like in a bass amp.
I generally plug into the first channel, input one.
Its sitting ontop of one of my guitar cabs but sounds great through my 18" 8ohm cab for bass. I WANT to use it with a 4 ohm 2x15 cab but have been hesitant to do so given that I just paid for the retube, tune up and maintenance. It wasn't cheap.
So do you guys think its really alright to run this with a 4 ohm cab given that its rated @ 5 ohms?
I generally plug into the first channel, input one.
Its sitting ontop of one of my guitar cabs but sounds great through my 18" 8ohm cab for bass. I WANT to use it with a 4 ohm 2x15 cab but have been hesitant to do so given that I just paid for the retube, tune up and maintenance. It wasn't cheap.
So do you guys think its really alright to run this with a 4 ohm cab given that its rated @ 5 ohms?
Back when I didn't know all that much about amps, a music store salesman talked me into buying an AIMS 100-120 w. GUITAR amp head paired with an Ampeg B-25B (I think it was) 50 watt 2x15 speaker cab. It might have been a good guitar amp, I don't know, but paired with that particular cab, it (as you might expect) sounded like doo-doo as a bass amp. Of course, it didn't help that my bass at that time was a Hondo Rickenfaker.
Its filled with 2 Sovtek 6550's, 3 EHX 12AX7's and a nos GE 12AT7. I love this sound and have virtually zero breakup which I like in a bass amp.
I generally plug into the first channel, input one.
Its sitting ontop of one of my guitar cabs but sounds great through my 18" 8ohm cab for bass. I WANT to use it with a 4 ohm 2x15 cab but have been hesitant to do so given that I just paid for the retube, tune up and maintenance. It wasn't cheap.
So do you guys think its really alright to run this with a 4 ohm cab given that its rated @ 5 ohms?
Sounds like a good choice of tubes to me. It is safe to run this head at 4ohms, my amp tech, who is also a TB member, confirmed this. I bet this head will sound good with 2x15's
Good news indeed!
Thanks!I had 2 JJ ECC83-S in there and my tech said those were prone to failure given the spiral filament design (-S = Spiral in the model name) and he recommended the ehx as the bullet proof bass tone preamp tube.
I have little doubt the AIMS will sound good through some 15's. I used to play with a guy that had the AIMS PA head running through a Univox 2x15. It sounded really incredible as a bass amp.
I use either a Crate or a Sunn 2x15 cab (both are 4 ohms).
The Crate is my go-to cab live as it seems to love all amps and all venues equally. Best $100.00 I ever spent on bass gear, hands down.
Good news indeed!
I had 2 JJ ECC83-S in there and my tech said those were prone to failure given the spiral filament design (-S = Spiral in the model name) and he recommended the ehx as the bullet proof bass tone preamp tube.
I have little doubt the AIMS will sound good through some 15's. I used to play with a guy that had the AIMS PA head running through a Univox 2x15. It sounded really incredible as a bass amp.
I use either a Crate or a Sunn 2x15 cab (both are 4 ohms).
The Crate is my go-to cab live as it seems to love all amps and all venues equally. Best $100.00 I ever spent on bass gear, hands down.
Univox 2x15?
Like this?
Link Removed
Wow, I'll ask Deon if she's got the inside scoop about Aims amps. I just noticed your Aims amp post on page 1, now we know there's still at least 2 still here in town. I still got my VTG-120, still working but probably aught-a have Timv take a look at mine too.
Here's some pics of an Aims P/A I thought you you guys might like:
(vertical stack dude)
Keeping it local!!! timv does wonders, best to have him look at it, love the adjustable bias he installed in mine. Mine sounds best through a sealed cab, those cabs you got look Sweeeeet!!
Yep, but I just lifted those Aims P/A pics from a local craigslist ad here awhile back. I passed on buying it.
NO, but that Acoustic build-a-like is super sexy.
His Univox 2x15 was actually like the smaller sunn 2x15.
Here's some pics of an Aims P/A I thought you you guys might like:
(vertical stack dude)
I had this same P.A. setup. This is the only other one Ive ever seen. Bought the whole thing, in mint condition with slip covers for the columns and a roadcase for the head, for $300 a few years ago, thinking it would be a great bass amp. And it was, although I ended up preferring it for guitar. Sold the head when money was tight, but kept the speaker columns, which are currently used for vocals at rehearsals.
howdy fellow lo frequency providers, i was inspired to reply to this aims forum because after looking for info i ran across this site. i own an authorized Fender service and have for about the last 25 years. i am in south new jersey (unfortunately) and my shop i share with a partner ernie who fixes the instruments and i do the circuits. you can check me out under the warranty section on the fender website under TC-903 Central ave. Minotola NJ---anyway i have an aims VTB-120 on my bench now and i would say this is not anything like a fender twin but actually a combination of the fliptop ampeg-like jamerson's model and an Oliver bass model. i recently spoke to Jess Oliver who owned the Oliver amp company and was also the designer of the ampeg B-15 for everitt hull, and he was very gracious and gave me quite a bit of insight as to how things were for bass players and amp manufacturers at the time. i have a few burners on the pc board under the cover for the preamp tubes and i was trying to find a print on this model. if anyone has one i would sure appreciate a quick look!! thanks guys and keep on playin!!!
Just a word of caution for my peace of mind: to get 120W out of a pair of 6550s the B+ is going to be in the range of 6-700V. Be very careful if you open the amp up. That level of voltage will easily kill.
Sound advice there - but that 120w is most likely Peak wattage in this case. At least, thats i've seen a lot of amps like these rated. Brings to mind the "100w" Univox 1236 (2x 6L6)
