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old school tone, but portable

#22
Connor said:
ampeg portabass?
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Owned one and sold it. Could never get a good sound. The thing was so boomy with no headroom.

I also owned an AI Focus which was ok with a preamp but was just too transparent for me and the EQ was pretty useless. Sold that as well...

Ha, I guess I'm picky...but I know I'm not the only one on this board who has been through his share of amps.

Curious about the Dr Bass stuff, I've never heard of it. 36lbs for a 115? Not bad...
 
#23
The Thunderfunk head will do anything you need. Between the timbre control and the presence control you can make that amp sound like anything you want.Anything from oldschool thump,to modern. I don't use the tone controls,I just leave them flat.I set the Timbre knob at about 10 oclock,and set the Presence knob to suit the room,and that's it.It's almost fool proof.
 
#24
Hey I'm in NYC with a P using flats for the old school too!
Except I don't live in a walkup but we have similar taste and concerns.

I settled on a Markbass LMII head and an Aguilar GS 112NT 1x12 Bass Cabinet.

I think you ought to at least check out the Agi cab. It's very impressive for it's size and weight (40lbs). You could look at other heads if you don't like Markbass, there are a lot of new mini/ lightweights around.

Most of the gigs I've been getting lately have all provided back line bass rigs so I haven't really had much chance to put my setup to the test. But when i have it's done just fine.
Like you I get my sound from my P bass and I'm not fussy about a rig's tonality. I can deal with just about any bass amp and cab if it's got enough power and pushes enough air for the room. I just need a few minutes of dial twiddling and I can usually get where i want to be.
 
#25
You ought to check out a Mesa Boogie Walkabout head. Big, warm bottom with credible tube flavored grit on demand @ about 13 lbs. Pair it with your fav smallish cab or do the combo 12 or 15. Lots of used ones out there...
 
#26
I agree on your opinion of Eden - especially the expensive stuff... but I had a Nemesis (2x10) combo that I used for years - tours even! It always delivered. We did lots of Motown / Blues - I used my P with flats and foam. It wasn't THE Jamerson thing but was the best in the combo field I could find and I needed the smallest rig I could find for that gig.

I would be curious about the new Nemesis line 1x15 for your application.
 
#27
Some of the Eden Nemesis combos sound really good, and for old-school tone I assume you'd like the 1x15. This one looks darned nice, and weighs only 42 pounds:

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I recently tried the cheaper "N Series" Nemesis models, and was very impressed with the solid tone. If these RS models are a step up, they should be excellent.

I've also tried the Roland D-BASS 115 combo, which has some vintage tone shaping controls similar to MarkBass. I thought it sounded great, and it's not too heavy, but the dimensions are on the big side.
 
#28
emblymouse said:
You ought to check out a Mesa Boogie Walkabout head. Big, warm bottom with credible tube flavored grit on demand @ about 13 lbs. Pair it with your fav smallish cab or do the combo 12 or 15. Lots of used ones out there...
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Big, big +1! I own the 12" combo (50 lbs total), and my P sounds quite old-school through it. The Scout head (a very honest, perhaps underrated 300 watts) has been described by others much more knowledgeable than me as the "tubiest" non-tube head out there. I'd imagine it would pair well with a Bag End 15.
 
#29
GregC said:
Big, big +1! I own the 12" combo (50 lbs total), and my P sounds quite old-school through it. The Scout head (a very honest, perhaps underrated 300 watts) has been described by others much more knowledgeable than me as the "tubiest" non-tube head out there. I'd imagine it would pair well with a Bag End 15.
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I have played the walkabout and like it...never tried it through a decent cab though. Maybe I should consider that one.

I guess the main issue for me is finding the right loud/portable/old school cab.

The head issue is more or less solved...maybe a shuttle, maybe a walkabout.

I could always get two cabs: a smaller 112 and something larger (2 12s?) for bigger gigs.

Of course...that's more $$, too. :)
 
#30
jeremynyc said:
I have played the walkabout and like it...never tried it through a decent cab though. Maybe I should consider that one.

I guess the main issue for me is finding the right loud/portable/old school cab.

The head issue is more or less solved...maybe a shuttle, maybe a walkabout.

I could always get two cabs: a smaller 112 and something larger (2 12s?) for bigger gigs.

Of course...that's more $$, too. :)
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I went with the Walkabout Scout 12 combo. Fantastic sounding amp that will do the old tube grind if you want it. 50 lbs all up. The head (13 lbs.) removes easily and does a great job driving any good cabinet. For 300 watts it's the biggest sound you can imagine. In 4 years of steady use I didn't have a bit of trouble with it. Expensive, but worth the money.
 
#32
I'd say your best bet would be a Schroeder 1212L and LittleMark II.

The Schroeder's are Low-Mid tuned so the "old school" vibe is there without any EQing... then you can really dial in or out the vibe you want with the Markbass filters.

Big round mids! some dig... some don't:p
 
#34
:cool:

I play a fretless 1970 P-bass with flats.

I just got a Shuttle 3.0T combo. (with 1x10 extension cab)

33 lbs. total.

300 watts, with two single 1x10 cabs. ( stacked)

This baby is loud, for it size.

Goood for small to medium gigs with drums.
And a joy to carry around.
 
#35
hulchihulch said:
I'd say your best bet would be a Schroeder 1212L and LittleMark II.

The Schroeder's are Low-Mid tuned so the "old school" vibe is there without any EQing... then you can really dial in or out the vibe you want with the Markbass filters.

Big round mids! some dig... some don't:p
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Yeah, I have to say I really was impressed with the Schroeders that I tried.

I tried out the Shuttle 3.0 with the Mini 12+R and the 1212L.

To me, the Mini (with the regular speakers) sounded fuller and rounder, but only when I was sitting close to it. The 1212L was a little less "round" but of course could go louder.

I'd be curious to try the 1212L with the Shuttle 6.0 to see if the extra wattage adds an "oomph".

Didn't get to try the Markbass with those cabs, the store only has Eden and GB.
 
#36
jeremynyc said:
Hey this is my first post...

I'm looking for an amp with good old school tone (jamerson, dunn, etc.) that I can lift myself down 3 flights of stairs. Plus, it should be decently loud. I have an SVT for tours and bigger shows where it makes sense for the band to rent a van. The amp I'm looking for would be for small to medium clubs and bars.

I'm playing a 60s P-Bass with flats so I have most of the tone from the bass already. I live in NYC on the 3rd floor of an apt building and if I need to take an amp to a show I'm taking a taxi.. I need something I can lift myself.

Impossible?

I played the Shuttle 3.0 though a Schroeder Mini 12+ in a store the other day and was actually very impressed with how warm and big it sounded. But I don't think the Mini 12 would really put out enough juice for anything more than a smaller show...plus I kind of want a more "old school" vibe to cabinet. I don't mind the high-tech head as much. Bag End S15?

Also I've always liked the Ampeg B100r, but at 65lbs it's pretty hefty and doesn't have that much head room.

Let me know your thoughts, thanks!
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I'm pretty sure the shroeder can come without a tweeter if that helps you get more "old school"
 
#38
I'll throw another nod for the Walkabout. Seiously old school tone. The speaker cab will obviously be the bigger decision to make, but there are tons of choices. A 212 would be great, except for the 3 flights of stairs part, so best of luck to you in that quest.
 

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