• 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.

Old School vs. New School Amplification

#41
Last time I auditioned for bass, there were 8 other guys trying out.

Go last. It gives you time to learn all their test songs :)

Most local band work doesn't pay enough to support hauling your best rig.

There are some great small club portable rigs out there and some sound good enough to get the job done.

Its just when you look under the hood and see the gut shots that its difficult to get excited about
paying for an amp with all the build integrity of a Chinese toaster oven.
 
Last edited:
#42
Old School - Reeves Custom 225 based on Hiwatt DR-201 circuit.

$2499.00

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Orange AD200B $2399.00 posted retail.

orange-ad200-mk3-002.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: reasonbass
#43
I'm an "old school" player with "old school" ears and tastes. I used to play a Mesa Boogie 400+ and now I mostly use an Aguilar TH500.

The TH sounds fantastic through my Bergantino cabs. I wouldn't change back if you paid me.

IMO, IME
 
#45
Ukiah Bass said:
The answer is yes. Why all the angst? There are many nice, high quality small amps. Do your research, buy one and try it. They all have money-back guarantees. You'll learn more by doing that than relying on a bunch of words flung over the Internet.
Click to expand...

I have no "angst". In fact, I am completely calm and peaceful.

While I agree that there is no substitute for experiencing these amps with my own ears, I am, in fact, doing "research" by inviting the collective experiences, opinions, and impressions of my fellow bass players into my decision making. Isn't that what TB is all about?
 
#47
FFTT said:
Old School - Reeves Custom 225 based on Hiwatt DR-201 circuit.

$2499.00

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Orange AD200B $2399.00 posted retail.

orange-ad200-mk3-002.jpg
Click to expand...


Orange is a company, especially with their recent tube heads, that is known for 'getting it wrong' Bad example. Open up a Walter Woods or Glockenklang or Genz Benz or Tecamp head. Again, every amp type has great and not so great executions, and country of origin means very little these days.
 
#49
jazztonebass said:
True. I realize I am over analyzing this but the devil is in the details.
Click to expand...

+1 I would never compromise my tone and performance just because most rooms sound bad, or some gigs depend totally on front of house. When you have something behind you on stage that sounds great to you, and gives you that 'tone in your head', then, at least in my case, I play better, which means the band sounds better, and for the most part, the audience CAN tell that.

I would just say to not listen with your eyes when you try some of this stuff. Every amp sounds different, and it is impossible to say 'all class D amps sound like this' or 'all tube amps sound like that', etc. Makes little sense to me. There is just as much variability across amps in every power amp topology.

If you are lucky, as I am, to find a couple amps you absolutely love, and they happen to be lightweight, bonus. If you fall in love with an SVT, you will have to figure out a way to carry it! Small amps like the Aguilar TH500, the GK MBFusion800, the Glockenklang Blue Sky and Blue Soul, the TecAmp Puma500/900, the Markbass LMIIL, are among the finest sounding amps ever made to my ear (and I've played them all over the past 40+ years of gigging). They sound VERY different from each other in low end voicing, midrange distortion, and the nature of the treble response, along with absolute wattage/max SPL and EQ voicing design.

That being said, just like no other small amp sounds like a GK MBFusion, no other preamp sounds exactly like your Alembic (The Hartke LH amps are the closest.... not lightweights, but actually are lightweight compared to what you are doing.

I would again, assuming you love your Alembic, do some research on a high powered, lightweight PA type amp that has input sensitivity that will work well with the Alembic. You won't lose any size, but will really lighten the load. If you really want to go small, you might start out with the GK MBFusion800. Massive slam, very small and lightweight, a bit brighter than your Alembic and a bit less bloomy down low, but you might dig the change.

Good thread! I enjoy this topic.
 
#50
And, one final suggestion. Don't change everything at once. In other words, start by keeping your cabs and trying various heads, versus buying a completely new rig. That way, you can kind of evaluate the amp a bit better. Assuming you live in the US, many amps are available with a 30 day 'no questions asked' trial period from Musician's Friend (GK, Aguilar, etc.). Pretty risk free way to dip your tone in the water. Again, I would start with the GK MBFusion800. If you wait for one of those 10% or 15% sales on MF (they are constantly running those), the cost is very reasonable, and the worse thing that would happen is that you would be out a small amount of return shipping. Same thing with lightweight power amps if you want to keep that very nice Alembic pre and lighten the load by replacing the C9.

Cabs are a bit more complex, since they, more than amplifier IMO, really define the tonality and max SPL and low end power of a rig. The good news for you is that, just like amplification, things have gotten a LOT better in cabinet design and voicing versus back in the day...even more than amplification/power sections.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bass nitro
#51
One very real difference that hasn't been mentioned so far is clipping. Tubes tend to round off the top of the waveform, where SS designs will flatten it. The tube sound at clipping is inherently more musical, and pleasant to the ear. That's why more headroom is needed with SS designs.
my $0.02
 
#52
KJung said:
Cabs are a bit more complex, since they, more than amplifier IMO, really define the tonality and max SPL and low end power of a rig. The good news for you is that, just like amplification, things have gotten a LOT better in cabinet design and voicing versus back in the day...even more than amplification/power sections.
Click to expand...
A big +1 to this. And since there are both old school and new school designs in cabs too, the discussion starts anew.
 
#53
KJung said:
Orange is a company, especially with their recent tube heads, that is known for 'getting it wrong' Bad example. Open up a Walter Woods or Glockenklang or Genz Benz or Tecamp head. Again, every amp type has great and not so great executions, and country of origin means very little these days.
Click to expand...

I've seen plenty of other companies resorting to crap build quality, especially mounting
tube sockets to PCB, thin traces, thin double sided PCB, using automotive clip on connectors, not even soldering connections, computer style ribbon cables, etc.

I generally avoid all PCB because I never want another amp with proprietary boards.
 
#56
Unfortunately many buyers are so transfixed on getting into a bass amp cheaper that they don't even bother to look under the hood.

There's way too much Play & Toss electronics being used in modern consumer grade amps.
 
#57
To me this is the same argument that spans so many fields - things of old were always better and new stuff is not the same and just cr@p. Cars, house's, guitars whatever the subject, the old days were better because that is what we were used to. Even music, "music is just terrible these days" I hear so much. I think if people would approach things with an accepting standpoint they might always find some things are actually better, some not but everything has to be weighed with an open mind. I love my GB Streamliner and it does not leave me with ANY desire while playing. Everyone says "I can't believe that little box sounds like that" all the time. And, at the end of the night I can leave after sounding like that with bass on back, amp in one hand and cab in the other one trip to the car...........I will never go back. My .02
 
#58
Wow this thread has gone in so many different directions.

I love Old School Hand Wired Classic Tube Amps such as Ampeg SVT's, Mesa Bass 400, 400+, Fender Studio etc.... Oh I forget none of those are hand wired. I love classic lead sled Power Amps such as the Crest CA9 though it is PCB construction. And I love some of the Micro Amps that are just insane in design and fit function. The ease of portability alone with the micros is a huge plus.

To Jimmy, I think you are limited by your experience; take a Genz Benz Shuttle 9.0/9.2 into a big 4 ohm cab and call me in the morning. It will blow both your SVT's out of the water. If the question is which has the most authority then it would be the heavy weight Genz Amps, Shuttle 9.0, Shuttle 12.0, Shuttle Max 9.2, Shuttle Max 12.2 those amps are poopie kickers and will leave an imprint of a hoof on your arse.

All Tube amps are not created equal and all Micro amps are not created equal.
 
#59
To Gab124 I'm sorry the old stuff is much more fun and romantic, I hate plastic cars. That is why I drive (every day) a 1973 Ford F-100 with a 240 straight six and get 20 MPG. All original with 62,000 original miles. New Tires and New Spark Plugs. Impervious to EMP!
1973F100_zps3b82a915.jpg
 
#60
Red Planet said:
To Gab124 I'm sorry the old stuff is much more fun and romantic, I hate plastic cars. That is why I drive (every day) a 1973 Ford F-100 with a 240 straight six and get 20 MPG. All original with 62,000 original miles. New Tires and New Spark Plugs. Impervious to EMP!
1973F100_zps3b82a915.jpg
Click to expand...


I drove a 1956 Chevy Apache for a long while and did enjoy it a great deal. I would not want to drive that today for anything, I love my power steering, AC and dependability much more. Not to mention getting into tight spots around town. Now days I love my Nissan Frontier for all that it offers. But, I do agree that those old vehicles are a lot of fun!! I used to take a truck like yours to Colorado from Tulsa every year, ours had the duel tanks and we could do it without a gas stop. Of course now I would have to take out a small loan to put that much gas in it!! Great looking Ford by the way!!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back