Are Amps & Cabs made the same way for Bass Guitar & Double Bass? If not what do I look for when looking for amplification for the D/B?---should D/B amplification have a larger frequency range?
Mike
Mike
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Double Bass Probably Silly Question?
- Thread starter gypsydjango
- Start date
Mike,
It varries, from one company to another. Acoustic Image, Euphonic Audio, and Bergantino's amps and cabinets compliment the Double Bass. In my case the Thunderchild built by Duke Le June works really well to, especially in doubling situations. I don't think any amp and cab bulder would limit their product by designing it specifically for Double Bass. Just my opinion
Amplifiers built by Acoustic Image, and Euphonic Audio for example have a lot of useful DB tools ( High Pass Filters, Phase Reverse and Phantom power for mics). On the other hand the little MB200 from GK works great and costs less.
Genz Benz builds the Shuttle series that sounds great to. Many players here on talkbass really like the Phil Jones Superflight Case as well.
The bottom line is that you have to try them out first.
It's hard to generalize, but I'd say the main difference is how much emphasis is placed on the treble frequency range.
BGs (bass guitars), with their roundwound steel-core strings, metal frets, and magnetic pickups close to the bridge, tend to be bright and clear. And modern BG players tend to want a punchy sound that cuts through the mix. They may use slap and pop techniques which have crisp, percussive sounds with a lot of high frequency content. So amps and cabs aimed at the BG market tend to emphasize the highs. Consequently, BG cabs and combos often include tweeters.
Amps and cabs aimed at the double bass (DB) market tend to focus on faithfully duplicating the acoustic sound, which is inherently duller and thumpier than the BG.
Having said all that, some amps seem to do well with either instrument. Best test, of course, is with your own ears.
BGs (bass guitars), with their roundwound steel-core strings, metal frets, and magnetic pickups close to the bridge, tend to be bright and clear. And modern BG players tend to want a punchy sound that cuts through the mix. They may use slap and pop techniques which have crisp, percussive sounds with a lot of high frequency content. So amps and cabs aimed at the BG market tend to emphasize the highs. Consequently, BG cabs and combos often include tweeters.
Amps and cabs aimed at the double bass (DB) market tend to focus on faithfully duplicating the acoustic sound, which is inherently duller and thumpier than the BG.
Having said all that, some amps seem to do well with either instrument. Best test, of course, is with your own ears.
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
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- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
A wider and flatter frequency range helps a DB sound more natural. I really like the sound of a keyboard amp - there seems to be much less 'tone-shaping' going on, more 'my bass but louder'.
Thanks guys for your useful info.
The quote by Jake deVilliers sounds interesting. Would that be a Combo?--would the speaker be able to take the frenquency of the D/B? Anybody else use a keyboard amp?
Interesting, what keyboard amps do you like to use? I used to have a GK 200MB and used the powered extension cabinet that they bult for the 200MK it was a good combination.
Ric
Jake deVilliers
Commercial User
- May 24, 2006
- 6,349
- 607
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- Owner of The Bass Spa, String Repairman at Long & McQuade Vancouver
Well, I'm at Long & McQuade two days a week, so I've got a Yorkville 100KB under the bench there.
Here's a link: Long & McQuade - Yorkville Sound 100KB - 100 Watt Keyboard Amp
I like the Roland KC-350 too. I first read about the keyboard amp idea here on TalkBass many years ago and then one summer I was drawn across the street by the sound of a well-amplified DB being played in a restaurant on Commercial Drive. Sure enough, it was a Shen/Realist/100KB signal chain and it was sounding great.
Worth checking out in the store or renting for a weekend, that's for sure.
Keyboard amps are a lot like PA amps -- pretty flat response , little attempt to color the sound.
My 2 cents worth. For electric I want an amp that colours the sound - tastefully unnatural frequency curve, dirt and compression. For acoustic I want something that reproduces the sound faithfully - flat frequency response, high fidelity and lots of headroom. This is personal taste. I know of db players who want to play through an SVT just like electric players. But I use an electric for that sort of sound.
For myself I use a Roland Cube for small gigs and a Peavey combo for larger ones. On the rare occasions where the Peavey isn't big enough I insist on PA support. The upright bass is a ply bass feeding signal via a Realist pickup.
To my ear the Cube is lacking in the higher frequencies and the Peavey does a better job, but to be honest I'm not happy with the sound of a pickup anyway, and I am researching how I can switch to a mic instead. Even the ply bass sounds infinitely better via mic, and as for my carved orchestral....
I can use the Cube for both upright and electric because of it's flexible preamp. If I use the Peavey for both I set it to sound good for the upright, and put a SansAmp into the signal chain for the electric to get the grunge in.
I would have viewed your GK as an upgrade from either of my units.
The majority of my amplified double bass gigs are smaller jazz and MOR gigs where we don't have a sound guy, therefore whatever I do has to be solid and not prone to feedback. The cube is usually enough, and the PA is usually a Yamaha PAS 300 vocal PA (300W, carries vocals and woodwinds, any horns make enough noise already!)
Hope this all helps.
For myself I use a Roland Cube for small gigs and a Peavey combo for larger ones. On the rare occasions where the Peavey isn't big enough I insist on PA support. The upright bass is a ply bass feeding signal via a Realist pickup.
To my ear the Cube is lacking in the higher frequencies and the Peavey does a better job, but to be honest I'm not happy with the sound of a pickup anyway, and I am researching how I can switch to a mic instead. Even the ply bass sounds infinitely better via mic, and as for my carved orchestral....
I can use the Cube for both upright and electric because of it's flexible preamp. If I use the Peavey for both I set it to sound good for the upright, and put a SansAmp into the signal chain for the electric to get the grunge in.
I would have viewed your GK as an upgrade from either of my units.
The majority of my amplified double bass gigs are smaller jazz and MOR gigs where we don't have a sound guy, therefore whatever I do has to be solid and not prone to feedback. The cube is usually enough, and the PA is usually a Yamaha PAS 300 vocal PA (300W, carries vocals and woodwinds, any horns make enough noise already!)
Hope this all helps.
- Nov 24, 2008
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- Owner & designer, AudioKinesis; Auth. mfg, Big E (Home Audio only)
I asked pretty much that same question a couple of years ago, and the answers gave me valuable guidance as a designer. Briefly, I was told the midrange is what matters most (which unfortunately is not something you can make reliable judgments about from published specs). Anyway, here's the thread:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f4/whats-different-about-db-cab-505260/
