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Between the GAIN and MASTER knobs you really have got things dimed!
Yes, when I took the pic, I had just finished showing the guitar player how loud this would go after him giving me the "that's all you brought?" look. The resulting jaw-drop was fun to watch!
Whew! For a minute I thought you were insane
All kidding aside, I find that the BB800 starts to get sloppy north of 3 o'clock on the MASTER should there be some decent approach on the limiting circuitry (i.e. GAIN knob.) YMMV.
The cover band i play with usually doesn't care or even note what I play, (Pbass, Jazz, 5string jazz, bass uke. Orange Amp, Fender amp, Ampeg amp. Fender cab, Bag End cab, Eden cab) but when i fired up the BB800 and 12/6, we had to pick up some jaws from the floor.
Just ordered my BB800! Woohoo. Can't wait to hear my zon and my P5 through it into my Audiokenisis 112's. Will be a match made in heaven I think. I loved my Eden 550 wt, but it didn't have quite enough power to handle the Audiokenisis stuff, which are very powerful but like the fearful stuff, are watt hungry.
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
Yeah, I just love it when we bring "just" a premium 12 and one of these higher-powered amps in and get this look from the guitar player and drummer as in the mentioned "that's all you got" look. Then WHAM and they have this shocked look. Priceless!
I run a Schroeder 212PL and my BB800 is on my pedal board, I play in heavy bands with loud drummers. They always ask why I don't have a Ampeg 8x10 haha.
When I start to play they shut up quickly. And I never have to ask people to help me load in or out anymore. I love my BB800.
When I start to play they shut up quickly. And I never have to ask people to help me load in or out anymore. I love my BB800.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I do not believe that any of the "official" Quilter employees have accounts, here, but I have been corresponding with them on a regular basis, as we have the head in for review and cabs are on the way. I have their permission to share some of the messages they have sent to me, and here are some notes from Pat Quilter regarding the feedback they have received concerning the Bass Block and the cabs:
"Notes about the Bass Block
--Suggestion to mount two Speakon-combos on the back instead of the single Spkon plus dual ¼”. We’re about a quarter inch short of room so this is not easy but we could maybe tuck-tuck-tuck.
--The amp plays very well, and this has been recognized, so the basic platform is sound.
--The amp does support a single speakon for use with external cabs, some of which may have daisy chain speakons.
--There have been minor complaints about lacking a tuner connection (you CAN use the other input, and the mute button).
Preliminary complaints about the bass speakers.
--Bass players are now used to Speakons.
--BUT: a speakon connection is very awkward to use with the modular amp pocket. The cable is too thick to coil under the amp, the shortest stock cable is 3 feet, and the speaker plug and cable sticks out about 2 inches past the back of the cabinet when plugged in. Sad!
--The speakers play very well and sound great as-is.
--A quarter inch plug will not whistle as long as there is only one being used (therefore, don’t offer dual ¼” plugs).
Proposal:
--Keep the cabinets as-is. Explain that the Bass Cabs and Bass Block are a tested, modular system and require a short flexible connector, ie ¼-inch.
--Continue to make the cabs with ¼-inch jacks for the foreseeable future (few people will buy them for use with their existing bass heads, and if so, you can get speakon-to-1/4-inch adaptor cables).
--Our single or dual modular cabs will continue to work as intended with existing Bass Block 800.
--The exposed tip of the ¼-inch plug is deemed non-hazardous at our power level, per UL 60065."
"Notes about the Bass Block
--Suggestion to mount two Speakon-combos on the back instead of the single Spkon plus dual ¼”. We’re about a quarter inch short of room so this is not easy but we could maybe tuck-tuck-tuck.
--The amp plays very well, and this has been recognized, so the basic platform is sound.
--The amp does support a single speakon for use with external cabs, some of which may have daisy chain speakons.
--There have been minor complaints about lacking a tuner connection (you CAN use the other input, and the mute button).
Preliminary complaints about the bass speakers.
--Bass players are now used to Speakons.
--BUT: a speakon connection is very awkward to use with the modular amp pocket. The cable is too thick to coil under the amp, the shortest stock cable is 3 feet, and the speaker plug and cable sticks out about 2 inches past the back of the cabinet when plugged in. Sad!
--The speakers play very well and sound great as-is.
--A quarter inch plug will not whistle as long as there is only one being used (therefore, don’t offer dual ¼” plugs).
Proposal:
--Keep the cabinets as-is. Explain that the Bass Cabs and Bass Block are a tested, modular system and require a short flexible connector, ie ¼-inch.
--Continue to make the cabs with ¼-inch jacks for the foreseeable future (few people will buy them for use with their existing bass heads, and if so, you can get speakon-to-1/4-inch adaptor cables).
--Our single or dual modular cabs will continue to work as intended with existing Bass Block 800.
--The exposed tip of the ¼-inch plug is deemed non-hazardous at our power level, per UL 60065."
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,950
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
In addition, here are some responses directed to me (which again, I am authorized to share) to some questions/comments I had on these same topics:
"--The Bass Block is approved by UL for US and CE markets, with existing ¼-inch connectors. UL standard 60065 establishes the maximum permissible voltages for audio outputs, and we are below that limit. The exposed tip of the ¼-inch jack is deemed non-hazardous for consumer amps up to 600W at 8 ohms, and professional-only amps up to 1800W/8 ohms. The Bass Block delivers 450W into 8 ohms.
--Our bass cabinets are intended primarily for use as a modular system with Bass Block power, using the “mounting pocket” in the back. Speakon cables are very awkward to use in such a confined space, due to being too long, too thick to coil under the amp, and the plug sticks out the back when plugged into the speaker. Therefore, we have opted to provide short, right angle ¼-inch cables as part of the system. We provide only a single ¼-inch input on each speaker to avoid whistling through unused jacks, and to spread the load through two cables when driving two cabinets.
--We do provide one Speakon outlet for use with other brands of speakers, as well as the ¼-inch."
"--The Bass Block is approved by UL for US and CE markets, with existing ¼-inch connectors. UL standard 60065 establishes the maximum permissible voltages for audio outputs, and we are below that limit. The exposed tip of the ¼-inch jack is deemed non-hazardous for consumer amps up to 600W at 8 ohms, and professional-only amps up to 1800W/8 ohms. The Bass Block delivers 450W into 8 ohms.
--Our bass cabinets are intended primarily for use as a modular system with Bass Block power, using the “mounting pocket” in the back. Speakon cables are very awkward to use in such a confined space, due to being too long, too thick to coil under the amp, and the plug sticks out the back when plugged into the speaker. Therefore, we have opted to provide short, right angle ¼-inch cables as part of the system. We provide only a single ¼-inch input on each speaker to avoid whistling through unused jacks, and to spread the load through two cables when driving two cabinets.
--We do provide one Speakon outlet for use with other brands of speakers, as well as the ¼-inch."
They make these 1/8" locking connectors. Someone should come up with a 1/4" speaker connector that would screw on to the threads of the input jack
A certain other speaker company used to include sealed 1/4" jacks on their cabinets along the lines of these
- Sep 3, 2006
- 4,358
- 6,117
- Disclosures
- Authorized dealer for Dingwall, Genzler, Phil Jones Bass, Cort, Traynor, Yorkville Sound
I do like two speakons on an amp but for some players 1 will do, and they certainly have reasons for only one, but it appears their cabs are
more for their amp as the majority of bass players do want speakon connectors.
Can you comment/compare on the darkglass? I love my VU pedal and this pedal was one reason why I through the BB800 would be the perfect solution since the pedals has such a great eq I really don't feel a need for an amp with a complex eq section anymore. But how do you like the Darkglass amp?This is funny (to me). In addition to my BB800 I have a 4 space SKB with a 2k amp with a nice preamp, had (just sold) an aggie db751, also have a peavey minimega and a new darkglass mt 900.
Guess which one gets all the gigs through my Fearless F212? & sits on my F112 for practice in home office?
You got it. The BB. No BS. You will love it. No affiliation. I just like gear that works as it should.
My experience has been that my BB800 has made any speaker I've hooked it up to sound better. Even an old ADA 1-15 cab from the 80's. It even made basses I didn't really care for sound better too.
Does this mean if with a "set" of speaker cabs, it will come with the short connector cable with the right angle plugs AND
a speakon to 1/4" adapter cable for the 2nd cab?
Well, I only gigged with it the first time last weekend. I didn't realize for where I was playing I shoulda had it in 2Ohm mode for less power through my 4Ohm F212. It's got "a lot" of power. Headroom for days...
I agree with you about the simplicity of the BB and I've yet to find a bad setting with it. And, as to what others have said, it makes everything/anything sound better. The BB is really hard to beat.
The DG is almost not even comparable. It's gonna take some dialing in for sure but after you land on a few settings you are going to grow a smile over the matter.
Case in point: I've gigged the BB many times and really like the cushy place it lays my sound. I'm in a 3 piece (80's bar band) and a 5 piece (hard rock covers) band and it puts me in really well in both bands. Has to do with my onboard e.q. pickups, settings etc.
But, after this first gig with the DG I really noticed a different kind of authority in the mix. I don't really mean loud, even though the headroom was "all" there, and I'm playing through a very "watt hungry" cabinet, but a place in the mix that rivaled my guitarist's tube amp. I could tell he was happy with his amp blasting behind him but I was very happy with the place I arrived. I haven't gigged many tube amps but I'm guessing this is a very close sound. I'm extremely happy I got that volume pedal to reign in things while going at it live. The DG is new to me but everything I've tasted so far has me very happy.
My answer is I really like both amps right now.
Can you explain what benefit the dual stage limited brings to the table for the less technical like myself? Thanks!Quilter's unique dual-stage limiter for the win!
