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Recommend me a meaty Valve amp!

#21
PSPookie said:
The first two head that come to my mind are the Peavey VB-2 and the Traynor YBA-200.
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+1 I was about to make those very same suggestions. If you are buying new, these two are the top contenders (in the inexpensive, all-tube head category), in my book. Of course, if you go the used route, there are many more potential options.

Tom.
 
#23
I'd agree with Tom and PSPpookie,
The YBA200-2 and VB-2 are the only current-production valve amps mentioned that are actually in your price range. The SVT, Fender/Sunn 300, Mesa 400, etc, are all great amps, but are going to be considerably more expensive. Even used, they probably won't be in your pricerange on that side of the pond.

If you need alot of volume, I'd go with the Peavey, if you want something a touch more lush and vintagey, I'd go with the Traynor. I've had both, and I settled on the VB2. It's my main amp now. It get's vintagey enough for me (I play country and indie/pop Rock), but it has considerably more volume.
 
#24
Ampeg is the obvious answer to the question. They're so widely available that it should be possible to find one used at a reasonable price. There are other brand offerings, all of them to some extent derivitive of the SVT, but none are cheap. Despite the weight and expense, there really is something special about tubes.
 
#25
Son of Bovril said:
Fender 300 Pro: if you can't find a sound in it that you like then tubes are not what you are looking for, plus it has loads of volume but just like every tube head it's a beast to move!
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those look amazing! i've always been interested in fender bass stuff ever since i used the twin reverb guitar gombo for bass a bit back so i may well try and find one of those to have a bang around with.

Kingkananga said:
Definately try out a Matamp, you're in the UK - you've got to try one. the website is sh*te but give em a call, they're funny on the phone and will speak their minds, but they make awesome big meaty amps!

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check out the history on wiki or something too.
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Ah yes, matamp, my friend uses those for his guitar stuff (bastard of the skies in our top friends), they sound AWESOME but they're similar to the orange valve heads in that they go all muddy when you dial any extreme distortion in them which is fine if i had another guitarist or bassist but with there just being to of us they just don't do it for me, which is rubbish because i would LOVE to own one of those bad boys.

Kingkananga said:
and I use GK heads, you'd like the 2001rb but you would be hard pushed to find one under £500 second hand, i got mine for £650. the overdrive channel has really good tubey bass meatyness, with alot of punch and clarity too.

try out a GK 2001rb, just for sh*ts an giggles.

I played a backline 600 which was ok.
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That's cool, did i read somewhere that Jared from BIG BUSINESS uses Gallien Kruger heads sometimes? Anyone any iodea on what model he uses?
Also, can you tell which model the head is in this picture?

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They're one of my favourite bands and his sound is INCREDIBLE.


Mr. Foxen said:
Verellen Meat Smoke seems a good fit, not just by name:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YAp-rjnx2s
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Aaaaaaaaaaah, do some of the guys form YOUNG WIDOWS use these? That got me thinking actually, what amp does Nick use for his bass sound?

Thanks for the replies!
 
#26
Duncorama said:
That's cool, did i read somewhere that Jared from BIG BUSINESS uses Gallien Kruger heads sometimes? Anyone any iodea on what model he uses?
Also, can you tell which model the head is in this picture?

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They're one of my favourite bands and his sound is INCREDIBLE.
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That looks like a GK 800rb - VERY good GK head - its the one that defined the GK sound. you could try get one of those second hand, they sound badass!
 
#30
YBA-200 is a quality head, scooped when dials are flat, so I normally have it bumped in the mids. It's quite easy to dial in good tones on it. Many have reported it breaks up quite easily, so keep that in mind. Vintage Traynors are also great.

Ampegs, to me, sounded like they have slightly more body than the Traynor.

If you want a heavy sound, I believe Mesa would be a good way to go from what I've heard about the 400+ and the hybrid Big Block 750.
 
#31
Traynors (the old ones) are great amps. However unless you use more than one or can score a YBA3a they just arent loud enough for a lot of uses. Also, the YBA1a does not like 4 ohm loads. From what I understand it was used for 1 or two 16 ohm cabs. So 8 is minimum. Still, great heads, I keep meaning to get two yba3's and have a double half stack.
Mesa bass 400 and 400+ are kind of different than most tube amps. They are very spitty and grindy sounding without that thick bloomy low mid thing that most tube bass heads have. It's like its got an anti-mud device in there.
SVT tube heads are really great too. They kind of lack in super low and upper mids, but they are the kings of low mid, thick bass. Also the kings of stretching your arms.

Oh yeah, and all these guys that are saying "just get a VT pedal" well honestly, thats like saying just get a scooter if you like motorcycles.
 
#32
Alex1984 said:
YBA-200 is a quality head, scooped when dials are flat, so I normally have it bumped in the mids. It's quite easy to dial in good tones on it. Many have reported it breaks up quite easily, so keep that in mind. Vintage Traynors are also great.
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This is true. If you get a Traynor and you don't want it to break up early, you really need to switch out the preamp tubes. A pair of ECC81's ( 12AT7's ) instead of the stock 12ax7's will give you an amp with alot more clean headroom.
 
#34
I just saw this 500watt Bugera Tube Bass amp with 4 preamp tubes in it & its cheap.They say that its the best value amp available out there with tubes in it.Though the poweramp is S.S the Preamp has 4 tubes.
Somebody also mentioned the Bassman 300.Secondhand they are all over the place. Its funny the Bugera head looks to be made very good & has a great sound going on the review on Youtube, check it out guys its a great head. Im thinking about getting one very soon.They are cheap as for a 500watt Tube front-end bassamp......
 
#35
Growly Lytes said:
I just saw this 500watt Bugera Tube Bass amp with 4 preamp tubes in it & its cheap.They say that its the best value amp available out there with tubes in it.Though the poweramp is S.S the Preamp has 4 tubes.
Somebody also mentioned the Bassman 300.Secondhand they are all over the place. Its funny the Bugera head looks to be made very good & has a great sound going on the review on Youtube, check it out guys its a great head. Im thinking about getting one very soon.They are cheap as for a 500watt Tube front-end bassamp......
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Bugera is Behringer. Behringer is infamous for having power supply problems. Tube amps need solid power supplies.
Oh, and thats not a tube amp. Its just a solidstate amp with a valve drive circuit.
 
#36
Still its got the tube thing happenin, it can give you a nice warm sound because of the tubes in the preamp section.Dont get me wrong i know its Behringer but it might be something to look into.It seems to be their best bass amp they have. For $500 Aussie $$ i will give it a go sooner or later.2nd hand down the track they will be real cheap maybe hold out for a little while.
 
#37
that sounds really nice, my friend uses behringer stuff, he swears by it too but i've heard the same thing about the power supply issues. where we practice, it's a bit of a hole and the power supply isn't the best, in fact on any given night you can usually someone in one of the other rooms swearing loudly as one of their heads has blown as a result.

Does anyone have any experience with the original fender bassman? My local 2nd hand music shop has one in:

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#39
Alex1984 said:
If you'd like to go the hybrid way, there's a lot of options, affordable too. Although, I think having a tube power amp is still a bit different from an SS power amp.
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my girlfriend uses a hybrid, one of those bass terrors and although it sounds good, it feels like there's something missing compared to the orange ad 200 that she was using before.
Also, is it me or do hybrids still seem to cost a lot of cash?!
 

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