Reggae Bass

[RASHOSS]

What do YOU think of when you think, Reggae?

Haha, I've been so sold on trading my Ampeg setup for a lightweight, loud, clean MarkBass setup, hoping people would either encourage me or suggest something different.

It looks like I could sell my SVT-CL for $1,000 or more, from what I see on eBay, etc. What would YOU suggest I buy in the lightweight, thick, warm, loud department? Little Mark 800 Tube?

I'm kind of going out of my mind, wanting to change rigs, but afraid that the outcome might be disappointing...

 

[Jim Carr]

...there's no way I want a "new" rig that is "Low in the Power Handling/Sensitivity Department". Even though I don't know EXACTLY what that means, it doesn't sound good.

I was comparing the 151 HF to the 104 HF. The 104 is rated at 800 watts RMS (how true that is we can't tell), and the 151 is rated at 300 watts RMS.

Maybe go back to your first post in the thread and see if your perspective has changed.

Ask yourself about the tone and volume needs that you have and can foresee, and don't be afraid of changing your point of view on how to get to what you need. Set a budget, and then change it if it is required.

Honestly, I think keep the SVT unless you hate it. Then, as you can, save for and build another rig step by step. Later when you have two working rigs, you can lighten the load if you need to.

 

[BurningSkies]

Haha! What the hell is that?...and where do I get one?

looks like one of the units that was prevalent in the 70's when the sound system guys like Tubby were rolling their own. To project big lows outdoors with 70's speaker technology took big amps and big speakers.

What do YOU think of when you think, Reggae?

Haha, I've been so sold on trading my Ampeg setup for a lightweight, loud, clean MarkBass setup, hoping people would either encourage me or suggest something different.

It looks like I could sell my SVT-CL for $1,000 or more, from what I see on eBay, etc. What would YOU suggest I buy in the lightweight, thick, warm, loud department? Little Mark 800 Tube?

I'm kind of going out of my mind, wanting to change rigs, but afraid that the outcome might be disappointing...

Again, big clean open lows takes wattage and headroom. You don't need 100 pounds of head to do that these days...

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Jim Carr]

What do YOU think of when you think, Reggae?

I think feeling it. I think protest and passion. I think big bass, and the classic Bob Marley, Dennis Brown, Jimmy Cliff, Sly & Robbie stuff, to UB40, Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, and assorted Ska & RockSteady things.

Actually, I like almost all of it because the bass and drums are the rhythmic engine room, the voices are supreme, and the chordal instruments just keep time instead of driving all the time!

Haha, I've been so sold on trading my Ampeg setup for a lightweight, loud, clean MarkBass setup, hoping people would either encourage me or suggest something different.

It looks like I could sell my SVT-CL for $1,000 or more, from what I see on eBay, etc.

See my previous post about selling it.

What would YOU suggest I buy in the lightweight, thick, warm, loud department? Little Mark 800 Tube?

IMHO, a 2 ohm capable head with at minimum 600 watts into 4 ohms, and a pair of top notch cabs with good low end and clean mids is what you need. Since you want light, as most of us do, that means one of the newer hybrid heads, but most of those do not do 2 ohms. You should be able to get a great light cab used weighing under 65 lbs for ~$550 or less. I'd start with 4 ohm 410, but that is just me.

There are light power amps that do 2 ohms, the Mesa M6 and M9 do 2, there are certainly others.

Cabs? I suggest you check out fEARFULs, Avatar, GB. Bergantino, Mesa, Aguilar, (there are many others), etc. In other words, you have got to do some home work to find what you like.

I really dig my Epifani UL1 4 ohm 410 and UL1 8 ohm 210, but not only are they disco'd, that company has changed a lot from what I have been told—not sure what so say about that.

Since you are in So. Cal, there must be tons of used gear washing up on shore, LOL!

I'm kind of going out of my mind, wanting to change rigs, but afraid that the outcome might be disappointing...

Few things are certain. A new rig is a gamble, but it is not a marriage. BTW, BurningSkies is THE guy to ask about fEARFUL reggae rigs, and check out his racked pre/power amp setup. Nice and light. The one I have is ~74 lbs. I am waiting for my M9 to come home from Petaluma. Gotta go to my gig. Later!

 

[RASHOSS]

[QUOTE Again, big clean open lows takes wattage and headroom. You don't need 100 pounds of head to do that these days...

Invalid Link Removed[/QUOTE]

My first ever rig was a Peavey setup. Nothing like this though. After selling my Peavey for the Ampeg, I never looked back, thinking Peavey was an inferior product, for some reason. Obviously, my brother-in-reggae, BurningSkies, likes it. Is that thing REALLY 3,000 watts?!!!

Of all the bass rigs you've played/seen over the years, is this the one that brings you the most satisfaction Burning? Sounds like you and I are playing similar type styles.

It appears that this rig is able to get down to the 2 OHM range (2 x 4 OHM cabs)...I now wonder if something like this will provide more satisfaction than the MB LM III 800 Tube that I've been asking you all about...

 

[BurningSkies]

My first ever rig was a Peavey setup. Nothing like this though. After selling my Peavey for the Ampeg, I never looked back, thinking Peavey was an inferior product, for some reason. Obviously, my brother-in-reggae, BurningSkies, likes it. Is that thing REALLY 3,000 watts?!!!

Of all the bass rigs you've played/seen over the years, is this the one that brings you the most satisfaction Burning? Sounds like you and I are playing similar type styles.

It appears that this rig is able to get down to the 2 OHM range (2 x 4 OHM cabs)...I now wonder if something like this will provide more satisfaction than the MB LM III 800 Tube that I've been asking you all about...

Well, Peavey rates the amp at 3000w by burst testing each channel at 2ohms, or 1490wx2. Which is theoretically possible depending upon what's going on for capacitors. Its probably better to look at it as a 2400w amp.

I run two 8ohm cabs, either one per channel for ~500w per cab, or two on one channel for ~500w per cab...or bridged at something that approximates the amp's full wattage into the two cabs. The nice part is that the power amp only weighs 7 pounds.

The other pieces of the puzzle are just as important. I have a dual fEARful rig with a 15/6 and a 15sub. They deal out more lows than any production bass cab, and also have more representative tone across their whole frequency response range...by which I mean they're as close to 'flat' as you're going to find out there. What that means is that basically its like running a Club size PA/Sub setup just for bass. It can get oppressively loud while dealing out sub-lows without getting muddy, without getting distorted or washy.

The preamp is a high voltage tube preamp that's hand wired and has an all tube signal path. After playing it for about 6 months, I can say that the high voltage tube preamp is the way to go if you want 'real tooob tone' out of a pre/power rig. It has the same rich three dimensional characteristics that I hear in all tube gear, except that because of the amp and cabs I get it way louder and way cleaner than you can get with a tube amp.

The other part of my trip is my bass. A custom multi-scale Dingwall, that has a 37" low B string. Even string tension across the neck means even tone and timbre, and more even volume levels. It means that the notes speak with more authority and presence, which works if you want those lows that could often get mushy if you're not careful.

Just because I play reggae, doesn't mean I have to be stuck in the 70's.

 

[BurningSkies]

I listen to a LOT of reggae, everything to early 60's Ska and Rocksteady to modern roots and dancehall.

I prefer to play across the board, but some of the stuff that is particularly influential to me is the Charlie Chaplin Roots Radics stuff:
Invalid Link Removed

And the modern Sagittarius band stuff:

Yellowman Live in Paris vlc - YouTube
YELLOWMAN zungguzunggzeng 7/5/2011 trepuzzi parte3 - YouTube

For roots stuff I'm down with most of the 3 part dread harmony acts, headline singers and heavy duty players,. But tend to some of the obscurities.

 

[pacojas]

i would sell the SVT and buy the MarkBass. the MB is way more versatile, IMO. a "Reggae Rig" is not some sort of enigma,.. almost any set of quality gear will suffice.

personally, i have my bass going through a tube pre amp, into the "effects return" of an LMII, and it sounds MASSIVE with an 8ohm cab @300w.
gl.

here's a phone pic of my rig.

obviously, it won't compete with Burning's gear, but the sound is pure & MASSIVE. sounds CD quality as described by fellow Bay Area reggae musicians! (people are constantly peeking in on our rehearsals to see what is creating this huge wall of sound!)

rig includes:
MarkBass LMII
Alesis NanoCompressor (by-passable)
Demeter HBP-1 (by-passable)
Roland SDE-1000 (by-passable)
LMII allows either total SS or by-pass its pre infavor of the Demeter.
Peavey 2X15 (30yrs old)
MarkBass 102p

 

[BurningSkies]

here's a phone pic of my rig.

obviously, it won't compete with Burning's gear, but the sound is pure & MASSIVE. sounds CD quality as described by fellow Bay Area reggae musicians! (people are constantly peeking in on our rehearsals to see what is creating this huge wall of sound!)

rig includes:
MarkBass LMII
Alesis NanoCompressor (by-passable)
Demeter HBP-1 (by-passable)
Roland SDE-1000 (by-passable)
LMII allows either total SS or by-pass its pre infavor of the Demeter.
Peavey 2X15 (30yrs old)
MarkBass 102p

I played a LMII as my main amp for about 4 years, and really liked it. Once I got the fEARfuls, which are so clean and clear I could hear the amp failing to keep up at the volumes I was playing. That's why I ended up moving on to something different. I also have the NanoCompressor, which is a great unit but I only use it for recording, and mostly for guitar or drums.

 

[RASHOSS]

I listen to a LOT of reggae, everything to early 60's Ska and Rocksteady to modern roots and dancehall.

I prefer to play across the board, but some of the stuff that is particularly influential to me is the Charlie Chaplin Roots Radics stuff:
Invalid Link Removed

And the modern Sagittarius band stuff:

Yellowman Live in Paris vlc - YouTube
YELLOWMAN zungguzunggzeng 7/5/2011 trepuzzi parte3 - YouTube

For roots stuff I'm down with most of the 3 part dread harmony acts, headline singers and heavy duty players,. But tend to some of the obscurities.

Love that stuff. Just watched Yellowman in Solana Beach last month. My band had the opportunity to support Israel Vibration last month in Santa Barbara.

Some of my faves:

The Ethiopians - Everything Crash - YouTube
Israel Vibration - Rude Boy Shufflin' - YouTube

to

The specials - Concrete jungle - YouTube
The Selecter On My Radio - YouTube (classic how they're all jamming with no gear on stage)


Paco, are you using pre-amp to give you more control over the tone? Does the LM II not have enough tone control for you?

 

[RASHOSS]

I played a LMII as my main amp for about 4 years, and really liked it. Once I got the fEARfuls, which are so clean and clear I could hear the amp failing to keep up at the volumes I was playing. That's why I ended up moving on to something different. I also have the NanoCompressor, which is a great unit but I only use it for recording, and mostly for guitar or drums.

The fEARfuls sound awesome from how you describe them, but they also seem like a lot of work. These are all do-it-yourself, in terms of construction right? I'm afraid I just don't have the time to construct, or the no-how to choose the right components.

Burning, do you think a LM III would have held up with what the fEARfuls "wanted" better than the LM II (more wattage)?

 

[pacojas]

I played a LMII as my main amp for about 4 years, and really liked it. Once I got the fEARfuls, which are so clean and clear I could hear the amp failing to keep up at the volumes I was playing. That's why I ended up moving on to something different. I also have the NanoCompressor, which is a great unit but I only use it for recording, and mostly for guitar or drums.

i hear ya on the LMII. as a stand alone it was lacking somewhat for me. the hint of compression and the pre amp are recent low-budget up-grades i made to the LMII. sometimes, i find that a little delay through the SDE-1000 also helps make the notes have that sweet, creamy swell,... but since buying the pre, i haven't used it.
AHHHHHH!!!!

while this rig is cool indoors, i totally would love your set-up, for true! BTW, what tubes are you running?
i recently swapped the Russian 12AX7EH for the Chinese 12AX7B...
huge difference in the high mids to the top end. much better definition/ presence!

 

[RASHOSS]

while this rig is cool indoors, i totally would love your set-up, for true! BTW, what tubes are you running?
i recently swapped the Russian 12AX7EH for the Chinese 12AX7B...
huge difference in the high mids to the top end. much better definition/ presence!

I don't think anybody could be completely disappointed with my current rig, if they showed up to a gig and it's sitting there, but after so many years I think I'm ready for something different... We do one fairly large outdoor gig each year (3,000-4,000 people) and the promoter provides a backline (including my same Ampeg setup). The majority of our gigs are in smaller rooms with ~150-300 people.

I replaced the tubes in 2000 with 6550 Svetlanas...I don't know a THING about tube types, but the name sounds Russian to me

 

[pacojas]

@RASHOSS

i was referring to the tubes in (Burning's) Kern pre amp. i'm not sure what tubes are used in the SVT's pre, but if they take 12AX7's, i highly recommend the 12AX7B. it is the newest incarnation of the Shuguan 12AX7-C9.

 

[Josh Pelican]

Excuse my ignorance if I missed it, but didn't Aston Barrett use Ampeg at one point? I've heard he's switched it up a few times, but I seem to recall seeing many pictures of him playing live through an SVT-3PRO.

That being said, I'm pretty sure I've seen Robbie Shakespeare playing through Ampeg as well.

My vote goes to sticking with the Ampeg.

 

[One Drop]

Excuse my ignorance if I missed it, but didn't Aston Barrett use Ampeg at one point? I've heard he's switched it up a few times, but I seem to recall seeing many pictures of him playing live through an SVT-3PRO.

That being said, I'm pretty sure I've seen Robbie Shakespeare playing through Ampeg as well.

My vote goes to sticking with the Ampeg.

Fams used Ampeg and Acoustic, often the two in combination. He also played through Trace rigs for a little while.

I've heard him often over the years in different sized venues, and he's never sounded better IMO than he does now with his Eden WT800 and Sansamp set-up. On stage he has a lot more highs than in the FOH, and in the FOH his tone is ridiculously massive but much less thick sounding than it used to be, for the better as you can hear the way he shapes notes better and he is no less punchy sounding for it.

Shakespeare has always gone for maximum clarity and gets a much cleaner and less finely crafted tone than Barrett; different approach and in some ways more 'modern'- Fams wants to sound more like a DB and Robbie S. goes for an upfront EB tone with lots of sustain and pure power.

I doubt any of this is much help to the OP but maybe he can take something from it.

 

[BurningSkies]

Love that stuff. Just watched Yellowman in Solana Beach last month. My band had the opportunity to support Israel Vibration last month in Santa Barbara.

Some of my faves:

The Ethiopians - Everything Crash - YouTube
Israel Vibration - Rude Boy Shufflin' - YouTube

to

The specials - Concrete jungle - YouTube
The Selecter On My Radio - YouTube (classic how they're all jamming with no gear on stage)


Paco, are you using pre-amp to give you more control over the tone? Does the LM II not have enough tone control for you?

Yep. I 'grew up' musically on Two Tone stuff. Did a show with Neville Staple a few years back... that was pretty cool. And the Ethiopians have been a great act from the early years onwards.

My biggest problems with the LMII were the power amp compression that really kicks in on the lows when you start to push it a bit. I experienced it with both 4 and 8 ohm loads, and it made me feel like the amp was pulling the rug out from under my feet when I went to hit anything in the G-and-below range. Beyond that, Once you get the master volume up to about noon, that's all you're getting.

I'll 'see' your Ethiopians and Specials/Selector and raise you:
Yabby You: Jesus Dread
Earth & Stone: Cool Roots
Earth and Stone features some great Sly & Robbie backing.

And for the halibut, One of my favorite Tubby's:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Enjoy.

The fEARfuls sound awesome from how you describe them, but they also seem like a lot of work. These are all do-it-yourself, in terms of construction right? I'm afraid I just don't have the time to construct, or the no-how to choose the right components.

Burning, do you think a LM III would have held up with what the fEARfuls "wanted" better than the LM II (more wattage)?

The thing is that the fEARfuls don't necessarily 'want' a certain amount of power. The problem is that when the LittleMark II (and III) runs out of power, you're nowhere near what a fEARful can produce, and when it does reach its maximum comfortable output, it gets a bit ugly in the mids when it comes to transients and the fEARful makes that painfully obvious where other cabs would cover it. The LMII and LMIII are basically the same amp, when it comes to power.

The fEARfuls can be anything from build-yourself to fully completed. There are some great kits out there for easy DIY builds or you can take the plans and run. There are a handful of really good builders who may even have completed cabs in stock. There's no wiggle on component choice, the drivers and crossovers are pretty locked down, and some of the kits that Speaker Hardware can provide have everything down to the nuts and bolts.

i hear ya on the LMII. as a stand alone it was lacking somewhat for me. the hint of compression and the pre amp are recent low-budget up-grades i made to the LMII. sometimes, i find that a little delay through the SDE-1000 also helps make the notes have that sweet, creamy swell,... but since buying the pre, i haven't used it.
AHHHHHH!!!!

while this rig is cool indoors, i totally would love your set-up, for true! BTW, what tubes are you running?
i recently swapped the Russian 12AX7EH for the Chinese 12AX7B...
huge difference in the high mids to the top end. much better definition/ presence!

The Kern runs 2x 12AX7, and one 12AU7 that drives the DI on it. All the tubes in mine are vintage Sylvanias (and JAN ones if I recall correctly). I've played around with a few other tube choices, but TBer Chadds (who sold me the Kern) was pretty dead on that the Sylvanias have been the best to date.

 

[BurningSkies]

Excuse my ignorance if I missed it, but didn't Aston Barrett use Ampeg at one point? I've heard he's switched it up a few times, but I seem to recall seeing many pictures of him playing live through an SVT-3PRO.

That being said, I'm pretty sure I've seen Robbie Shakespeare playing through Ampeg as well.

My vote goes to sticking with the Ampeg.

There certainly is nothing wrong with the Ampeg. I had one once (an old one back when I started playing in the 1980's), and I've never minded showing up to a gig and finding one as provided backline.

That said, even for reggae, its a matter of choice. It drives me nuts repeatedly here that people take what one or two players used 30 years ago as if that was law. Its not. You don't have to play a Jazz bass and use an Ampeg or Acoustic to play reggae. Its not the 70's anymore and there's a whole world open to gear choices depending upon what you want to hear. I have to think that if 30 years ago, guys were given the option of the gear we play today, most wouldn't have stuck with the same old same old.

I've gone to a fair number of reggae shows and have seen any number of bass rigs and bass choices. Sometimes I feel that its mostly guys who are trying to relive or recreate scene that they they love but weren't there for that have to have all vintage, etc.

For guys that want to go really low, an Ampeg SVT doesn't really go that low.

Another Caveat is that I don't have to push too much sub low on stage. I usually like a fair amount of mids to keep my onstage tone punchy, a sound that works better when you have to contend with any material that's not 60bpm roots. If you listen to any boots of Roots Radics or even Sly & Robbie from the heyday of the DJ, you'll hear a lot less lows and way more mids.

This dude certainly isn't playing 60bpm, nor his he chained to a 4-string Jazz:
Invalid Link Removed

 

[will33]

The fEARfuls sound awesome from how you describe them, but they also seem like a lot of work. These are all do-it-yourself, in terms of construction right? I'm afraid I just don't have the time to construct, or the no-how to choose the right components.

Burning, do you think a LM III would have held up with what the fEARfuls "wanted" better than the LM II (more wattage)?

All the design homework, component selection, crossover etc. is done for you. If you're not handy with fairly simple carpentry, you need someone who is, or hire out a carpenter. Featuring Eminence Speakers, Crown Amplifiers, DIY Speaker Kits - Speaker Hardware, over 30 years Audio experience has flatpacks you can buy. All the panels are pre-cut and just need assembly, like a project kit of sorts.

 

[RASHOSS]

Yep. I 'grew up' musically on Two Tone stuff. Did a show with Neville Staple a few years back... that was pretty cool. And the Ethiopians have been a great act from the early years onwards.

I'll 'see' your Ethiopians and Specials/Selector and raise you:
Yabby You: Jesus Dread
Earth & Stone: Cool Roots
Earth and Stone features some great Sly & Robbie backing.

And for the halibut, One of my favorite Tubby's:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

Enjoy.

Ha, these albums, I have never seen. I freakin love the Soul Syndicate though. The Kool Roots album "looks" insane, if you can tell an album's musical content by what's on the cover

These are not as "hidden" as your above selection, but here are some more influential reggae acts:

The Mighty Diamonds
The Mighty Diamonds '' Pray unto thee '' - YouTube

The Meditations
Meditations - Greatest Hits CD Album (this album is one of my favorites...every song satisfies)
The Meditations - Wake Up - YouTube

The Abyssinians
The Abyssinians - Declaration of rights - YouTube

Misty In Roots
Misty In Roots "See Them Ah Come" (Live) - YouTube (this live mix has the most eerie (and irie) organ parts)