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Rock amp - hard choice (Orange/Ampeg/Ashdown)

#21
There are a couple of demos on youtube for the Orange Terror head. You can definitely hear an edgy and heavily distorted bass tone through the head, but several are right, the tone controls are not too versatile. If you like the tone, you are in heaven, but if you want more variety, best to look somewhere else.

Are you using the Tech21 BDDI? You like the tone on that I take it, but have you used it in a band setting? That scooped mid tone easily gets lost in the mix at the medium to extreme settings. If you keep the controls in check, it can be very usable. If you are building an 810 and have some serious volume coming out of it, you probably will be alright.

Since you do not have your cab completed, I suggest you hold off on purchasing a head. Some cabs and heads do not sound good together.

One way to try out bass heads is to order them online, use the 30 day policy and return them. You will lose out on shipping, but at least you will know what is up. Take a road trip to a store and go wild. They should let you use your cab in the store if there is a side room. Just talk to the manager before you go there.
 
#22
dukeorock said:
Not the way I play 'em! I think you've heard me play Jimmy...it's kinda caveman for the most part...John Wetton, JJ Brunell, pick, heavy gauge strings...subtle as a flying brick :) I'm just supporting your point if I understood it correctly, that it's way more the player than the amp...
Click to expand...
Definitely I agree with it being way more the player than the amp. I hear Genz Benz and Ampeg differently, but I end up sounding about the same in a mix no matter what I use, and I'm sure you do, too.
 
#23
I have the Behringer clone, bought just for fun but it became necessary! The controls aren't as effective as the ones of the original unit but it works very well, doesn't have hum, hiss or whatever. It could be sold for 2 times its price with a different brand on. :smug:
I've used it on a Markbass S450 (first series, not the actual one with the D class power amp) and a BagEnd 410 (the one with coax tweeter). The sound was pretty good, can't complain. My MB200 is a different animal, though... easy to carry and pretty clear sounding but can't get those tones without an external unit, no way to compare it to the heads we're talking about that, if I'm not mistaken, can sound pretty gritty with a good use of the gain.
I still have to put thicker strings on the bass (I have one with thinner strings), a different pick material also affects the sound. The idea of the 30 days return policy isn't bad but I'd still have to choose one in the bunch ;)

Ashdown 550: good price, much heavier.

Orange: decent price, much lighter.

Ampeg: more expensive, medium weight.

Ashdown LB: decent price, low power, medium weight for a full valve. GUESS that with a 6-8x10" SHOULD be able to cut thru even at gigs.
 
#24
JimmyM said:
Definitely I agree with it being way more the player than the amp. I hear Genz Benz and Ampeg differently, but I end up sounding about the same in a mix no matter what I use, and I'm sure you do, too.
Click to expand...

Pretty much :) For sure, those are two very different beasts...for electric gigs, I've been playing a 1983 Peavey T-40 a lot, and the Genz is good for helping me get that Gibson-ish mid range 'bark.' But, I recently played my Ashdown ABM 500 for the first time in years live...it sounded different, but not 'that' different :)
 
#25
My tone is pretty different at rehearsals. Sure, it's still me playing :p but that's more about the notes choice etc.
The voice of the instrument is different... and if it wasn't I guess all of us would use the same amp: probably an MB200 'cause it's so easy to carry :D
 
#27
The soundclips suggest it could be what I look for tonewise... but it costs a bit more of what I'd like to spend because of its power (1000w). Power I'd never need, I must say. :p
 
#29
I'm seriously considering the PF500 too, yes. But the choice is still hard. Leaving the Little Bastard out of the battle (too small), we still have:

Orange

Ampeg PF500

Ashdown Spyder 550

And I'd also add the ABM500 to the list.

They're more or less in the same price league, 2 are hybrid and 2 are SS that sound pretty tubey (reading the reviews and listening to the clips).
 
#30
Have you checked the Mesa Walkabout? I got one from Ebay for 500 bucks couple years ago. It was extremely flexible. I used for playing everything! From Heavy metal to salsa. The 3 Band semi-parametric EQ was incredible. Is only 300W, but it always delivered more than enough power for small and medium venues.
It doesn't get too dirty though, but I think that is better to use pedals since they will usually allow for more flexibility in live situations!

Cheers and good luck with the search!

Doug.
 
#31
Sorry, never tried recent Mesa stuff but one of their 1x12" combos... that was incredibly loud for the size. It was a Walkabout if I remember well.
I played thru the old Mesa Boogie Diesel cabs... they were terrific. But no experience with their amps.
I read the Spyder 550 is probably "cleaner" in sound than the ABM so this probably throws it out of the fight.

But we still have Orange Terror, Ampeg PF500, ABM500 - with weights of 4, 5 and 10kg and prices aren't too different but the ABM can be bought used pretty easily.
 
#32
Here's my opinion.

1) Orange Terror Bass 500 - I was Genuinely excited when i first heard about this amp. Trying it was a massive disappointment. Preamp circuit sounds nothing like it's AD200B. It's undefined and when overdriven it sounds ****.

2) Ashdown Spyder 550 or 330 - I haven't tried this model. saying that I never will as ashdown have a terrible fail rate and they just don't sound great.

3) Ampeg SVT3Pro (used); - Nice sounding amp, nice but not outstanding for real driven tones.

4) Ashdown Little Bastard - Another one i got excited about despite being made my ashdown. Really wanted a small valve amp for using at home as i cant turn my current amp above 0.5 with out killing everything. I tired it in a local store and it really lacked everything I wanted in an amp

Have you not looked secondhand for amps? for my "rock" rig i use an old 100W marshall JCM800 Superbass and it nails it. they also go pretty cheep sometimes. mine was £300 ($470 US) with the matching 4x10 (Though i use my orange 4x10).

If you will only chose from those two amp, make sure you avoid the ashdowns.
 
#33
I was also massively disappointed with the Terror Bass... It had one sound that I'm sure some people love, but it was just all 'grind' with no body to it

I haven't tried the others, but I have tried the Ashdown ABM head and loved it, but I swear by Ashdown (never had a problem with them and love the sound)

I think the best bet is going to be try them, becuase everybody hears things differently, so what some think is too grindy, others might think is a little tame or really fills out the sound

Amps are just as personal as basses or effects
 
#34
I'm actually considering two new routes: a POD XT on a Peavey IPR1600 (already had something like this and worked well) or the Lowdown 400.
In this way I could have both clean and dirty sounds with the turn of a knob. But these amps don't seem better than POD+power amp and the price isn't a bargain.
I had no problem with the Ashdowns I've tried or owned: their EB180 is extremely loud for the price, their MAG combos are very nice and pretty well built... I must say I could be tempted to get a MAG600+an AMT preamp :p but still don't know how the Spyder 550 is: some say "ultra clean", some say "grindy and tubey" :crying:
 
#37
JimmyM is the expert on all things Ampeg, but if by 'SVT2' you mean the big, rackmount one with the graphic eq? If so, that's one of my all time favorite bass guitar amps ever, if not the very top...amazing sounding amps.
 
#38
At that price it MUST sound awesome ;)
Anyway, I couldn't really justify such an expensive amp since I'm not a gigging bassist. It would be more than an overkill.
I'm also having some troubles with ground wire in my garage... I'll have to fix it since the MB200 has NO GROUND LIFT :crying:
 
#39
Talking "rock" sound, why haven't you listed any Mesa models - you want power Mesa has it, you want dirt Mesa gives it to you, you want active EQ they got that too. From what you've listed my choice for what it "seems" you want would come from the Ampeg or Mesa lines. IMO: The rest of that stuff you're listing is junk. You will not be happy with the Terror stuff based on your feedback here. Stay away from GB, MB, Ash, GK stuff

Mesa 400+, Walkabout, M3, M6, M9 (if you have the NADS)
Ampeg PF, CL, VR, Pro3 or 7

This is a list of rock and roll amps!
 
#40
Let's narrow the choice in this way...
The things I absolutely DON'T like about my MB200:

1) The ex, expecially on the mids, is set on the wrong frequencies for my taste;

2) The lack of the gain knob!

3) The lack of a ground lift and LINE IN!

If it had these things I think it would be perfect. One of my basses has a 22k output pickup, a special prototype I've made months ago: 4 humbuckers, 1 under each string. Well, with this bass the volume is extremely good! Shame that when I plug in another bass with a "normal" pickup the volume goes back to lower levels... this could be avoided with the gain knob.
I trust Mesa stuff, their cabs were amazing but never had a chance to play thru their amps, as I said. Will take a look around, maybe there's a used one in the neighborhood.
How is the B2R from Ampeg? I'm also tempted to get another HA3500... that thing was LOUD and had the graphic eq. - very good for the price.
 

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