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Simplest amp
- Thread starter Lowtown
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I don't believe the OP has expressed any interest in a neutral tone or lack of color, just a lack of knobs. Apparently it's an ergonomic consideration. I asked why at post #12, but if that was answered I didn't discern it in amongst the smugness and snark.
I can relate. I could have glued the tone control knobs at noon on my old G/K combo and used it like that for 20 years. (Except you need to turn all knobs from time to time to keep the pots clean.) I have a Glockenklang Soul head that lets you bypass the EQ section completely - for a long time, that was my favorite setting.
But, as the saying goes: it's better to have it & not need it than vice versa. (And I do need to tame an extra live room from time to time.)
I think the market for a properly voiced & powered bass amp with no EQ controls whatsoever would be a non-starter. But there are some solutions that get pretty close.
Actually, the Aguilar DB728 400 watt tube power amp has just a level control and supposedly can be driven straight from a passive bass. (Be fun to try that sometime. Alas, they're rare - and big & heavy.)
There's the old Musicmaster tube combo amp with just two knobs. The smaller Markbass combos had a nice, minimal control scheme. Not exactly room-filling, though.
On the other end, there's the Bergantino B|Amp, which has EQ options up the wazoo, but they're all virtual - which means that the settings can't get tweaked while the amp is off - which means that everything stays exactly where I left it when I power up. I like that a lot. (I have always disliked that thing where I have to check & reset all the knobs each & every time.)
But, as the saying goes: it's better to have it & not need it than vice versa. (And I do need to tame an extra live room from time to time.)
I think the market for a properly voiced & powered bass amp with no EQ controls whatsoever would be a non-starter. But there are some solutions that get pretty close.
Actually, the Aguilar DB728 400 watt tube power amp has just a level control and supposedly can be driven straight from a passive bass. (Be fun to try that sometime. Alas, they're rare - and big & heavy.)
There's the old Musicmaster tube combo amp with just two knobs. The smaller Markbass combos had a nice, minimal control scheme. Not exactly room-filling, though.
On the other end, there's the Bergantino B|Amp, which has EQ options up the wazoo, but they're all virtual - which means that the settings can't get tweaked while the amp is off - which means that everything stays exactly where I left it when I power up. I like that a lot. (I have always disliked that thing where I have to check & reset all the knobs each & every time.)
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I was referring to the website's claim. Also an earlier poster who said the Spartan-2 has its own color.
Philosophy of the Spartan-2 bass amplifier
When I set out to design my dream bass amplifier, I had in my head a list of areas where other amps had fallen short of my wishes over the years. My new bass amp was designed from the outset to overcome these shortfalls. The sound would have to be ultra clear, direct and highly detailed, yet at the same time powerful and warm. I always wanted a bass amp that would convey every detail of the character of the instrument and every nuance of the players style with unlimited headroom and dynamics, without obscuring anything or adding a sound of its own. Furthermore, the amp had to maintain these characteristics at any volume and in any circumstance. And of course, the amp should be reliable, easy to use, solidly built and look great.
For bass players who love the Spartan but never use the tone controls I have designed the Spartan-2 bass amplifier.
If you, like me when playing an active instrument, always adjust your sound only with the on-board pre-amp, the Spartan-2 might be your dream amplifier.
To be clear, this is still a pre- and power-amp in one, not just a power-amp.
The Spartan-2 has the same specifications as the regular Spartan but the lacks the 5-band tone control.
This minimalistic approach is favoured by bass players looking for the purest way to amplify their instrument.
Marc Vanderkley
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That’s why they get locked!
Locked to keep the freshness in!
209 replies in one day.
Value add thread.
I've have the GR Bass Aerotech 212 Slim cabinet hooked up to a Quilter BB800. Very simple and powerful, extremely lightweight to where I can hand carry everything in one trip. Most of the time I have the two BB800 tone knobs set to 'neutral' so I too have been heavily considering the GR Bass PureAmp 800 with just the gain and master volume, which is also very lightweight. I had to wait several months to get the cabinet since it was right during the middle of quarantine and things were bad in Italy. Not sure how it is now.
Popular doesn’t equal quality.
D
Deleted member 165050
Guest
One might almost suspect that to be your motive...
OP already stated it had too much goin on for his liking. Too many knobs and things to go wrong when he flies into his gigs.
D
Deleted member 165050
Guest
I keep wanting to try a Bass Block... I don't need one, I have plenty of amps and I'm not even gigging at the moment, but even so...
- Feb 12, 2006
- 60,951
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- Development Engineer-Mesa Boogie, Development Engineer-Genzler (pedals), Product Support-Genz Benz
Because most players find eq somewhere between useful and essential.
Signal level from a DI is loo low to drive a standard power amp to anywhere near rated level.
Frets clutter the neck too.
Almost always with a standard power amp. The input sensitivity of a power amp is between +4 and +8 dBu, most active bases are around -30 to -10 dBu depending on the pickups, onboard electronics, setup and playing style.
How do you drive your power amp to rated power?
Generally not, both level and impedance are a poor match.
Yes, it can certainly be an issue.
Actually, you don’t know the problem at all. If you understood the “basic probability math” and the specific factors involved, you wouldn’t have posted this comment.
Train wrecks have been drawing crowds since trains were invented.
20 bucks says this thread gets closed by lunchtime.
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