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So what's the stereotypical "Dad" amp?
- Thread starter equill
- Start date
It's not literally a "dad", but bass player in the stereotypical dad band. I guess I'd ask what isn't a dad bass or a dad amp.
I was thinking about a poll, but I've been out of the gigging loop for way too long.
We'd have to include the venerable B15, and the Millennium Falcon special that's been cobbled together out of a hi-fi amp and some other things that really shouldn't have been used as a bass amp, but fit in a rack and are still passing electrons after 30 years.
I suspect a distinguishing characteristic of Dad-amps would be light weight, since the owners are mature enough to have figured out that their back has a potential expiration date.
That's also the reason my blackface Bassman stays in the basement as a practice amp.
I posted this in the other thread.
The modern Dad amp is any black 3lb 800w Class D microhead with a tiny 112 cabinet, because he "doesn't need all those knobs" and "doesn't know how to set a graphic eq." He boasts it is the "tone he always wanted" and "the last amp he will ever need" until a certain company comes out with a new Class D less than a year later that has a "bloomier" sound. Then, he will promptly attempt to sell the old version, seemingly suddenly completely unloved, here on Talkbass.
He always talks about how he loves that "sweet tube amp overdrive grind" yet uses the most sterile clean tone possible, turns the master all the way up to use the input gain as a volume control, and absolutely does not touch any of those other knobs because "tone is in your hands."
He "sets everything at 12 noon" (regardless if those settings are actually flat or not-the knobs must be straight up and down!) and "has FOH support anyway" and absolutely won't carry anything that doesn't fit in his gigbag, cords and pedals and amps and all. One trip, car to club, that's it!!!
He also has the most bland, invisible, boring, generic, worthless bass tone that no one will notice, hear, or care about.
That's a Dad amp.
The modern Dad amp is any black 3lb 800w Class D microhead with a tiny 112 cabinet, because he "doesn't need all those knobs" and "doesn't know how to set a graphic eq." He boasts it is the "tone he always wanted" and "the last amp he will ever need" until a certain company comes out with a new Class D less than a year later that has a "bloomier" sound. Then, he will promptly attempt to sell the old version, seemingly suddenly completely unloved, here on Talkbass.
He always talks about how he loves that "sweet tube amp overdrive grind" yet uses the most sterile clean tone possible, turns the master all the way up to use the input gain as a volume control, and absolutely does not touch any of those other knobs because "tone is in your hands."
He "sets everything at 12 noon" (regardless if those settings are actually flat or not-the knobs must be straight up and down!) and "has FOH support anyway" and absolutely won't carry anything that doesn't fit in his gigbag, cords and pedals and amps and all. One trip, car to club, that's it!!!
He also has the most bland, invisible, boring, generic, worthless bass tone that no one will notice, hear, or care about.
That's a Dad amp.
I posted this in the other thread.
The modern Dad amp is any black 3lb 800w Class D microhead with a tiny 112 cabinet, because he "doesn't need all those knobs" and "doesn't know how to set a graphic eq." He boasts it is the "tone he always wanted" and "the last amp he will ever need" until a certain company comes out with a new Class D less than a year later that has a "bloomier" sound. Then, he will promptly attempt to sell the old version, seemingly suddenly completely unloved, here on Talkbass.
He always talks about how he loves that "sweet tube amp overdrive grind" yet uses the most sterile clean tone possible, turns the master all the way up to use the input gain as a volume control, and absolutely does not touch any of those other knobs because "tone is in your hands."
He "sets everything at 12 noon" (regardless if those settings are actually flat or not-the knobs must be straight up and down!) and "has FOH support anyway" and absolutely won't carry anything that doesn't fit in his gigbag, cords and pedals and amps and all. One trip, car to club, that's it!!!
He also has the most bland, invisible, boring, generic, worthless bass tone that no one will notice, hear, or care about.
That's a Dad amp.
What's funny is that your description fits most of the kids at the local music college here. Almost word for word. They berate any "heavy EQing". They enjoy little sayings like "If you have to crank a bunch if knobs you aren't doing it right". The amp du jour is a Quilter with a tiny FRFR cab. I guess we're all individually the same.
Oh my! It's getting a bit personal on this thread.
Father of 4 kids, elementary through high school ages. I started playing again after the birth of my second child because I needed an outlet. Once I got up to speed and in a band, I bought two used Hartke aluminum cone cabs and a Hartke LH500 head because I remember how that those were the shizzle back in the 90s.
A few years later, I'm apparently more chic as I've moved to a Mesa head and less energetic preferring the lighter Hartke HyDrive cabs.
Father of 4 kids, elementary through high school ages. I started playing again after the birth of my second child because I needed an outlet. Once I got up to speed and in a band, I bought two used Hartke aluminum cone cabs and a Hartke LH500 head because I remember how that those were the shizzle back in the 90s.
A few years later, I'm apparently more chic as I've moved to a Mesa head and less energetic preferring the lighter Hartke HyDrive cabs.
I think of myself as a younger edgy dad, and I love metal and hard rock and djent and animals as leaders, and dingwalls etc... but i can't spend that much money on something so one dimensional. A pedal and an on board preamp for one of my basses for that style and tone. But not for an amp.
It's strange how "MESA/Boogie" turned from the youngsters' brutal rock/metal in-your-face aggressive heavy amp from hell (think Bass 400+) into the current crop of "Mesa" branded lightweight bloomers for boomers.
They should include with them a khaki carry bag (with a cosmetic upcharge-not for snakeskin vinyl-but for hawaiian print on the carry bag), and a complimentary accessory pack of Doan's pills and Preparation H.
They should include with them a khaki carry bag (with a cosmetic upcharge-not for snakeskin vinyl-but for hawaiian print on the carry bag), and a complimentary accessory pack of Doan's pills and Preparation H.
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Haha. Someone seems salty about advances in engineering. Honest question - is this about Mesa specifically, or class D more broadly? I'm still on the front half of my 30s, hate kids, play stoner rock, and I think the new (and old) Mesa gear kicks. No khakis please...or flip flops.
Great point actually. I think a few years ago (cld be more than a few
) it seemed Gallien Krueger was all the rage on TB. It does appear that Mesa is the cool kid this year. (and Im also mesa fanboy, though I don't own one at the moment). 
T$
It's just a way for the whippersnappers to get digs in at those of us who gave up our rock star dreams to raise families, and somewhere along the line gave up trying to be rock star cool. Hence the shorts, flip flops, Hawaiian shirts and Ibanez basses.
When I think "dad", I'm thinking 60 to 75 years old. (Kind of like my age.) You're definition of "dad" is probably something younger.
OK, "Dad Amp". By the way, I had one of these back in 1967. 50 tube watts of pure........."better for guitar than bass" Fender Bassman amplifier with 2 x 12" speaker cab.
These were kind of "dad amps" too but back in the 60s, few could afford the Fender Showman Bass amp with the dual 15" JBLs.
OK, "Dad Amp". By the way, I had one of these back in 1967. 50 tube watts of pure........."better for guitar than bass" Fender Bassman amplifier with 2 x 12" speaker cab.
These were kind of "dad amps" too but back in the 60s, few could afford the Fender Showman Bass amp with the dual 15" JBLs.
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