Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[Speedor]

The price is decent. Not really a bargain, but it was professionally refurbished and set up. It's in Warsaw, so I'm going to go and take a look at it next week.
You don't get much chance to get a cool lefty Japanese P bass around here.
Oh, and it's a 1979.

 

[Blank_0101]

Would stick on Velcro circles would work for piezo pickups? One side stuck inside drum other to it?

 

[Turkeypills]

The guy with the CL400 is definitely interested in a f2f purchase. Mentioning the savings he would see from no fees is a fairly attractive offer. Working on setting up a time to go play/buy it.


On that note. I was talking to Julian regarding running two 4 ohm cabs out of an amp with an 8 and 4 ohm output and he mentioned a series box or cable. IIRC @D.M.N. built one of these contraptions. Is it really as easy as it looks? I read about making sure to use a non-conductive box for the enclosure or isolating the jacks. I saw someone's homebrew using a plastic enclosure. My question is this, if any of you know: Do I need to use special jacks or a wire of a specific gauge within the enclosure to handle that much power? I'm cool with using a plastic box, but something more substantial would be cool. Any tips/ideas on how to isolate the jacks? And I am sure that I will need to verify that both cabs are wired identically(they should be) before hooking them up to the box.




Update: Made phone contact with the guy. I am super ****ing pumped about this. The guy apparently played in a successful Skynard cover band for years and owned a custom bass business for almost a decade. He apparently has just over 100 basses, most of which are on display in his studio. School girl candy shop giddy I am.

 

[D.M.N.]

The guy with the CL400 is definitely interested in a f2f purchase. Mentioning the savings he would see from no fees is a fairly attractive offer. Working on setting up a time to go play/buy it.


On that note. I was talking to Julian regarding running two 4 ohm cabs out of an amp with an 8 and 4 ohm output and he mentioned a series box or cable. IIRC @D.M.N. built one of these contraptions. Is it really as easy as it looks? I read about making sure to use a non-conductive box for the enclosure or isolating the jacks. I saw someone's homebrew using a plastic enclosure. My question is this, if any of you know: Do I need to use special jacks or a wire of a specific gauge within the enclosure to handle that much power? I'm cool with using a plastic box, but something more substantial would be cool. Any tips/ideas on how to isolate the jacks? And I am sure that I will need to verify that both cabs are wired identically(they should be) before hooking them up to the box.

Link Removed. My box is on the second page. I used an old plastic rogue distortion box for mine. No special jacks needed, I just used two spare switchcraft and an old chinese jack and the same wire I used within the cabinets themselves. I've thought about building a new version in a nice wood box, and then tolexing it to match my cabs, but haven't got around to it. I think it took me all of 10 minutes, maybe 15 to build, most of which was gutting the enclosure and rounding up parts.

 

[Burnsy]

Sneak Peak the new Hex Volt EP y'all

 

[Korladis]

What's the hive minds opinion on toroidal transformers vs big iron? Amps like the cl400 are some of the few 300w+ tube amps that do t use toroidal and I'm just not sold on them. Seems like class D vs lead sled SS in a layman analogy.

Toroidal transformers are fine.

I dont know if I could name a big tube amp that uses a toroidal transformer. They work just as well as traditional ones if they are spec'ed out right. I had a B1500 that had a toroidal transformer, and it absolutely crushed.

Sadowsky SA200 had toroidal transformers, IIRC. Same with Marshall VBA400.

I believe the new mesas have toroidal. Also the Mills Customs have toroidals. I'm just curious because the strategy, and mills amps are rated 465w(?) and 400w respectively but I've heard that(at least the strategy) is powerful but a bit underwhelming considering such a huge rating. I haven't had a chance to hear the Mills yet but my presumption is that it isn't all that much louder than an SVT. But again, hearsay and presumption.

I guess I am mainly skeptical of on paper specs.

The Strategy is cool. It does not use toroidals. Bass Gear Magazine did an article about the Strategy and Prodigy amps. Worth checking out.

These are all very different amps, though. What's the sound you're actually after?

Ew. Really wish manufacturers would take the audiophile approach like Sunn and measure at THD<1%. Or at least agree to some sort of similar rating system. Not that that will ever happen, I know, but it would be nice to at least have a level playing field to compare amps on.

Even in their heyday, I don't think anyone but Sunn measured their amp output at that level.

The guy with the CL400 is definitely interested in a f2f purchase. Mentioning the savings he would see from no fees is a fairly attractive offer. Working on setting up a time to go play/buy it.


On that note. I was talking to Julian regarding running two 4 ohm cabs out of an amp with an 8 and 4 ohm output and he mentioned a series box or cable. IIRC @D.M.N. built one of these contraptions. Is it really as easy as it looks? I read about making sure to use a non-conductive box for the enclosure or isolating the jacks. I saw someone's homebrew using a plastic enclosure. My question is this, if any of you know: Do I need to use special jacks or a wire of a specific gauge within the enclosure to handle that much power? I'm cool with using a plastic box, but something more substantial would be cool. Any tips/ideas on how to isolate the jacks? And I am sure that I will need to verify that both cabs are wired identically(they should be) before hooking them up to the box.




Update: Made phone contact with the guy. I am super ****ing pumped about this. The guy apparently played in a successful Skynard cover band for years and owned a custom bass business for almost a decade. He apparently has just over 100 basses, most of which are on display in his studio. School girl candy shop giddy I am.

Again, what's the sound you actually want? The big tube amps you've listed don't sound that much like each other.

 

[Turkeypills]

Toroidal transformers are fine.


Sadowsky SA200 had toroidal transformers, IIRC. Same with Marshall VBA400.


The Strategy is cool. It does not use toroidals. Bass Gear Magazine did an article about the Strategy and Prodigy amps. Worth checking out.

These are all very different amps, though. What's the sound you're actually after?


Even in their heyday, I don't think anyone but Sunn measured their amp output at that level.


Again, what's the sound you actually want? The big tube amps you've listed don't sound that much like each other.

The sound I'm after? I haven't played nearly enough amps to give a defined answer. I feel like I can make most amps to produce a usable sound. I dig my Sunn more than any amp I've played though.

I was more so asking out of curiosity. The strategy amps are ridiculously light given their wattage rating(not that the two things are related). And I have seen a few modern big watt tube amps using toroidal trannies. I guess I was assuming that they offer a big reduction in weight. I had also heard that the Boogies are rated relatively liberally. Again an assumption, but I was under the impression that toroidal transformers offered both a weight reduction and higher power capacity.

There are obviously way more factors at play than I am considering here. I understand that. I guess I was trying to learn about the pros and cons of toroidal versus traditional big iron transformers.

 

[bassboysam]

well many people claim that the transformer plays a big role in the sound of an amp. I can't say one way or another because I have no way of swapping out transformers in an amp. At the end of the day it is all about how well executed the entire circuit is and if the designer's tonal goals are similar to yours or not. Unfortunately the answer is try as much as you can. it took me about 10 years of buying and selling amps before I finally found what I really like.

here's the list of amp I've gone through:

YBA-200
YBA-3
Fender 300 Pro
Vintage SVT
Mesa 400+
Sound City Bass 150
Matamp GT200 MK1
Yorkville XS800
Traynor Monoblock II



They all had their pros and cons, I still have the Matamp and SVT.

 

[Korladis]

The sound I'm after? I haven't played nearly enough amps to give a defined answer. I feel like I can make most amps to produce a usable sound. I dig my Sunn more than any amp I've played though.

I was more so asking out of curiosity. The strategy amps are ridiculously light given their wattage rating(not that the two things are related). And I have seen a few modern big watt tube amps using toroidal trannies. I guess I was assuming that they offer a big reduction in weight. I had also heard that the Boogies are rated relatively liberally. Again an assumption, but I was under the impression that toroidal transformers offered both a weight reduction and higher power capacity.

There are obviously way more factors at play than I am considering here. I understand that. I guess I was trying to learn about the pros and cons of toroidal versus traditional big iron transformers.

The Strategy is rated a bit liberally, but for me, anything less than 10% is in the "eh, acceptable" range.

Sorry if I came off as hostile or something.

Anyway, toroidal transformers are just a different kind of part. While less common than the traditional type, there have been some amps that use them that have gotten a lot of love. I've never played an SA200, but the toroidal transformers don't seem to keep people from loving them.

 

[Turkeypills]

The Strategy is rated a bit liberally, but for me, anything less than 10% is in the "eh, acceptable" range.

Sorry if I came off as hostile or something.

Anyway, toroidal transformers are just a different kind of part. While less common than the traditional type, there have been some amps that use them that have gotten a lot of love. I've never played an SA200, but the toroidal transformers don't seem to keep people from loving them.

You didn't. I'm coming off as inexperienced and naive. I'm good with that, because I am. But I have to try to learn and play different amps first hand before I can develop a pool of knowledge and experience through which I can formulate a well thought out opinion.


The best analogy I can come up with is this: Big tube bass amps are like sledgehammers. Some have a wooden shaft, others have plastic or composite or carbon fiber(probably not actually). They all break **** up just fine. YMMV.

 

[kleinenenten]

I'm glad my amp journey was short and sweet. Went from Ampeg combo to GK 700RB-II and Neo 410. 100% happy with my rig, and slowly getting happier as I learn it better and am able to tweak more of what I want from it.

Pedals however, are another story. Plenty of different tones there, and on the cheap, relative to amps at least.

 

[Korladis]

You didn't. I'm coming off as inexperienced and naive. I'm good with that, because I am. But I have to try to learn and play different amps first hand before I can develop a pool of knowledge and experience through which I can formulate a well thought out opinion.


The best analogy I can come up with is this: Big tube bass amps are like sledgehammers. Some have a wooden shaft, others have plastic or composite or carbon fiber(probably not actually). They all break **** up just fine. YMMV.

XD

 

[Turkeypills]

I'm glad my amp journey was short and sweet. Went from Ampeg combo to GK 700RB-II and Neo 410. 100% happy with my rig, and slowly getting happier as I learn it better and am able to tweak more of what I want from it.

Pedals however, are another story. Plenty of different tones there, and on the cheap, relative to amps at least.

The acquisition of a large tube amp will likely be the last major gear purchase for quite a while. At least until most of my debt is paid off. I won't need anything else for any reason really. Except maybe a Ric (LOL!). But honestly I'm pretty well squared away. A pedal here and there, sure. But I won't be running into lack of firepower anytime soon.

 

[Korladis]

The acquisition of a large tube amp will likely be the last major gear purchase for quite a while. At least until most of my debt is paid off. I won't need anything else for any reason really. Except maybe a Ric (LOL!). But honestly I'm pretty well squared away. A pedal here and there, sure. But I won't be running into lack of firepower anytime soon.

If you want a Rickenbacker, I'd recommend an S model. They're slightly cheaper.

As for lack of firepower... I guess my band just isn't that loud. I've never run into a situation where I wasn't loud enough playing doom. Then again, the 2000S is a loud cab, especially with Faitals that I don't have to worry about blowing up.

 

[kzr750r1]

Band is playing a wedding in a month. This is going to be interesting.

 

[Korladis]

Band is playing a wedding in a month. This is going to be interesting.

Wait... what?

 

[kzr750r1]

Jess.

This intrigues me...Must stay away.

Link Removed

Still pitting pros and cons on go, no go.

 

[Korladis]

Jess.

This intrigues me...Must stay away.

Link Removed

Still pitting pros and cons on go, no go.

Jess?

That is intriguing.

And Gibson can't really complain, because they're not even making basses this year.

 

[kzr750r1]

Jess... is how my ex father in law would answer if he was offered a beer.
Yes, I find it strange for this couple to ask us to play their wedding. Plus get paid to boot. Win.

But Eastwood? Anyone even seen their build quality?

 

[Bassic Playing]

Saw some killer bands last night, all three used Rics, all 3 had awesome tone. Rics seem to have some kind of filtery warble when down tuned that I haven't heard in other basses.

Very cool