Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[Bad bassist]

I don't think down tuning is essential. a good riff/song should sound good in any key, if it doesn't then it ain't that good.

I kind of disagree with this, when we play new riffs it matters a lot where on the fretboard they're being played.
And normally there's a proper place for every riff to be found, a suitable sound.
My guitar player tends to start everything in C but then it all sounds too boring.
I agree that a good riff sounds good anywhere but the character and mood changes quite drastically when played on different positions.
Also it's of huge importance to find a sweet spot for the vocalist(that would be me), I hardly imagine our music uptuned in D or E and having to sing over it.
I like C and will likely play in it always when playing "stoner", well maybe I could go up to D sometimes.
Thing is I suspect my ThunderBird would sound better in D.

 

[Neon Blues]

Doomers, lend me a hand with some advice.

I need a new amp for a new rig. I was fortunate to purchase a very tasty 215 from the builder of my beloved Doom pedals which are mostly fuzz and also includes a pedal that emulates and Orange AD200 and Matamp 200w.

I am tempted to either get an All-Tube head to rock this cab but certainly can see the benefits of my pedalbord into a Poweramp.

Theres also a really cheap Genz Benz 1200 that would be great.

 

[mlove]

Doomers, lend me a hand with some advice.

I need a new amp for a new rig. I was fortunate to purchase a very tasty 215 from the builder of my beloved Doom pedals which are mostly fuzz and also includes a pedal that emulates and Orange AD200 and Matamp 200w.

I am tempted to either get an All-Tube head to rock this cab but certainly can see the benefits of my pedalbord into a Poweramp.

Theres also a really cheap Genz Benz 1200 that would be great.

I like tubes.
If my main amp was not tube I'd probably go with a darkglass or Aguilar.

 

[Novarocker]

Are there stoner dooms that play in standard tuning, or is that not a thing?

I'd say that what most are saying is true to the genres. Not many do it, but there are some who do. I often play in E or E flat std. Although not everything I play could be called stoner/doom. I'll play in drop D or D std from time to time and used to play in drop C. I think it's just easier to most people to just tune lower instead of EQing or adding harmonics to get a heavier sound.

If I remember right Graveyard plays in either E or E flat. Though not sure whether they are labeled stoner but they do get heavy.

I kind of disagree with this, when we play new riffs it matters a lot where on the fretboard they're being played.
And normally there's a proper place for every riff to be found, a suitable sound.
My guitar player tends to start everything in C but then it all sounds too boring.
I agree that a good riff sounds good anywhere but the character and mood changes quite drastically when played on different positions.
Also it's of huge importance to find a sweet spot for the vocalist(that would be me), I hardly imagine our music uptuned in D or E and having to sing over it.
I like C and will likely play in it always when playing "stoner", well maybe I could go up to D sometimes.
Thing is I suspect my ThunderBird would sound better in D.

Though I agree that where on the fretboard can change the timbre and even the feel. But I feel you can create heavy riffs in any tuning (may be tough in some for sure) and a heavy riff is a heavy riff.

 

[CL400Peavey]

In Catapult we do that as well, partly because often the guitarists aren't in the same tuning, and there are also keyboards.

Same with Dustern, as far as the keyboard.

Yep. When you have members in different tuning/instruments it is important to learn how to communicate what you're playing past, "4th fret bottom string."

I kind of disagree with this, when we play new riffs it matters a lot where on the fretboard they're being played.
And normally there's a proper place for every riff to be found, a suitable sound.
My guitar player tends to start everything in C but then it all sounds too boring.
I agree that a good riff sounds good anywhere but the character and mood changes quite drastically when played on different positions.
Also it's of huge importance to find a sweet spot for the vocalist(that would be me), I hardly imagine our music uptuned in D or E and having to sing over it.
I like C and will likely play in it always when playing "stoner", well maybe I could go up to D sometimes.
Thing is I suspect my ThunderBird would sound better in D.

Different turnings "sounding better" comes from having guitars set up correctly for those turnings. Meaning having tension of the strings, and intonation set for what ever tuning the guitar is set at. It was another tough lesson, but I convinced my guitarists to have their guitars set in specific turnings, and they dont differ from those with out a new intonation set up. It makes them sound better, and more consistent. To the point that if they play the same song in different turnings, you are not noticing a bad sounding guitar.

Doomers, lend me a hand with some advice.

I need a new amp for a new rig. I was fortunate to purchase a very tasty 215 from the builder of my beloved Doom pedals which are mostly fuzz and also includes a pedal that emulates and Orange AD200 and Matamp 200w.

I am tempted to either get an All-Tube head to rock this cab but certainly can see the benefits of my pedalbord into a Poweramp.

Theres also a really cheap Genz Benz 1200 that would be great.

What kind of cab is it?

 

[kleinenenten]

It is an incredibly useful thing to learn how to set up your own gear. Makes everything sound better. Every time I change my guitars' strings I do a setup, and more often on my basses (flats, so I rarely change strings). It makes a world of difference in how things sound when it's all intonated properly. I have had friends ask why their guitars sound "off", and every time it's been bad intonation. Fix it up, and it sounds like a whole new guitar!

 

[CL400Peavey]

It is an incredibly useful thing to learn how to set up your own gear. Makes everything sound better. Every time I change my guitars' strings I do a setup, and more often on my basses (flats, so I rarely change strings). It makes a world of difference in how things sound when it's all intonated properly. I have had friends ask why their guitars sound "off", and every time it's been bad intonation. Fix it up, and it sounds like a whole new guitar!

Yep, and as soon as you get to balanced string sets, your guitars in different turnings start sounding really consistent.

 

[socialleper]

Are there stoner dooms that play in standard tuning, or is that not a thing?

I've always been surprised by the very broad swath of bands that fit under the "stoner\doom" umbrella. Not everything in these genres are super low tuned, fuzzed out waves of viscous sludge. The retro side of things usually tune a little higher, as do the bands from the 70s and 80s that they are imitating. (Graveyard, Witchcraft, Witchfinder General, The Oath, Kadavar, Vintage Caravan, Scorpion Child.)
There is also an instrumental band, Monobrow, whose bass player hangs out on TB, and the tune higher than I expected.
Some might do a Eb blues tuning, drop D, or D, but they aren't Electric Wizard or Bongzilla levels of down tuning.

 

[CL400Peavey]

There is also an instrumental band, Monobrow, whose bass player hangs out on TB, and the tune higher than I expected.

@bassboysam has some killer riffs in Monobrow.

 

[swspiers]

@bassboysam has some killer riffs in Monobrow.

+1

Keeps getting better, and his tone is nasty awesome on the last release.

 

[kleinenenten]

Yep, and as soon as you get to balanced string sets, your guitars in different turnings start sounding really consistent.

Have yet to get there, but may have to try.

 

[Neon Blues]

Yep. When you have members in different tuning/instruments it is important to learn how to communicate what you're playing past, "4th fret bottom string.

Yep. When you have members in different tuning/instruments it is important to learn how to communicate what you're playing past, "4th fret bottom string."



Different turnings "sounding better" comes from having guitars set up correctly for those turnings. Meaning having tension of the strings, and intonation set for what ever tuning the guitar is set at. It was another tough lesson, but I convinced my guitarists to have their guitars set in specific turnings, and they dont differ from those with out a new intonation set up. It makes them sound better, and more consistent. To the point that if they play the same song in different turnings, you are not noticing a bad sounding guitar.



What kind of cab is it?

Different turnings "sounding better" comes from having guitars set up correctly for those turnings. Meaning having tension of the strings, and intonation set for what ever tuning the guitar is set at. It was another tough lesson, but I convinced my guitarists to have their guitars set in specific turnings, and they dont differ from those with out a new intonation set up. It makes them sound better, and more consistent. To the point that if they play the same song in different turnings, you are not noticing a bad sounding guitar.



What kind of cab is it?

Yep. When you have members in different tuning/instruments it is important to learn how to communicate what you're playing past, "4th fret bottom string."



Different turnings "sounding better" comes from having guitars set up correctly for those turnings. Meaning having tension of the strings, and intonation set for what ever tuning the guitar is set at. It was another tough lesson, but I convinced my guitarists to have their guitars set in specific turnings, and they dont differ from those with out a new intonation set up. It makes them sound better, and more consistent. To the point that if they play the same song in different turnings, you are not noticing a bad sounding guitar.



What kind of cab is it?

It's a Midnight Amplification 215 Bass cabinet.

 

[bassboysam]

It's a Midnight Amplification 215 Bass cabinet.

so much awesome right there.

 

[bassboysam]

@bassboysam has some killer riffs in Monobrow.

+1

Keeps getting better, and his tone is nasty awesome on the last release.

thank you gents.

 

[Korladis]

Doomers, lend me a hand with some advice.

I need a new amp for a new rig. I was fortunate to purchase a very tasty 215 from the builder of my beloved Doom pedals which are mostly fuzz and also includes a pedal that emulates and Orange AD200 and Matamp 200w.

I am tempted to either get an All-Tube head to rock this cab but certainly can see the benefits of my pedalbord into a Poweramp.

Theres also a really cheap Genz Benz 1200 that would be great.

What are you looking for your head to do, exactly? And how much are you able to spend.

Used Peavey and Ampeg tube amps can be had under $1000 quite easily.

 

[CL400Peavey]

It's a Midnight Amplification 215 Bass cabinet.

So what's in it?

 

[Neon Blues]

So what's in it?

2 x Eminence Delta 15a (400w).

 

[Neon Blues]

What are you looking for your head to do, exactly? And how much are you able to spend.

Used Peavey and Ampeg tube amps can be had under $1000 quite easily.

No real budget. Enough to cover an AD200 or similar.

I'm leaning more towards a lot of clean power as I have a ton of 'Preamps in a Box' and don't need a cranked tone straight out of the amp as I am pretty effects heavy in my set up.

So far, I've been looking at:

Darkglass
GK MB 800 Fusion
Aguilar DB750
Orange AD200
Orange OB1-500
Genz Benz 1200 or 600

So likely a hybrid option with plenty of power.

 

[Maureen M]

For a while I ran a Sansamp RB1 into a carvin bass head (B2000 I think?) that I used as a power amp - clean power for days.
The carvin wasn't to my taste tonally, but combined with the Sansamp it was pretty damn good. Plus it was inexpensive and rock solid reliable. I still have it as a backup rig.

 

[Korladis]

No real budget. Enough to cover an AD200 or similar.

I'm leaning more towards a lot of clean power as I have a ton of 'Preamps in a Box' and don't need a cranked tone straight out of the amp as I am pretty effects heavy in my set up.

So far, I've been looking at:

Darkglass
GK MB 800 Fusion
Aguilar DB750
Orange AD200
Orange OB1-500
Genz Benz 1200 or 600

So likely a hybrid option with plenty of power.

The Orange AD200 doesn't have much power, especially for the cost.

I'd look for a used Ampeg SVT, Mesa Strategy, Mesa Buster, Peavey Classic 400, Reeves 225, Fender Bassman 300Pro (formerly the Sunn 300T), or Fender Superbassman 300.