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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

#45,341
br1qbat said:
Thats why i ask here. Talkbass-at-large would recommend the smallest, lightest, cleanest sounding micro head. (Though it might be I can doom like a mofo with one, like that darkglass upthread :bassist:) Because talkbass-at-large are, generally speaking, arthritic old farts that play mustang sally every saturday night:roflmao:. I'm not playing thru a 1x12 with pa support. I want to DOOOOM!

(Though truth be told, i partly got the gk 4x12 because its 90lbs vs a trad 8x10, and i have to drag it up and down a flight of stairs solo, so yeah, weight/size is an issue).

So, back to the task at hand, how bout an ol' v4b? I don't think an svt would fit my budget. I've also looked at old Traynors, various old SS Sunns, etc. The Gallien Krueger 400rb is intriguing to me, since I dig the GK growl. Its not super distorted but nasty (in a good way). Plus i can get clean one for under $400 all day.[/QUOTE
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br1qbat said:
Thats why i ask here. Talkbass-at-large would recommend the smallest, lightest, cleanest sounding micro head. (Though it might be I can doom like a mofo with one, like that darkglass upthread :bassist:) Because talkbass-at-large are, generally speaking, arthritic old farts that play mustang sally every saturday night:roflmao:. I'm not playing thru a 1x12 with pa support. I want to DOOOOM!

(Though truth be told, i partly got the gk 4x12 because its 90lbs vs a trad 8x10, and i have to drag it up and down a flight of stairs solo, so yeah, weight/size is an issue).

So, back to the task at hand, how bout an ol' v4b? I don't think an svt would fit my budget. I've also looked at old Traynors, various old SS Sunns, etc. The Gallien Krueger 400rb is intriguing to me, since I dig the GK growl. Its not super distorted but nasty (in a good way). Plus i can get clean one for under $400 all day.
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I agree about getting the 800 over the 400. What about a traynor yab2 or even 3? If I needed another tibe amp I might go for a yba2, solid and relatively affordable for what it is. Or you can buy my weber 200b 200 watt tube head....js. Actually, I'm a bit glad no one has bought it yet.
 
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#45,342
bassboysam said:
if you can swing an 800RB i would go that route over the 400RB.

i've heard a V4B being used for bass in loud bands and it sounds great. unless you are looking for clean and low. you will need a good cab(s) to make it work. think Lemmy in Motorhead tone
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Any reason the 800rb over the 400rb? I was think the 400 would get more gnarly sooner.

And the trace does clean well. I was planning on keeping that. Loud fuzzy thunder is what I'm after. V4b going in the contender pile.
 
#45,344
br1qbat said:
Any reason the 800rb over the 400rb? I was think the 400 would get more gnarly sooner.

And the trace does clean well. I was planning on keeping that. Loud fuzzy thunder is what I'm after. V4b going in the contender pile.
Click to expand...

Just headroom I think. I had a 400rb for years though. Nowadays I would have to dime the output though cause weve gotten louder as weve got older.
 
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#45,345
br1qbat said:
Any reason the 800rb over the 400rb? I was think the 400 would get more gnarly sooner.

And the trace does clean well. I was planning on keeping that. Loud fuzzy thunder is what I'm after. V4b going in the contender pile.
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Your assessment is correct. 400RB will be gnarlier sooner. All depends on how much headroom you want. I love both my 700RB-II and my 400RB-IV. Both are plenty loud compared to other amps of the same wattage. I likely could do with the 400 only, but I like the extra headroom if I ever need it. Both are fantastic amps. Really want to try an 800RB one day.
 
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#45,346
kleinenenten said:
Your assessment is correct. 400RB will be gnarlier sooner. All depends on how much headroom you want. I love both my 700RB-II and my 400RB-IV. Both are plenty loud compared to other amps of the same wattage. I likely could do with the 400 only, but I like the extra headroom if I ever need it. Both are fantastic amps. Really want to try an 800RB one day.
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I'm thinking one of the 400rb-I or -IIs. I played one a few times. Let it slip away before i could buy it. Definitely loved it.
 
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#45,347
br1qbat said:
I'm thinking one of the 400rb-I or -IIs. I played one a few times. Let it slip away before i could buy it. Definitely loved it.
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RAG (Robert A. Gallien of GK) has said they’re all the same tone, but the newer versions have more power. I like more power, but the old ones should work just fine too! I think one of the only major changes was the removal of the boost footswitch. It was such a popular feature he just incorporated it without the ability to turn it off, just the knob to control it. Of course, that may be just an 800RB change, I can’t recall.

Anyway, love my GK. Never have any amp GAS for other brands after getting mine.
 
#45,348
kleinenenten said:
RAG (Robert A. Gallien of GK) has said they’re all the same tone, but the newer versions have more power. I like more power, but the old ones should work just fine too! I think one of the only major changes was the removal of the boost footswitch. It was such a popular feature he just incorporated it without the ability to turn it off, just the knob to control it. Of course, that may be just an 800RB change, I can’t recall.

Anyway, love my GK. Never have any amp GAS for other brands after getting mine.
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Good to know. Thanks
 
#45,349
br1qbat said:
Thats why i ask here. Talkbass-at-large would recommend the smallest, lightest, cleanest sounding micro head. (Though it might be I can doom like a mofo with one, like that darkglass upthread :bassist:) Because talkbass-at-large are, generally speaking, arthritic old farts that play mustang sally every saturday night:roflmao:. I'm not playing thru a 1x12 with pa support. I want to DOOOOM!

(Though truth be told, i partly got the gk 4x12 because its 90lbs vs a trad 8x10, and i have to drag it up and down a flight of stairs solo, so yeah, weight/size is an issue).

So, back to the task at hand, how bout an ol' v4b? I don't think an svt would fit my budget. I've also looked at old Traynors, various old SS Sunns, etc. The Gallien Krueger 400rb is intriguing to me, since I dig the GK growl. Its not super distorted but nasty (in a good way). Plus i can get clean one for under $400 all day.
Click to expand...

I've never used an RB head, but everyone seems to like em if they like the GK "baked" tone. If you're going the tube route, those traynor's sound awesome as an Ampeg alternative. Ya can't really go wrong either way.

If you wanna stick to newer SS/hybrid I'd put serious consideration in the Orange OB1-500, Ashdown Evo's, and Fender Bassman. All of em can cop a pretty gnarly old school tone and get lots of hair/harmonics. I've only heard clips of the Fender, but the all tube one sounds amazing in person! Elderly Music in Lansing always has a tube one in stock and I've wasted countless hours on em. They can get a little modern sounding, but where they excell IMO is "vintage".

For older SS, the Sunn amps I've heard have sounded great, but semi limited on eq. I've never fooled around with one myself. I really dig a lot of the older Peavey stuff. @cornfarmer knows specific models nuances way better than me. A lot of the older stuff has real unique tonal pallets and almost require a purchase to get a feel of the sound in your rig. The good news is most of the time you can flip em for no loss.
 
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#45,350
br1qbat said:
Thats why i ask here. Talkbass-at-large would recommend the smallest, lightest, cleanest sounding micro head. (Though it might be I can doom like a mofo with one, like that darkglass upthread :bassist:) Because talkbass-at-large are, generally speaking, arthritic old farts that play mustang sally every saturday night:roflmao:. I'm not playing thru a 1x12 with pa support. I want to DOOOOM!

(Though truth be told, i partly got the gk 4x12 because its 90lbs vs a trad 8x10, and i have to drag it up and down a flight of stairs solo, so yeah, weight/size is an issue).

So, back to the task at hand, how bout an ol' v4b? I don't think an svt would fit my budget. I've also looked at old Traynors, various old SS Sunns, etc. The Gallien Krueger 400rb is intriguing to me, since I dig the GK growl. Its not super distorted but nasty (in a good way). Plus i can get clean one for under $400 all day.
Click to expand...
SVTs can be had for $800-900 used.

The V4 can work for doom if you don't care about clean and you have a big loud cab. My amp sits in between the V4 and SVT, in terms of power. And it gets loud.

GKs are very different sounding than the tube Ampegs, but a lot of good tones there, too.

Don't discount Peavey either. Because of guitarist snobbery, they can be had for pretty cheap. They're rugged, take pedals well, and can get loud.
 
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#45,352
Troubleshooting a pedal: my Gunslinger will only turn on the first time I turn on my rig if I press the switch by hand. After that, it works fine. Grounding issue? What’s going on?

Update - it will come on slowly if using my foot, but it won’t “stay on” if it’s on when I turn off the power like all my other true bypass pedals. IT’s always off (though in on position), and I have to turn it to the off position, then back on before the light slowly illuminates and the effect works. So strange.
 
#45,353
kleinenenten said:
Troubleshooting a pedal: my Gunslinger will only turn on the first time I turn on my rig if I press the switch by hand. After that, it works fine. Grounding issue? What’s going on?

Update - it will come on slowly if using my foot, but it won’t “stay on” if it’s on when I turn off the power like all my other true bypass pedals. IT’s always off (though in on position), and I have to turn it to the off position, then back on before the light slowly illuminates and the effect works. So strange.
Click to expand...

Best guess is an iffy stomp switch. or loose connection to it. If it doesn't cut out during operation, I'd say the switch is bad.
 
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#45,354
kleinenenten said:
Troubleshooting a pedal: my Gunslinger will only turn on the first time I turn on my rig if I press the switch by hand. After that, it works fine. Grounding issue? What’s going on?

Update - it will come on slowly if using my foot, but it won’t “stay on” if it’s on when I turn off the power like all my other true bypass pedals. IT’s always off (though in on position), and I have to turn it to the off position, then back on before the light slowly illuminates and the effect works. So strange.
Click to expand...

+1 on stomp switch. Im kind of heavy footed and have had to replace several that ive accidently stomped to death and suddenly had weird volume drops or took multiple tries to get to connect.
 
#45,355
br1qbat said:
Best guess is an iffy stomp switch. or loose connection to it. If it doesn't cut out during operation, I'd say the switch is bad.
Click to expand...

Jolagh said:
+1 on stomp switch. Im kind of heavy footed and have had to replace several that ive accidently stomped to death and suddenly had weird volume drops or took multiple tries to get to connect.
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Thanks guys! I’ll check it out. Would it be easy to spot/fix? I have basic soldering skills, but not much more. For instance, I’ve done simple cap swaps and wired up an old guitar I bought cheap, but not much else. Think I could handle it?
 
#45,356
kleinenenten said:
Thanks guys! I’ll check it out. Would it be easy to spot/fix? I have basic soldering skills, but not much more. For instance, I’ve done simple cap swaps and wired up an old guitar I bought cheap, but not much else. Think I could handle it?
Click to expand...
Usually you cant see anything. I just buy another stomp switch from smallbear, take a picture of how its wired on my cell then just wire it in exactly the same. Has workes for me so far.
 

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