Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

[br1qbat]

Does anyone here run a minimal board with just drive or fuzz? I’ve had, and still have, tons of pedals, and am finally realizing I just want one or two dirt pedals and a clean base tone. Seems like everything else I try is just a niche thing that I never really utilize. I have gotten a little use from a Phaser, Compressor, and wah, but not enough total to necessitate keeping them.

My basic setup is a Darkglass B7K Ultra with either jazz basses or my Warwick $$ 5er.

Anyone else have this same issue?

Loaded question, I know. Lol

Yes. I just pared mine down to a pork loin, a phaser, a flanger, and a wah.

You can kinda see it below. I took this pic to show off the head sleeve I had someone make for the 800rb. Looks badass if I do say so myself. And to answer the cab question, I keep on coming back to my GK 4x12. Easily has the volume of an ampeg fridge. But its only 90ish lbs and has the built in towel bar and wheels. Tweeter off and its punchy mids all day.

 

[br1qbat]

I already dropped it by the luthier this morning. It was setup for drop D when it arrived, and REALLY played beautifully there. However, when I dropped her down to our tuning, that 105 was like a wet noodle. So my guy is setting it up with my strings and tuning. The point of all that is; I can't snap pics right now but will try to do so tonight when I pick her up.

Yeah man, the 35" scale is a life saver for me. Im a lakland fan too. in fact, my lakland 5 string is what got me into the longer scale bsses. The lakland P was one of the finer instruments I've ever owned... this is honestly in that ball park for sure. But with a better bridge and tuners, and a plek'd fretboard that's as sweet as the Lakland. Anyway, check one out if you have a chance... you can also order a semi custom version of all their basses. spec-ing wood and colors and all that.

I played one of sandberg's thunderbird-esque models at a music store once and it was a tremendously awesome bass

 

[bassburner]

What’s everyone’s preferred bass cabinet set-ups? I’ve been debating between three options and can’t decide which one to pair with a 500w Fender Bassman Hybrid. The 15s are slightly cheaper but I’ve heard 4x10s pack more punch. Here are my choices...

1) A 4x10 & 1x15
2) 2 4x10s
3) 2 1x15s

A Fearful 2x12? Although I did get overpowered by my guitarist once. Then I turned the amp up to 3.

 

[JBOWLES]

I have a couple of old Bassballs, B3K, and a Dunlop Bass wah as well as a few I have up fsft in the emporium. I’ve gone through probably 100 different stompboxes over the past 4 or so years; it all sounds great, but most of the time it just seems like what I really need in a band situation is just some gain, B7K, and maybe a flavor effect like the Phase 90 or the wah. I really enjoy writing and recording with delay, verb, etc..., but I have all that in Reason.

I guess we should all be somewhere between Geezer and Chancellor type pedalboards. Lmao This is that typical bass player juxtaposition, Wants/Needs!

 

[hardtop]

Pics?
Interesting design. That could potentially fill the niche my Lakland 44-02 fills right now.

I couldn't take pictures, and now it's packed up in the trailer, but this is basically the bass I received. it says cappuccino hard core aged in the description, but its matte/satin black and no aging. Sandberg California II TM4 Grand Dark 35" Scale 2019 matte black

 

[oZZma]

What’s everyone’s preferred bass cabinet set-ups? I’ve been debating between three options and can’t decide which one to pair with a 500w Fender Bassman Hybrid. The 15s are slightly cheaper but I’ve heard 4x10s pack more punch. Here are my choices...

1) A 4x10 & 1x15
2) 2 4x10s
3) 2 1x15s

I currently play with 1) but if I had to redo my choice I'd go for 3) probably.

 

[oZZma]

what about option 4, all of the above?

I tend to amp hoarding disorder, it's under control now but I can see myself in a couple of years with this setup (for my bass only)

 

[Mordamir]

What’s everyone’s preferred bass cabinet set-ups?

1) A 4x10 & 1x15
2) 2 4x10s
3) 2 1x15s

My current is a 2x15 bass and a 4x10 guitar.

 

[socialleper]

What’s everyone’s preferred bass cabinet set-ups? I’ve been debating between three options and can’t decide which one to pair with a 500w Fender Bassman Hybrid. The 15s are slightly cheaper but I’ve heard 4x10s pack more punch. Here are my choices...

1) A 4x10 & 1x15
2) 2 4x10s
3) 2 1x15s

212. Sorry, I like being difficult.
It is sort of weird that you skipped over 810s since that is honestly one of the more common configs in the stoner\doom genre.

 

[JBOWLES]

212. Sorry, I like being difficult.
It is sort of weird that you skipped over 810s since that is honestly one of the more common configs in the stoner\doom genre.

I run an Aguilar GS212 as my main. I really like two 115 cabs best though.

 

[socialleper]

I run an Aguilar GS212 as my main. I really like two 115 cabs best though.

It has been a long time since I used 15s. The 215 I had as a kid was rubbish, so it left a bad taste in my mouth. If I had a better one, it might change my mind.
It took me a while to get used to the idea of 12s, but now that I've used them for about 5 years, I've come to appreciate them as a good balance between the voicing of 10s and 15s. Plus, must modern super cab designs use 12s. I am all about light weight and high tech.

 

[lucas303]

My current is a 2x15 bass and a 4x10 guitar.

I'm curious about this...are you using a crossover to split the signal or do you have a "stereo" setup a la Rick-O-Sound?

 

[JBOWLES]

It has been a long time since I used 15s. The 215 I had as a kid was rubbish, so it left a bad taste in my mouth. If I had a better one, it might change my mind.
It took me a while to get used to the idea of 12s, but now that I've used them for about 5 years, I've come to appreciate them as a good balance between the voicing of 10s and 15s. Plus, must modern super cab designs use 12s. I am all about light weight and high tech.

I have that 212 and a Basson 210. I prefer the 212 because it’s much lighter and has a little more low mids. The 10s are nice but they leave something out of the tone that a 12 or 15 just handles better. I’ve had a few 410s and the famous Ampeg fridge a few times. I hear a more full spectrum coming out of good/modern 12s or 15s.

 

[oZZma]

I am all about light weight and high tech.

I am on the opposite side
My current GAS is for Emperor or Atlas kind of heavy heavy HEAVY and HUGE cabs
I think that will be my next upgrade!!

 

[socialleper]

I have that 212 and a Basson 210. I prefer the 212 because it’s much lighter and has a little more low mids. The 10s are nice but they leave something out of the tone that a 12 or 15 just handles better. I’ve had a few 410s and the famous Ampeg fridge a few times. I hear a more full spectrum coming out of good/modern 12s or 15s.

I never realized how scooped 210 and 410 cabs could be. It sort of goes against my expectations where I would think one big speaker would be more scooped. It turns out they have more mids. I stand by 12s and 10s being more responsive.

 

[socialleper]

I am on the opposite side
My current GAS is for Emperor or Atlas kind of heavy heavy HEAVY and HUGE cabs
I think that will be my next upgrade!!

What is weird is that I've never had GAS for cabs and amps. Basses and pedals, sure. But amplification is more of a utilitarian necessity for me than a desire. I want to be able to move it, I want it to be loud, and I want to be able to control it. That's kinda it.

 

[br1qbat]

I never realized how scooped 210 and 410 cabs could be. It sort of goes against my expectations where I would think one big speaker would be more scooped. It turns out they have more mids. I stand by 12s and 10s being more responsive.

I personally love 12s. I have to 2nd your thought regarding modern tech.

Modern bass cab speakers are so much more suited to reproducing loud bass than just about anything from years past. And tech based construction [bracing, etc] beats the old 'build a big box and stick speakers in it" of yore.

I think one can dull some of that more focused sound of modern speakers if one prefers [turn off the horn, changing eq on amp, etc], but you really can't add articulation to an old school cabinet.

 

[oZZma]

I want to be able to move it.

I want it to be loud enough that I can keep it where it is and make it move everything else until it reaches the destination

 

[oZZma]

Modern bass cab speakers are so much more suited to reproducing loud bass than just about anything from years past. And tech based construction [bracing, etc] beats the old 'build a big box and stick speakers in it" of yore.

I think one can dull some of that more focused sound of modern speakers if one prefers [turn off the horn, changing eq on amp, etc], but you really can't add articulation to an old school cabinet.

Some examples of these "modern speakers"?

 

[br1qbat]

Some examples of these "modern speakers"?

The neo drivers GK uses are one example. Eminence beta/kappa series.

The other half (or more) is the construction. A well tuned cab is way more important to bass. My GK goes head to head with my guitarists full stack [120w Peavey Butcher atop a Marshall 1960a and b] and can win.