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Stoner/Doom Bassists Thread, Part 90: Maxed Out

#59,181
Never had an all-tube amp. Lead Sled all SS/Lead Sled hybrid/all-SS Class D/Class D hybrid. They all sound like bass to me. (Sometimes a tin ear is a wallet's best friend.) Now, if I were a rich, rich man, I'd have a few low-wattage tube heads to putz around with, as well as some nice pedals.

Nothing too exciting going on here. Work, home, play some golf, watch some movies. The real world is grinding me down, with war, and murder, and general douchebaggery. Haven't been playing much, gotta change that.
 
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#59,184
If the future of tubes weren’t in question I’d like to see more tube amps with lightweight toroidal transformers. I think maybe Traynor uses them now?

Also, does anyone use a good doom friendly preamp? Something without overdrive. Tbh I still don’t understand the need for a preamp over an EQ pedal unless you’re using a DI-out or going directly into a power amp or fx loop return. Maybe someone can clue me in?
 
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#59,187
NNNN said:
Also, does anyone use a good doom friendly preamp? Something without overdrive. Tbh I still don’t understand the need for a preamp over an EQ pedal unless you’re using a DI-out or going directly into a power amp or fx loop return. Maybe someone can clue me in?
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Maybe one of the Sunn clones in pedal form? I know there are several out there. I don't use a preamp at the moment so I'm not much help. The closest for me is my Line 6 HX Effects which lately I've used at the start of my chain only for EQ and maybe some compression.
 
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#59,188
lucas303 said:
Maybe one of the Sunn clones in pedal form? I know there are several out there. I don't use a preamp at the moment so I'm not much help. The closest for me is my Line 6 HX Effects which lately I've used at the start of my chain only for EQ and maybe some compression.
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the model t clone pedals seem solid, I love my model fett, although I haven’t ran it straight to a power amp yet
 
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#59,189
Andsvara said:
Man, what's up with those "I don't get aspect X of the Metal genre, therefore it must suck ROFL" threads lately? Aren't those guys busy enough with discussing tort pickguards and carrots anymore? :rolleyes:
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Lol you should've seen the one yesterday with the troll that was claiming fret noise on bass is the worst thing ever, it's stupid that factories make single coil pups still because hum and also that if you play a fretted instrument you're actually playing a child's instrument :eyebrow:
 
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#59,190
scabpicker said:
I'm just popping in on this subject to say that I'm an atheist/agnostic on the subject of SS/tubes - power amp or preamp. I have had examples of both (or all four pre/power amp combos) that I want to take behind the Jr. High and get pregnant. I've been paying my share of a practice space rental because I'm too lazy to go pick up my lead sled, and have been taking the 200W el cheapo Acoustic combo to my stoner/doom/space rock practices recently. Still think it hangs with the best of either style of my other amps, and I have a few of each at this point. I might try my 20W tube amp through my 2x15 Cabinet for bass (seriously, it's surprisingly loud, it should hang with a single combo, at least), and grab another El Cheapo 200W combo to run the synth in stereo if I get to feeling crazily athletic. If I just get semi-athletic, I'll just start running everything through the 300W tube head and the 2X15.

Had practice with the space/doom metal band today. My favorite drummer likes the same line played on distorted bass more than he likes it played on my Moog (and didn't notice it was largely the same (ok, I played it with a weird patch on the synth)). I love him, but I will have my revenge someday. :D Really, I should just get better at programming its internal sequencer (or break down and bring a laptop to practice) so I can set it running, grab the bass and satisfy all of both of us at the same time. Ooof, I've been playing too much synth, and when I have been playing bass they've all been strung with flats. The rounds on my Thunderchicken tore my fingers up. Gotta pull that one out more often or re-string it, or stop being a weenie.

But right now I've been listening to a different synth track I laid down this afternoon between work and practice. With stereo outs and one channel going through my trusty English Muff'n (very guitar tube pre) and the other going through a Behringer Bass BDI 21 (SansAmp SS bass pre clone). I keep muting one track or the other, and I couldn't live without either. Most of my recordings have a balance of both of these on each instrument. I have the ability to capture both, and I'd be nuts to pick one. You evangelists on either side are on your own. I'll be sitting on the fence laughing.

And really apropos of nothing, because it's more goth than anything. I finally noticed one of my favorite bass players is rocking a fretless Precision through a GK into a Peavey 2x15 in this ancient vid. Been watching this for something like 30 years and never noticed it. I'm dangerously unobservant, but David J. continually reinforces his status as one of my heroes.

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I agree. If it sounds good, it is good. There is something my tube has the sled doesn't, but the same goes both ways. And at less than half the 75lb weight, I'd likely not notice any difference at a gig and even if I did I'd still feel as good.
 
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#59,191
ConfoundedBridg said:
Lol you should've seen the one yesterday with the troll that was claiming fret noise on bass is the worst thing ever, it's stupid that factories make single coil pups still because hum and also that if you play a fretted instrument you're actually playing a child's instrument :eyebrow:
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I need to be on this site more. I'm missing all the drama.
 
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#59,193
NNNN said:
Tbh I still don’t understand the need for a preamp over an EQ pedal unless you’re using a DI-out or going directly into a power amp or fx loop return. Maybe someone can clue me in?
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There is a lot of overlap in the EQ/Pre/DI worlds.

EQ is a tone/frequency shaping mechanism.

Preamp is a gain mechanism.

DI is a signal conversion mechanism.

Some EQ pedals have a gain control accommodate the output effect of the applied EQ. This gain can function as a preamp-like gain boost.

Lots of preamps have a baked in voice, and include an EQ to shape that even further. Those preamps also might contain a DI for sending a balance signal to a mixer (FOH or recording).

A big reason to go with a preamp over an EQ is for the gain effect of pushing an amp head. Pushing an amp will result in compression and clipping that you wouldn’t get with just an EQ.
 
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#59,194
monsterthompson said:
A big reason to go with a preamp over an EQ is for the gain effect of pushing an amp head. Pushing an amp will result in compression and clipping that you wouldn’t get with just an EQ.
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I get that. But every traditional amplifier already has a preamp with baked-in voice, tone stack, and gain. Feels like you'd only want to add another preamp if you don't like the sound of the one on your amplifier. I suppose it's cheaper and more convenient to try different preamp pedals than different amplifiers, plus you don't have to worry about finding something with the output power you need for your cabs.
Seems like with the popularity of preamps there would be more people running them directly into power amps. That way you can match the sound you want with the power you want. But the power amp landscape is pretty barren by comparison. Would be cool to see more of them with a range of output options. Class-D, tube, not rack mounted...
 
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#59,195
NNNN said:
I get that. But every traditional amplifier already has a preamp with baked-in voice, tone stack, and gain. Feels like you'd only want to add another preamp if you don't like the sound of the one on your amplifier.
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Not necessarily. Until recently, I was skeptical about the benefits of pushing an amp with a boost over just using the built-in gain on the amp. Similarly, if a distortion pedal had gain knob that wasn't already maxed out, I didn't see the benefit of pushing it with an external gain device (preamp). However, some experimenting with my signal chain has changed my mind on this. Sometimes, adding external gain can help get an amp/pedal into a sweet spot that you couldn't achieve with just the gain and EQ you already have. It isn't always life changing, but it can be a touch of "magic" that some feel is worth it. YMMV
 
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#59,196
monsterthompson said:
Not necessarily. Until recently, I was skeptical about the benefits of pushing an amp with a boost over just using the built-in gain on the amp. Similarly, if a distortion pedal had gain knob that wasn't already maxed out, I didn't see the benefit of pushing it with an external gain device (preamp). However, some experimenting with my signal chain has changed my mind on this. Sometimes, adding external gain can help get an amp/pedal into a sweet spot that you couldn't achieve with just the gain and EQ you already have. It isn't always life changing, but it can be a touch of "magic" that some feel is worth it. YMMV
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Have you found this to be the case with non-tube amps? I've always assumed that it was just a tube amp thing but you know what they say about making assumptions...
 
#59,197
lucas303 said:
Have you found this to be the case with non-tube amps? I've always assumed that it was just a tube amp thing but you know what they say about making assumptions...
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I’m not really running amps anymore. I do everything through pedals into a mixer and a PA power amp or studio monitors. What I’ve found leads me to think this should apply to solid state amps. For example, the preamp pedal I use for distortion is the Hilbish Sol Invictus which is supposedly the same circuit as the rack pre, which is an emulation of a solid state Sunn amp. Similarly, I find a clean boost into a fuzz pedal or distortion box will change the clipping effect, particularly when you EQ the clean boost. There’s also the famous GK “rails” effect from pushing a solid state power amp. So, despite my lack of test equipment in the form of an amp, I’d be willing to bet this works on solid state rigs.
 
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#59,198
I told myself I wasn't going to buy anymore pedals unless I really needed them...

What's that saying about the best laid plans of mice and men?

fDEa9xV.jpg
 
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