Double Bass Tech21 VT500 for URB?

[Barcza]

Anybody has experience with Tech21 VT500 for upright bass?

I’m a big fan of Ampeg sound for electric bass.
This amp has 4,7 Mohms input, it seems to fit for piezzo pickup!

I allways like to have an amp to warming up my electric bass tone, but good for upright too.

I assume, that amp has not an “uncolored” tone, I like that for EB, but not a problem for URB for me if the character is nice….

 

[Jay Corwin]

I haven't tried the full head version, but did try the pedal preamp version into the power section on one of my heads. The idea of running it at the B15 settings really appealed to me.

However it didn't end up working well for me. It was just to aggressively bass guitar centric for my liking on upright. I just could not dial in a tone I liked that didn't involve drastic cuts. I recall it not being great with feedback as well.

For BG though it's an incredible preamp.

 

[Ric Vice]

The Ampeg sound is predicated on what’s called a Baxandall Preamp where the Bass and Treble frequency ranges “overlap”. to some extent
My experience with Tech21 is that it the EQ isn’t designed that way.

 

[Jay Corwin]

The Ampeg sound is predicated on what’s called a Baxandall Preamp where the Bass and Treble frequency ranges “overlap”. to some extent
My experience with Tech21 is that it the EQ isn’t designed that way.

The VT has a character knob that is supposed to emulate several Ampeg tones - from flip tops to SVT's.

 

[Ric Vice]

I haven’t had an up close and personal experience using the Tech21 VT 500. I own a Ampeg B-15N. They are unique amplifiers. They use Octal Preamp Tubes (6SL7’s) vs Nonal Preamp Tubes (12AX7’s} used in Fender Bassmen et.al. The cabinets in the 1960-64 B-15’s are Double Baffle Reflex that Fender tried their hand at with the Tone Ring Cabinets. Ampeg stopped building them in 1965. So if the Tech21 VT500 can design a box that emulates both those things then you’re golden. Loud Technologies did a fine job of building a PF 350 Amp that sounded very much like my B-15N. If that’s the sound you really want, you could try pick one up used. Yamaha has the new Venture Series amps as well.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

Sushi Box Slampegg Bee Pre. It’s a tube stomp box. Excellent emulation of a B15.
There is a lot of info about this pedal and the builder on the electric bass side. He is also currently building a B15 based DI too.
I used one for a while but ended up with a different pedal from him that has a different EQ profile.

Talkbass thread- Sushi Box Secret Society
Slampegg Bee Pre
Grand Slampegg DI

 

[Jay Corwin]

B100R combo's are great as well. But they are only 100watts and weigh a million pounds. I used one for upright for a while, but I think I was buffering my signal with a BDDI or a HPF. Currently I use that amp in my rock band with P-bass.

 

[Ric Vice]

B100R combo's are great as well. But they are only 100watts and weigh a million pounds. I used one for upright for a while, but I think I was buffering my signal with a BDDI or a HPF. Currently I use that amp in my rock band with P-bass.

That’s why mine sits in the practice room at the house. While the GR Bass AT Cube Acoustic 112 goes out on gigs.

 

[Barcza]

Currently I using TC BAM 200, 10Mohms input, pretty „uncolored“ head for upright, and I use Line6 HX stomp to emulate tube amps for my electric…I always like to have I single rig for both directions…And now find a pretty good deal for VT500…