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Tell me about the Peavey VB2
- Thread starter ledyard
- Start date
Do a search - lots of threads - they are generally well liked, lightweight and good sounding Tube Heads - I have no experience with them - only what I have read others report here.
Looking for a touch more power than my mesa D-180. Would like to be able to get clean punch along with a punchy grind. The ability to do a very mid heavy Sabbath tone would be a plus.
I play in a metal band thats like Heavier BLS meets Testament (if yo can picture that), also a heavier old school rock band thats very sabbath meets, mountain, meets Mule.
Basses are Tobias with barts, Mahogany SR500 with barts, Fender J MIA. Looking to get a P bass too.
Both bands have 2 guitarists. Metal band is a 5150 full stack each side of the stage. Rock band is a SLO one side and vintage Super Lead other side.
I play in a metal band thats like Heavier BLS meets Testament (if yo can picture that), also a heavier old school rock band thats very sabbath meets, mountain, meets Mule.
Basses are Tobias with barts, Mahogany SR500 with barts, Fender J MIA. Looking to get a P bass too.
Both bands have 2 guitarists. Metal band is a 5150 full stack each side of the stage. Rock band is a SLO one side and vintage Super Lead other side.
I own one ..had the well know issues with the fuse ... but, since it's been fixed ...haven't had a bit of trouble with it .... all in all get it ... it has more headroom than the V4-B ... you'll have to spend time with the presence an resonance controls ...
No offense, but it may just be your pickups. Perhaps the Barts are choking the upper mids you want, and the stock Jazz pickups aren't beefy enough. I'd bet if you tried an experiment just with the Jazz and put Quarter Pounders in it, you wouldn't have to change your amp. Just my 2 cents.
Good luck.
Good luck.
I was going to do exactly that with the pups. But I have come to the conclusion that I'm either getting a P pup installed in my Jazz or getting a P bass.
I was also considering a GK 1001RBII as an outside option too.
I would hope it has alot more headroom than the ampeg. Seeing as it is over double the wattage.
I'm hoping it has A little more clean Head room without break up than my D-180. I watched the demo vid on you tube with Ellefson and I dig the clean tone and i can tell the OD tone could be dialed in better than he had it. I just hope those tones stay the same cranked.
I really haven't fiddled with the overdrive channel, the only down side is, you can't blend the overdrive channel into the clean channel ....but, I much prefer the grit that the output tubes do to the sound ..... I have never really had the opportunity to play any of the older Mesa tube bass amps, so I really can't comment about the D-180 ... but hey ...you'll won't be paying boutique tube amp prices with the VB-2 !!!! I've hooked up a SVT 8x10, 2-TL-606's loaded with 3015's, and a Redstar Audio 4x10 cabinet's and what you can get is nice, clean, fat, thick sounds at pretty high sound levels, but not as overwhelming as the Bassman 300, or an SVT ....the amp will do well in most giging situations ...the amp has some interesting mid-range points (4 of them ) ... all in all it's just a good amp to have in your arsenal ...not too heavy, loud & clean enough, good factory support .... and priced right
I was logging on here to ask about the same head and luckily this was the first thread in the ams forum 
I have done a lot of online research and watched the youtube videos and Im very interested. Im not trying to hijack your thread or anything but Im going mad trying to find a music store with one in stock!!! I would lilke to play through one before I order it, especially since I will be trading my head in for it and I dont want to get screwed if I dont like it! Can anyone compare it to an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro? Thats what I would be trading in....good choice or would I be dissapointed?? I play ...i guess new age rock (Breaking Benjamin, Karnivool, Mute Math)
I have done a lot of online research and watched the youtube videos and Im very interested. Im not trying to hijack your thread or anything but Im going mad trying to find a music store with one in stock!!! I would lilke to play through one before I order it, especially since I will be trading my head in for it and I dont want to get screwed if I dont like it! Can anyone compare it to an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro? Thats what I would be trading in....good choice or would I be dissapointed?? I play ...i guess new age rock (Breaking Benjamin, Karnivool, Mute Math)
It took me a while to realize it, but I really like the distortion channel.
I've found the eq to be even more responsive than on the clean channel. I liked to add just enough drive to add a little hair when you really get on it. Add a pick to the mix and it's a lot of fun too.
I've found the eq to be even more responsive than on the clean channel. I liked to add just enough drive to add a little hair when you really get on it. Add a pick to the mix and it's a lot of fun too.
This is exactly how I felt. At first I thought that the distortion on the drive channel was a bit too fizzy at moderate volume levels. However, at the same time, when cranked (and I mean “master-volume-on-10-cranked”
the VB-2 is Godflesh in a box. Punishing distortion that roars like a lion and with a lot of character.
Then I discovered using the drive channel with just a little gain. I’ve found that doing this in combination with a mid boost on the EQ (or on the bass) yields anything from a chewy “Disraeli Gears” era Jack Bruce drive to furry/woolly drive not unlike mid-era Kyuss. By cleaning up the woof (cutting some of the lows and setting the mid shift up a bit higher, boosting the high freqs), I can get a girthy twang cool for solos or for when picking in a punk type situation.
As for the resonance and presence, although they are basically bass and treble controls, I use them as “tuners” to calibrate the head to whatever cab I’m using. There is usually a sweet spot depending on the genre/tone/place where you are playing. In other words, I don’t use them as much as an EQ as I do as a way of getting the most out of a particular cab.
the VB-2 is Godflesh in a box. Punishing distortion that roars like a lion and with a lot of character.Then I discovered using the drive channel with just a little gain. I’ve found that doing this in combination with a mid boost on the EQ (or on the bass) yields anything from a chewy “Disraeli Gears” era Jack Bruce drive to furry/woolly drive not unlike mid-era Kyuss. By cleaning up the woof (cutting some of the lows and setting the mid shift up a bit higher, boosting the high freqs), I can get a girthy twang cool for solos or for when picking in a punk type situation.
As for the resonance and presence, although they are basically bass and treble controls, I use them as “tuners” to calibrate the head to whatever cab I’m using. There is usually a sweet spot depending on the genre/tone/place where you are playing. In other words, I don’t use them as much as an EQ as I do as a way of getting the most out of a particular cab.
IME it's a great amp, pairs up best with a sealed cab (NV610 sounds like God to me) I don't play your style of music, but in my experience it is a wonderful piece of equipment that sounds better the higher you turn it up and not bad at lower levels. I love my VB2!
I love mine. I upgraded from a behringer so it was like 10 birthday's worth of gifts compounded. When guys talk tube amps, you see the words slow, warm, wooly, boomy, and even muddy. This amp is a MAJOR exception. Like as many have stated before, this amp can be eq'd to play almost anything. Its lighter than an SVT. Built like a tank, and sounds good clean or cranked for a bit of overdrive. I got mine from GC used for $500 bucks. That price for an all tube head is insane. If you want more eq control throw an eq or preamp pedal in front of it, or use them to push more gain into the front end. I think this may be the sleeper amp of the decade. If another one came along at the same price I wouldnt hesitate on buying it. Love it to bits.
I tried the VB2 twice and did not care for it. To my ears it sounds like a guitar amp and does not capture the character of the bass. Unless you play heavy metal or some other kind of aggresive music that required an amp that can cut through in a major way, I would say there are better amps. I use a Traynor YBL 200-2 and I have thrilled with this amp. It offers more tonal flexibily and better tone.
Then, on the other hand, in spite of your experience, I am able to get mad fat larded out dark as dark and smoother'n chocolate dub tones out of my VB-2 a big ass volume. Guess it all depends on who uses it?
Yes, I disagree with Laurent as well. Guitar Amp? huh? no way dude, this thing screams bass amp, look at my screen name, I get dub tones with this amp alllllll day. .. . . Plus the natural compression you can get out of it sounds amazing.
I've been using the clean channel lately, pushing the gain to 8. Master around where ever for volume (depending on the situation). I'm EQing like this: High - 3, Mids 5, Lows 7, Mid Selector - 200Hz. Resonance - 1, Presence - 0. This EQ with the cab I'm using sounds fat, low, and still very tight.
I'm using a sealed cab (4x12) which reacts differently with the resonance control, it can get somewhat boomy if I push the resonance to high (highest I go is 3), but on my ported cab the resonance control doesn't make as much of a difference.
I've been using the clean channel lately, pushing the gain to 8. Master around where ever for volume (depending on the situation). I'm EQing like this: High - 3, Mids 5, Lows 7, Mid Selector - 200Hz. Resonance - 1, Presence - 0. This EQ with the cab I'm using sounds fat, low, and still very tight.
I'm using a sealed cab (4x12) which reacts differently with the resonance control, it can get somewhat boomy if I push the resonance to high (highest I go is 3), but on my ported cab the resonance control doesn't make as much of a difference.
