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The biggest, baddest, tube Marshall...

#41
you might want to think about reworking that front grille a bit, if it's sucking air in everywhere even down below like that, that grille must be not be freest flowing. you could use some of that metal mesh stuff or something, that fabric and the rest of the design just look stifling to me, and if I owned a wicked amp with 8 KT88s I would want lots of cool air flowing...
 
#42
Clammy said:
You running a VBA400 into 2 VBC412 cabs? How do those cabs sound? I'll be running mine into a JCM 800 Bass Series 4x12 (model 1520) and JCM 800 Bass Series 2x15 (model 1552). I've been hearing a lot of good things about the VBC412 cabs.

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...

I can't totally speak for the VBA, or the VBC cabs, but I run 2 marshall DBS heads into 3 DBS cabs at the same time, and it is pure sonic bliss... More volume and power than you could ever ask for, and the tone is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
 
#44
I got her home today, and I'd say based on the serial number the amp is from 1999. The power tubes are SED 6550s, and I am assuming these are the originals. No idea about the preamp tubes, I'll have to pull the chassis, or the front panel to get at them. The 6550s all have stickers on them that say 55, with one that says 57. I'm guessing those are the numbers used to match them, so I installed them, and plugged into my 1552 (2x15) and 1984B (4x12) cabs here at home, and on 1/4 master and about 1/2 gain, I thought the house was gonna come down!!!! This thing is a BEAST! I can't wait to get it to our rehearsal room, and play with the band! :hyper:

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#47
Clammy said:
... is coming to my place soon! ;)

What Marshall amp sports 8 (yes EIGHT) 6550/KT88s, 3 ecc83s and 1 ecc81 and pumps out a kidney shattering, spleen melting, 400 watts of pure tube goodness?

THIS!!!!

I've been hearing a lot of great things about these monsters, and my curiosity got seriously piqued, so I pulled the trigger, and have one on the way. I really can't wait to hear it plugged into my JCM800 Bass cabs!!!! Should give the speakers a good workout! :D

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...

wait till you see a 2001 it's the bigger more badass brother of the vba400
 
#48
MAMMOTHvolume said:
wait till you see a 2001 it's the bigger more badass brother of the vba400
Click to expand...

I've seen pics, but never one in person. As far as I know it was rated slightly lower at 375w. I bet the dimensions are larger than the VBA, which is narrower than a standard 1960/1982 cab. I'd love to play one, but those things are super rare! The VBA is definitely the big boy of more easily available Marshall amps, hehehe... ;) And, you know it doesn't FEEL like it weighs 80 lbs, either. Marshall was smart to put the sprung handles on the sides of the head box. Makes it very easy to carry and even lift on top of a stack.

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#49
bassmachine2112 said:
Marshalls are very underated bass amps.
They have a great live sound and the only word to describe it is a thick sound.Very good in a band mix.
Give it some welly at the next practice.
Click to expand...

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow night's rehearsal! I'm going to bring it to our spot tonight, and play around for a while. :D

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#50
Clammy said:
I've seen pics, but never one in person. As far as I know it was rated slightly lower at 375w. I bet the dimensions are larger than the VBA, which is narrower than a standard 1960/1982 cab. I'd love to play one, but those things are super rare! The VBA is definitely the big boy of more easily available Marshall amps, hehehe... ;) And, you know it doesn't FEEL like it weighs 80 lbs, either. Marshall was smart to put the sprung handles on the sides of the head box. Makes it very easy to carry and even lift on top of a stack.

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
Click to expand...

had mine running at 420W, it'd probably do more with some decent valves in it. never saw a vba400 do 400w though :( light weight = skimping on the iron
 
#53
MAMMOTHvolume said:
had mine running at 420W, it'd probably do more with some decent valves in it. never saw a vba400 do 400w though :( light weight = skimping on the iron
Click to expand...

Dunno about "light weight"... it weighs in around 80 lbs. They saved some weight by using Torroids instead of a Power transformer. The output transformer is beefy, though. Lots of iron there.

I have it now, and was playing around at our rehearsal spot last night. It sounds like a freight train. I did run into a bad preamp tube, though, so tonight, I'll be swapping the pre tubes for NOS glass.

Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#55
Had my first rehearsal with the new amp, and this thing sounds like a freight train! With the Gain on 2 and the Master on 2, I was louder, by a LOT, than John (our guitarist), and significantly louder than my Super Basses on 4!

Here is some amp porn :D

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Cheers!
:bassist::bassist::bassist:
 
#60
Clammy said:
And, you know it doesn't FEEL like it weighs 80 lbs, either. Marshall was smart to put the sprung handles on the sides of the head box. Makes it very easy to carry and even lift on top of a stack.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't put that thing on top of a stack! If it fell off it'd end up in China and cost a fortune to get it back!!

Mind you, when you did get it back it'd come with a host of similar amps labeled Behr***** ! :D
 

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