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The Combo Club

#18,661
WestyBassBob said:
Ha ha! I would have said right after the instrument. Even before the preamp. Why not just take out all those unwanted frequencies right away?
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And you'd be right! In all honesty, I've read where you can experiment (my favorite word) with the filter in the chain, but most seem to agree that you want it at the beginning (mine's right after my tuner pedal) so it can weave its magic spell long before it hits the amp. YMMV.
 
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#18,663
Datsgor said:
Welp, I done wentn' got me anothr' combo. I couldn't help it really. When it showed up in the classifieds, I found myself buying it. Just like that. It's a sweet Fender Bassman TV10 and it sounds good........

View attachment 4377385
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Datsgor, I looked over our club roster and didn't see ya on it, so I wanted to offer you a lifetime membership to the Combo Club all because of your great pic of a combo I'd love to have sitting here in Command Central. Something about that entire line plucked my heartstrings long ago, especially the TV Fifteen. Let me know if you'd like to join and I'll make sure there are donuts available in the clubhouse if you stop by.:woot: Thanks!
 
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#18,664
Michael Favata said:
@G-Dog its why I pulled the trigger a couple of days ago and got the RB-115. I loved my Rumble 112. 26lbs! But wanted more power so got the Markbass CMD102P. (Still have my living room Rumble 25 :>) But now the Markbass didn’t fit my situation or my broken wing. I hemmed and hawed over the RB series or a Rumble for months now. I finally pulled the trigger on Thursday.

The RB arrives Wednesday. The reason why I got that instead of the Rumble series? They both sound great. Both lightweight. But I have an Ampeg 115 extension cab with that beautiful diamond tolex! Paired with the new RB it will look amazing! And be versatile. I will use the combo in most situations but can pair it with this in bigger situations :

View attachment 4377377

View attachment 4377376

Re-did the studio space yesterday in anticipation of the new addition coming.

I just hope it’s all I’m hoping it will be. I’m picky. Here’s what I purchased in the last few years:

Black star 15” combo. Returned it. Rumble 15” combo. Returned it. GK 12” combo. Returned it. Rumble 25. Great little amp. Still have it. Ampeg BA110. Not a fan. Had it for a while then traded it. Markbass micro. Traded it. Not for me (I liked the little rumble 25 better) the Markbass CMD102P. I liked that amp. No complaints. Just not right for me now. I just sold that on Reverb yesterday. Great person buying it for her bass playing boyfriend as a surprise how cool is that. Love Reverb btw.

So now I await the RB115 with fingers crossed. I know one think. The stack will look gorgeous!
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Michael, I enjoyed reading this post for your honest combo assessment over those you've owned in the past. Must be something to do with the name Michael! I love buying combos even if I'm not sure I'll like them or not and either keep, return, or take the hit in a reduced re-selling price.

I get all your reasons as to why you either liked a particular amp or not but make sure you give this one every opportunity to impress. I think you'll find it worth it. Allow a couple of weeks of consistent playing through it to break the speaker in, don't hesitate to romp on it if you can, and position it for the best tone. This is pretty much the same advice I'd give anyone with a new amp, but it's in case you decide to set it up on top of your Ampeg cab and leave it. Definitely try it there, but then set it on the floor and listen to it as you would at a smaller gig where you don't need the extra air movement. It's always possible you may not dig it, but it shouldn't be because you didn't give the 115 a fair shot at impressing you. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here and I can't wait to read the reviews! :hyper:
 
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#18,665
iagtrplyr said:
And you'd be right! In all honesty, I've read where you can experiment (my favorite word) with the filter in the chain, but most seem to agree that you want it at the beginning (mine's right after my tuner pedal) so it can weave its magic spell long before it hits the amp. YMMV.
Click to expand...

Really?? That sounds great- I like the early in the chain mojo hypothesis “weave its magic spell long before it hits the amp.”
With the RB-115 (or 12) i use the effects loop for the preamp, compressor and reverb. I guess hook it first in line from the “send” then comp>preamp>reverb> “return” to RB-115 would allow this??

Here is a pitiful markup with the HPF in teal in that proposed signal chain. Interesting.
:bassist::bassist:
24B2813C-33AD-4A00-802D-47FC648E40E6.jpeg
 
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#18,667
Michael Favata said:
I had the Broughton HPF in my cart yesterday and pulled out. I wish I could buy it local and check it out. The idea of a high pass filter makes so much sense for bass. We don’t hear that frequency below 40hz anyway and by eliminating those frequencies you can clean up the mud. Makes perfect sense! But if I’m gonna have to plug in to something (I don’t use pedals) then I would want to have more to access. I don’t know what more means but more. So I was looking for pedals with an HPF button yesterday and all I could find wasn’t for bass guitars. Maybe I would go for the Q-Strip? I dunno. So I’m gonna wait for now. Give the RB a workout. And reconsider the Broughton HPF then. Any thoughts folks?
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On the advice of the Combo community and SWR enthusiasts (and additional research on the interweb), the only pedal I use is the Broughton HPF+LPF.
The HPF for the well known reasons.
The LPF to suppress the round wound squeek a bit.
The possibilities are numerous...
Due to the import costs, this pedal ended up costing me a reasonable note, but I still don't regret it, and neither do my amps.
 
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#18,669
Our fine TB HPF/LPF Wiki
High Pass and Low Pass Filters | TalkBass.com
has both the peanut butter and jelly on this caper. That, and the HPF megathread
High Pass Filter (HPF) and Low Pass Filter (LPF) Mega Thread
from which the Wiki was drawn
comprise the total of my theoretical knowledge of HPFs and LPFs.

My empirical finding is, well, adjust to taste. My HPF is in front of the DI because No Mud for You. When I play ampless, my DI is the VT Bass. To find my setting for the room — and for the amp, mine or backline — play the lowest note and twist the HPF knob upwards from 30Hz until I hear a change. Then back it off a nudge. Some stages have a sympathetic vibration with a particular note, like the 10th fret D. Adjust the HPF until it's clear.

swink said:
"Say, M what's your view on Thomas Mann's oeuvre?" (I'm in a mood of self-sacrifice today.) :smug:
Click to expand...

Always remember to floss after meals
 
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#18,672
iagtrplyr said:
Michael, I enjoyed reading this post for your honest combo assessment over those you've owned in the past. Must be something to do with the name Michael! I love buying combos even if I'm not sure I'll like them or not and either keep, return, or take the hit in a reduced re-selling price.

I get all your reasons as to why you either liked a particular amp or not but make sure you give this one every opportunity to impress. I think you'll find it worth it. Allow a couple of weeks of consistent playing through it to break the speaker in, don't hesitate to romp on it if you can, and position it for the best tone. This is pretty much the same advice I'd give anyone with a new amp, but it's in case you decide to set it up on top of your Ampeg cab and leave it. Definitely try it there, but then set it on the floor and listen to it as you would at a smaller gig where you don't need the extra air movement. It's always possible you may not dig it, but it shouldn't be because you didn't give the 115 a fair shot at impressing you. I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here and I can't wait to read the reviews! :hyper:
Click to expand...

@iagtrplyr I will give this RB every opportunity. I really want to like it. I can’t remember where but someone in TB, maybe at the RB thread, said the amp opens up after using it a couple of weeks. So I will give it every chance. I will absolutely turn it up to eleven!

The first thing I will do is set it atop the 115 cab and combine them. That’s just to see all that it’s capable of. Put its best foot forward. Two 15’s gonna be pushing a lot of air! Can’t wait! I will do that for an hour or two. Then I will decouple the 115 cab and play it alone for an hour or two. That is in my studio space which is about 25x25. Then I will bring it upstairs in my living room which is 20x12 and it will hang out there for several days (I have a very understanding wife :>) and will move it back and forth between the rooms. Unfortunately I’m between bands so it won’t get the band test before the final decision. But I’ve been doing this a long time. I will have a good sense in a short period whether it will do what I want it to. I’m hopeful!!!
 
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#18,673
As far as the HPF I have decided to pull the trigger and get the Broughton always on HPF. I have been building home studios since 85’ and always had one so I’ve been through everything imaginable almost. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to use the effects loop @G-Dog. Thank you for that idea! It appears to work because many at the thread I cited earlier do just that. In that way I can get a couple of 6” patch cables. Velcro it to the back near the effects loop inputs with the knob oriented up so that I can tweak that along with the other knobs as needed. In this manner I will still be able to have my cable straight out of input jack on the amp in to my bass. Still no pedals! To paraphrase @SoulReflection tone is in the hands, head and heart IMHO. Please don’t take offense pedal people! To each his own! Many great players use pedals what do I know! Anyone see any flaws to my approach?
 
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#18,674
Michael Favata said:
As far as the HPF I have decided to pull the trigger and get the Broughton always on HPF. I have been building home studios since 85’ and always had one so I’ve been through everything imaginable almost. I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to use the effects loop @G-Dog. Thank you for that idea! It appears to work because many at the thread I cited earlier do just that. In that way I can get a couple of 6” patch cables. Velcro it to the back near the effects loop inputs with the knob oriented up so that I can tweak that along with the other knobs as needed. In this manner I will still be able to have my cable straight out of input jack on the amp in to my bass. Still no pedals! To paraphrase @SoulReflection tone is in the hands, head and heart IMHO. Please don’t take offense pedal people! To each his own! Many great players use pedals what do I know! Anyone see any flaws to my approach?
Click to expand...
Yes. Bankrupting the pedal makers.:smug:
ADDENDUM: My pedal "board"-sometimes.->Mypedalboard.jpg
 
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#18,676
Michael Favata said:
@iagtrplyr I will give this RB every opportunity. I really want to like it. ... ... The first thing I will do is set it atop the 115 cab and combine them. That’s just to see all that it’s capable of. Put its best foot forward. Two 15’s gonna be pushing a lot of air! Can’t wait! I will do that for an hour or two. ... ... Unfortunately I’m between bands so it won’t get the band test before the final decision. But I’ve been doing this a long time. I will have a good sense in a short period whether it will do what I want it to. I’m hopeful!!!
Click to expand...


Don't forget to take pix of your RB atop the cab! "Pix or it didn’t happen", as they say. :smug: :thumbsup:
.
 
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#18,679
GwenOnBass said:
The DI is post-EQ, I see. :thumbsup: And the FX Loop is on the RB-112 and up ...
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@Morrighan it sounds like you’ve had experience with FOH. That would drive the sound guy crazy but keep us happy right!? Lol. I love that the DI is post everything! That we maintain control! And as far as DI in to my recording board I love having the flexibility of using the board to tweak the sound in combination with what the amp has to offer. The Markbass had a switch to choose pre or post. I’m thinking in a situation where your amp is just an onstage monitor in a very large venue that could be useful?
 
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#18,680
Michael Favata said:
@Morrighan it sounds like you’ve had experience with FOH. That would drive the sound guy crazy but keep us happy right!? Lol. I love that the DI is post everything! That we maintain control! And as far as DI in to my recording board I love having the flexibility of using the board to tweak the sound in combination with what the amp has to offer. The Markbass had a switch to choose pre or post.
Click to expand...

FOH never complains when the six-stringers want "their" sound on the PA. Bass player makes the same request and there is wailing and gnashing of teeth, a friend told me. ;)

I’m thinking in a situation where your amp is just an onstage monitor in a very large venue that could be useful?
Click to expand...

Absatively!
 
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