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The Official Reeves Bass Amp Thread

Well, I began this morning plugged in to the "Normal" channel with the passive precision w/nickel rounds, but ended up in the bright channel. I'm still using the Fdeck HP filter set to the lowest frequency & unity gain. Fantastic sound & feel with the ML-112. Nothing mushy or boomy, nothing brittle, just firm, full, smooth, and sweet. :cool:
 
Well, I began this morning plugged in to the "Normal" channel with the passive precision w/nickel rounds, but ended up in the bright channel. I'm still using the Fdeck HP filter set to the lowest frequency & unity gain. Fantastic sound & feel with the ML-112. Nothing mushy or boomy, nothing brittle, just firm, full, smooth, and sweet. :cool:

You can get a splitter cable and enjoy them both at the same time! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :D
 
Well, I began this morning plugged in to the "Normal" channel with the passive precision w/nickel rounds, but ended up in the bright channel. I'm still using the Fdeck HP filter set to the lowest frequency & unity gain. Fantastic sound & feel with the ML-112. Nothing mushy or boomy, nothing brittle, just firm, full, smooth, and sweet. :cool:

Even if I had a Reeves, I don't think they would let me play it at church. I'm playing through a 50 watt combo and I 'm constantly being told I'm too loud. Funny "I" only get loud when the KB players goes below middle C.
 
You can get a splitter cable and enjoy them both at the same time! :bassist: :bassist: :bassist: :D

Now there's an idea... :cool:

Even if I had a Reeves, I don't think they would let me play it at church. I'm playing through a 50 watt combo and I'm constantly being told I'm too loud. Funny "I" only get loud when the KB players goes below middle C.

So you are getting the blame when the keyboard players invade your sonic space?

Fortunately, my pastors like it loud. My purchase wasn't motivated by the need for a higher SPL or additional headroom - the Walkabout was fine in both areas. I simply wanted to experience one of the best sounding all-tube amps. It's so hard to describe sound qualities with mere words. I think SactoBass may have gotten it in the first post: "It breathes" and "It's alive". Silly me couldn't type those words without associating them with Gene Wilder's performance in "Young Frankenstein". ;) ;) ;)
 
Now there's an idea... :cool:



So you are getting the blame when the keyboard players invade your sonic space?

Fortunately, my pastors like it loud. My purchase wasn't motivated by the need for a higher SPL or additional headroom - the Walkabout was fine in both areas. I simply wanted to experience one of the best sounding all-tube amps. It's so hard to describe sound qualities with mere words. I think SactoBass may have gotten it in the first post: "It breathes" and "It's alive". Silly me couldn't type those words without associating them with Gene Wilder's performance in "Young Frankenstein". ;) ;) ;)

Yeah, I've brought it to the kb's attention, but no luck.
 
Oh boy! New Amp Day...
ImageUploadedByTalkBass1376582984.902435.jpg
 
Speaking of which, Ken, have you done an A/B with the Walkabout yet?:)

I played the Walkabout into the ML-112 a little bit before hooking up the Reeves. They are in the same ballpark. The mid-range of the Reeves is smoother and the highs are "sweeter" (as Tom Bowlus observed). I found the low end response easier to control on the Reeves. I backed the Bass knob back to 11:00 and it was tight and full. I like having a standby control again after all these years. Because the D.I. is tapped off of the output transformer, the speaker and D.I. signal are both muted in standby mode. There are tonal differences between the two but it's hard to put into words. For lack of a better descriptor, the Reeves sounds more organic to me. The Walkabout is about as close to sounding "all-tube" with its MOSFET output section as I have experienced. The Reeves brings the subtle heft and roundness of a good all-tube amp. Those huge Heyboer transformers give the Reeves a built-in advantage in dynamics. Ready to go from a whisper to a roar in a millisecond, and provide a serious reservoir of power. If the Walkabout is a cantaloupe, the Reeves is a watermelon. The watermelon is bigger and sweeter, but both are tasty and satisfying. ;) The Walkabout's EQ section is more flexible and powerful, so it would be easier to get a harsh response from it. I don't know if you could make the Reeves sound bad. Having the parametric EQ of the Walkabout would be an advantage in a sonically tough room. I hope this helps. :cool:
 
Nice! Definitely interested in hearing about tonal comparisons with your Fender 100T when you have a chance.:)

Will do. Initially, I'm friggin floored! This is the best piece of gear so far. The Reeves is so musical, if that makes any sense. So thick but yet so articulate and quick. I played six basses through it and it brought out the character of each more so then any other amp.

The 100t is dirty and the Reeves is not, but that's the problem with the 100t. It ran out of gas. I was sick of fighting the Fender tone stack too. I liked the bright channel a lot which was a surprise to me. It's hard to make this amp sound bad. The mids are very tame, I couldn't make it sound harsh or boxy or honky.

To dirty it up I used a Pork Loin and it sounded good too. This was with an Uber 410 with tweeter off at the house. It will be paired with an LDS sealed 610. Loving it!
 
I played the Walkabout into the ML-112 a little bit before hooking up the Reeves. They are in the same ballpark. The mid-range of the Reeves is smoother and the highs are "sweeter" (as Tom Bowlus observed). I found the low end response easier to control on the Reeves. I backed the Bass knob back to 11:00 and it was tight and full. I like having a standby control again after all these years. Because the D.I. is tapped off of the output transformer, the speaker and D.I. signal are both muted in standby mode. There are tonal differences between the two but it's hard to put into words. For lack of a better descriptor, the Reeves sounds more organic to me. The Walkabout is about as close to sounding "all-tube" with its MOSFET output section as I have experienced. The Reeves brings the subtle heft and roundness of a good all-tube amp. Those huge Heyboer transformers give the Reeves a built-in advantage in dynamics. Ready to go from a whisper to a roar in a millisecond, and provide a serious reservoir of power. If the Walkabout is a cantaloupe, the Reeves is a watermelon. The watermelon is bigger and sweeter, but both are tasty and satisfying. ;) The Walkabout's EQ section is more flexible and powerful, so it would be easier to get a harsh response from it. I don't know if you could make the Reeves sound bad. Having the parametric EQ of the Walkabout would be an advantage in a sonically tough room. I hope this helps. :cool:
Right on, Ken, that definitely helps! I really like the sound of that. I am a little spoiled by the Walkabout's flexible EQ and I play passive basses, but I don't tweak the WA settings that much and could always get an EQ pedal if needed.
 
Will do. Initially, I'm friggin floored! This is the best piece of gear so far. The Reeves is so musical, if that makes any sense. So thick but yet so articulate and quick. I played six basses through it and it brought out the character of each more so then any other amp.

The 100t is dirty and the Reeves is not, but that's the problem with the 100t. It ran out of gas. I was sick of fighting the Fender tone stack too. I liked the bright channel a lot which was a surprise to me. It's hard to make this amp sound bad. The mids are very tame, I couldn't make it sound harsh or boxy or honky.

To dirty it up I used a Pork Loin and it sounded good too. This was with an Uber 410 with tweeter off at the house. It will be paired with an LDS sealed 610. Loving it!
Nice! I have a '70s V4B and it, too, goes into breakup a little earlier than I'd like. That amp does have a heck of a tasty midrange, though.
 
Will do. Initially, I'm friggin floored! This is the best piece of gear so far. The Reeves is so musical, if that makes any sense. So thick but yet so articulate and quick. I played six basses through it and it brought out the character of each more so then any other amp.

Good descriptions, I concur. It's interesting, because as clean and clear as an amplifier like the Reeves is, I know there are still distortions in what is heard. If there was an amplifier in existence that added absolutely no distortion to your signal, it would not sell because no one would like it (WAY too sterile!). What it boils down to is what particular mix of distortions that appeal to our ears. The most interesting electronic fact I've learned in the past few years came from Dave Funk's "Tube Amplifier Handbook". Resistors can distort!? I never knew and I don't think it would have ever occurred to me. :eek:

I'll shut up now. Enjoy your Reeves and all of your 'new' basses, brother!!!