The Reeves is the way to go, especially if you can get their 4x10 cab! I own an 71 SVT and a Marshall JCM 800. By far the best sound is the reeves. The SVT is great but it does have a sweet spot for tone and volume. The Marshall is not even in the same category, not enough head room or tone, actually breaks up very early. The Reeves sounds great at any volume and is only 65lbs!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
The Official Reeves Bass Amp Thread
- Thread starter SactoBass
- Start date
If you've been praying for a great bass tone, this amp will take you to church!
Amen, brother. I still have a black-face Walkabout for living room play and backup (I had an output tube 'give up the ghost' a few months ago), but the C225 has gone all Arnold Schwarzenegger and terminated my GAS for any other amplifier .
Last edited:
Today, I used my E-130 loaded tone-ring cab which is my backup. My usual main cab is one of Mike Arnopol's way-cool MVW designs, a 110 Flex (I believe a capacitor in the crossover failed - it is out for repair). It has a stock 10" Eminence woofer, two Faital 5.5" midrange drivers which sing sweetly all the way up to 8khz when the Ciare tweeter (best tweeter I've ever laid ears on) is switched off. The flexible part is the crossover which allows for three different midrange levels and a phase switch that thins out the low-lows and shifts the bass response upward a bit - very useful. Due to its unique dispersion, it is much less prone to room peaks and dips, corner boundaries and such. It's the most articulate, revealing speaker I've ever experienced and goes as loud as a high-performance fifteen in a cabinet of conventional design.
Last edited:
That's a different setup for a tube amp. Cool! Anyway we could hear some sound clips. Oh, do you also run direct?
I have used several cabs with mine- currently using a Bergantino AE410. Also mates well with my Greenboy 1212/6.
It is an interesting mix of old school amp and bleeding edge cab design that works very, very well. I do have a line out to the board in case I happen to not be playing loud enough in the opinion of the sound person. The sanctuary where I play is not huge, so this cab carries the room easily. I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say that I'd never heard a B-string amplified properly until I played through this cab. It was a revelation. If you're curious, there is much more information in the BigE thread. I am planning to do some recording this Tuesday evening with my Zoom. If I can get something presentable, I'll post it up.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,953
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
I love, love, LOVE my C225 with my MAS-210Flex. Mike's cabs do really well with tube power.
I love, love, LOVE my C225 with my MAS-210Flex. Mike's cabs do really well with tube power.
I 'hear' that!
Another player of MAS cabs put it quite succinctly - they have the extended low end of a ported cab and the cone control of a sealed cab (I'm sure I paraphrased him a bit).
Don't ask me, I am not very good at it. How about a Genesis quote: "I know what I like, and I like what I know". I know I'm thankful that I'm in a situation where I am not forced to rely on IEM's
. Call me 'old school' all you want (I will not take offense) but I love being enveloped by the sweet sonic energy! It took me years to get to this level of satisfaction with my rig, but I'm sounding better and having more fun than ever before. It was most definitely worth every minute and dollar expended.
Last edited:
You are definitely blessed. I just got the IEM sentence, which is like the anti - Reeves rig. LOL
Don't get me wrong - I like IEM's for home practice with my headphone amp (beautiful, intimate bass tone!) and listening to audio books at work around noisy machinery. Sorry to hear of your 'sentence'. 
I can't like your post. I'm sorry to learn of your hearing loss. Be thankful for what you still have. My ears are still doing pretty well (hallelujah!) except that the eustachian tube (connects throat to ear) on my right ear seems to be clogged a lot for some reason...
Like everyone else, I thought I was indestructible.
I went from perfect hearing and perfect pitch to clinically deaf in my right ear with about 50% loss on the left. I can still hear detail, but the volume is reduced overall.
Playing live hard rock volumes didn't do it. Using headphones hours on end and ignoring ear fatigue caused irreversible nerve damage. Even though we can't usually see it,
that cushion of open air is there diffusing the direct in-ear volume & damaging frequencies.
Not to derail any further, but please please take care of your hearing.
I went from perfect hearing and perfect pitch to clinically deaf in my right ear with about 50% loss on the left. I can still hear detail, but the volume is reduced overall.
Playing live hard rock volumes didn't do it. Using headphones hours on end and ignoring ear fatigue caused irreversible nerve damage. Even though we can't usually see it,
that cushion of open air is there diffusing the direct in-ear volume & damaging frequencies.
Not to derail any further, but please please take care of your hearing.
Last edited:
How about a Reeves Custom 25 bass amp?
Along these lines, I just got some very interesting info.
The Reeves folks currently have an all tube Bass Combo amp in development.
All I know for sure is that it’s going to be 50-60 watts, and from our preliminary
discussions I know that they are aware that practicality is a critical
concern.
I really like the concept of a practical combo bass amp, but I'm a self
professed tube-o-holic; as far as I know Orange, Mesa, Fender, Traynor,
Hiwatt, Marshall, etc. don’t offer an all tube combo, only the Hertitage version of the venerable
Portaflex is available as a "true" tube combo.
I’m a vintage Ampeg B15N owner, and while I love the tone and have no
problem with its portability, I often wish it had a little more “oomph” and
clarity at higher SPL’s.
I’ll post more info as I get it.
