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The Official Reeves Bass Amp Thread
- Thread starter SactoBass
- Start date
Yeah, four - 15" speakers would rock! I was pushing a single JBL fifteen (E140 in a tone ring cab) for a few weeks and very impressed with it.
I'm really enjoying just getting back into what my bass can do just by messing with the pots and altering my attack.
Some stuff I picked up playing guitars through class A super touch sensitive amps.
As far as bass tone DONE!
I'm getting into making the bass the controller rather than fiddling with amp knobs.
Some stuff I picked up playing guitars through class A super touch sensitive amps.
As far as bass tone DONE!
I'm getting into making the bass the controller rather than fiddling with amp knobs.
- Apr 3, 2003
- 35,516
- 19,953
- Disclosures
- Editor-in-Chief, Bass Gear Magazine
The Trace Elliot Twin Valve has two KT88s/6550s. Here is my Twin Valve Combo (with a friend):
I have a second Twin Valve (bought them both from Steve Azola) for which Steve also built a head case (and he converted the enclosure to a 1x12).
I have these loaded with GE6550s, and the output from just two tubes is quite impressive. Tone for days, as well. I'd love to see Reeves do something along these lines.
I can't help but think a lot of people would be interested in the lower power combo for reasonable volume gigs and recording.
In all seriousness, I'm sure a Reeves combo would sound great. Can it be made and offered at a reasonable price (unlike the Ampeg B-15 Heritage) that sells in a sufficient volume? I hope so, because I'd probably want to have one!
For recording, I've miked a Sunn 200S with an Aguilar DB285JC cab, which has worked well for me. For what it's worth, when Jack Casady performs with Acoustic Hot Tuna he uses that cab and an Allesandro head.
For recording, I've miked a Sunn 200S with an Aguilar DB285JC cab, which has worked well for me. For what it's worth, when Jack Casady performs with Acoustic Hot Tuna he uses that cab and an Allesandro head.
Weight on a combo like this would probably be prohibitive for me. Good iron and chassis are heavy, add the additional speaker and cab and I'm afraid this old man wouldn't be able to move it. The 225 is about my upper limit for weight these days.
For a combo, I would prefer a 15" speaker though that creates a weight concern as Headband noted earlier. I like the idea of a lower-power head so I can choose the right speaker for whatever need I have.
Like FFTT, I've found the 225 capable at any volume.
Like FFTT, I've found the 225 capable at any volume.
S
Same here, 2xKT88 would be around 100-120 watts. That's the right wattage. A 50-60 watt combo is little more than a practice, recording amp.
But 100 + watts is great for gigging.
The target weight for the combo is around the weight of the C225, maybe a little more. When they bounced the whole "tube combo" idea off of me, the first thing I said (well, after "Hmmm...) was that it needed to be substantially more convenient than schlepping a 225 and a cab around. Some advantages to a combo is the fact that although it may end up being a bit heftier than a C225, it's taller and on casters. You also don't need to lift it on to a cab, it's self contained. Cartage with a combo is much more rolling of a hip high box on wheels, and far less up and down lifting of a little box that feels like it's full of car batteries.
One of the disadvantages of a combo amp other than size and weight considerations is that construction of the cabinet itself is far more labor and material intensive, resulting in a higher production cost than a simple head case and cabinet.
At this point, it's looking like a 2X10 configuration. I personally out grew my fascination with 10" drivers in my bass rigs back in the 90's, but Reeves sells way more 410 bass cabs than 115 bass cabs so a 2X10 would seem like the logical choice from their marketing standpoint. I wouldn't discount the possibility of a 115 version for us old "War Horses" though.
The convenience factor is what does it for me. As I said, I use my B15N when I can. It sounds like butter; but the convenience of not having to drag a head/cab rig into a rehearsal, studio, or small venue is honestly the main reason it leaves the house. The B15N weighs 90 lbs or so, but as I mentioned above a compact 30" high box on casters is a lot easier to deal with than wrestling a 60 (or 80) pound head case and a separate 75-80lb 2 X 15 cab.
The only issue with the B15N is that it's only 30 watts. Not an issue in the studio, but can run out of stage volume at anything bigger than a small quiet venue, or even at a loud rehearsal.
Uhmmm, by the way Bob... Of course you know I'll be hunting you down as soon as I get my hands on a working prototype.
It's a delicate balance. I'm firmly in the "you can't have too much power in a bass rig" camp, but with tube output stage amps you can quickly cross the boundaries of practicality; particularly in the case of a combo configuration. The glass bottles themselves aren't an issue, it's the size and weight of the iron required to maximize headroom for a specific output tube configuration along with the chassis needed to support those big transformers.
Reeves has determined that 50-60 watts is plenty adequate to satisfy the design specification for this combo amp project, and I have to concur considering the number of medium/medium large venues that I have played using a 60 watt Sunn 200S through a single 15 cab.
The key here is "balance"; a 100+ lb, 100 watt combo amp would be tipping that balance away from practicality IMO, just as the 30 watt B15N tips it the other way.
All this said, as far as I know nothing has been set in stone as far as this Reeves bass combo concept, and I imagine that any and all input from end users such as yourself is much appreciated!
Ahhh, some more gems from the baddest bass gear collection in the central US! I'm curious; off the top of your head how much does that Trace combo weigh, and what are the dimensions? Is that a 12 or a 15 in there?
Again I'm pretty much just a sounding board in this project, but while a pair of KT88's would seem the obvious choice I have heard mention of EL34, KT77, and KT88. As I posted above, it's a balance.
I'm personally intrigued by the KT77 option; excellent hi-fi response, plenty of tight bass extension and headroom while not requiring ultra huge iron to maximize its potential.
It's my understanding that the front end will be from the C225, and will incorporate the same output transformer fed DI as the C225.
The retail price target as a 210 combo is the same as the 30 watt machine stuffed PCB single 15" Heritage B15N, $2999. Factoring the higher production cost of a fixed amplifier combo cabinet over the much simpler (and ingenious IMO) flip top construction, I'm not sure how that will be done with a 60 watt, 2X10 hand crafted boutique combo amp but that's the target Bill is shooting for.
More info as I get it.
I know you mentioned casters which would be handy, but for me, the whole grab and go convenience of a combo thing becomes diminished
once you get into anything heavier than a Twin Reverb.
I think development wise and difficulty wise, it may be better to just go for a lighter weight, lower powered head.
With a compact bass cab, dunno.
once you get into anything heavier than a Twin Reverb.
I think development wise and difficulty wise, it may be better to just go for a lighter weight, lower powered head.
With a compact bass cab, dunno.
I agree that as weight increases, the convenience diminishes. Interesting that you mention the Twin Reverb, because even though the 85-90 lb B15 was the "benchmark' for an all tube bass combo the Twin came to my mind also.
The Reeves project will likely weigh very close to the same as a Twin, but narrower and taller with handles on three sides and wheels; much easier to leverage around or even dead lift than a Twin.
Particularly if it is a Twin with the popular 60's-70's EV SRO upgrade, those things felt like they were bolted to the floor!
My point is 50-60 watts is great for recording. If your playing live with 20-30 watt guitar amps, 50 watts will not cut it for a bass rig live.
In my 30 years of gigging, I learned that what ever wattage guitarists are using. You need 3-4 times the bass wattage, for projection, and head-room.
In my 30 years of gigging, I learned that what ever wattage guitarists are using. You need 3-4 times the bass wattage, for projection, and head-room.
I'm disappointed to hear about the likely 210 configuration. Based on Tom Bowlus' description of the Reeves 410, a 210 would be too antiseptic for my taste. (My Aguilar GS410 sounds similar to my Sunn 215s.)
Regarding the Twin Reverb, are the EV SROs heavier than the JBLs? I've heard the Twins with JBLs described that way.
Regarding the Twin Reverb, are the EV SROs heavier than the JBLs? I've heard the Twins with JBLs described that way.
