Egads - We”re buying pedals from a “ drummer “ ? I’m feeling a bit hoodwinked at the moment by the good Senor Sushi and I bet that”s not all that”s amiss ! What”s next - we find out he”s not even Japanese or Mexican ? Where does it all end !!! ??? ..... Kelly
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The Sushi Box FX Secret Society
- Thread starter kranahan
- Start date
Sounds like it's probably time to have that live Q&A I talked about doing a while ago
If it works for John Bonham...I know, I was a big critic of acrylic for the longest time until I actually played one in person, the looks already had me (I promptly mounted LEDs in mine) but the sound finally won me over
Hi hat controllers are a nightmare, I've only had my kit a couple months now and I already swapped it out.
We're buying bass pedals designed and assembled by a drummer, so our credibility is shot anyway. And Josh probably lives in Canada.
This has changed my perception of drummers... a little bit.
Thanks to Sushi for the awesome customer service. Hopefully I'll be able to give the Twin a whirl later ...
I love drummers. My boss is one. Drummers are a bassists best friend.
All I know is that I prefer to play bass nearer to the hi-hat and kick drum, rather than anyplace else on stage.
What kind of people do drummers hang out with?
Musicians mostly.
Musicians mostly.
On an unrelated note (or maybe more related?) a friend just let me borrow his Effectrode Glass A buffer to check out. Pretty good sounding buffer, I like it. Obviously I had to see what they were doing I subbed a 12AU7 for their 6111 tube, but they have the same amplification factor so they're interchangeable enough.
I subbed a 12AU7 for their 6111 tube, but they have the same amplification factor so they're interchangeable enough.
On an unrelated note (or maybe more related?) a friend just let me borrow his Effectrode Glass A buffer to check out. Pretty good sounding buffer, I like it. Obviously I had to see what they were doing
View attachment 4134848
So do I sense a SushiBox tube buffer on the horizon? Maybe you could name it Buffy, and put a little graphic of garlic on it? You know... Kill vampiric tone problems and season your sound with garlic! LOL
5sg.
I had actually designed a tube buffer a few months ago and ended up not ordering it, I had named it Vampire Slayer
I spent this evening playing through the Fliptop, P-15, and the Slampegg Twin using four of my basses (Rob Allen Deep 4 with the dual output - the main reason for the Twin, my 78 fretted P, my 72/78 maple fretless P, and the Blast Cult Gateway). I am going to wire up a pedalboard so I wanted to get settings for the various combos for my Two Notes Torpedo C.A.B. M+ and not have to worry about disassembling again.
I also put an older GE 12AX7 into the Twin.
Anyway, I'm not going to make this a long post because at some point I'll do a video or something because I have a LOT to say after about 4 - 5 hours of tinkering around. The three pres couldn't be more radically different even though they are all emulating essentially the same thing.
Side note: I'm really loving the C.A.B. M+. Dial in the pre tube correctly and use the right speaker and mic combo for your bass and it's surprising. Modeling has come a LONG way.
Slampegg Original (mini tube/6N21B) vs. Slampegg X
Both pedals sound really good. Kudos to Sushi. They're different so for me it depends what sound you're going for. The OG definitely cops more of the "classic" B-15 sound but with things like the Ultra High/Lo/Bright, it's more like a later model. Where you can tell the OG is more like an original is that it pairs better with the (not free) CTS IR from an older B-15 than the newer one they call WGrandBlvd (which I think is based on the modern Jensen).
Moving the gain just a little on the OG has a LOT of effect on the sound. Honestly I didn't really crank it past like 1 and I got the sound I was going for.
The X, as I expected, was tonally similar to the B-25B I used to have since it also used a 12AX7. There's much more headroom so the gain could go higher and more granular. It also sounded really good, but this time it sounded better with the WGrandBlvd IR. Again, the different voices as I kinda expected matched with a relatively equivalent "speaker".
What got me the most excited was when I used (not free) IR which Two Notes captured from the B-25B 2x15". I used to have it so I know it well. I played that for years. All I'm going to say is I now have a B-25B in a MUCH more portable rig. There's my rock tone, full stop. I'm so effing happy. Thanks, Sushi. That alone for me makes the X version worth it.
How well did it work with why I wanted the Twin? Fantastic. I could have the piezo and the mag plugged into different Slampeggs and tweak each sound. I know Sushi will never do a Twin again, but it's awesome.
Sushi vs. Broughton
All three handled both piezo (i.e. active) and magnetic (passive) pickups just fine whether the signal was hot or not. If anyone is concerned there, don't be.
Let me get this out of the way up front: the P-15 sounds freakin' incredible - and it should for the cost. Far and away it's the best of the three at nearly everything. I can't run both outputs of the RA into it, so on that level it kinda sucks for the RA. I've been using my resistance mixer but I'd rather not deal with that. It does a really good rock tone with the 2x15, but the Slampegg X with the 12AX7 gives me more of that B-25B sound as it should due to the different tube.
The Fliptop is not bad. To me, it was the "worst" of the three. Even at 24V, I had a much harder time dialing in a sound. With the P-15 and both sides of the Twin that was never an issue. It reminds me more of a real, old school 60s B-15 in overall tonality with some of the quirks of it, too. If you want a sound more akin to a "classic" B-15, it cops it pretty well once I dialed in a sound. I don't regret getting it BUT if I let go of one, it'll be this.
The Fliptop will probably need some sort of clean boost because it's not loud at all. I bought a SV-Boost to put after it thinking it would work. It didn't. That I'm definitely going to sell. Boy people aren't kidding - that think even at 9V will blow your flippin' head off by just barely touching the knob.
If I was ranking, it's P-15 > Slampegg Twin > Fliptop.
What's right for you? It's going to depend on what sound you want. Best bang for the buck is the Slampegg IMO, and if you want more versatility in a pedal, the X is probably going to give it to you. The Classic is nice, but I think the X's tonal palate might be better for rock since it uses the 12AX7. Like I said, I got my B-25B sound pretty easily which I can't do on a real or "fake" B-15 with the other preamp style.
If I decide NOT to put the P-15 on the board, I could live with just schlepping the Slampegg and not think twice but ... P-15. Both will probably live on the board.
They're all pretty worthy and we're spoiled for choice. I've said it before: the Ampeg sound DNA is similar, but know which one you want. All B-15s are not the same, and a B-15 is not an SVT, V-4B, or B-25B, either.
I haven't compared any of these to my real B-15N yet and this is the first time I've really used any of them outside of the P-15 for any length of time.
I also put an older GE 12AX7 into the Twin.
Anyway, I'm not going to make this a long post because at some point I'll do a video or something because I have a LOT to say after about 4 - 5 hours of tinkering around. The three pres couldn't be more radically different even though they are all emulating essentially the same thing.
Side note: I'm really loving the C.A.B. M+. Dial in the pre tube correctly and use the right speaker and mic combo for your bass and it's surprising. Modeling has come a LONG way.
Slampegg Original (mini tube/6N21B) vs. Slampegg X
Both pedals sound really good. Kudos to Sushi. They're different so for me it depends what sound you're going for. The OG definitely cops more of the "classic" B-15 sound but with things like the Ultra High/Lo/Bright, it's more like a later model. Where you can tell the OG is more like an original is that it pairs better with the (not free) CTS IR from an older B-15 than the newer one they call WGrandBlvd (which I think is based on the modern Jensen).
Moving the gain just a little on the OG has a LOT of effect on the sound. Honestly I didn't really crank it past like 1 and I got the sound I was going for.
The X, as I expected, was tonally similar to the B-25B I used to have since it also used a 12AX7. There's much more headroom so the gain could go higher and more granular. It also sounded really good, but this time it sounded better with the WGrandBlvd IR. Again, the different voices as I kinda expected matched with a relatively equivalent "speaker".
What got me the most excited was when I used (not free) IR which Two Notes captured from the B-25B 2x15". I used to have it so I know it well. I played that for years. All I'm going to say is I now have a B-25B in a MUCH more portable rig. There's my rock tone, full stop. I'm so effing happy. Thanks, Sushi. That alone for me makes the X version worth it.
How well did it work with why I wanted the Twin? Fantastic. I could have the piezo and the mag plugged into different Slampeggs and tweak each sound. I know Sushi will never do a Twin again, but it's awesome.
Sushi vs. Broughton
All three handled both piezo (i.e. active) and magnetic (passive) pickups just fine whether the signal was hot or not. If anyone is concerned there, don't be.
Let me get this out of the way up front: the P-15 sounds freakin' incredible - and it should for the cost. Far and away it's the best of the three at nearly everything. I can't run both outputs of the RA into it, so on that level it kinda sucks for the RA. I've been using my resistance mixer but I'd rather not deal with that. It does a really good rock tone with the 2x15, but the Slampegg X with the 12AX7 gives me more of that B-25B sound as it should due to the different tube.
The Fliptop is not bad. To me, it was the "worst" of the three. Even at 24V, I had a much harder time dialing in a sound. With the P-15 and both sides of the Twin that was never an issue. It reminds me more of a real, old school 60s B-15 in overall tonality with some of the quirks of it, too. If you want a sound more akin to a "classic" B-15, it cops it pretty well once I dialed in a sound. I don't regret getting it BUT if I let go of one, it'll be this.
The Fliptop will probably need some sort of clean boost because it's not loud at all. I bought a SV-Boost to put after it thinking it would work. It didn't. That I'm definitely going to sell. Boy people aren't kidding - that think even at 9V will blow your flippin' head off by just barely touching the knob.
If I was ranking, it's P-15 > Slampegg Twin > Fliptop.
What's right for you? It's going to depend on what sound you want. Best bang for the buck is the Slampegg IMO, and if you want more versatility in a pedal, the X is probably going to give it to you. The Classic is nice, but I think the X's tonal palate might be better for rock since it uses the 12AX7. Like I said, I got my B-25B sound pretty easily which I can't do on a real or "fake" B-15 with the other preamp style.
If I decide NOT to put the P-15 on the board, I could live with just schlepping the Slampegg and not think twice but ... P-15. Both will probably live on the board.
They're all pretty worthy and we're spoiled for choice. I've said it before: the Ampeg sound DNA is similar, but know which one you want. All B-15s are not the same, and a B-15 is not an SVT, V-4B, or B-25B, either.
I haven't compared any of these to my real B-15N yet and this is the first time I've really used any of them outside of the P-15 for any length of time.
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Thanks for the write up. I agree with your ranking. The P-15 is absolutely killer. A top notch pre. I think the Slampegg and Fliptop comparison is what most people are looking for and you nailed it. In my opinion, the Slampegg Mini and especially the X made the Fliptop sound anemic. The Slampeggs are more harmonically rich and add heft to everything you put into them. They have a more “three dimensional sound”. The only way I could get the Fliptop to sound somewhat near a Slampegg was by putting my Archetype Valve Boost before or after it. Even then it didn’t sound as good. In the end, I sold my Fliptop.
Anemic may be strong, but you're not totally wrong, either. I would say "underwhelming". As far as solid state variants of Ampeg go, the Fliptop is better than pretty much everything solid state and combos thereof I've heard to date (including things I've tried). I do hate I need to screw around with voltage to get close to the sound I want. That's one thing I'll say for Sushi vs. Broughton - there's no "hey you may get a totally different sound with different power". Yes, I know the Westinghouse may be different but you just don't have to think about anything. Sushi's pedals are just plug and play.
Also, at $150 vs. $690 (current list prices for the Slampegg and P-15 respectively), the Slampeggs are killer deals no matter which one you choose.
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Funny, when I search "bass pedal" on craigslist, all the results have beaters attached to them. And chains.
And here we have a customer with a DOUBLE bass pedal. Cmon. The kind of restraint I know it took not to put an axle and clutch on it tells me Señor Sushi is well on the way to joining the land of the low-frequency melodymakers!
That said... I really wonder what a bass/kick drum pedal with a tube installed could do.
And here we have a customer with a DOUBLE bass pedal. Cmon. The kind of restraint I know it took not to put an axle and clutch on it tells me Señor Sushi is well on the way to joining the land of the low-frequency melodymakers!
That said... I really wonder what a bass/kick drum pedal with a tube installed could do.
I can neither confirm nor deny that I have commissioned a custom J-bass body for my next instrument purchase.
This is the 3000th post in this thread, according to the little doohickey. Awww yeaahhh. 
Even knowing that j-bass bodies are a popular way for us to dispose of our hard-earned monies only drags you closer to the maelstrom of timeless opportunities to while away bits of cash on an ideal shape, tone, pickup mix, and of course string selection for the bass that might become your main or might be your 4th once you find a yet more awesome combo of the elements of basstruction. WELCOME!!
Even knowing that j-bass bodies are a popular way for us to dispose of our hard-earned monies only drags you closer to the maelstrom of timeless opportunities to while away bits of cash on an ideal shape, tone, pickup mix, and of course string selection for the bass that might become your main or might be your 4th once you find a yet more awesome combo of the elements of basstruction. WELCOME!!
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