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Thin sound - weak link?

G

Gord

Jan 10, 2004
458
102
40
Calgary, Alberta
cera.bandcamp.com
#1
Hello everyone!
I have a setup right now that's giving me a really weak, thin sound, and I'm trying to pinpoint what the weak link is.

Dingwall NG2
Tech 21 VT500
Bergantino NV610

Pedals -
Darkglass Vintage Microtubes,
Darkglass B7K

I know the Dingwall and the Berg are both very mid-heavy, but this doesn't sound like a bunch of mids. It sounds ... weak. As if I have the bass and mid knobs almost all the way down on everything. Am I missing something obvious here?
 
#2
Check/Change your battery first.

Plug in just bass to amp and center dent the back three knobs knobs on your bass, they are your Treble Mid and Bass in that order going from the back of the bass forward. Turn up the knob closest to your bridge that is volume.
This link is your knobs. Invalid Link Removed

If this sound good add one pedal at a time until you sound weak, there is your link.
 
Last edited:
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#6
Stumbo said:
Try another amp too.
Click to expand...

I just read some more reviews of the NV610. All of these amazing reviews ... and none of them match what I'm hearing. So I'm thinking, unless every single speaker was replaced with macbook speakers, something must be going on with the head.

The VT500 is a great sounding amp at the volumes I've normally been using it at, but there must be a disconnect at this volume
 
#8
Downunderwonder said:
How about that bass battery? It's one of those ''if I had a dollar'' troublespots
Click to expand...

ha! I just changed it yesterday. and I definitely wouldn't have thought of it - until the thing died on me. my first active bass in a while. I forgot about that!

I'm going to rent a head from Long and mcquade tomorrow. I can't find anyone saying NV610s sound thin. nobody saying that dingwalls are thin - and nobody talking about VT500s. that might be fairly telling.
 
#10
Next I would start looking for phase issues. If either the bass or cab have had any wiring work done on them, check to make sure the pickups or speakers aren't wired out of phase.

Easily diagnosed on the bass. If the fullness comes back when only one pickup is selected but goes away when both are on, they're wired incorrectly.

On the cab, touch a 9v battery to the end of the speaker cable. That should push all the speakers in the same direction. If any go in the opposite direction they're wired incorrectly.
 
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#11
lz4005 said:
Next I would start looking for phase issues. If either the bass or cab have had any wiring work done on them, check to make sure the pickups or speakers aren't wired out of phase.

Easily diagnosed on the bass. If the fullness comes back when only one pickup is selected but goes away when both are on, they're wired incorrectly.

On the cab, touch a 9v battery to the end of the speaker cable. That should push all the speakers in the same direction. If any go in the opposite direction they're wired incorrectly.
Click to expand...

ooh, thank you. it does almost sound like something like that. I will definitely try that tomorrow!
 
#15
If you have a recording setup for your computer (just a USB sound card would be sufficient), you could try recording your bass directly into a DAW. If it still sounds poopie using headphones or good PC speakers, it's not the amp. It must be something further up the chain - like the speculated batteries, cables, issues with the bass (wonky plug?).

I'd try that before opening up any cabinets or the amplifier...
 
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#18
Is the NV610 new to you? It almost sounds like a phase issue.

Try the battery test. Touch a 9V battery to the tip and sleeve of a speaker cable (other end plugged into the cab). If all of the speakers go out or in,they are wired (correctly) in phase. If some go in and some go out, they are out of phase.
 
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