Did ya ever hear the Live King Curtis at the Filmore? Think of Jerry Jemmotts opening bass line on Memphis Soul Stew and were more than half way there.
Hoo boy! I know exactly what tone you're talking about! I do believe that Mr. Jemmott was playing through a few Acoustic 360 heads into their matching Acoustic 361 cabs (in fact I know this is what he was playing through because you can see them sitting on stage on the album cover)! That sounds that amp can make is my absolute zenith in tone. Jerry wasn't the only man to have played through an acoustic 360+361 at the fillmore either; Greg Ridley of Humble Pie also rocked those monsters for their live album
Rockin' the Fillmore. That amp and venue just made
LOVE to each other every time they met. You and I are in good company too in loving that tone, I've no idea the number of great bassists that used to gig 'em, or still do. Let's see, Jaco, Greg Ridley, JPJ, Carl Radle, and of course Jemmott, to name a few.
But that amp was huge, and freakin heavy! The head wasn't bad, being that it was only a preamp, but the cabs had the amplifiers in them (though solid state, so not as heavy as it might have been) pounding 200 watts of booty shaking bottom end through their 18 inch drivers, oh those poor roadies...
Nothing else does what those amps did, but the closest tones I've come across have all been from tube amps. The Acoustic 361 stacks (IMO) made a better tube tone than any other amp, tube driven or otherwise.
If you're looking for light, I've been playing through a Pignose B100V-H for a few years now, and have been quite pleased with it. It's 100 watts, all tube, and it's simple, it does all that I ask of it: puts out a round solid tone with a confident grit loud enough to rock a few hundred bodies. Here's what I think you'll like espescially: it weighs about 25 pounds, wicked light for 100 tube watts! I've heard some people say it's not ballsy, or that it's a bit bland, but they obviously haven't heard what I have. Though it may be that the rest of my gear puts a little extra life in it. I've got a fender jazz with overwound '69 single coil reissue pups, and my cab is a Bag End S15B-C, which is a 1X15, extra deep, so it can't help but put out a thick bottom. The pignose isn't perfect, you won't lust after it all through work, but it does satisfy, and I wouldn't be shy to have anyone hear my play it. Bottom line, it's a good amp, with good volume, for a good price (you can find them for around $250), and it's light. I recommend checking it out, try one through a good fifteen and I bet my calluses you'll like it.
Man I wrote a lot and said a little. Anyways, wonderful to see great tone recognized, and good luck finding yourself a good amp.
On the top side, how about Mesa Boogie?
