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Time for a new head, suggestions please.

pgnbstrd

pgnbstrd

Aug 14, 2001
238
72
Metro Detroit Michigan
#1
I'll give the little details first so they may help you with your suggestions.

I play in a LOUD rock band( one mesa triple rec half stack and a Krank half stack and a beast of a drummer)

Most songs are in drop d (one in drop c)

I like hybrid heads, but if something ss can fill the tone I'm open.

I'm currently running an Ampeg Svt-4 pro into 2 avatar 2x12 neos. I have a mxr m80 and a tone hammer so my eq is pretty versatile even before I get to my amp.
I like the 4 pro, don't get me wrong, it's my second one and always kind the tone I had in my head, but I want something else. It maybe gas caused by reading everything here, or it may just be time for a new amp.

Tone wise, I'm kind of a straight across the board kind of guy. I like lows, love mids and deal with highs. I play finger style 90% of the time. Don't play too much slap, but I enjoying taping and chords a lot.

So with the vast group of players here, I figured I'd ask for some suggestions on a new amp.
The one thing to keep in mind is that both my cabs are 4 ohm, so I'm looking for something that will run 2 ohms. I'm using my 4 pro in stereo, so roughly 500w per cab.

I am interested in the Carvin b1500, but it's hard to find any sound clips to ease those last concerns.

So, Whatcha got for me?
 
#5
Richard Lindsey said:
That's the first amp I'd suggest.
Click to expand...

It was the first amp I thought of.

I got to try one once, for all of about 3 min at a gc. I thought it sounded good even through a junk 4x10 cab, but it's hard to tell in that loud environment. ( i worked at gc for 7 years, I'm allowed to give the place a bit of grief).

What did you use before your b1500? I'm not an all tube fan at all. Can honestly stand 'em, but there's something about a tube pre that makes me happy. Does your b1500 still have that "warm" vibe to it?
 
#10
pgnbstrd said:
It was the first amp I thought of.

I got to try one once, for all of about 3 min at a gc. I thought it sounded good even through a junk 4x10 cab, but it's hard to tell in that loud environment. ( i worked at gc for 7 years, I'm allowed to give the place a bit of grief).

What did you use before your b1500? I'm not an all tube fan at all. Can honestly stand 'em, but there's something about a tube pre that makes me happy. Does your b1500 still have that "warm" vibe to it?
Click to expand...

I had an Eden WT400. I liked it, but I like the B1500 quite a bit better. I don't know that I would call the B1500 "warm" by nature--its basic voicing is more flat and hi-fi--and I'm not entirely sure how one defines warmth anyway, but you can affect the sound nicely by turning up the Drive control. And it's got major booty capacity on the low end.
 
#15
Richard Lindsey said:
I had an Eden WT400. I liked it, but I like the B1500 quite a bit better. I don't know that I would call the B1500 "warm" by nature--its basic voicing is more flat and hi-fi--and I'm not entirely sure how one defines warmth anyway, but you can affect the sound nicely by turning up the Drive control. And it's got major booty capacity on the low end.
Click to expand...

Warm is a very subjective( and touchy) term. I define it as the difference in tone from the gk 1001 I use to have to the ampeg. Not so much warmth but more a fullness I guess.

If you switched from a wt400 to the b1500 that's a good indication of what I was wanting to hear. I love the sound Eden players get, but it's just not quite right for me. If that makes any sense.

I guess if anything the sound I'm looking for is a cross between Ryan from mudvayne and Jeff Ament. ballsy and up front but with a good solid low end. I despise mud and clank, but I like crisp and and punchy. I know the majority of it comes from how you eq. I don't do the smiley face, and I boost my low mids/mids to cut through. I'm content with the ampeg, but I don't want to be content, I want to be happy with my tone.
 
#16
The B1500 is a great, flat, powerful thing. It "warms" up, in a SS way, with the drive control.With the Tone Hammer you have, I don't personally think you'd need any extra warmth from the amp?

Another option would be the Genz GBE1200 ... lots of power, and blendable SS / Tube preamp channels.

Cheers,
Liam
 
#18
liam_g said:
The B1500 is a great, flat, powerful thing. It "warms" up, in a SS way, with the drive control.With the Tone Hammer you have, I don't personally think you'd need any extra warmth from the amp?

Another option would be the Genz GBE1200 ... lots of power, and blendable SS / Tube preamp channels.

Cheers,
Liam
Click to expand...

That's what I was thinking as well.

I tend to find a good overall tone with my amp and cabs, and then use different basses to achieve the right tone for the song. Weird I know, but it works for me.
 

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