I use a THD Univalve. and a Avatar cab with g12h celestions.
The univalves area all over and gernerally trade for sub 500 bucks.
The univalves area all over and gernerally trade for sub 500 bucks.
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Turning a guitar amp into a bass amp
- Thread starter jdwhitak
- Start date
- Jun 29, 2006
- 5,148
- 3,217
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- President, CEO, CFO, CIO, Chief Engineer, Technician, Janitor - Reiner Amplification
Yeah, I think it is voiced fine for bass as-is. It might be beneficial to roll off some low end though to compensate for the low power - all the sub and low end boosting/lack of attenuation will eat up what little headroom is available. Would be better to focus on the first harmonic with something like this. Beefing up the filtering in the supply will help maximize punch and clean headroom.
Could rolling off of low end be done with a pre-amp or pedal?
For example running the bass into a VT bass, and dialing back the lows and up the mids?
For example running the bass into a VT bass, and dialing back the lows and up the mids?
Better to do it in the amp.
Really, if you run this thing as-is through a decently efficient 1x12 or 1x15 you should be set.
I've seen people mod these to use 6L6s so I guess if you really wanted to gut the power section and amp it up you could, but there's really no sense to doing that.
^ In general, amps voiced for guitar already roll off the lows higher than you'd like for bass (although that might not be an issue for someone like the OP, who is just looking for a modestly priced small tube amp for home practice rather than a studio-killer-Tone-of-God piece).
With amps like Jimmy Rocket and JGR are discussing (designed or modded to keep more lows than usual for a guitar amp), controlling the amp's low-end content could give more volume and headroom (again, whether that's important in a bedroom practice rig depends on a a number of variables--such as how big of a crowd you're squeezing into your bedroom). *If* you need to squeeze more SPL out of your home practice rig by dialing back low-end--but you were also obsessing about its tone--you'd ideally want a high pass filter w/ frequency control that can be tweaked to balance the compromise between your ideal tone and the amp's performance limits.
That's the ideal compromise, though (if there can be such a thing). With this sort of rig and application, my real world advice would be to get a little amp that sounds good to you, and then quit sweating "super-perfect unimpeachably ideal tone" and just play.
With amps like Jimmy Rocket and JGR are discussing (designed or modded to keep more lows than usual for a guitar amp), controlling the amp's low-end content could give more volume and headroom (again, whether that's important in a bedroom practice rig depends on a a number of variables--such as how big of a crowd you're squeezing into your bedroom). *If* you need to squeeze more SPL out of your home practice rig by dialing back low-end--but you were also obsessing about its tone--you'd ideally want a high pass filter w/ frequency control that can be tweaked to balance the compromise between your ideal tone and the amp's performance limits.
That's the ideal compromise, though (if there can be such a thing). With this sort of rig and application, my real world advice would be to get a little amp that sounds good to you, and then quit sweating "super-perfect unimpeachably ideal tone" and just play.
These heads already use a 6V6 output tube, and a 12AX7 pre amp tube, however VHT themselves sell an adapter so you can use EL84 tubes in the output section. The adapter is made for this head specifically, and just plugs in!
I think perhaps a lower gain pre-amp tube would be a good swap. Its only got one pre and one power so no need for buying matched pairs haha I think it could be pretty cool for testing tube sounds in the least.
I think perhaps a lower gain pre-amp tube would be a good swap. Its only got one pre and one power so no need for buying matched pairs haha I think it could be pretty cool for testing tube sounds in the least.
aetheriac said:
Not bad! What kind of bass that?
And by boosted do you mean you pulled the volume knob on the head ?
I read somewhere that the boost bypasses some of the bass, does it sound really different boosted to unbooosted? Other then drive I mean.
That was a Fender Blacktop Precision Bass using the bridge pickup with the tone as bright as possible. The Special 6 settings were: power on high, tone at 12 o'clock, volume 12 o'clock, volume pulled for boost. It sounded a bit better through the 115, and the tone knob really only added or removed the high end. The bass stayed constant to my ears while tweaking the tone. Rolling off some of the tone on the bass cleans up the highs a bit, but still breaks up nicely.
This setup has a surprising amount of volume for a small six watt amp. I've thought about getting a cheap 112 to drive it for practicing, but the B50R Rocket Bass in my basement tells me not to.
This setup has a surprising amount of volume for a small six watt amp. I've thought about getting a cheap 112 to drive it for practicing, but the B50R Rocket Bass in my basement tells me not to.
Okay, good to know man!
I used to have one of those Ampegs, i remember it being to bright for my tastes (and solid state lol) so i tossed it to the curb in favor of a tube head.
I have a VT bass which (to my ears) could match the B50R dead on, like you could never tell, so i wonder what running the VT through the VHT would give
I used to have one of those Ampegs, i remember it being to bright for my tastes (and solid state lol) so i tossed it to the curb in favor of a tube head.
I have a VT bass which (to my ears) could match the B50R dead on, like you could never tell, so i wonder what running the VT through the VHT would give
As i have pretty much decided to buy one VHT Special 6 head, i'm also wondering how much changing tubes in power section to EL84 would change characteristics, all i know is that Marshall heads have them, and some cleaner amps use 6V6's, with what tube amp would sound better for bass?
And yeah it seems like changing 12AX7 in pre-amp for something that breaks up higher, would create more clean headroom.
As for my experience with tubes in power section, i recall playing bass plugged in to Marshall 2061x (EL84) and that sounded AWESOME, also my Bugera 1960 has EL34's and that sounds kickass aswell.
All in all I'm wondering if extra 25$ for VHT EL84 adapter is worth paying.
I dont know man, I have played some EL84 heads, and currently I am pretty sure my Traynor has KT88 power tubes.
I dont think i really have pushed a power section hard enough consistently enough to note the power amp distortion.
I do know that KT88 tubes with provide more head room, and from what people say (at least with guitar amps) EL84 provides a really nice overdrive.
So i guess it depends what you want to happen here, a cleaner tone or more breakup.
I would have to play it first, but I THINK at bedroom levels you wont be pushing the power section to distort regardless of the tube you use.
Also I THINK that at 'rocking out in your bedroom' levels (which is louder than 'people are downstairs and you don't want them to hear all of your mistakes very clearly' levels, more like a 'parents are out of the weekend but i dont want the neighbours mad' levels) you will always get pre amp distortion regardless of what tube you use.
I personally would just wait and see if you need more headroom and what it actually sounds like.
And when you get it please post a mass amount of clips, with all settings, basses, cabs, pedals everything! lol
I dont think i really have pushed a power section hard enough consistently enough to note the power amp distortion.
I do know that KT88 tubes with provide more head room, and from what people say (at least with guitar amps) EL84 provides a really nice overdrive.
So i guess it depends what you want to happen here, a cleaner tone or more breakup.
I would have to play it first, but I THINK at bedroom levels you wont be pushing the power section to distort regardless of the tube you use.
Also I THINK that at 'rocking out in your bedroom' levels (which is louder than 'people are downstairs and you don't want them to hear all of your mistakes very clearly' levels, more like a 'parents are out of the weekend but i dont want the neighbours mad' levels) you will always get pre amp distortion regardless of what tube you use.
I personally would just wait and see if you need more headroom and what it actually sounds like.
And when you get it please post a mass amount of clips, with all settings, basses, cabs, pedals everything! lol
Biszkhopt said:
For 25 bucks I would try it! And if you don't like it I am sure you won't ne the last person here to try a super 6 so I am sure you could sell it.
looks like you can drop a 6l6 in there too. I wonder how strong the heater filament winding is...cool to drop in a KT-88 it would last forever! How about the output tranny, might be a good idea to cut it off at 48hz it may only be rated 6W at 80hz.
My next question, did anyone post that is has a fender tone stack built in set to b2-m7-t5 or something like that? looks like the switch adds more mids with the boost.
while I was in there messing around, it might be a good idea to play with R15 to 10k maybe (I like mids dimed on my by bassman.) Maybe 50K for R15 (maybe 4 on bass knob) Check out http://duncanamps.com/tsc/index.html GREAT TOOL FOR MODS!!!
My next question, did anyone post that is has a fender tone stack built in set to b2-m7-t5 or something like that? looks like the switch adds more mids with the boost.
while I was in there messing around, it might be a good idea to play with R15 to 10k maybe (I like mids dimed on my by bassman.) Maybe 50K for R15 (maybe 4 on bass knob) Check out http://duncanamps.com/tsc/index.html GREAT TOOL FOR MODS!!!
Well I do not know a lot about amplifiers tech stuff and how to mod them etc. but Invalid Link Removed that provided slow-bow heater fuse you can fit bigger tubes with no risk, and something like EL34 should increase headroom a bit.
Might get one of these amps next week, if I do I'll try to record some demos with stock tube vs say EL84 in power section (I don't have professional recording equipment but I'll try to borrow some mic, still it'll be thru my integrated crappy laptop sound card)
I was browsing around YouTube yesterday and there is a guy on there who plays through this head and uses a music man bass. It sounded fine even with the VHT guitar cab he used. But then again it's not the best recording and in German I think lol
