Very quiet bass head

[N. Kentucky Bass]

I use a older Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0 for quiet no fan operation. I also have a 6.0 I only use for gigs because of the fan noise. Both a great amps. My laptop fan has also gotten .noisy and I have yet to address that.

Ditto on this suggestion. The Shuttle 3.0 was the cleanest, dead silent amp I've ever owned.

 

[monsterthompson]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but there’s always a chance that other gremlins are in play when noises are present. Is the OP confident that the noise is isolated and specific to the head? Has another amp (borrowed from a friend?) been able to provide noiseless performance with the same signal chain? Is there a pedal (even a tuner) in the path?

I’ve had home settings that I thought were noiseless suddenly get noisy due to various changes. A power supply cable crossing an instrument cable. A cell phone by the amp. A light bulb. I even have single coils that are relatively quiet get noisy by changing the bass orientation in the room.

I noted that others commented on this specific amp’s reputation, so that seems like the culprit. I thought it was worth mentioning a few less likely but still possible sources.

 

[B String]

Lots of good ideas here. But I just have to ask. Why do you need an amp to practice? If I'm sitting anywhere near my wife when I'm practicing unamplified, it still bugs the crap out of her. Can you not hear your bass at all or you just like amplification? Not a rant, just wondering.

 

[Peter - Oregon]

My wife is a very good sport about it. She doesn't complain if the volume is very low.

 

[Peter - Oregon]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but there’s always a chance that other gremlins are in play when noises are present. Is the OP confident that the noise is isolated and specific to the head? Has another amp (borrowed from a friend?) been able to provide noiseless performance with the same signal chain? Is there a pedal (even a tuner) in the path?

I’ve had home settings that I thought were noiseless suddenly get noisy due to various changes. A power supply cable crossing an instrument cable. A cell phone by the amp. A light bulb. I even have single coils that are relatively quiet get noisy by changing the bass orientation in the room.

I noted that others commented on this specific amp’s reputation, so that seems like the culprit. I thought it was worth mentioning a few less likely but still possible sources.[/QUO

I have tried moving things around, etc. without success. Don't have access to a friend with a head to check, but that's a good idea.

 

[Peter - Oregon]

Same here - except for the "low volume" part, and replace "practice" with "noodling". .

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ampeg-pf-50t-humbuster.1306043/
I just called Ampeg last week; they will cover "the humbuster" through an authorized service center.
OP: This will likely resolve the issue for you.


Agreed in almost every circumstance - but in this exact situation - the fan noise bugs me.

Thanks, I will check into that.

 

[Peter - Oregon]

i absolutely love my mesa D-350. it sounds good at very low volumes (like not waking up my sleeping husband in the next room at 1am quiet), yet it still has lots of yummy tone.

Curious what cab you have, and how you like it with your Mesa amp .



i had a rumble 40, and while i felt it didn't deliver its full tone at middle-of-the-night volume, it did sound good and was very quiet. while i found i no longer used it once i got my mesa, the rumble 40 costs less than a third of the price of the mesa, and is an amp i definitely liked. also for quiet play the hartke HD15 is a good one and tiny, too.

 

[Marko 1]

Lots of good ideas here. But I just have to ask. Why do you need an amp to practice? If I'm sitting anywhere near my wife when I'm practicing unamplified, it still bugs the crap out of her. Can you not hear your bass at all or you just like amplification? Not a rant, just wondering.

I can't imagine playing unamplified, especially since I only enjoy playing/practicing to music.

Of course I don't play in the living room, that's what man caves are for.

 

[B String]

I can't imagine playing unamplified, especially since I only enjoy playing/practicing to music.

Of course I don't play in the living room, that's what man caves are for.

Ah.. I misunderstood. I thought you were sitting with your wife watching tv.

 

[Marko 1]

Ah.. I misunderstood. I thought you were sitting with your wife watching tv.

That was the OP.

 

[B String]

That was the OP.

Ah yes. And yet again I step on my body part.

 

[cms]

I also have one of these, which I play at times. The use in question is when I want to play and watch TV at the same time without bugging my wife too much. I saw in the Beato interview that Metallica guitarist does similar, so Im not that strange.

Tried it, my wife still complained

 

[Fishheadjoe]

Products - Hotone Audio
Fishheadjoe

 

[gtirard]

Products - Hotone Audio
Fishheadjoe

Yes, I'm sure it's perfect for the job