Waking up in a Class D world.

[sm49341]

I understand you not wanting to get rid of your 410hlf. I had one one and really liked it. Getting rid of it and moving to lightweight cabs changed my life. I switched to a pair of svt210av's, 22lb's a piece, and a GK neo212, 47lb's. Not lifting a 100+lb cab is a huge relief. But, I've got bad shoulders and I'm getting up there in age.

All of your choices are good on the heads. I like the GK MB500.

I 2nd this. Lightweight cabs all the way for me. I have a great sounding Mesa 115 cab, but can no longer lug the 87lb monster. I have a 500 watt class D, pushing 2 Neo 112's (27lbs each)
and Love It! Two 112's sounds better and is more responsive to my ear.
Brand names of my gear I left out of the post. I say try different brands of these new technologies and see what you like!

 

[Grahams Groove]

Welcome back. My $.02, get whatever class D you can find at a reasonable price, and also invest in a 3 band parametric eq pedal. You can turn your amp to whatever you want at any time. I use the WMD pedal.

I hate to nitpick, but I would be disappointed with this advice if I followed it without knowing better.

There are myriad class-D amps that sound great in their own right, but a number of them also have a very "baked in" tone that cannot be nullified with EQ. The Tone Hammer is a perfect example. I played with the EQ for several months and found some great sounds, but simply running through the preamp forces varying amounts of wool into your sound. I didn't get what I was looking for until I ran directly into the effects return to bypass the pre-amp stage, and that was enough for me to part ways with it.

Try as many as you can in local shops and read through some threads in this forum. If it's moderately decent or better, it likely has a dedicated thread and/or fan club. You'll get some bias, but you'll get a good idea of what to expect, too.

I went through a shorter 4-ish year hiatus, and even that was a revelation since I hadn't been in the market for an amp in ~6-8 years. I used to haul a rack unit, and a Mesa road ready stack. I loved the sound, but I'm amazed with what I can get out of some newer, featherweight gear. Enjoy the hunt!

 

[Ephminus]

Again, thank you all for the great responses and the nice welcome back!
I just read through five pages and I'm going to attempt to respond to all the comments to the best of my memory.
Wish me luck.

My Ampeg Cab is 500 watts @ 4 ohms and has 4x10 speakers with a high freq horn.
I have played somewhere around 300 shows with it and it has never let me down.
I know exactly what I can throw at it.
The trick with the SVT HLF-410 is to push it till it is just about to "choke itself out" so to speak, and then pull back on the low end of the EQ until it starts to breathe again.
All of this depending on the room you are playing in of course, and the volume you can get away with before you become overwhelming to anyone within earshot lol.
It also seems to adapt well to different moods and styles of playing.
Moving it up and down a flight of stairs does suck though, but getting it into a hatch back vehicle is really easy.
It does weigh about 85 pounds though.
With all that being said, I don't think I'll ever part with it.
I did a lot of research before I bought it, just as I'm doing for this hunt for an amplifier now.
In fact I'm wondering if made a post here on Talkbass about it. Hmmm.

I'm really curious about the Mesa Boogie D-800 since so many of you find it remarkable.
I am concerned about the 800 watts though.
Reliability is a huge factor for me and it would make me nervous to think that someone could run their hand across my controls by accident and I could blow up my cab.
Bad stuff happens quickly on a stage.

The Mesa D-800 actually appears similar to my SWR WorkingPro 400 if you look at the control options of the EQ.
If you ever owned an SWR and you know what the Aural Enhancer and Transparency does, you might draw the same conclusion. Just take a peek at the controls of the Mesa D-800.

This might be helpful for you, a little personal amp info.
I still dig my SWR, but it is so unbelievably clean, no matter how you try to drive it.
Even my Tech 21 VT Bass pedal has trouble getting a biting tone out of it.
With the SWR I always felt like I was asking it do something it didn't feel doing lol.
That SWR replaced my Ampeg B2R that was rated at 350 Watts @ 4 ohms and was plenty loud for any shows I played. But I played the HELL out of that amp and the D.I. started to crap out on me and I always had to run though a damn D.I. Box or have the sound guy just throw a mic on it...ugh.
But I did like that it didn't have a typical sound to it.
It didn't sound like an Ampeg, it had its own identity.
Anyway...
I'm getting away from the idea of the combo amp though.
Some of you brought up some valid points regarding the use of multiple cabinets.
I'd like to be able to use my Ampeg SVT HLF-410 500 watts @ 4 ohm cabinet and have a separate smaller cabinet that would be suitable with the same amplifier depending on the size of the venue.
Some of you suggested some 2x10 cabinets that seemed interesting.
That's appealing to me since I was impressed with the Ampeg Combo that was rated at 450 watts with 2x10's in it and that was shockingly loud.

Thanks again for the input guys!
Looking forward to more suggestions.

 

[dannylectro]

Mesa Boogie Subway D800 or D800+. Excellent sounding class D amps. Really nice stuff...

Can't agree more. Longtime GK 400RB and Ampeg guy.

 

[agedhorse]

The controls on the D-800 / D-800+ have nothing at all to do with the Aural Enhancer/Transparency controls or circuit functions on the SWR Working Pro series.

 

[peledog]

TC Electronic RH series and BH series
Aguilar Tonehammer
Mesa Subway

Those are my go to amps.

 

[mcnach]

I have owned the RH450, RH750, Aguilar TH500, along with a GK1001 rb and Eden WT 550. I have spent a lot of time with a Markbass LittleMark3. I will offer that that Tc Electronic stuff simply has no balls, but when pushed breaks up. I wanted a lot of clean power. TH500 is better than the RH450 by a longshot, but still will breakup when pushed. I gig that head for years and even got it to sound ok for my upright gigs, with very creative eq'ing. However, I LOVE my quilter bass block. I am running it into 2 Audiokenesis 112's which weight 25 lbs each. This rig put out such low end clarity that it boggles the mind. The Quilter is super simple, really a plug and play rig, but it delivers so much clean headroom, more than any other class D head I've had or tried. I haven't used the Subway though, so I can't make a direct comparison there. The Quilter has a warmth to it that is reminiscent of a tube amp. I highly recommend checking one out.

+1 about the TC RH450... I loved the features but what an utterly underwhelming amp that was. The bottom end was always a bit... 'weird'. It could sound ok at low volume and it recorded nicely, but when real action was required, it just didn't have it.

 

[Ephminus]

The controls on the D-800 / D-800+ have nothing at all to do with the Aural Enhancer/Transparency controls or circuit functions on the SWR Working Pro series.

The Voicing control reminds me of the Aural Enhancer. Maybe not so much with the Transparency control though.
And the general appearance of the amp seems familiar.

 

[mcnach]

The Voicing control reminds me of the Aural Enhancer. Maybe not so much with the Transparency control though.
And the general appearance of the amp seems familiar.

So you're saying they just *look* similar?

I own a D800+ and have used the SWRs, and they don't work the same way, for sure. I was never a fan of the aural enhancer, although I liked it better than similar 'intentioned' controls in various other amps.

 

[jlepre]

Yeah...that's wrong.

This is copied off Ampegs website. The specs for the 410 HLF:

LF Drivers: 4 x 10”
Voice Coil: 2”
Magnet Weight (each): 30 oz
HF Drivers: Horn/Driver
Voice Coil: 1”
Magnet Weight (each): 8 oz
RMS Power Handling: 500-Watts
Frequency Response (-3dB): 48Hz-18kHz
Usable Low Frequency (-10dB): 28Hz
Nominal Impedance: 4-Ohms
Sensitivity: 98dB
Maximum SPL: 125dB
Dimensions (W x H x D inches): 24 x 30 x 19
Shipping Weight: 110 Pounds
Handling Weight: 85 Pounds

 

[BadExample]

Reliability is a huge factor for me and it would make me nervous to think that someone could run their hand across my controls by accident and I could blow up my cab.

This. Opinion Sir Andy? IM(inexperianced)O, you already know the limits of your beloved cab. You'd probably be fine with the Mesa, but if someone messes with it...

 

[Pbassmanca]

Yeah...that's wrong.

Really? The specs on their own product are incorrect? Now I want to see the weight of one on a scale!

 

[jlepre]

Really? The specs on their own product are incorrect? Now I want to see the weight of one on a scale!

Yup it sure is wrong. Ask anyone who's owned one.

 

[beaglesandbass]

Here's a list of some of the amp heads that I'm possibly interested in based in reviews.
Aguilar ToneHammer 500
Ampeg PF-500
Gallien-Krueger MB500
Markbass Little Mark III
Markbass Big Bang
Tech 21 VT Bass 1969
Tech 21 VT Bass 500

Hey Mikey, the only amp I can really attest to is the GK. I have the MB800, same functions as the 500, just more power. I absolutely love it. It's got they signature GK growl and tons of volume (for reference I'm playing it through a 4 ohm 4x10 so I'm getting the full 800 watts).

Unfortunately that's not feasible for every gig, whether it's upstairs or just overkill for the venue. So I also went out and got the GK MB212-ii combo. Going along with your wife's way of thinking- it's much easier to carry a 41lb combo than a separate 4x10 and cab. It's got a great sound to it as well, plus it's pumping the full 500 watts into 2 12" speakers. As much as I love my MB800, I find myself taking the MB212 to gigs more often than not. Actually not that I think about it I haven't gigged with the MB800 in about 2 months, including a couple outdoor gigs. The MB212 is just that good. I'd definitely recommend checking one out. MB 212 Specs

They retail for around $840, but you can find a new one for around $720 with a 15% off coupon. I believe there's one on the GC used site right now as well.

 

[Munjibunga]

If you've got the scratch, Bergantino B|Amp. You'll be ahead of your time once again.

 

[Agosix]

Quilter BB800, Monique 700

 

[Amajew]

All of these opinions also are driven by an individual's technique, basses, and the gigs they play. Lots of good choices these days.

This is the only sentence you need to pay attention to other than going to different music stores and trying out some different amps with your bass and cabinet.

Any piece of gear you add to the chain is going to sound vastly different. Only you can decide YOUR tone

Yes, some of the options mentioned here aren't at your typical GC but look at the classifieds here, take an educated guess on something used. Most of these Class D heads get swapped by many users looking for THEIR tone. If you buy one you don't like you can likely flip it for around the same investment you bought it ...

good luck!!

 

[Wicked G]

I have owned the RH450, RH750, Aguilar TH500, along with a GK1001 rb and Eden WT 550. I have spent a lot of time with a Markbass LittleMark3. I will offer that that Tc Electronic stuff simply has no balls, but when pushed breaks up. I wanted a lot of clean power. TH500 is better than the RH450 by a longshot, but still will breakup when pushed. I gig that head for years and even got it to sound ok for my upright gigs, with very creative eq'ing.

Lol. So this just goes to show that everyone hears things differently. I am the complete opposite of you. I much prefer the TCE RH heads over the Aguilar TH500. Matter of fact the TC heads are actually my favorite amps. It took me less than 2 weeks to know that the TH500 was not for me. I could get it to sound ok but there was no feeling at all with it while the RH450 has that really magical tube amp bounce and tone that I really like. Plus my high end was completely disappearing in the mix with the TH500.

This is why I usually tell people it is best for them to go to the store and try out as many amps as possible because you never know what amp you are going to like based off of someone else's recommendations. Will the OP like a TCE head? Don't know. Will the OP like an Aguilar head? Don't know. Will the OP like the Mesa Subway D800? Again, don't know. I know I don't like Aguilar or Bugera Veyrons after purchasing them based on others recommendations. But at the same time, it sure is fun trying out amps.

 

[nostatic]

The Mesa D-800 actually appears similar to my SWR WorkingPro 400 if you look at the control options of the EQ.

Ack! Please don't mention Mesa and SWR in the same breathe.

Totally different beasts. But I really never liked SWR amps. Never lived up to the hype in my experience. Frankly my old 400RB sounded better than any SWR setup I ever tried but YMMV.

 

[Al Kraft]

The Voicing control reminds me of the Aural Enhancer. Maybe not so much with the Transparency control though.
And the general appearance of the amp seems familiar.

That strikes me as very odd because I still own and play an SM400S and I own and play a D-800. I have also seen the frequency plots on what the Aural Enhancer does and from what I hear, what I have seen/read, they are nothing alike.

The Voicing control on the D-800 has some similarity to something like like GK Contour control (variable mid scoop EQ type of thing + high/low boost). However, the D-800 execution seems more sophisticated, i.e. not just a straight forward pre-shape algorithm that you can make more or less extreme, but has more going on in various knob positions that actually changes the native voice of the amp itself. YMMV!