Weak Open E string with class D amp!!!

[bassman74]

Hi everyone, I am playing bass quite often. I practice homealmost every day, jam with friends every 2 weeks but only gig between 3 and 6 times a year for fun.

Like most of you, I tend to prefer light equipment. Over the past two years, I tried so many amps, I no longer know what to buy....

I tried and bought:
almost every fender rumble combos.
all of the Traynor sb combos, their sb heads and tc cabs.
a GK mb112 and 115.
an ampeg pf500 and an svt115e cab.

they are all class D
Amps. On all of them, I found the E string a little weak (not as loud or thick as they other strings) especially on the open E.

It was a little less noticeable with the GK and 115 cabs and combos but still there.

I thought it was the room so I played in another room and in my friend’s garage. Same result.

I switched bass, same result. My friends hear it too but they say it’s a little difference between the E and other strings. It really bugs me!!!!

I never had that problem with my old 700rb.

Is it a class D thing? Is it a combo thing? Is it my ears?

someone ever experienced something like that?

 

[Polish Thunder]

Did you check the pick-up heights? I had a G string that sounded quieter than the other strings. The PUPs needed to be raised on that side.

Just a thought...

 

[bucephylus]

Your issue is not generically caused by the Class of amplifier design. So, your thread title is bound to stir up a bunch of pointless debate.

I would suggest you take your bass into one of the better shops in Montreal and check out a few more (and better) rigs. Best of luck.

 

[dbase]

I had the open E fart and fade out but not the other 3 strings.. it was a bad battery on an active bass. just sayin

 

[mmbongo]

That’s kinda like saying your car stereo sounds bad because you have a V6 engine.

The class of amp is not your issue. Combo amp could be.

 

[bassman74]

Thanks for your comments, they are all very good.

 

[nostatic]

That’s kinda like saying your car stereo sounds bad because you have a V6 engine.

If it was one of these V6s, I don't think the car stereo could keep up

 

[BassmanPaul]

I use a Class D power amp into a pair of Acme B2 2x10 three way speaker systems. Vertically aligned naturally!

They reproduce my Low B beautifully.

At a jam I used a Fender Rumble 350 combo. It filled the bar with bass and my Low B string was wonderfully present.

 

[Bassdirty]

I agree with the consensus. It has zero to do with class of amp. What kind of bass? (is it a Fender/squier or copy of those?) The only time I ever found a weak E (or any string), was on a fender (MIM), or squiers.

I think the problem is going from a 700RB to a combo. Maybe you always had a weak E, and going to the combo made it more noticeable, whereas the 700 "hid it" with specific eq./power.(not sure what cab you were using with it.)

Never had any "weak string" issues on any class D amp (or any amp) with my 5 string: (Ibanez SR405/505/805/ATK305, Yamaha BB 435?, Warwick Vette std 5, Spector Legend 5).

Also, if you're using a small combo (or any amp with not a lot of speaker surface) Keep an eye on your EQ. If your used to crankin low bass (at hi volume) on the 700 RB and the "combos" speaker cant keep up, it'll sound bad (which is also a sign that it cant keep up).

I'd have the bass checked out. Then see if you have enough amp for your needs.

YMMV

T$

 

[ezstep]

Food for thought.

I have noticed over the years that manufacturers are giving us more amps with smaller amounts of baked-in eq when compared to older amps. Is it possible that your old amp boosts the lows without your knowledge and the newer class D amps are actually more flat (less or no "pre-set" eq built in)?

 

[StayLow]

On all of them, I found the E string a little weak (not as loud or thick as they other strings) especially on the open E.

I never had that problem with my old 700rb.

Is it a class D thing? Is it a combo thing? Is it my ears?

someone ever experienced something like that?

I've owned and gigged maybe a dozen different "Class D" (some are actually class A/B or other but miscalled "Class D" because that's what people are calling all small amps now as an idiom) and never once had this problem. Same with low B.

Likely a setup issue, or some other variable not being accounted for.

 

[Pings Bass]

I have noticed over the years that manufacturers are giving us more amps with smaller amounts of baked-in eq when compared to older amps. Is it possible that your old amp boosts the lows without your knowledge and the newer class D amps are actually more flat (less or no "pre-set" eq built in)?

Agreed, sounds like maybe you're accustomed to the GK scoop that the other amps don't have. GK class D amps have this, too, which would explain why you don't find them as off as the others.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

That’s kinda like saying your car stereo sounds bad because you have a V6 engine.

The class of amp is not your issue. Combo amp could be.

That's like saying it's because your V6 is rear mounted.

 

[lug]

I generally have more trouble taming my low E than finding it "weak" on my MiniMax.

 

[micguy]

Most speaker cabinets designed for bass guitar use don't reproduce the fundamentals low on the E string very well - the desired combination of loud and small, coupled with the Physics involved, means when you go low on the E string, the thing doesn't "dig". If you look at specs for bass cabinets, and know how to read those specs, you'll figure out what everyone is doing. I'm pretty sure that's what you're hearing.

I have a few class D heads, and speaker cabinets I built, which aren't quite as small, and aren't quite as efficient - they do a much better job on those fundamentals (I placed that higher on the priority list). If I try one of my 5 strings into them, though...same thing you're experiencing, just 1 string down - they're not designed to go that low. The PA's I play through, though, dig just fine on a low B.

 

[InhumanResource]

Hi everyone, I am playing bass quite often. I practice homealmost every day, jam with friends every 2 weeks but only gig between 3 and 6 times a year for fun.

Like most of you, I tend to prefer light equipment. Over the past two years, I tried so many amps, I no longer know what to buy....

I tried and bought:
almost every fender rumble combos.
all of the Traynor sb combos, their sb heads and tc cabs.
a GK mb112 and 115.
an ampeg pf500 and an svt115e cab.

they are all class D
Amps. On all of them, I found the E string a little weak (not as loud or thick as they other strings) especially on the open E.

It was a little less noticeable with the GK and 115 cabs and combos but still there.

I thought it was the room so I played in another room and in my friend’s garage. Same result.

I switched bass, same result. My friends hear it too but they say it’s a little difference between the E and other strings. It really bugs me!!!!

I never had that problem with my old 700rb.

Is it a class D thing? Is it a combo thing? Is it my ears?

someone ever experienced something like that?

My first guess is an EQ issue. You have something dialed in with that 700RB that you have not replicated in the other amps. The topology of the power amp has nothing to do with your issue, I am pretty sure.

 

[707GK]

I do not believe the issue is class D. Maybe try a compressor or HPF.

 

[micguy]

I do not believe the issue is class D. Maybe try a compressor or HPF.

Rolling off the low end (what a high pass filter does) is not a fix for a bass with not enough low end. High pass filters have their place, but they don't fix every problem.

 

[yodedude2]

That's like saying it's because your V6 is rear mounted.

you can't say that on television!

 

[S-Bigbottom]

That’s kinda like saying your car stereo sounds bad because you have a V6 engine.

Car stereos are now and have been for a few decades Class D.