Either of these two will get you where you want to be, and are my first choice for gigging:
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What class d bass amp continued
- Thread starter aj_brimacombe
- Start date
Also, since you're apparently in England, you might consider a Barefaced Big Twin. They're a reference-type cabinet and will let the inherent tone of the amp shine through uncolored (uncoloured?)
Yes on the Mesa heads, own and use both 800+ and WD800. Mostly the WD with 800+ as backup.. What's interesting to me lately and on your side of the pond is the Jad Freer Sisma. I have the Capo and it's wonderful but their newly developed bass head is a nice one. I think there is a 30 day trial with it so it can be returned if ya don't dig it.
No for a few reasons:
1. Import taxes when buyint from US
2. scalper prices (for reference, this is a reverb listing of a D800 in UK: Mesa Boogie Subway D800 ~ Secondhand | Reverb )
3. Voltage (when buying from US): Uk is 230 V vs 110 V in USA (so you'll have to add extra $$ to make it work).
In short: Mesa is 'onobtanium' at the moment across the pond and will be for some time as certain components have to get recertified by EU. .
Do you feel like there's something huge missing, or is this a matter of: you're 95% there, you just want that little extra.
If you're missing something major, then it might just be that your bass isn't giving you what you want. Did you play that bass before through a different amp, and it sounded exactly how you wanted it to?
It also very much depends on how you sit/stand infront of the speaker, and how loud the amp is.
If you're looking for major changes, I doubt a different amp would give you the desired changes. If I were to create the brightest and clearest sounding rig with what I have right now, I would take my QSC monitor, and plug my Warwick Corvette into that. Never heard something brighter than my Corvette, and the QSC monitor is designed to be more flat, not like most bass amps out there, that aim at coloring the sound quite a bit.
Edit:
And if you're looking for that extra 5%, you might just be hunting ghosts. If it's very slight difference you're looking for, then maybe you need to play more with the EQ. Don't just boost frequencies, maybe start cutting some.
Or you just accept the fact that many players will always be hunting those extra 5%, even though they'll never be able to reach that goal.
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From the ampeg I'd say it's 98% there with 1 bass which is a fender jazz my other 2 basses it's at 100%
Using the markbass the jazz and stingray sound great but I really don't like the pbass through it.
Yeah it's definitely not much missing. I think I prefer the tone of the ampeg but there's somthing I like about the markbass but I can't really put a finger on it. I would say they are just both different and the 2 characteristics can't really be moulded
I suggest you use the EQ knobs: that's what they're there for.
I never want to hear an amp flat! I want the eq points boosted /or cut that *I* require for my bass tone to come through as *me*.
I never want to hear an amp flat! I want the eq points boosted /or cut that *I* require for my bass tone to come through as *me*.
Mesa D800 or D800+. I played Ampeg for years then Ashdown for a decade. The Mesa Subway series can do EVERYTHING you want. You will not regret it.
If you can't get Mesa over there I'd highly recommend the Ashdown ABM series (NOT the RM series)
If you can't get Mesa over there I'd highly recommend the Ashdown ABM series (NOT the RM series)
This one is false!
The Mesa Subway Bass line features universal voltage. The amp recognizes whichever input voltage you're using and adjusts itself.
I realize the OP is in UK, but Mesa Subway amps are sold all of the time here on Talkbass and can easily be shipped, and even with the vat will still be far less than buying a new one supplied within the UK market.
OP doesn't need to pay an overinflated Reverb price.
OP doesn't need to pay an overinflated Reverb price.
If you can't really put a finger on it, then you might not want to look around for new gear, and instead try to figure out what that thing is that you like about it. Atleast that would make it easier for you to find other gear that could do the same thing.
I've always felt like Markbass stuff was designed to be used with Jazz basses. Don't think most of their cabs compliment the Pbass tone much.
Mathematically speaking, your best choice right now seems to be the Ampeg from how you describe it. Being 98% there might get you to 100% by fiddling around with the EQ long enough, or getting a pedal involved, that you only use with the Jazz then. I have a hard time believing that a new amp would satisfy you. Unless the sunk cost fallacy comes into play, which for all intents and purposes is a valid reason to buy a new thing and be happy with it. Placebo is a hell of a thing, and aslong as you're happy with it, it's good.
I've got an Ampeg PF500 that works well with my Fender P, but not with my J.
My Aguilar works great with both. Plus, it does the Ampeg warmth/punch thing, even the SVT thing, and is an open pallet for other tones.
And it's available in the UK.
You're going to pay VAT on anything you get.
Very interesting comment. Quite subjective, I never thought about it, but now you've said it, it makes a lot of sense, like "it's obvious, why didn't I think about it before?", although I couldn't explain why.
I have one and totally concur. The OP will have no problems finding his desired amount of brightness regardless of what volume level he want.
