His interview in Bass Player Mag in 1996 said he doesn't carry what amp he uses, transistor or tube, he'll always make it sound like him. He did have GK 800RB at the time.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Which amp would George Porter Jr buy?
- Thread starter nonohmic
- Start date
Thats funny. Many of us fuss over these things while the artists we admire do not. I recently watched an interview with John Taylor and he didn't seem like much of a gear head either. Perhaps there should be a new thread (perhaps one exists)....'successful bass players who aren't picky about their gear'
+1, With whatever backline being supplied, he's going to sound like George Porter.
Couple have said it already, but he's rolling with Aguilar and Lakland these days. Had Lakland make a modern version of his old Precision and he runs a Tonehammer or one of their bigger tube units
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,777
- 40,463
- Disclosures
- Mesa Boogie beta product tester and player support
IME the GK heads reflect "the other end of the voicing spectrum" from classic Ampeg and heads like the Aguilar TH series. I own and use both brands (as well as Mesa) so this is not a one is better or worse kind of comment from me. If you want a GK head to sound more like an Aggie or Ampeg, I think an effect pedal (like say a Tech 21 VT Bass as an example) will be required. Others may hear it differently, and we all look for different things in heads. I hope that helps.
I saw George Porter a few years back (maybe 5), and he broke a string during the set. He let the band jam for a bit, stepped to the side of the stage a bit, changed the string himself, and got back in the jam. - pretty cool.
Don't remember what amp he was playing.
I've had very good luck with Aguilar stuff (owned the 350, and two 500s among other things). Great amps, great CS.
Don't remember what amp he was playing.
I've had very good luck with Aguilar stuff (owned the 350, and two 500s among other things). Great amps, great CS.
+1 to this, because I had a similar experience recently. Long-time Aguilar user, and I agree with all of the above, except that the DB750/DB359 and the DB680/DB728 setup were much more in the Ampeg camp, in comparison to the AG700 or TH500 stuff. As you said, 'Spanky'.
I was getting a jones for that Ampeg tone, which as you say just has a creamy roundness that I can't get out of the Aguilar. Played a hybrid Ampeg through a Mesa 1x15 and it sounded perfect. Classic-era bass tone with my flats-strung 5's..
My 'fix' for my Aguilar, and yet something I can take out of the chain because I do like that 'spank' on certain stuff, was this:
https://khanaudio.com/khan-di
I basically use it as a portable tube pre, and it really gets me close to that SVT-2Pro sound that I hated lugging around but made me oh-so happy when I plugged it in.
Well my cab is rated to 300 W. But there's no harm in future proofing with the head and taking it easy on the controls.
Carrots!!! Where's the carrots option???
I'd go with the Eden TN-501 - 500-watt rms class D head. I have the lower powered version, the TN-226, which is 225-watts. I love the warm clear and articulate sound and the versatility of not only having Bass and Treble shelving EQ's but also two semi-parametric EQ's that between allow you to boost/cut 15db on any frequencies from 30Hz up to 2KHz. Add to that it's auto-compressor that is far better than the auto compressor on my big Eden WT500/800, plus a Bass Boost button if you just want to boost just the bass without scooping out the mids. The "Enhance" control boosts bass, some high mids, and highs while scooping out the low-mids. The TN-501 delivers 500-watts into 4 ohms but won't do 2 ohms. Being a class D amp it weighs only 5.3-lbs. Street price is $649.
If you need to occasionally got down to 2-ohms, then I'd look at the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]amp (For the sake of transparency, I am a DNA Endorsing Artist). It delivers 800-watts into 4 ohms and about half that into 8 ohms. Click the link in the name to get more detail on it. David Nordschow, founder of both Eden amps and DNA Amplification, says that it runs best and most efficiently at either 4 or 8 ohms, but can be used for 2 ohms if needed. Here's how the manual actually puts it:
"It will put out near full power into a 2Ω load. Even though it will operate into that low an impedance load, we do not recommend a 2Ω load for standard configuration. The 800 is designed to work most efficiently and effectively into a 4Ω to 8Ω load configuration."
That's not a whole lot different that what David used to say with his Eden WT series amps. He made a lot of them capable of handling a 2 ohm load because that's what the market desired, but always thought they sounded better with either 8 ohm or 4 ohm loads. The DNA-800 weighs in at 4.8-lbs. with a street price of $799.
i gathered he wasnt a gear head, when I read an interviewin the 80s or early 90s about his P-bass. It is apparently a cluge of neck and body from different years, but the dates he mentioned for these parts didnt seem right. Like 1965 neck, but its got maple FB.
He uses those, too. Guessing the smaller ones are for fly dates, etc.
Quite a section right there with Zig.
I vote Ampeg, mostly because I have one and it's the best amp I've ever owned. I have a PF 500 into a 115LF (ported)cab. I play mostly jazz but a little funk and R&B now and then. It is deep, adaptable, and thick without losing clarity. I would highly recommend the PF series.
![IMG_1397[1012].JPG](https://www.talkbass.com/attachments/img_1397-1012-jpg.4081596/ "IMG_1397[1012].JPG")
