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Which micro head has the smoothest response and best low end extension?

steve_rolfeca

steve_rolfeca

In Memoriam
Nov 21, 2006
8,774
17,152
London, Ontario, Canada
#1
I love my Bose L1, but I don't like lugging it to smaller folk and jazz gigs. I'm looking to turn my two Flite 103W's into a scalable rig for those occasions.

The main objective is a one-trip load-in, with a micro head in either my gig bag or a backpack.

I play fingerstyle, using a neck-through 5-string with EMG 40-series soapbars: a P5 in the neck, and a CS in the bridge. Slapping is not on the menu. My bass has no on-board tone controls.

I like a very dry signal chain- no "SWR sound" or SVT tones for me.

At church, I often play through a Radial JDI straight into the board, with no external signal processing, and a QSC HPR122i powered speaker as a stage monitor. They EQ my channel the same way I set up my Bose: +3dB at the low end, and everything else straight up.

That's the sort of tone that would float my boat in a micro head- lean and articulate, with no boom in the midrange, detailed mids, and lots of air on top. EQ should be subtle, rather than life-changing.

The only difference I'm looking for in this rig, is to get my low C's and D's back. The Bose has a 38Hz highpass filter that cuts into my B string antics pretty sharply. That's fine for louder venues, but for folk gigs, I like being able to play a solid-sounding low C pedal note at low volume.

Thus, this thread: I understand that the G-B Shuttle series (and possibly some of the other micro-heads) have low-pass filters, tailored to suit the intended Neo cabinets. That could be a deal-killer, if it corner frequency is too high.

I can't afford high-end stuff, as my budget is about $600, tops. Used gear is fine.

What's my best bet, given these constraints? My current shortlist includes the Acoustic Image Focus or Contra, G-B Shuttle 6.0, G-K MB500, and maybe a Mesa Walkabout.
 
#2
I'm using my new GB Shuttle 6.0 w/2 Flite Neo 115's and a Carvin LB70 w/active pkps. It is so clean I have a hard time dialing in almost any dark shade in the low end. May be just the ticket for you, though.
I cut the low mids back and pushed the bass freq., master and tube gain so hard looking for some shading on the low end that it started clipping hard and the shutdown circuit kicked in.. (unfortunately, during the last two songs of the night.. grrrr..) When I sent an email to GB trying to figure out what was going on, Jeff Genzler personally sent me an email w/his ph. number and said to call him and we'll figure out the prob. He sugggested I change my settings to eliminate the overheating and, sure enough, his idea was the correct one, as I have had no prob. since. I appreciate great customer service, which he delivered. Maybe a GB Shuttle 6.0 is in your future. It's my first foray into micro amps and featherweight cabs, but I'm learning the ropes as I go.. and my achin' back thanks me. Good luck in your search, Steve. (My buddy plays through a Walkabout and raves about it, but I need the less weight of the micro in my life w/a bad back and arthritis coming to visit..)
 
#11
if you are looking for the super clean flat tone i would maybe consider striking the walkabout off the list. i love the head! jump on every chance i get to use it..but it has its own (lovely) tone that may not be as clear as you are looking for. the GB seems closer to the tones you are looking for in my experience
 
#12
The Genz sounds very clean to me if you like it that way.. I personally run the preamp gain up to get a more tube-oriented sound and that also works. I don't need notes below the standard low E string, so I can't comment about that.

Try one...your ears aren't likely to be a match for anyone else's ears, so you might as well do the footwork.
 
#14
Or the MB2-500!

I find that there is a wide range of play in the EQ - it can be subtle, but you can also get a lot of tonal variety. It can be lean. I find it can be fairly transparent - I find that the instrument's personality can clearly be represented. In fact I mostly play with a little Treble rolled off and a little bass added (and I mean a little in both cases).

I've got some out of town guests this week so I won't be able to, but if you are still researching next week, I can try to do a few clips for you.
 
#16
JimmyM said:
you sure are asking for a lot for $600! that pretty much limits you to the lm3 if you buy new.
Click to expand...

Which gets my vote.

I'm not going to quote a bunch of fancy specs and stats (sorry to disappoint) but the LMIII handles my low B just fine. At the last gig I had to turn the Low down to about 9 o'clock. "Love Sneakin' Up On You" just about rattled the amalgams out of my head.

How's that for tech talk?
 
#19
Lots of good micro heads to choose from... it all depends on personal taste. For me its the LMII/III as the tone is super clean, warm and its a loud yet portable amp. You can often buy them for $450+ in the TB classifieds. Add a couple 112 cabs and use a foldable handcart and its a one trip load-in with an excellent rig.

rig01-1-1.jpg
 

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