Bass Amps (what are you using?)

James Hart

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Lots of bassists here it seems... I'm always interested in what gear others favor.

I've been using Bag End cabs since the early 90s, originally an S15 + S12... currently a pair of D12. My old S15 and both my current D12 are in oiled Birch plus I added the plastic stacking corners.

Head wise, I started off with an early 70s Ampeg B-15n fliptop but it was in the early 80s and it couldn't handle metal / heavy blues with a drummer so I hated it. Spent most of the 80s with a solid state Carvin head before moving to A.M.P. (Amplified Musical Products... born from Acoustic and helped spawn SWR & Thunderfunk) before going back to all tube.

Currently I have an Egnater Tweaker-40 ( 2x 6L6 power section with a Marshall / Vox / Fender tone stack) that I used with one of my D12 cabs but will pick up a new S12 this year for it.

My main bass amp these days is an Ashdown CTM-200r with 4x KT88 power and curious preamp of 2x ECC-832 2x ECC-82 1x ECC-99.
20210908_Ashdown-Bagend-01.jpg



20211127_rig.png
 

fronobulax

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First version of a Phil Jones Bass Cub. 100w (RMS) into 2x5". Under 15lbs.

bcu_01b.jpg

I have not needed to overpower a drummer in decades. I have needed two separate channels and something I can carry by myself and fit in a vehicle with passengers.

I still have a loud '70's Peavey head and a Woodson 1x15" but they haven't let the house in many years. I note with some irony that I tried to sell the head with the original 2x15" to Guitar Center years ago. They bought the speaker cabinet but wouldn't even make an offer on the amp. The pic was taken from a recent GC listing. Maybe I should try again?

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James Hart

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First version of a Phil Jones Bass Cub. 100w (RMS) into 2x5". Under 15lbs.

the Phil Jones stuff always sound awesome!

I don't gig anymore so I'm down to 3 bass amps - a little Acoustic 20-watter (sound really good!), an Ampeg B-18X and an Ampeg BT-140.

The more recent Acoustic reboot stuff? I played a couple and was pleasantly surprised at their tone! Love the vintage tube combo... not unlike my first amp (I hated it, but in hindsight I was an idiot kid when I had it!).
 

Maguchi

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Lots of bassists here it seems... I'm always interested in what gear others favor.

I've been using Bag End cabs since the early 90s, originally an S15 + S12... currently a pair of D12. My old S15 and both my current D12 are in oiled Birch plus I added the plastic stacking corners.

Head wise, I started off with an early 70s Ampeg B-15n fliptop but it was in the early 80s and it couldn't handle metal / heavy blues with a drummer so I hated it. Spent most of the 80s with a solid state Carvin head before moving to A.M.P. (Amplified Musical Products... born from Acoustic and helped spawn SWR & Thunderfunk) before going back to all tube.

Currently I have an Egnater Tweaker-40 ( 2x 6L6 power section with a Marshall / Vox / Fender tone stack) that I used with one of my D12 cabs but will pick up a new S12 this year for it.

My main bass amp these days is an Ashdown CTM-200r with 4x KT88 power and curious preamp of 2x ECC-832 2x ECC-82 1x ECC-99.
20210908_Ashdown-Bagend-01.jpg



20211127_rig.png
A mid 2010s Peavey Max 115 combo with 300 watts and a 1×15" speaker, or a late '90s Carvin R600 combo with 600 watts, a 1×15" and 2×8" speakers and a horn.

IMG_0328(1).jpg
20190624_180157 (1).jpg
 
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GGJaguar

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The more recent Acoustic reboot stuff?
Yeah. The designs are good, but the manufacturing quality can be spotty. I had two electrolytic caps go bad in mine within the first year and I had to replace them. Been fine ever since, but still...
 

James Hart

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As a ham radio guy with a vintage knob and gauge fetish, that thing is magnificent.

Mark has a thing for old cars and analog gauges! The unit was designed and built right down to the transformers in Essex. Mark and most of his core team came from Trace Elliot when he sold to Kaman, who flipped it to Gibson, who flipped it to Peavey. They are a HUGE company that is still a small hometown team/family. Mark and I chat from time to time... super nice guy!

Ashdown History Page
 

GGJaguar

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I've been using Bag End cabs
The best sounding modern bass cab I ever had was a 1x15 Bag End. It was heavy for its smallish size, but man did it sound great. I don't recall why I sold it, but it was a stupid thing to do.
 

James Hart

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The best sounding modern bass cab I ever had was a 1x15 Bag End. It was heavy for its smallish size, but man did it sound great. I don't recall why I sold it, but it was a stupid thing to do.

in the studio I had a mic on my 1x15 and another on the 1x12... the 12 recorded just slightly better. My D12 (2x12) are HEAVY... but the tone is worth it.

How I miss giant bass amps, but why?

My vertical array of 12" drivers agrees and scratched that itch for me!

Me, too. Sunn 2000S and the Ampeg V-4B. They sound so good, but only in bigger venues where they can breath.

I had a Sunn Sceptre for a while, Sunn made killer tube gear.

V4 pictured above was the finest bass/guitar amp ever made, IMHO, why it didn't blow the Marshall 100W into the weeds I have know idea, but a little known secret is a good thing.

Great amps for sure, just the perfect amount of amp for pushing the matching 2x15"!



Here is the mother of all tube amps that I used for a while... 8x KT88 power section (SVT is only 6 of them). The amp was deadly and WAY too much for any gig or jam I had. Plus it was 120lbs by itself!!!
Bagend-Peavey-001.jpg
 

krysh

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V4 pictured above was the finest bass/guitar amp ever made, IMHO, why it didn't blow the Marshall 100W into the weeds I have know idea, but a little known secret is a good thing.
Simple, not enough headroom, not loud enogh clean. The marshall can do this better.
 

James Hart

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Simple, not enough headroom, not loud enogh clean. The marshall can do this better.

For Rock & Heavy Blues... I think 200 watt tube heads are the sweet spot for Bass. That is why I went with the CTM-200 over the CTM-300 or even an SVT. I also looked at Reeves/Hiwatt and Orange 200 watt offerings.
 

krysh

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For Rock & Heavy Blues... I think 200 watt tube heads are the sweet spot for Bass. That is why I went with the CTM-200 over the CTM-300 or even an SVT. I also looked at Reeves/Hiwatt and Orange 200 watt offerings.
This. Thats why I love the D-180. 180w and not too heavy. I once had a 1967 refurbished Sound City 200 handmade by Reeves before he founded Hiwatt. A fantastic tone but too heavy, so it had to go.
 

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Lots of impressive rigs!

I'm somewhat melancholy to say I sold the last vestiges of electric bass gear I have in my continuing pursuit of herd-thinning. So in reality, I am not using any currently. 😔 I do still have an old Bjärton upright awaiting repair.

A while back I sold my '67 B-18X, and I recently sold my '65 Hofner Club Bass, which I promised myself I would never do.

Capture.JPG hofclub_full_2.jpg

I just felt so guilty about them not getting played like they should be. I'm happy, though, because the Portaflex went to a local studio, and Chris Stapleton's bass player J.T. Cure bought my Club Bass, so it will definitely get used.

I would love to hear your Ashdown amp, James. That series looks amazing.
 

James Hart

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I would love to hear your Ashdown amp, James. That series looks amazing.

I'm tracking some stuff now... should have some examples to share in the next couple weeks. For now, Mr Rhodes uses the 300 watt version (or 2) with the matching 8x10 cabs. His live work with JB exampled below is what pushed me hard from the Reeves/Hiwatt to the Ashdown (I has GAS'ed over the Trace Elliot tube rigs for years but they were always out of my budget... and I owned a couple Ashdown combos since their beginnings).





 
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