Bass Amps

  • Thread starter Thread starter MatchBookNotes
  • Start date Start date
...and a friend recently bought a Genz-Benz Shuttle 6.0-210T amp. It was a little pricey, but absolute proof that 10s can provide lots of bottom. One of the bass players who works at the music store plugged one of his 5 strings into it and it had the same tight, deep bass that my '51 Precision RI did.

It's all about the engineering. Everybody knows tubes sound rich and solid state sucks, so how come my Fender Jazzmaster kicks the butt of any tube amp in its price range, or higher?

Ggunn is correct: buy with your ears.
 
Another consideration

I'd make sure that whatever you got has a line/direct out on it, so that you can run the signal to the board. Unless you're playing a pretty big place with a good-sized PA, I'd skip micing the bass cab. Use the money you'd spend on a decent bass cab mic and put it towards the amp/cab.

Just my opinion.
 
notCardio said:
I'd make sure that whatever you got has a line/direct out on it, so that you can run the signal to the board. Unless you're playing a pretty big place with a good-sized PA, I'd skip micing the bass cab. Use the money you'd spend on a decent bass cab mic and put it towards the amp/cab.

Just my opinion.
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I don't know why it is, but many XLR bass amp direct outs I have tried to use have been very noisy with 60Hz hum, and using a ground isolated cable and even ground lifting the amp (tried as an experiment, not as a remedy) didn't clean them up. In those cases a DI from the instrument or micing the cab are your only options, or maybe one of those DI's that fits between the amp and cab (I've never used one).
 
ggunn said:
I don't know why it is, but many XLR bass amp direct outs I have tried to use have been very noisy with 60Hz hum, and using a ground isolated cable and even ground lifting the amp (tried as an experiment, not as a remedy) didn't clean them up. In those cases a DI from the instrument or micing the cab are your only options, or maybe one of those DI's that fits between the amp and cab (I've never used one).
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Sounds like a problem somewhere along the path.

A DI with an amp out would be a decent solution also.

I still say, in a small situation, to avoid micing the bass as you'll muck up the PA sound. But, as there are a lot of different factors involved in each situation, feel free to try it and see.
 
ggunn said:
I don't know why it is, but many XLR bass amp direct outs I have tried to use have been very noisy with 60Hz hum, and using a ground isolated cable and even ground lifting the amp (tried as an experiment, not as a remedy) didn't clean them up. In those cases a DI from the instrument or micing the cab are your only options, or maybe one of those DI's that fits between the amp and cab (I've never used one).
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The Ampeg B100R had an unbalanced TR jack for the DI, and I never had a problem with it. The one time we performed with an actual hired-in sound guy, I ran a 1/4" cable into a direct box and then into the board, maybe 50' away. Worked fine.
 
MatchBookNotes said:
i'm canadian, musiciansfriend ain't my buddy, guy! :o

there's a local kustom dealer in town, he's a douche but I'll venture over there, thanks for the suggestion.
Power doesn't really matter all that much when you can mic the cab, right?
what are the dynamic differences between 15inch and 10inch?
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well you want to be able to match the others stage volume but other than that wattage is not at the top of the priority however if you happen to be able to get the combo I mentioned power is going to be the least of your worries.
you really do not want to Mic a bass cab because low frequencies tend to get muddyed up by that method that is the reason bass amps are equipped with XLR direct outputs.
 
If someone plays very treble heavy guitar and they mic the cab it'll be fine and it won't bleed over all the other tones?
hell, are there any good live sound engineering tutorials? I've talked to various musicians i know who gig and one put it in a pretty interesting perspective of sound waves and the wall of sound.
thanks for the tip about the XLR, I will definitely narrow the search to amps with the xlr.
 
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