I'd like a new bass amp perhaps you could help.

mildred-pitt · Post by **mildred-pitt** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:21 am

Hi,

I am looking to buy a new bass amp and cabinet soon and was wondering if anyone had some advice on what to look at. I play mainly dub style bass with flatwound strings and want a super low almost no treble sound. Any recommendations on bass amps or cabinets? I think I have about a grand to spend....

Do you think ashdown bass amps and cabs would work for this?

Has anyone ever used a cab with a 19 inch speaker?

Any advice is appreciated!

Cheers

Mildred

Catoogie · Post by **Catoogie** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:41 am

I've never even heard of a 19" speaker. 18" yeah but not 19".

My recommendation is to find out what kind of amp the player whose sound you like uses and go for that.

Can't go wrong with an SVT though.

Randy · Post by **Randy** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:48 am

Random thoughts on the subject:

It seems like all the heavy hitting reggae acts I have seen use the classic Ampeg SVT with that huge 300 pound cabinet with 12 10inch speakers in it. Of course that is gonna bust the 1G budget.

I once tried a bass bin with a huge speaker in it (larger than 15 inch) and all I got was bowel-releasing boom. It was being driven by the amp in a 1980s Fender bass combo-- I don't remember which one, but it was about 200 watts. It actually wasn't that loud. In fact it didn't compare to my two cabinets with 15 inch speakers.

Instead of focusing on the size of the individual speakers, I have always heard that it is surface area of all the speakers that gives the real bass. I have an Ampeg V-4 cabinet with 12 inch Eminence bass speakers and that thing gives the big boompf, even more than my 2 15s.

Catoogie · Post by **Catoogie** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:53 am

19" speakers

12 10" speakers in an SVT cabinet

Is it me?

endofanera · Post by **endofanera** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 11:54 am

Catoogie wrote:19" speakers

12 10" speakers in an SVT cabinet

Is it me?

No, it's not you.

mildred-pitt · Post by **mildred-pitt** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:13 pm

Sorry bout that - you are right - 18 inch speakers look like the max-
I was looking a the SWR Big Ben with an 18 inch woofer.

Thanks for the info so far - as to picking what type of amp a certain player plays with - does anyone know what type of cabs and amps were used (if any) in any king tubby recordings or scientist recordings?

I usually go direct for recording - but this is going to be used for live situations mostly...at first...

Mildred

justinf · Post by **justinf** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:17 pm

when I had a grand to spend I bought (all used VG):

demeter vtbp-201s bass preamp $350
crest 350W/side power amp $250
(2) Acme Low B-2 Cabinets $500

OK so I had to whore myself out for 100 bucks. But the rig sounds great, loud as fuck, and extremely portable and scalable to the gig.

just one alternative

dwelle · Post by **dwelle** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:39 pm

there is NO sound out there like an 8x10 svt cabinet. i hurt myself playing a jazz bass through a late 60's (i think) marshall super bass on like five. an open E string made me feel like i was going to implode, literally. roll the high end off, and i think you would have your dub style, monster bass sound.

you can find a used svt cab for, maybe $600. $400 for a powerful head may be tough to pull though, unless you can find an old solid state acoustic or sunn head. i think you could get it with that setup. but then you have to lug around an 800 lb 12 foot tall cab to all your gigs...

theslumlord · Post by **theslumlord** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 12:46 pm

For the last 6 years, I've used a GK 800rb head with a SWR 4x10 cab. I like the sound, plus it's pretty portable. I also have a Stingray bass, so that defines the sound as well.

takeout · Post by **takeout** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:08 pm

Classic dub? Tubes and 10's. Ampeg, Sunn, the Trace Elliot tube stuff... a lot of deals out there if you look hard enough.

Catoogie · Post by **Catoogie** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:09 pm

I've seen a bunch of people use a GK 800RB with an SVT bottom and it sounded great!

I saw Mikey Welsh (Julian Hatfield, Weezer) with The Kickovers and that's what he was using (w/ a Boss Bass Overdrive sometimes) and it rocked!

The Gibbon · Post by **The Gibbon** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 2:10 pm

I've been using a Fender 400 PS w/a Mesa Boogie 4x10 (Eden speakers) for 15 years now and I honestly don't think I've found anything else that knocks glassware off a club table at 300 feet quite like it. The Ampeg SVT was made in response to the Fender 400 from what I understand. There are a few out there if you look hard enough.

mildred-pitt · Post by **mildred-pitt** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 3:07 pm

Thanks for all the replies -

I'll check out an 8x10 svt cabinet - but it looks like the thing weighs over 150 lbs... ha ha ha - my car or back would break...

So what i gather from all this is that woofer size is not really all that matters for low sounding bass.

Mil

dwelle · Post by **dwelle** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 3:17 pm

no, the most earth moving, glass breaking low freq madness i've heard has come from 8x10's. i've got a few other bass cabs with 15"s (granted they're old fenders with JBL's) that can't touch the svt. there are plenty of great bass sounds out there, but i've never heard low end like an svt with a 300 watt tube head.

period...

ps...the svt cabs have built in wheels and a big tubular pull bar stock (the newer ones anyway) which makes these things pretty easy to move. loading and storing them is a different story...

jmbstudios · Post by **jmbstudios** » Wed Sep 10, 2003 4:37 pm

18" is the biggest?? NO I THINK NOT!!!!

While in San Diego one summer picking up a monitor console, there was a company that built a couple of custom speakers. From the frame up.

They were a whopping 36" Yes 36". Practical no, did they make a sound, yes. How many watts to push. Something like 1.21 Jigawatts!

Only two were made.

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